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Mar 12, 2025

DUTCH PIANIST DANIEL WAYENBERG (1929-2019) VOL. 1 CDR

DANIËL ERNEST JOSEPH CAROL (DAAN) WAYENBERG (PARIS, 11 OCTOBER, 1929 – PARIS, 17 SEPTEMBER, 2019)

Wayenberg was born in Paris. He was the only child of the Dutch journalist Jaap Wayenberg and the Jewish-Russian violinist Margarete Berson (1894 / 1895-1997) who had met in the Dutch East Indies. A few weeks after his birth, the family moved to The Hague. Wayenberg came into contact with music at a young age. His mother discovered that he had an absolute hearing and decided to give him music lessons. She wanted to teach him how to play the violin, but Wayenberg preferred the piano. He didn’t go to school: he got lessons at home to give his piano talent a chance. First he was taught by his mother, then by Ary Verhaar, Dutch composer, music teacher and pianist in The Hague. After the Second World War he moved to family in Paris to complete his studies with Marguerite Long (1874-1966). Since then he has continued to live in Paris, but he also had his own floor with a family member at home on the Mediterranean. He won first prize in Paris in 1949 at the Marguerite Long – Jacques Thibaud international competition. In 1962 he was awarded the Order of Orange-Nassau for his merits for the Netherlands abroad and in 1967 he received the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres award in France. After his American debut in 1953, at the Carnegie Hall in New York, with the New York Philharmonic led by Dimitri Mitropoulos, Wayenberg made several extensive tours through the United States and Canada. He also made tours in the then Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Scandinavia and Greece. In 1954 he debuted in the Royal Concertgebouw. Wayenberg collaborated with Karl Böhm, Bernard Haitink, Eugen Jochum, Kirill Kondrashin, Rafael Kubelik and Igor Markevich. After 1975, he also became famous in the Netherlands for his jazz concerts with Louis van Dijk, sometimes as a duo, sometimes in a larger context with Tonny Eyk, Pim Jacobs and Pieter van Vollenhoven. In 1985 he was appointed piano teacher at the Rotterdam Conservatory. He continued to work there until his retirement in 1994. Upon his retirement, he received the Erasmus pin from Mayor Bram Peper. In addition to classical music and jazz, he also played a lot of contemporary French music. Wayenberg composed chamber music, piano concerts, the Solstice ballet and the famous Capella symphony. After rediscovering the Lutheran, he wrote the composition “Cadens, Serenade and Toccata” for this instrument. From 2012 to 2018 he often performed with the young pianist Martin Oei. Due to his deteriorating health, he did not perform since and stayed in a care home in the Paris area. In 2017 he got colon cancer.

TRACKLIST

Concerto pour piano No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23 I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso (Tchaikovsky)

Concerto pour piano No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23 II. Andantino semplice (Tchaikovsky)

Concerto pour piano No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23 III. Allegro con fuoco (Tchaikovsky)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 1, Von fremden Ländern und Menschen (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 2, Kuriose Geschichte (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 3, Hasche-Mann (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 4, Bittendes Kind (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 5, Glückes genugH (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 6, Wichtige Begebenheit (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 7, Träumerei (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 8, Am Kamin (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 9, Ritter vom Steckenpferd (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 10, Fast zu ernst (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 11, Fürchtenmachen (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 12, ind im Einschlummern (Schumann)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 13, Der Dichter spricht (Schumann)

Kreisleriana, Op. 16 No. 1, Äusserst bewegt (Schumann)

Kreisleriana, Op. 16 No. 2, Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch (Schumann)

Kreisleriana, Op. 16 No. 3, Sehr aufgeregt (Schumann)

Kreisleriana, Op. 16 No. 4, Sehr langsam (Schumann)

Kreisleriana, Op. 16 No. 5, Sehr lebhaft (Schumann)

DUTCH PIANIST DANIEL WAYENBERG (1929-2019) VOL. 2 CDR

DANIËL ERNEST JOSEPH CAROL (DAAN) WAYENBERG (PARIS, 11 OCTOBER, 1929 – PARIS, 17 SEPTEMBER, 2019)

TRACKLIST

Kreisleriana, Op. 16 No. 6, Sehr langsam (Schumann)

Kreisleriana, Op. 16 No. 7, Sehr rasch (Schumann)

Kreisleriana, Op. 16 No. 8, Schnell und spielend (Schumann)

Tableaux d’une exposition I. Gnomus (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition II. Il vecchio castello (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition III. Tuileries. Dispute d’enfants après jeux (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition IV. Bydlo (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition IX. La cabane sur des pattes de poule (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition Promenade I (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition Promenade II (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition Promenade III (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition Promenade IV (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition Promenade V (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition V. Ballet des poussins dans leurs coques (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition VI. Samuel Goldenberg et Schmuÿle (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition VII. Limoges, le marché (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition VIII. Catacombes. Sepulcrum Romanum & Con mortuis in lingua mortua (Mussorgsky)

Tableaux d’une exposition X. La grande porte de Kiev (Mussorgsky)

Three Mouvements from Petrushka I. Danse russe (Stravinsky)

Three Mouvements from Petrushka II. Chez Petrouchka (Stravinsky)

Three Mouvements from Petrushka III. La semaine grasse (Stravinsky)

EMMY DESTINN 1905-1909 ODEON RECORDINGS CDR

EMMY DESTINN (EMA DESTINNOVÁ) (PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC, 26 FEBRUARY, 1878 – CESKE BUDEJOVICE, CZECH REPUBLIC, 28 JANUARY, 1930)

Her real name was Ema Pavlína Kittlová. Initially, she aspired to become a violinist, studying under Ferdinand Lachner in Prague and giving concerts by the age of eight. At 14, she shifted her focus to singing, studying between 1892 and 1896 with Marie Loewe-Destinn in Prague. She adopted her teacher’s surname as a tribute.

On July 19, 1898, she made her stage debut as Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Berlin Kroll Opera. In September of the same year, she debuted at the Berlin Court Opera, again as Santuzza, and remained a member until 1908. During her tenure, she participated in several significant premieres, including Mudarra by Fernand le Borne (1899), Roland von Berlin by R. Leoncavallo (1904), and Heirat wider Willen by E. Humperdinck (1905). In 1906, she created the role of Salome in Richard Strauss’s opera for Berlin audiences. In 1903, she appeared as Milada in the Berlin premiere of B. Smetana’s Dalibor at the Theater of the West.

During the 1901-1902 season, she performed as Senta in Der fliegende Holländer at the Bayreuth Festival. In 1905, she made history at London’s Covent Garden by originating the title role in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, opposite Enrico Caruso and Antonio Scotti. She debuted at Covent Garden in 1904 as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and sang there until 1914, returning in 1919. Other notable performances include her appearances in the premieres of Tess by Frédéric d’Erlanger (1909) and Eugene Onegin by P. Tchaikovsky (1906), where she portrayed Tatiana alongside Mattia Battistini.

Her international engagements were extensive, including performances in Vienna, Paris, Prague, Hamburg, Leipzig, Dresden, and Wiesbaden. In 1908, she joined the New York Metropolitan Opera, debuting as Aida in the season’s opening performance. While at the Met, she sang roles such as Marie in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride (1909), Lisa in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades (1910), Martha in the American premiere of d’Albert’s Tiefland (1908), and the title role in Catalani’s La Wally (1909). On December 10, 1910, she created the role of Minnie in the world premiere of Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West, with Enrico Caruso and Pasquale Amato. She reprised the role in the opera’s London premiere in 1911.

During World War I, she left North America in 1916 and returned to the Czech Republic. A fervent patriot, she advocated for Czechoslovakia’s independence, which led to her temporary imprisonment by Austrian authorities, despite her having acquired American citizenship. In 1919, performing as Ema Destinnová, she returned to the Metropolitan Opera for two seasons and also guested in London as Aida. In 1923, she sang at the Oslo Opera. She retired from the stage in 1926.

