Prelude and Easter hymn 

Part 1 / Part 2 
Introduction to Act 1 
Cavalleria rusticana 

Pietro Mascagni (composer) 


Vessella's Italian Band (Musical group) 



4/1/1911 Camden, New Jersey Victor 35453


Please see top of the page for condition

Oreste Vessella (1882-1963) and His Italian Band
Frederick P. Williams

Oreste Vessella was born in Alife, Italy and he studied clarinet at the Regio Conservatory, Naples, and harmony under Camillo de Nardis. He came to the U.S. in 1901 and formed his own band in 1903. He is best known for his many summer seasons playing on Steel Pier in Atlantic City. His band also appeared at Brighton Beach, Long Beach and Ocean City. Tours covered the northeastern and Midwestern U.S. as well as eastern Canada. A limited biography of Vessella has been published in volumes 2 and 3 of the Heritage of the Band by William Rehrig, edited by Paul Bierley and self-published by Bierley with the assistance of Robert Hoe. A letter to Bierley from Oreste Vessella dated December 4, 1961 states Vessella suffered from a "light stroke" which affected only his right leg. In an article published in The Instrumentalist, dated September 1961, he wrote, "I have been striving and shall continue to strive to give my beloved America the best that band music can offer." Research is needed to publish a biography of Oreste Vessella, nephew of a great Italian band director and composer Alessandro Vessella and brother of Marco Vessella. Oreste Vessella and Vessella' s Italian Band recorded for the Victor Company from 1911 to 1914 and for the Brunswick Company from 1920 to 1926. A total of five sides were done for the dwindling single-sided market. Victor double-sided records were first issued in 1909, following Columbia's introduction of double-sided records in 1908. The format for Victor records is to list the popular series 10" discs in numerical order in both the single-sided and double-sided versions. The 12" single-sided and double-sided records follow. The ethnic releases are last, again in numerical sequence. The ethnic series was offered to the public primarily in areas known to have concentrations of people of specific European countries. It is not known whether or not these ethnic recordings were sold in the respective overseas countries. It is possible that some of the 60,000 and 70,000 ethnic series recordings were sold in various Latin American countries. It is almost certain that the 90,000 series was sold exclusively in Latin countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile and others