Lily Pons (Soprano) ( Draguignan near Cannes, France April 12, 1898 – Dallas, Texas, USA February 13, 1976)

                                                       with tenor Joseph Bentonelli

Her real name was Alice Joséphine Pons. At the age of 13 she came to the Conservatoire National de Paris, where first she studied piano. she Then trained her voice and was a pupil of Dyna Beumer in Cannes and Albert di Gorostiaga in Paris and already in 1917 gave a concert in Paris. In 1924 she appeared at the Paris Théâtre des Variétés in an operetta. She made her stage debut in 1927 at the Municipal Theater of Mulhouse (Alsace) in ‘’Lakmé’’ of L. Delibes. She was heard in Montpellier by Giovanni Zenatello and his wife, Maria Gay. It was on their recommendation that she came to the Metropolitan opera where she enjoyed a 30-year career.

Chronology of some appearances

1931-1960 New York Metropolitan Opera

1932 Buenos Aires Teatro Colón

1932-1951 San Francisco Opera

1934  Buenos Aires Teatro Colón

1935 London Covent Garden

1936-1941 Chicago Opera 

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Odeon, Paris 1928-12-19
Rigoletto (Verdi): T'amo with Enrico di Mazzei 123.597
Rigoletto (Verdi): Addio, addio with Enrico di Mazzei 123.597
Bohème (Puccini): Entrée de Mimi with Enrico di Mazzei 123.598 XXP6771
Bohème (Puccini): O douce jeune fille with Enrico di Mazzei 123.598 XXP6772

Odeon, Paris 1929-02-20
Mireille (Gounod): O légère hirondelle 188.642 Ki-2199
Contes d'Hoffmann (Offenbach): Les oiseaux dans la charmille 188.642 Ki-2221 

Odeon, Paris 1929-02-21
Lakmé (Delibes): Pourquoi dans les grands bois? 188.640 Ki-2204
Lakmé (Delibes): Air des clochettes, pt 1 188.641 Ki-2205
Lakmé (Delibes): Air des clochettes, pt 2 188.641 Ki-2206
Lakmé (Delibes): Dans la forêt près de nous 188.640 Ki-2207

Odeon, Paris 1929-02-26 
Zauberflöte (Mozart): Air de la reine de la nuit 188.644 Ki-2229 
Parysatis (Saint-Saëns): Le rossignol et la rose 188.645 Ki-2276
Variations (Proch) 188.645 Ki-2277
Rigoletto (Verdi): Air de Gilda 123.623 XXP6832
Zauberflöte (Mozart): Air de Pamina 123.624 XXP6831 
Bohème (Puccini): Om m'appelle Mimi XXP6830 123.623

Odeon, Paris 1929-03-21
Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Air de Rosine, pt 1 188.646 Ki-2278
Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Air de Rosine, pt 2 188.646 Ki-2279

Odeon, Paris 1929-07-06
Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Mon coeur soupire 188.644
Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart): Air de Blondine 123.624  XXP6925