In 1927, she gave concerts in Berlin and Breslau, but her success was moderate. She also enjoyed an illustrious career as a concert singer and appeared in several silent films. Destinn lived in her castle at Stráž in Bohemia, which she had purchased in 1914, and became a celebrated national heroine in Czechoslovakia. After her death, the state honored her with a state funeral. She is buried in Vyšehrad Cemetery in Prague.

TRACKLIST

Freischütz (Weber) Und ob die Wolke sie verhülle XX76012 xxB3594 Odeon, Berlin 1907-1011

Lohengrin (Wagner) Ach, dich an mich zu binden (w. Berger) XX80042 xxB4686 Odeon, Berlin 1909

Mignon (Thomas) Kam ein armes Kind (Styrienne) X50025 XPh1016 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12 (or -02)

Mignon (Thomas) Kennst du das Land X50023 XPh1014 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12 (or -02)

Ave Maria (Gounod) X99430 xB4746 Odeon, Berlin 1909

Faust (Gounod) Der König von Thulé X99387 xB4693 Odeon, Berlin 1909

Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) Ballade der Senta X50166 Bx1663-2 Odeon, Berlin 1906-0910

Freischütz (Weber) All meine Pulse schlagen 64843, xB3593 Odeon, Berlin 1907-1011

Freischütz (Weber) Wie nahte mir der Schlummer 64842 xB3592 Odeon, Berlin 1907-1011

Lohengrin (Wagner) Ach könnt’ ich deiner Wert erscheinen with Berger 50650 xB4685 Odeon, Berlin 1909

Lohengrin (Wagner) Das süsse Lied verhallt (w, Berger) XX80041 xxB4683 Odeon, Berlin 1909

Lohengrin (Wagner) Einsam in trüben Tagen X99385 xB4687 Odeon, Berlin 1909

Lohengrin (Wagner) Wie hehr erkenn’ ich uns’rer Liebe Wesen (w Berger) X50649 xB4684 Odeon, Berlin 1909

Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Un bel d`vedremo X99431 xB4744 Odeon, Berlin 1909

Mela jsem chlape (trad) 29072 XPh1013 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12 (or -02)

Mignon (Thomas) Gebet X50232, Bx2089 Odeon, Berlin 1906-12

Nekamenujte proroky (Smetana) 51013 xB2093 Odeon, Berlin 1906-12

Tannhäuser (Wagner) Dich teure Halle X50159 Bx1661 Odeon, Berlin 1906-0910

Tannhäuser (Wagner) Gebet der Elisabeth X50171, Bx1708 Odeon, Berlin 1906-0910

Uz mou milou (trad) 29071 XPh1010 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12 (or -02)

ENGLISH PIANIST CYRIL SMITH (1909-1974) 2 CDR

CYRIL SMITH (COSTA STREET, MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND, AUGUST 11, 1909 – LONDON, ENGLAND, AUGUST 2, 1974)

Smith was born at Costa Street, Middlesbrough, England, the son of Charles Smith, a foundry bricklayer, and Eva Harrison, and had an older brother and sister. He married Andrée Antoinette Marie Paty in 1931 but the marriage ended in divorce. In 1937 he married Phyllis Sellick. They had a son, Graham, and a daughter, Clare and remained married until his death. Smith died in 1974 at his home in East Sheen, London, as a result of a stroke. From 1926 to 1930, Cyril Smith studied with Herbert Fryer (a student of Tobias Matthay and Ferruccio Busoni) at the Royal College of Music, winning medals and prizes including the Daily Express piano contest in 1928 and made his concert début in Birmingham in 1929. He performed as an off-screen piano accompanist in several of the 30-line Baird system television broadcasts of 1935 and joined the BBC when they took over. It was at the BBC’s early television studios that he met his future second wife, the pianist Phyllis Sellick. In 1934, Smith left the BBC to take up an appointment as professor of pianoforte at the Royal College of Music. Smith and Sellick married in 1937, pursuing solo careers. During the Second World War Cyril Smith performed concerts for ENSA but in 1941 he and his wife began performing together as a piano duo at the Proms, and made many international concert tours for ENSA and the British Council In 1945, they toured the Far East, where the hazards to contend with included small animals lodged in pianos and out-of-tune instruments. Smith’s work was largely from the Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Schubert, Balakirev, and Albéniz repertoire. Malcolm Arnold, Sir Arthur Bliss, Gordon Jacob and Ralph Vaughan Williams also wrote music for the duo. Among Cyril Smith’s many performances were appearances at The Barn Theatre, Oxted, in the 1930s and at the Proms in 1930, 1937, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1953 and 1969. In 1956, while in the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine at the start of a concert tour of the Soviet Union he suffered a thrombosis and stroke that paralysed his left arm. However, with music arranged by themselves, or written or arranged by composer friends, Smith and Sellick were able to continue to perform concerts of three-handed music as a piano duo. Notable among the works composed for them was Malcolm Arnold’s Concerto for Two Pianos (3 hands), Op. 104, dedicated to the performers, who premiered it at the Proms in 1969 and recorded it in 1970. Cyril Smith and Phyllis Sellick both taught piano at the Royal College of Music – Smith was appointed professor of pianoforte in 1934.

TRACKLIST

Allegro Brilliant in A, Op. 92 (Mendelssohn) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Dolly Suite, Op. 56 I. Berceuse (Fauré) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Dolly Suite, Op. 56 II. Mi-a-ou (Fauré) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Dolly Suite, Op. 56 III. Le jardin de Dolly (Fauré) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Dolly Suite, Op. 56 IV. Kitty-Valse (Fauré) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Dolly Suite, Op. 56 V. Tendresse (Fauré) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Dolly Suite, Op. 56 VI. Le pas Espagnol (Fauré) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Fantasie in F minor, D.940 (Schubert) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Moy Mell, The Pleasant Plain, an Irish Tone Poem Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Prelude, Chorale & Fugue (Franck) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Scaramouche, Op. 165b (Milhaud) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Scaramouche, Op. 165b I. Vif (Milhaud) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Scaramouche, Op. 165b III. Brazileira Milhaud) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Sonata for 2 Pianos in D Major, K. 448 I. Allegro con spirito (Mozart) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Sonata for 2 Pianos in D Major, K. 448 II. Andante (Mozart) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Sonata for 2 Pianos in D Major, K. 448 III. Allegro molto (Mozart) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Sonata in B flat, D.617 I. Allegro moderato I. Allegro moderato (Schubert) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Sonata in B flat, D.617 II. Andante con moto II. Andante con moto (Schubert) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Sonata in B flat, D.617 III. Allegretto III. Allegretto (Schubert) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Suite No. 1 for 2 Pianos in F Major, Op. 15 II. Valse Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Suite No. 2 for 2 Pianos in C Major, Op. 17 I. Introduction. Alla marcia (Rachmaninoff) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Suite No. 2 for 2 Pianos in C Major, Op. 17 II. Valse. Presto (Rachmaninoff) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Suite No. 2 for 2 Pianos in C Major, Op. 17 III. Romance. Andantino (Rachmaninoff) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Suite No. 2 for 2 Pianos in C Major, Op. 17 IV. Tarantelle. Presto (Rachmaninoff) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd!, BWV 208 Hunt Cantata IX. Schafe konnen sicher weiden (Arr. M. Howe for Piano 4 Hands) (Bach) Phyllis Sellick (piano)

ENGLISH VIOLINIST HUGH BEAN (1929-2003) 2 CDR

HUGH CECIL BEAN (BECKENHAM, KENT, ENGLAND, UK, 22 SEPTEMBER, 1929 – BECKENHAM, KENT, ENGLAND, UK, 26 DECEMBER, 2003)

