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B 14652-1 Ave Maria (Mascagni/Weatherly) 31 March1914 Fritz Kreisler (violin obbligato) Vincent O'Brien (piano)

 

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Surely one of the happiest of artistic juxtapositions, a supreme example of musicality intuitively blended captured on disc for future generations to appreciate, is the pairing of John McCormack (1884-1945) and Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962). They recorded several varied items together, including songs by their mutual friend Rachmaninov and diverse Ave, Marias, including this setting by the Somerset-born London barrister-songwriter Fred E. Weatherly (1848-1929) of the famous Intermezzo from the 1890 opera Cavaleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945). The pianist is the Dublin-born composer and musicologist and McCormack's youthful teacher and encourager Dr. Vincent O'Brien (1870-1948).

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