The Guido Deiro Section: Part I. Recordings

The recordings of the Guido Deiro Section of the Deiro Archive are all of Guido (listed as GD) and Pietro Deiro (PD), with the exception of a few of the cassettes. The condition of the rare original records is variable and is indicated in the catalog. Multiple copies of many of the records exist in the collection. Sometimes, when a track was reissued for distribution to ethnic markets in the US, the title was translated into the appropriate languauge (usually Italian or Spanish in the instance of the Deiros); very occasionally the track was retitled. Such correspondences between different records are shown in the index of titles of recordings in Part I, Section E. The following should be noted:

1. Entries as appear on record label. A question mark under the entry for composer means that no composer was given on the label of the record, and it has not been possible to discover the composer of the item by other means.

2. The condition of each record has been assessed visually, and follows standard international procedure for grading 78's:

E+ BEST Almost as new, very few signs of handling

E Same, with a few scuffs

E- Less shiny in appearance, some scuffs, plays distortion-free

V+ Average, with scuffs and scratches, surface somewhat dulled

V Moderate wear, dull surface, still playable

V- Fairly playable, some distortion, numerous scuffs and scratches, serious greying of surface

G+ WORST Grey throughout, music sounds muffled.

[NB: grades better than E+ (N and N-) and worse than G+ (G, G-, F+, F, P) are not applicable to any of the records in this collection]

In addition, the following abbreviations are used to describe record condition:

ECAP= Edge Chip Affecting Play

ECNAP= Edge Chip Not Affecting Play

CAP= Crack Affecting Play

3. Record company abbreviations:

Col= Columbia

Dec=Decca

Ed= Edison

Harm=Harmony

Reg=Regal

Stan=Standard

Utd=United

Vic=Victor

Voc=Vocalion

4. The sign - used to mean ditto. This applies particularly to duplicates of records (for example items 2-4 of the catalog are additional copies of item 1; in such instances, however, all copies have been individually graded).

5. Both sides of each record listed as a single entry, except where the sides have different performers. In such cases they are listed on separate lines, but as A and B of the same catalog number (for example, 27 in the catalog [Col A-1270], is cataloged as 27a Musetta's Waltz played by Guido Deiro, 27b Semiramide Overture played by MosÈ Tapiero).

NB. All the music on 78's in the collection has been tranferred to CD by the Center for the Study of Free-Reed Instruments for easy accessibility and to prevent further deterioraton of the rare originals. An asterisk [*] to the right of the catalog reference of a particular track means that the copy in question is the one chosen for CD transfer (in a majority of cases there is only one available copy of the track: sometimes, however, there are as many as five of any particular issue).