Music for a while

Henry Purcell: Music for a while – If music be the food of love
ed. Tippett & Bergmann
Alfred Deller, Walter Bergmann
His Master's Voice C.3890 [78rpm, 30cm]

Matrix number (printed on label):
side 1: 2EA 13692
side 2: 2EA 13693

Contents:

    Henry Purcell (m) / John Dryden and Nathaniel Lee (t)
    Oedipus, King of Thebes (Z. 583, ?1692)
  1. Song (from Act III): Music for a while (Z. 583/2)

    2. —
    Henry Purcell (m) / Henry Heveningham (t)
  2. If music be the food of love (Z. 379B, first setting, 1691/92)

Performers:
Alfred Deller (counter-tenor), Walter Bergmann (harpsichord)

Recording site and date:
[1] No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London, England [03/13/1949]
[2] No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London, England [03/18/1949];
Rel.: 1949

Compilation:
His Master's Voice 7 EP 7068 [45rpm, ext. play] Henry Purcell.
EMI / His Master's Voice "The HMV Treasury" HLM 7234 [LP] Alfred Deller - The Early Recordings: 1949-1953.
EMI Classics "References" 7243 5 65501 2 4 [CD] Alfred Deller - HMV Recordings, 1949-1954.
Classica « Les enregistrements mythiques » No 13 [CD] Alfred Deller chante Purcell

Reviewed in:
Gramophone (Vol./#-p.): 27/315-42 [Aug 1949]

Comments:
Information from 78rpm, LP and CD.
This is Deller's first recording. His son, Mark, wrote "... I can still recall the excitement he felt when his first 78rpm record, Purcell's Music for a while, was produced in 1949, only somewhat dampened by the fact he didn't possess a record player!" (from CD booklet Duets for Counter-tenor, Vanguard Classics 08 5067 71).
Alan Howlett in the discography published in "Alfred Deller, A Singularity of a Voice" wrote what could be a misleading statement on Purcell's recordings: "most Deller/Bergman discs (i.e. early HMV 78s) have been remastered for LPs and appear on Vanguard "Homage to Henry Purcell", except: HMV C 4247 and HMV 7 EP 7068".
He didn't list numbers nor content of unlisted Purcell's 78rpm.
After careful research, no trace of commercialy available unlisted Deller/Bergmann's recordings have been found, but this 78rpm and HMV C 4044 for a total of 4 songs; this leaves 8 songs with no trace of a HMV recording on 78rpm.

To FAQ references to this recording.

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Pierre-F. Roberge