He was born in Beckenham. After lessons from his father from the age of five, he became a pupil of Albert Sammons (and Ken Piper) when he was nine years old. Later, he attended the Royal College of Music (RCM), where at age 17 he was awarded the principal prize for violin. A further year’s study with André Gertler at the Brussels Conservatory on a Boise Foundation travelling award brought him a double first prize for solo and chamber music playing, and with two other prizewinners he formed the Boise Trio. He was appointed professor of violin at the RCM at the age of 24 and became a freelance London orchestral player, until he was made sub-leader and then leader (1956–67) of the Philharmonia Orchestra. He was co-leader of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1967 to 1969, when he resigned to concentrate on an independent career, but retained his membership (1966–76) of the Music Group of London. In 1989, he returned to the Philharmonia Orchestra as co-leader, and became Leader Emeritus. Hugh Bean performed concertos with many leading orchestras, both in the UK and abroad. As a soloist his playing was distinguished by lyrical feeling and warmth of expression in addition to technical command. He recorded Edward Elgar’s Violin Concerto for EMI with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Sir Charles Groves, and with the Philharmonia Orchestra he recorded Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons with Leopold Stokowski, and Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending with Sir Adrian Boult. He made many recordings of chamber music with the Music Group of London, and together they toured extensively both performing and teaching in Europe, Scandinavia, The Middle and Far East (including four visits to China), Canada and North and South America. During his thirty-seven years as Professor of Violin at the Royal College of Music, over fifty of his pupils found positions in London orchestras, including several as leaders. He was appointed FRCM in 1968, was awarded the Cobbett Gold Medal for chamber music in 1969 and created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1970. Bean played a violin by Pietro Guarneri (Venice 1734), on extended loan from Amy Haswell-Wilson, and owned one by Carlo Tononi dated 1716. He was survived by his wife Mary, and one daughter.

TRACKLIST

Arioso David Parkhouse (piano)

Caprice Viennois Op. 2 David Parkhouse (piano)

Foot Of The Bonfire David Parkhouse (piano)

Guitarre David Parkhouse (piano)

Hora Staccato David Parkhouse (piano)

Jota Aragonesa David Parkhouse (piano)

La Capriceuse Op. 17 (Elgar) David Parkhouse (piano)

Liebesfreud (Love’s Joy) David Parkhouse (piano)

Liebeslied (Love’s Sorrow) David Parkhouse (piano)

Melodie Op. 42 Nr. 3 David Parkhouse (piano)

On Wings Of Song Op. 34 Nr. 2 David Parkhouse (piano)

Scherzo Tarantello In G Minor Op. 16 David Parkhouse (piano)

Schon Rosmarin (Fair Rosmary) David Parkhouse (piano)

Strellita (Star Of Love) David Parkhouse (piano)

The Four Seasons 1. Allegro (Vivaldi) Leopold Stokowski, New Philharmonia Orchestra

The Four Seasons 1. Allegro Non Molto (Vivaldi) Leopold Stokowski, New Philharmonia Orchestra

The Four Seasons 2. Adagio – Presto (Vivaldi) Leopold Stokowski, New Philharmonia Orchestra

The Four Seasons 2. Adagio Molto (Vivaldi) Leopold Stokowski, New Philharmonia Orchestra

The Four Seasons 2. Largo (Vivaldi) Leopold Stokowski, New Philharmonia Orchestra

The Four Seasons 3. Allegro (Vivaldi) Leopold Stokowski, New Philharmonia Orchestra

The Four Seasons 3. Presto (Vivaldi) Leopold Stokowski, New Philharmonia Orchestra

The Lark Ascending (Vaughan Williams)

BRITISH VIOLINIST MAX ROSTAL (1905-1991) 3 CDR

MAX ROSTAL (CIESZYN, POLAND, 7 JULY, 1905 – BERN, SWITZERLAND, 6 AUGUST, 1991)

Max Rostal was born in Cieszyn and studied with Carl Flesch. He also studied theory and composition with Emil Bohnke and Matyás Seiber. He won the Mendelssohn Scholarship in 1925. From 1930–33 he taught at the Berlin Hochschule, from 1944 to 1958 at the Guildhall School of Music, and then at the Musikhochschule Köln (1957–82) and the Conservatory in Bern (1957–85). His pupils included Yfrah Neaman, Paulo Bosísio, Howard Leyton-Brown, Igor Ozim, Ole Bohn, Peggy Klinger, Paul Rozeck, Edith Peinemann, Bryan Fairfax and members of the Amadeus Quartet. He died in Bern. Rostal played a wide variety of music, but was a particular champion of contemporary works such as Béla Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2. He made a number of recordings. Rostal premiered Alan Bush’s Violin Concerto of 1946–8 in 1949. He was the dedicatee of Benjamin Frankel’s first solo violin sonata (1942), and he also made the premiere recording. Rostal played in a piano trio with Heinz Schröter (piano) and Gaspar Cassadó (cello), who was replaced in 1967 by Siegfried Palm. Rostal edited a number of works for Schott Music, and produced piano reductions as well. Rostal’s daughter Sybil B. G. Eysenck became a psychologist and is the widow of the personality psychologist Hans Eysenck, with whom she collaborated.

TRACKLIST

Piano Trio No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 1 No. 3 I. Allegro Con Brio (Beethoven) Gaspar Cassadó (cello) and Heinz Schroter (piano)

Piano Trio No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 1 No. 3 II. Andante Cantabile Con Variazioni (Beethoven) Gaspar Cassadó (cello) and Heinz Schroter (piano)

Piano Trio No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 1 No. 3 III. Menuetto. Quasi Allegro (Beethoven) Gaspar Cassadó (cello) and Heinz Schroter (piano)

Romance Pour Violon Et Orchestre In F Major, Op. 50 (Beethoven) Walter Goehr (piano)

Romance Pour Violon Et Orchestre In G Major, Op. 40 (Beethoven) Walter Goehr (piano)

Sonate Pour Violon Et Piano No. 9 In A Major, Op. 47 Kreutzer I. Adagio Sostenuto – Presto (Beethoven) Franz Osborn (piano)

Sonate Pour Violon Et Piano No. 9 In A Major, Op. 47 Kreutzer II. Andante Con Variazioni, Pt. 1 (Beethoven) Franz Osborn (piano)

Sonate Pour Violon Et Piano No. 9 In A Major, Op. 47 Kreutzer II. Andante Con Variazioni, Pt. 2 (Beethoven) Franz Osborn (piano)

Sonate Pour Violon Et Piano No. 9 In A Major, Op. 47 Kreutzer III. Finale. Presto (Beethoven) Franz Osborn (piano)

Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 77 I. Nocturne (Shostakovich)

Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 77 II. Scherzo (Shostakovich)

Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 77 III. Passacaglia (Shostakovich)

Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 77 IV. Burlesque (Shostakovich)

Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 82 I. Allegro. Risoluto (Elgar) Colin Horsley (piano)

Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 82 II. Romance. Andante (Elgar) Colin Horsley (piano)

Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 82 III. Allegro non troppo (Elgar) Colin Horsley (piano)

Violin Sonata No. 1 In G Major, Op. 78 Regen I. Vivace Ma Non Troppo (Brahms) Maria Bergmann (piano)

Violin Sonata No. 1 In G Major, Op. 78 Regen II. Adagio (Brahms) Maria Bergmann (piano)

Violin Sonata No. 1 In G Major, Op. 78 Regen III. Allegro Molto Moderato (Brahms) Maria Bergmann (piano)

Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, Op. 45 I. Allegretto (Ravel) Monique Haas (piano)

Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, Op. 45 II. Blues. Moderato (Ravel) Monique Haas (piano)

Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, Op. 45 III. Perpetuum mobile. Allegro (Ravel) Monique Haas (piano)

FRENCH SOPRANO MADELEINE SIBILLE (1895-1984) CDR

MADELEINE SIBILLE (PARIS, FRANCE, FEBRUARY 25, 1895 – PARIS, FRANCE, JULY 19, 1984)

She studied under Engel in Paris and made her debut in 1919 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. For over twenty years, she remained a prominent member of this opera house, achieving significant success in the dramatic repertoire.

At the Opéra-Comique, she participated in several operatic premieres, including Lorenzaccio by Ernest Moret (May 19, 1920), L’Appel de la Mer by Henri Rabaud (April 10, 1924), Le pauvre matelot by Darius Milhaud (December 16, 1927), and La Peau de Chagrin by Charles Lavadé (April 24, 1929). By 1939, she was recognized as the leading dramatic soprano at the Opéra-Comique.

Her repertoire included notable roles such as Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Charlotte in Massenet’s Werther, Carmen, Margared in Lalo’s Le Roi d’Ys, and Tosca.

Later in her career, she dedicated herself to teaching singing in Paris.

Chronology of some appearances

1919-1939 Paris Opéra-Comique

TRACKLIST

Tosca (Puccini): D’art et d’amour 0667 N201425-1-R Pathé, Paris 1926 – 1931

Roi d’Ys (Lalo): Air de Margared 7150 N201291-1 Pathé, Paris 1926 – 1931

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Romance de Santuzza 7150 N201290-1 Pathé, Paris 1926 – 1931

Thérèse (Massenet): Jour de juin 3411 N201971-A-1 Pathé, Paris 1926 – 1931

Carmen (Bizet): Habanera 7133 Pathé, Paris 1926 – 1931

Marche Lorraine (Ganne) 3454 N202410 Pathé, Paris 1926 – 1931

Roi d’Ys (Lalo): Margared, ô ma soeur with Vallin 7233 Pathé, Paris 1926 – 1931

Roi d’Ys (Lalo): En silence, pourquoi souffrir with Vallin 7233 Pathé, Paris 1926 – 1931

Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach): Barcarolle with Vallin 2622 Pathé, Paris 1926 – 1931

Fille de Mme Angot (Lecocq): Jours fortunés with Ninon Vallin X90058 250286-MC1 Pathé, Paris 1932-07

Bohème (Puccini): Quatuor, act 3 with Vallin, Villabella & Baugé X90056 N250274 Pathé, Paris 1926 – 1931

FRENCH SOPRANO MARTHE CHENAL (1881-1947) CDR

MARTHE CHENAL (PARIS, 24 AUGUST, 1881 – PARIS, 28 JANUARY, 1947)

She nearly abandoned her opera career after a series of discouraging experiences. Officials at the Paris Conservatory dismissed her talent, and several French provincial theaters turned her away. As a result, she reluctantly accepted singing engagements at music halls and the Moulin-Rouge.

However, her fortunes changed after further studies with Martini. In 1905, she secured a breakthrough engagement at the Paris Opéra, where she debuted as the French Brunehilde in Reyer’s Sigurd. Chenal silenced her critics and became immensely popular, performing at major venues such as the Opéra, the Opéra-Comique, the Gaîté-Lyrique, and the Monte Carlo Opera.

She was involved in the premieres of several operas, many of which have since fallen into obscurity, including Le Miracle (1910), Icare (1911), La Forêt Sacrée (1916), Graziella (1916), Jeanne d’Arc (1917), and Intermède (1919).

Chenal was celebrated for her striking stage presence, compelling acting, and generous spirit, which endeared her to both audiences and colleagues.

Chronology of some appearances

1905 Paris Grand Opéra

1907 Rome Teatro Costanzi

TRACKLIST

Ave Maria (Gounod) 1966 Pathé, Paris 1915

Belle Hélène (Offenbach) Invocation à Vénus 1964 Pathé, Paris 1915

Carmen (Bizet) Habanera 1871 Pathé, Paris 1915

Fille de Mme Angot (Lecocq) Les soldats d’Augereau 1884 Pathé, Paris 1915

Hérodiade (Massenet) Il est doux 1900 Pathé, Paris 1915

La Marseillaise (de l’Isle) (w. chorus) 2319 Pathé, Paris 1915

Sigurd (Reyer) Salut, splendeur du jour 1872 Pathé, Paris 1915

Tosca (Puccini) D’art et d’amour 1941 Pathé, Paris 1915

Le chant du départ (Méhul) (w. chorus) 2314 Pathé, Paris 1915

FRENCH MEZZO-SOPRANO MARTHE COIFFIER CDR

MARTHE COIFFIER (ORAN, 09-05-1896 – ?)

She initially studied piano and voice at the Conservatoire of Oran. In 1918, she moved to Paris to continue her training at the Paris Conservatoire.

In 1921, she made her debut at the Paris Opéra-Comique, performing the role of Micaela in Carmen. Over the next ten years, she became a valued member of this opera house, achieving great success in roles such as Sophie in Werther, Cupid in Orpheus, and Andreloux in Mireille.

Chronology of some appearances

1921-1931 Paris Opéra-Comique

TRACKLIST

La Petite Mariée (Lecocq): Le rossignol (w. Villier) DF475 WL2820 Columbia, Paris

Garde-Moi Ton Amour (Valade): Extrait Du Film Après L’amour DF806 L3450 Columbia, Paris

Je n’ai qu’un amour, c’est toi (W. Zeller) (w. Boyer) L2582 DF285 Columbia, Paris

O Mon Bel Inconnu (Hahn): Trio (w. Simon & Cernay) DF 1357 CL 4544 Columbia, Paris

Il est charmant (Moretti) DB806 L3451 Columbia

Il est charmant (Moretti) X 94132 Pathé

Peer Gynt (Grieg) Chanson de Solveig L912 52-946 HMV

Peer Gynt (Grieg) Berceuse L912 52-947 HMV

Faust (Gounod): O Sainte Médaille! (w. Musy & Cozette) C7427 (52-699) HMV, Paris 1930-10-15

Faust (Gounod): Scène des épées (w. Journet, Cozette & Musy) C7429 (52-701) HMV, Paris 1930-03-31

Faust (Gounod): Nous nous retrouverons (w. Vezzani, Journet & chorus) C2127 (52-702) HMV, Paris 1930-04-03

Faust (Gounod): Ne permettrez-vous pas (w. Vezzani, Journet, Berthon & chorus) C2127 (52-703) HMV, Paris 1930-04-03

Faust (Gounod): Faites-lui mes aveux (w. Coiffier & Vezzani) C2128 (52-704) HMV, Paris 1930-03-31

Faust (Gounod): Choeurs des soldats, pt 1 (w. Musy & chorus) C7435 (52-716) HMV, Paris 1930-03-20

Faust (Gounod): Par ici, par ici (w. Berthon, Musy & Montfort) C7431 (52-720) HMV, Paris 1930-03-31

Faust (Gounod): Allons Siebel!… Vous qui faites l’endormie (w. Journet, Musy & Vezzani) C7433 (52-718) HMV, Paris 1930-10-13

FRENCH MEZZO-SOPRANO SUZANNE BROHLY (1882-1943) CDR

SUZANNE BROHLY (1882 – 1943)

She studied singing at the Conservatoire de Paris and made her debut in 1906 at the Opéra-Comique. She remained a member of this opera house until 1930, where she participated in several significant opera premieres, including Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (1907) by Paul Dukas, The Snow Maiden (1908) by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Manuel de Falla’s La vida breve (1914).

Her repertoire at the Opéra-Comique included roles such as Mignon, Charlotte in Werther, the Mother in Louise, Margared in Le Roi d’Ys, the title role in Thérèse, Geneviève in Pelléas et Mélisande, and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly.

On December 7, 1912, she performed at the Grand Opéra in the premiere of La Lépreuse by Sylvio Lazzari. On March 20, 1913, she appeared in the premiere of Le Carillonneur by Xavier Leroux, and on November 22, 1919, at the Théâtre Lyrique de Vaudeville in Paris, she took part in the premiere of Marcel Samuel-Rousseau’s Taras Bulba.

She was particularly celebrated for her interpretation of Carmen, a role that became a hallmark of her career. In 1911, she toured South America with a French opera troupe, performing French repertoire to great acclaim.

Chronology of some appearances

1906-1930 Paris Opéra-Comique

1912 Paris Grand Opéra

1913 Paris Grand Opéra

1919 Paris Théâtre Lyrique de Vaudeville

TRACKLIST

Gramophone, Paris 1908-08

Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Mon coeur s’ouvre 033064 834i

Prophète (Meyerbeer): Ah, mon fils 33712 6246h

Saisons (Massé): Ah! pourquoi suis-je revenue 033065 835i

Gramophone, Paris 1910-12-30

Boheme (Puccini) D’un pas leger (Valse de Musette) 33801 P241

Gramophone, Paris 1908-12-28

Werther (Massenet): Il faut nous séparer with Leon Beyle 034042 0870v

Carmen (Bizet): Je vais danser with Leon Beyle 034040 0874v

Carmen (Bizet): Non, tu ne m’aimes pas with Leon Beyle 034041 0875v

Gramophone, Paris 1909-07-02

Trovatore (Verdi): La flamme brille 33781 14958u

Gramophone, Paris 1909/1910

Sigurd (Reyer): J’avais lu dans ton coeur with Georges Granal W 463 33229

Gramophone, Paris 1910-02-25

Roi Carotte (Offenbach): Duo des colporteurs with Marthe Bakkers 34231 15522u

Gramophone, Paris 1910-06-14

Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saens): Je viens célébrer ta victoire with Georges Granal and Armand Narçon 034086 01548v

Gramophone, Paris 1911-01-27

Hérodiade (Massenet): J’ai souvent contemplé ton astre with Paul Payan 034094 01857v

Gramophone, Paris 1912-05-06

Carmen (Bizet): Mais moi, Carmen, je t’aime encore with Leon Campagnola 034136 Y49

Gramophone, Paris 1912-07-03

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): O mon Torrido with Leon Campagnola 034142 02489v

Gramophone, Paris 1912-09-06

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): C’est toi, Santuzza with Leon Campagnola 034149 02511v

Gramophone, Paris 1912-12-02 (??)

Cendrillon (Massenet): Nous quitterons cette ville with Paul Payan 034169 02606½v

Gramophone, Paris 1922-02-08

Grisélidis (Massenet): Il partit au printemps 033220 CE239-2

Gramophone, Paris 1922-03-02

Mignon (Thomas): Je suis heureuse with Louis Cazette 34327 BE318-1

Gramophone, Paris 1922-04-28

Marie-Magdeleine (Massenet): C’est ici-même 033236 CS305-1

FRENCH TENOR CÉSAR VEZZANI (1886-1951) 7 CDR

CÉSAR VEZZANI (BASTIA, CORSICA, 8 AUGUST, 1886 – MARSEILLE, 11 NOVEMBER, 1951)

He was born in Bastia, Corsica, and arrived in Paris in 1908. At first, he could barely read or write and spoke very little French. His voice was discovered by the sopranist Agnès Borgo (1879-1958), who became his first teacher and later sent him to the Conservatoire National de Paris. The two married in 1913.

He made his debut in 1912 at the Opéra-Comique, performing in Grétry’s Richard Cœur de Lion. The couple was invited to sing in Boston and Chicago, but the outbreak of World War I forced them to cancel these engagements. After a disagreement with the management of the Opéra-Comique, his career was largely confined to performing at operas in Nice, Marseille, Toulon, Toulouse, and Brussels, and he never returned to Paris.

During World War II, he lived in exile and performed at the opera in Algiers, where he was highly admired. In 1947, he signed a three-year contract with La Monnaie in Brussels. However, during a rehearsal in Toulon, he suffered a stroke that left him completely paralyzed. He passed away in 1951.

Vezzani was a dramatic tenor of great brilliance, known for his ringing top notes and vibrant vitality in his singing. He was particularly admired in roles such as Otello (in excellent French—a rare skill today), and his renditions of Di quella pira from Il Trovatore, Reyer’s Sigurd, and Corentin in Dinorah showcase him at his finest.

TRACKLIST

Odeon, Paris 1912

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): M’habiller! M’habiller, ah puavre Canio (Recitar… Vesti la giubba) 111337 XP5786

Otello (Verdi): Tout m’abandonne, adieu (Ora e per sempre addio) 111338 XP5787

Sigurd (Reyer): Esprits gardiens 111340 XP5789

Reine de Saba (Gounod): Faiblesse de la race humaine… Inspirez-moi 111284 XP5791

Africaine (Meyerbeer): Pays merveilleux… O paradis 111339 XP5788

Odeon, Paris 1912/1913

Pardon de Ploërmel (Dinorah) (Meyerbeer): Les blés sont bons à faucher 111482 XP5971

Tosca (Puccini): O de beautes egales (Recondita armonia) with Payan 111557 XP5973

Tosca (Puccini): Elle est bonne, ma Tosca (E buona la mia Tosca) with Payan 111558 XP5974

Odeon, Paris 1913?

Manon (Massenet): Toi… Vous with Heilbronner 111594 XP6074

Africaine (Meyerbeer): Pays merveilleux…O paradis 111339 XP5788

Tosca (Puccini): Et peste!… et diantre! (E sempre lava) with Payan 111588 XP6096

Odeon, Paris 1914

Werther (Massenet): J’aurais sur ma poitrine 111899 XP6405

Navarraise (Massenet): O bien-aimee 111900 XP6406

Manon (Massenet): Instant charmant…En fermant les yeux 111901 XP6407

Manon (Massenet): Je suis seul… Ah, fuyez, douce image 111890 XP6409

Carmen (Bizet): La fleur que tu m’avais jetee 111889 XP6408

Manon (Massenet): Je suis seul… Ah, fuyez, douce image 111890 XP6409

Chant de paques (Hosanna) (Granier) 111892 XP6411

Tosca (Puccini): Le ciel luisait d’etoiles (E lucevan le stelle) 111893 XP6412

Romeo et Juliette (Gounod): Ah, leve-toi soleil 111894 XP6413

Mireille (Gounod): Anges du paradis 111895

Roi d’Ys (Lalo): Puisqu’on ne peut flechir… Vainement, ma bien-aimee 111896 XP6417

Otello (Verdi): Que nul ce craigne (Niun mi tema) 111897 XP6418

Serenade (Standchen) (Schubert) 111898 XP6419

Werther (Massenet): Oui, ce qu’elle m’ordonne… Lorsque l’enfant 111881 XP6420

Werther (Massenet): Pourquoi me reveiller 111882 XP6421

Richard Coeur de Lion (Gretry): Si l’univers entier 111883 XP6422

Boheme (Puccini): Que votre main est froide (Che gelida manina) 111884 XP6423

Jocelyn (Godard): Caches dans cet asile 111885 XP6424

Juive (Halevy): L’ai-je bien entendu? with Payan 111879 XP6427

Juive (Halevy): Ah! J’implore en tremblant with Payan 111880 XP6428

Manon (Massenet): Le Reve (En fermant les yeux) 111950

Gramophone, Paris 1923-02-27

Reine de Saba (Gounod): Inspirez-moi, race divine U63 4-32542

Gramophone, Paris 1923-06-08

Jerusalem (Lombardi) (Verdi): Je veux entendre encore U67 4-32552

Gramophone, Paris 1924-06-27

Guillaume Tell (Rossini): Asile hereditaire Y82 032438

Gramophone, Paris 1924-07-08

Juive (Halevy): Rachel, quand du Seigneur Y82 032439

Sigurd (Reyer): Prince du Rhin U73 4-32600

Sigurd (Reyer): Oui, Sigurd est vainqueur U73 4-32601

Gramophone, Paris 1924-07-10

Prophete (Meyerbeer): Pour Berthe U81 4-32621

Juive (Halevy): Dieu, que ma voix tremblante P660 4-32715

Prophete (Meyerbeer): Roi du Ciel U81 4-32622

Gramophone, Paris 1924-07-11

Trovatore (Verdi): Supplice infame (Di quella pira) U72 4-32597

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola (Sicilienne) P615 4-32659

Manon Lescaut (Puccini): Ah, ne m’appochez pas (Ah, non v’avvicinate) U78 4-32607

Manon Lescaut (Puccini): Oh! Manon (Ah! Manon mi tradisce) P610 4-32653

Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saens): Arretez, o mes freres P614 4-32656

Gramophone, Paris 1925-02-16

Lohengrin (Wagner): Ah, respirons tous deux (Atmest du nicht) P641 4-32688

Lohengrin (Wagner): Ma confiance en toi (Hцchstes Vertrauen) P641 4-32687

Manon Lescaut (Puccini): Parmi vous, o belles brunes (Tra voi belle) P610 4-32652

Gramophone, Paris 1925-02-18

Aida (Verdi): O celeste Aida W755 032472

Sigurd (Reyer): Esprits gardiens P624 4-32670

Gramophone, Paris 1925-02-19

Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saens): Israel, romps ta chaine (w. chorus) P614 4-32657

Otello (Verdi): Tout m’abandonne (Ora e per sempre addio) P660 4-32716

Otello (Verdi): Dieu, tu pouvais m’infliger (Dio mi potevi scagliar) P609 4-32651

Otello (Verdi): Que nul ne craigne (Niun mi tema) P609 4-32650

Gramophone, Paris 1925-02-20

Carmen (Bizet): La fleur P644 4-32689

Rigoletto (Verdi): Comme la plume au vent (La donna e mobile) P600 4-32639

Rigoletto (Verdi): Qu’une belle (Questa o quella) P600 4-32638

Sigurd (Reyer): J’ai garde mon ame ingenue P624 4-32669

Mattinata (Leoncavallo) (It) P615 4-32658

Gramophone, Paris 1925-02-23

Trovatore (Verdi): Mere, tu dors (Madre, nondormi) with Charbonnel W706 034280

Trovatore (Verdi): Oui, la fatigue (Ai nostri monti ) with Charbonnel P2 W706 034281

La Navarraise (Massenet): O bien-aimee, pourquoi n’es-tu pas lа P634 4-32681

Gramophone, Paris 1925-02-26

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Moi seul ai tous les torts (lo so che il torto) P607 4-32646

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Ah, servez de mere (Ah, voi dovrete fare da madre) P607 4-32647

Walkure (Wagner): O glaive promis de mon pere (Ein schwert verhieß mir der vater) W755 032471

Gismonda (Fevrier): Oui, vous etiez l’enjeu splendide P634 4-32682

Gramophone, Paris 1927-04-12

Juive (Halevy): Rachel, quand du Seigneur W846 032846

Juive (Halevy): Dieu, que ma voix tremblant W846 032847

Gramophone, Paris 1929-02-20

Tosca (Puccini): Le ciel luisait d’eiles (E lucevan le stelle) P848 50-887

Gramophone, Paris 1929-02-26

Werther (Massenet): Un autre est son epoux… J’aurais sur ma poitrine P808 4-32848

Gramophone, Paris 1929-02-28

Werther (Massenet): Oui, ce qu’elle m’ordonne… Lorsque l’enfant Revient P844 52-1256

Gramophone, Paris 1930-04-02

Africaine (Meyerbeer): Pays merveilleux…O paradis P854 50-984

Huguenots (Meyerbeer): Ah! Quel spectacle… Plus blanche W1087 52-652

Gramophone, Paris 1931-09-10

Lohengrin (Wagner): Mon cygne aime (Mein lieber Schwan) DB4828 52-1008

Lohengrin (Wagner): Aux bords lointains (In fernem Land) DB4828 52-1009

Gramophone, Paris 1931-09-11

Navarraise (Massenet): O bien-aimee, pourquoi n’est-tu pas lа? DA4843 50-3011

Romeo et Juliette (Gounod): L’amour, l’amour… Ah! Leve-toi, soleil DB4931 52-1282

Romeo et Juliette (Gounod): Salut! Tombeau! DB4931 52-1283

Gramophone, Paris 1931-09-14

Favorite (Donizetti): Ange si pur DA4863 50-3819

Pecheurs de perles (Bizet): C’est toi, toi enfin que je revois… Au fond du temple saint with Musy DB4862 52-1103

Gramophone, Paris 1931-09-15

Favorite (Donizetti): Un ange, une femme inconnue DA4863 50-3820

Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saens): En ces lieux with with Duchene DB4845 52-1052

Gramophone, Paris 1931-09-16

Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Mais non, que dis-je, hélas with Duchêne DA4820 50-2162

Gramophone, Paris 1932-01-27

Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix with Duchêne DA4819 50-2160

Le Crucifix (Faure) with Cazaux L929 52-1040

Mattinata (Leoncavallo) (Fr) K6545 50-2131

Les millions d’Arlequin (Drigo) K6545 50-2132

Gramophone, Paris 1932-01-28

Walküre (Wagner): Plus d’hiver, déjà le printemps (Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond) DB4857 52-1088

Walküre (Wagner): O glaive promis par mon père (Ein Schwert verhieß) DB4857 52-1088

Herodiade (Massenet): Ne pouvant reprimer DB4844 52-1050

Roi d’Ys (Lalo): Vainement, ma bien aimee DB4854 52-1082

Roi d’Ys (Lalo): A l’autel j’allais rayonnant with Brothier DB4854 52-1083

Gramophone, Paris 1932-11-21

Siegfried (Wagner): Nothung! Nothung! DA4847 50-2728

Gramophone, Paris 1932-11-22

Africaine (Meyerbeer): C’est de lа que mon canot fragile… Combien tu m’es chere with Ricquier DB4901 52-1204

Africaine (Meyerbeer): Erreur fatale with Ricquier DB4901 52-1205

Gramophone, Paris 1932-11-23

Louise (Charpentier): Depuis longtemps j’habitais cette chambre with Guyla DB4970 (52-1380)

Gramophone, Paris 1933-10-30

U banditu d’onore (trad, in Corsican) K7152 50-3465

U trenu di Bastia (Marchetti) (in Corsican) K7152 50-3466

Gramophone, Paris 1933-10-31

Lohengrin (Wagner): Déjà se perd leur voix (Das süße Lied verhallt) with Berthon DB4920 52-1256

Lohengrin (Wagner): Ah, respirons tous deux (Atmest du nicht mit mir) with Berthon DB4920 52-1257

Lohengrin (Wagner): Ma confiance en toi (Höchstes Vertrauen) with Berthon DB4921 52-1259

FRENCH SOPRANO JANE MORLET (1879-1957) CDR

JANE MORLET (PARIS, FRANCE, 22 JANUARY, 1879 – PARIS, FRANCE, 24 DECEMBER, 1957)

She began her career at the Paris Théâtre Trianon, where she became the first soprano of the theater following its transformation into an opera house in 1908. She performed there until 1916, and in 1911, she created the title role in the French premiere of Ruggiero Leoncavallo’s Zazà.

After her successful stint in opera, she transitioned into operettas and eventually became a prominent actress, performing in French theaters until 1950. Her versatile talent allowed her to navigate both the operatic and theatrical worlds, contributing to her lasting legacy in the performing arts.

Chronology of some appearances

1908-1916 Paris Théâtre Trianon

TRACKLIST

Brummel (Hahn) A Dada Odeon 238321

Brummel (Hahn) Act III Les bergers Watteau (w. Arnoult & Baroux) Odeon 238322

Galathée (Massé) Aimons, il faut aimer (w. Gresse) 1577 Pathé, Paris 1912

Galathée (Massé) Allons à table (w. Vaguet, Jouvin & Gresse) 1583 Pathé, Paris 1912

Galathée (Massé) Ganymède! C’est toi que j’aime (w. Vaguet) 1585 Pathé, Paris 1912

Galathée (Massé) Il me semblait n’être pas laid (w. Vaguet & Jouvin) 1582 Pathé, Paris 1912

Le Trouvère (Verdi) Brise d’amour fidèle 1617 Pathé, Paris 1912

Le Trouvère (Verdi) La nuit calme et sereine (w. Gantéri) 1604 Pathé, Paris 1912

Le Trouvère (Verdi) Miserere, pitié pour notre frère (w. Fontaine & chorus) 1617 Pathé, Paris 1912

Le Trouvère (Verdi) Oui, la fatigue à la fin m’excède (w. Fontaine, Note and Lapeyrette)

Les Saltimbanques (Ganne) Act II Souvent on me fait les yeux Odeon 166602 KI5739

Les Saltimbanques (Ganne) C’est L’amour (w. Hirigaray) Odeon 166602 KI5734

O Mon Bel Inconnu (Hahn) Trio (w. Gay & Huguette) Pathé PA 64

FRENCH MEZZO-SOPRANO MARTHE BAKKERS (1885-1965) CDR

MARTHE BAKKERS (1885 – 1965)

She made her debut on 17 February 1907 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris as “the Happy Shade” in Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice.

Chronology of some appearances

1907 Paris Opéra-Comique Orphée et Eurydice

1907 Paris Opéra-Comique Ariane et Barbe-bleue

1907 Paris Opéra-Comique Carmen

1909 Paris Opéra-Comique Zauberflöte

TRACKLIST

Huguenots (Meyerbeer): Conjuration (w. Boussagol, d’Assy & chorus) 034032 W321 Gramophone, Paris 1908-10

Cloches de Corneville (Planquette): Même sans consulter (w. Lapelletrie) A73169 Po555 Odeon, Paris 1909

Paul et Virginie (Massé): Ah, puisque tu nous fuis (w. Sardet) 34256 P292 Gramophone, Paris 1909-03-25

Par le petit doigt (Botrel) with Weber 34224 P101 Gramophone, Paris 1909-11-04

Richard Coeur de Lion (Grétry): Un bandeau couvre les yeux (w. Vigneau) 34225 15414u Gramophone, Paris 1909-11-04

Roi Carotte (Offenbach): Nous venons du fin fond de la Perse (Duo des colporteurs) (w. Brohly) 34231 15522u Gramophone, Paris 1910-02-25

Zauberflöte (Mozart): Ton coeur m’attend (w. Boyer) X111076 xP5431 Odeon, Paris 1911/1912

La patrie des hirondelles (Masini) (w. Brohly) 34222 14403u Gramophone, Paris 1909-03-04

Les brésiliennes (Trottez gaiment) (Bordese) (w. Brohly) 34223 14404u Gramophone, Paris 1909-03-04

Pré aux Clercs (Hérold): Les rendez-vous de nobles compagnie (w. Dupouy) 034047 0895v Gramophone, Paris 1909-02-09

Dragons de Villars (Maillart): Allons, ma chère (w. Dupouy) 034074 0931v Gramophone, Paris 1909-03-24

Martha (Flotow): C’est minuit (w. Brohly, Beyle & Dupouy) 034057 01335½v Gramophone, Paris 1910-03-01

Martha (Flotow): Quatuor du rouet (w. Brohly, Beyle & Dupouy) 034058 01336v Gramophone, Paris 1910-03-01

Fatinitza (Suppé): Mon Wladimir, je te revois (w. Brohly & Vigneau) 34235, 15554u Gramophone, Paris 1910-03-23

La sérénade, Trio comique (Mozart) (w. Brohly & Dupouy) 34240, 15848u Gramophone, Paris 1910-06-07

Cid (Massenet): A Saint-Jacques de Compostelle (w. Beyle & chorus) 034033 0851v Gramophone, Paris 1908-11-07

Werther (Massenet): Bonjour, grande soeur (w. Brohly) 034070 0908v Gramophone, Paris 1909-03-04

Werther (Massenet): Va, laisse-couler mes larmes (w. Brohly) 034073 0909v Gramophone, Paris 1909-03-04

FRENCH SOPRANO MARTHE NESPOULOUS (1894-1962) CDR

MARTHE NESPOULOUS (PARIS, FRANCE, 1894 – BORDEAUX, FRANCE, 1962)

In 1923, she made her debut at the Grand Opéra in Paris as the Babylonian Girl in J. Massenet’s Hérodiade. From 1947, she served as a professor at the Conservatoire in Bordeaux.

Chronology of some appearances

1923 Paris Grand Opéra Herodiade (Babylonian Girl)

1924 Paris Grand Opéra Die Walkure (Ortlinde)

1924 Paris Grand Opéra Herodiade (Salome)

1924 Paris Grand Opéra Aida (High Priestess)

1924 Paris Grand Opéra Thais (Myrtale)

1926 Paris Grand Opéra Thais (Thais)

1926 Paris Grand Opéra Pagliacci (Nedda)

1928 Paris Grand Opéra Der Rosenkavalier (Sophie)

1928 Paris Grand Opéra Lohengrin (Elsa)

1928 Paris Grand Opéra Marouf (Princess Saamcheddine)

1928 Paris Grand Opéra Turandot (Liu)

1936 Paris Opera-Comique Pagliacci (Nedda)

TRACKLIST

Bohème (Puccini) Oui, on m’appelle Mimi Columbia FX 24 WLX 1446

Carmen (Bizet) Je dis, que rien ne m’épouvante Columbia WLX 231 67554-D

Carmen (Bizet) Parle-moi de ma mere with Georges Thill Columbia D15025 WLX 251

Carmen (Bizet) Qui sait de quel demon with Georges Thill Columbia D14225 WLX 252

Gwendoline (Chabrier) Légende Columbia D14208 LX130

Louise (Charpentier) Depuis le jour Columbia D14028

Madame Butterfly (Puccini) Sur le mer calmée Columbia RFX24 WLX 1441

Mârouf (Rabaud) Mârouf il n’est pas de richesse Columbia RF 23 WL 2293

Pelléas et Mélisande (Debussy) Une foret with Hector Dufranne Columbia L2233 LX187

Pelléas et Mélisande (Debussy) Une forêt, pt 2 with Hector Dufranne Columbia L2233 LX188

Sapho (Massenet) Pendant un ange juste femme Columbia RF23 WL 2339

Tosca (Puccini) D’art et d’amour Columbia D14207 WLX131

EUGÈNE YSAŸE 1912-1914 COLUMBIA RECORDINGS CDR

EUGÈNE YSAŸE (LIÈGE, BELGIUM, JULY 16, 1858 — BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, MAY 12, 1931)

was a Belgian violinist, conductor, and composer, the foremost interpreter of the string works of French and Belgian composers of his time.

After a year as conductor of an orchestra in Berlin, Ysaÿe toured Norway, Russia, and France. From 1886 to 1897 he was professor of violin at the Brussels Conservatory. In 1894 he began in Brussels a series of orchestral concerts that introduced much new music. In the same year he founded the Ysaÿe Quartet, to which Claude Debussy dedicated the string quartet he wrote. From 1918 to 1922 Ysaÿe was conductor of the Cincinnati (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra.

Ysaÿe’s playing was known for its virtuosity, expressiveness, and intensive use of vibrato. He inspired works by César Franck (who influenced his early style), Camille Saint-Saëns, Vincent d’Indy, and Gabriel Fauré. Among his own best compositions are six sonatas for unaccompanied violin, containing novel chordal and pizzicato effects. He also wrote eight violin concerti, chamber works, and an opera in Walloon dialect, Piér li Houïen (1931; “Peter the Miner”).

TRACKLIST

Die Meistersinger von Nurunberg (Wagner) Prize Song Columbia 36513 12/24/1912

Piece Pittoresque No.10: Scherzo-valse (Chabrier) Columbia 36514 12/24/1912

Abendlied, Op. 85, No. 12 (Schumann) Columbia 36515 12/24/1912

Mazuruka In B Minor, Op. 1, No. 3: Lointaine Passe (Ysaÿe) Columbia 36516 12/24/1912

Berceuse, Op.16 (Faure) Columbia 36519 12/27/1912

Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 III. Finale Allegro molto vivace (Mendelssohn) Columbia 36520 12/27/1912

Mazurukas, Op.19: No. 1 In G Major, Obertass (Wieniawski) Columbia 36521 12/27/1912

Mazurukas, Op.19: No. 2 In D Major, Dudziarz (Wieniawski) Columbia 36521 12/27/1912

Reve d’Enfant, Op. 14 (Ysaÿe) Columbia 36522 2/1/1913

Rondino, Op. 32, No. 2 (Vieuxtemps) Columbia 36523 12/30/1912

Hungarian Dance No.5 In F-Sharp Minor (Brahms) Columbia 36524 12/30/1912

Caprice Viennois, Op. 2 (Kreisler) Columbia 36525 12/30/1912

Albmblatt In G (Wagner) Columbia 36526 12/30/1912

Ave Maria, D.839 (Schubert) Columbia 36907 3/9/1914

Humoressque In G-Flat Major, Op.101, No. 7 (Dvorak) Columbia 36908 3/19/1914

FRENCH TENOR MAURICE TALRICK (1885-1931) 2 CDR

MAURICE TALRICK (MONACO, 24 AUGUST, 1885 – PARIS, 6 OCTOBER, 1931)

He was one of the busiest Arnold interpreters ever, “Asile héréditaire” was considered his masterpiece, and in actual performances, he was frequently secure (and crazy) enough to repeat the aria, sometimes even twice. (He also used to repeat “Rachel, quand du Seigneur”!) Though he sang primarily in smaller provincial theaters, he got a huge number of rave reviews, was praised for his top notes, for his musicality, for his acting; he was called the true successor of Imbart de la Tour, Cossira and Jérôme, and some critics considered him the only tenor of his time who could sing the “old” French repertory (like Raoul, Fernand or Arnold).

Talrick’s real name was Maurice Trosselli; he used it also on stage for many years, and made his only recording(s), a complete Traviata, under that name. His parents – the father a wallpaperer, the mother an ironer – resided in Monaco, but later (obviously after his father had died), the family moved to St-Maurice, east of Geneva, where his mother came from.

Maurice studied voice at the Conservatoire National in Paris, then at the Geneva conservatory. Later, all newspapers that recounted his career said he had made his debut at just 19 years old as Gounod’s Faust in Geneva; obviously an attempt by the singer to appear younger than he was. Actually, he graduated from the Geneva conservatory in 1907, and that Faust debut took place towards the end of that year, when he was 22. In 1908, he joined the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse, where he was very successful in Le chemineau and Quo vadis in 1909, then he sang in Montpellier (where he won triumphs as Turiddu, Canio and Cavaradossi in 1910), Algiers and Antwerp. In late 1912, he sang Arnold (probably his first?) in Algiers, then in Geneva. In 1913, he sang the same role at the Grand-Théâtre in Marseille; in the 1912/13 season in Antwerp (so that must have been the season he spent there), in February 1914 in Verviers.

It still must have been before World War I (or eventually in the early wartime) that he made his Italian debut as Manrico in Parma, and sang in Genova, Venice and Rome with success. In March 1915, Geneva heard him as Éléazar. In 1916, he was Fernand in May in Lausanne and in August in Bourges, and Arnold again at the Grand-Théâtre in Marseille in November.

For two seasons (I think from 1917 to 1919), he was fort ténor at the Gaîté-Lyrique in Paris, where he had already built a considerable repertory: L’Africaine, Il trovatore, La Juive, L’attaque du moulin. In April 1918, he sang Fernand in Chalon-sur-Saône. In June 1919, while belonging to the troupe of the Gaîté-Lyrique, he was back to Algiers as a guest. In 1920/21, he was a member of the troupe in Rouen.

In December 1922, he sang Arnold in Toulouse, not at the Capitole though, but at the Théâtre des Variétés.

In 1923, he was Arnold in Reims in January, Éléazar in Lyon in February, Arnold in Geneva and Tourcoing in March and in Perpignan and Béziers in April. In summer, he appeared again in Béziers and again as Arnold, but this time in the open air, and in Marseille at the open-air Théâtre Silvain: another Arnold in July, and Manrico in August (where his voice was still found too light-weight for the part). He was Arnold and Julien in Biarritz in September, and in October Arnold in Avignon and Montpellier. On 27 October, he made his debut at the Paris Opéra, as Manrico (it seems that he never returned). November, Arnold in Nîmes and Lyon, Fernand in Montpellier. And in December, he was Manrico in Roubaix, Fernand in Avignon as well as Éléazar in both Montpellier and Nancy (into January 1924). Nancy earned him a very mixed newspaper review; his first act, the critic wrote, was sloppy, dull-voiced and far from excellent, then he improved from act to act.

In his younger years, every now and then some critic remarked that he wasn’t really a fort ténor, that his “lovely voice” was not quite dramatic enough for the repertory he sang. But at some point in the early 1920s, he changed his name to Talrick, and his voice, too, seems to have changed considerably. His career became now extremely busy, he sang an astonishing number of performances, and the voice must have grown heavier and larger. After 1924, his newspaper record is one of the best that I’ve ever seen: hardly a superlative seemed sufficient to describe Talrick’s performances, no matter which newspaper and in which part of France. (His complete Traviata recording is from 1912, so from his “lovely” period; and actually, it’s not always easy to imagine that Alfredo grow into an Arnold or Éléazar.)

In 1924, he appeared as Arnold in Amsterdam in January and in Casablanca in March; as Jean and Vasco da Gama in Avignon in March; as Arnold in Verviers and Clermont-l’Hérault in May; in September, in the title role of Pétrarque by Hippolyte Duprat in Toulon; and the rest of the year he spent singing Vasco da Gama (Montpellier in November) and mostly Arnold: in October in Montpellier, Sète and Nantes, in November in Nantes again, in Angers, Rennes and Aix-en-Provence.

1925, it was Arnold yet again in January in Verviers and in March in Saint-Étienne. From April to November 1925, Talrick toured India and sang all his operatic repertory there: Rodolfo, Roméo, Arnold, Raoul, Éléazar, Werther, Gérald, Manrico, Radames and Canio.

Back home, he sang in the course of about four months in Tournai, Avignon, Saint-Étienne, Besançon and Metz (Arnold), created Messaline for Lille and sang five performances of Guillaume Tell in Mulhouse. June 1926 found him singing Arnold in Geneva. In November, he ventured as far as Saigon (today Ho Chi Minh City) and stayed for the whole winter season; he appeared as Duca and Vincent, among others.

In 1927, he was a member of the Lyon opera theater, plus he sang Arnold in Agen in June, in Nice in September and in Amiens and Verviers in November, as well as Éléazar in Troyes in October, in Verdun in November and in Aix-en-Provence and Monte Carlo in December.

1928: Don José, Arnold and Hélion (Messaline) in Oran, Raoul in Nîmes as well as Faust in Béziers, all in February. May, Arnold in Valence and Carcassonne. June, Manrico and Arnold at the Arènes in Fréjus. September 1928, Arnold in Lamalou-les-Bains and Cavaradossi in Dax. October, Raoul and Vasco da Gama in Montpellier, Éléazar and Arnold in Avignon. November, Duca in Montpellier and Arnold in Nîmes. December, Arnold in Montpellier.

1929: February, Turiddu in Montpellier and, yet again, Éléazar in Avignon. In March, Fernand in Chambery, Arnold in Montpellier and Jean in Tours. April, Raoul in Perpignan. May, Fernand in Montceau (with the Opéra de Lyon).

In winter 1929/30, he sang Edgardo in Nîmes and Montpellier, Arnold in Nice and Toulon. He was Edgardo in Perpignan in the Easter season 1930. In July, he sang Jean in Hérodiade in Saintes (open air), and then went to Belgium for the 100-year-jubilee of the country’s independence, singing Masaniello in Liège, Namur (open air) and Brussels (open air). In September/October 1930, he was back to Montpellier, earning rave reviews as Arnold, Fernand, Éléazar and Raoul. In October, he was Arnold in Lyon and Dijon; in November, Éléazar in Dijon. In December, he was in Lyon for La Juive, in Calais for L’Africaine, in Li&eagrave;ge and Metz for Guillaume Tell and in Tourcoing for Messaline.

1931, Raoul in Rouen in January. August, Faust in Salies-de-Béarn. In September 1931, he died “after a short illness”, and was buried in Geneva.

https://www.historicaltenors.net/french/talrick.html

TRACKLIST

Pathé, Paris 1912

Complete Traviata (Verdi): with Albers, Morlet, Gantéri, Belhomme, de Poumayrac and Dupré

Forgotten Opera Singers

Mar 12, 2025