Koloman von Pataky (Tenor) (Alsó Lendva, Hungary November 14, 1896 - Hollywood, California April 28, 1964)

  

                      Koloman von Pataky, Franco Paolantonio, Lily Pons and Giacomo Vaghi

His real name was Kálmán Pataky de Déstalva. First he wanted to become an officer and graduated from the military academy in Budapest. After the First World War he received his education at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and in 1921 he made his debut at the Urban Opera (Városi Szinház) in Budapest as Duke in ‘’Rigoletto’’. Then he joined to the Budapest National Opera. After five-year-old activity in this opera house he was engaged in 1926 by the Vienna State Opera, where he remained till 1938. Here his repertoire included Duke in ‘’Rigoletto’’, Rodolfo in ‘’La Bohème’’, Alvaro in ‘’La forza del destino’’, the Italian singer in "Rosenkavalier" and Masaniello in ‘’La Muette de Portici’’. He had a huge success in Vienna. Guest performances led him to the State Operas of Dresden (1927), Berlin and Munich. In 1928 he appeared at the Grand Opéra in Paris. At the Salzburg festival he sang in the 1929-1931 seasons:  Don Ottavio in ‘’Don Giovanni’’, Belmonte in "Entführung aus dem Serail", the Italian singer in "Rosenkavalier" and Florestan in ‘’Fidelio’’. At the Glyndebourne festival he had in 1936 a huge success as Don Ottavio in ‘’Don Giovanni’’. In the 1939-1940 season he appeared at La Scala as Hüon in ‘’Oberon’’, in the 1940-1941 season he sang at the Teatro Dell'Opera in Roma. In the 1935-1941 seasons he performed in South America, particularly at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires (beginning role: Fenton in ‘’Falstaff’’) and at the Opera in Santiago de Chile. Since 1938 he was a member of the National Opera of Budapest. In 1946 he left his Hungarian native country, then worked as a pedagogue in Santiago de Chile, later in Los Angeles and spent his last years in California. Lit.: S.Vilmos & I.Molnár: ‘’Pataky, Kálmán’’ (Budapest, in 1972).

Chronology of some appearances

1921 Budapest Urban Opera
1921-1926 Budapest National Opera
1926-1938 Vienna State Opera

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Grammophon 1926/1927
Forza del destino (Verdi) O du, die nun in Ewigkeit 66558 121be
Rigoletto (Verdi) Parmi veder le lagrime 66558 122be

Grammophon 1927
Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Nicolai) Horch die Lerche 66648 (B22360)

Aida (Verdi) Celeste Aida 66651 (J22168)
Bohème (Puccini): O, Mimì with H. Schlusnus 73090 (J25020)
Forza del destino (Verdi) Solenne in quest'ora with Schlusnus 73090 (J25019)
Così fan tutte (Mozart) Un aura amorosa 95374 444½bm
Don Giovanni (Mozart) Bande der Freundschaft 66650 443bm
Faust (Gounod) Cavatine 66649
Muette de Portici (Auber) Du einz'ger Tröster aller Armen 66649
Postillon de Longjumeau (Adam) Postillonlied 66648 (B22359)
Zauberflöte (Mozart) Bildnisarie 66650 442bm

Grammophon Berlin 1928
Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Mi par d'udir ancora (It)  66809 1324bm

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Ecco ridente (It) 66809 1329bm
Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart) O wie ängstlich 66810 1325bm
Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart) Wenn der Freude Tränen fließen 66810 1326bm
Manon Lescaut (Puccini) Donna non vidi mai 66811 1328bm I
Traviata (Verdi) Dei miei bollenti spiriti 66811 1327bm I

Grammophon, Berlin
Don Giovanni (Mozart) Tränen, vom Freund getrocknet  95374 214BV I
Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Ihr Wangenpaar 15008
Martha (Flotow) Ach so fromm 15008 216BV I

Odeon
Aida (Verdi) Celeste Aida A 235562 ab 133517
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vesti la goiubba A 235562 ab 133515
Rigoletto (Verdi) La donna e mobile O-11746 ab 133514

Grammophon Berlin 1930
Gräfin Mariza (Kálmán): Komm Zigany  23154 (B43141)

Parlophon 
Liebste glaub´an mich Lehar B 49076 I II 133541
Lied des Herzogs (Johann Strauss): Treu sein, das liegt mir nicht B 49073 I II 133 4012
Auftrittslied des Herzogs (Johann Strauss):  Sei mir gegrüßt, du holdes Venetia B 49073 I II 133 4002
Auftrittslied des Paris (Offenbach): Auf dem Bege Ida B 49 074 I II 133 3992
Trinke Liebchen, trinke (Johann Strauss)  B 49 074 I II 133 3983
Walzertraum (Oscar Straus) B 49076 I II 133245

Marguerite Sylva (Mezzo-Soprano) (10. 7. 1875 Bruxelles, † 21. 2. 1957 Glendale / California)

She studied singing in Paris, but made her debut in London in ‘’Carmen’’. She went to the Opéra -Comique in 1906 where she repeated her Carmen performances, as well as adding Santuzza (‘’Cavarlleria Rusticana’’), Catherine (‘’le Chemineau’’), Rose-Marie (‘’Le Point d'Argentan’’) and Taven (‘’Mireille’’) and Mignon to her repertoire. In 1909 she traveled to New York and Chicago, where she became a popular operetta celebrity. She appeared at the Paris Opéra in 1917 as Léonore in ‘’La Favorite’’.

Chronology of some appearances

Carmen 11/13/1909, Nedda 11/20/1909, Carmen 3/19/1910, 1/25/1911, Nedda 1/30/1911, Giulietta 2/4/1911, Carmen 2/13/1911, Giulietta 2/14/1911, Carmen 2/16/1911, Santuzza 2/18/1911, Giulietta 2/20/1911, Carmen 2/21/1911, Nedda 3/4/1911, Giulietta 3/25/1911, Nedda 3/29/1911, Olympia 4/1/1911, Carmen 11/6/1926 (Filadelfia)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Edison 4-min cylinders, USA 1910?
Freischütz (Weber): Grand air d'Agathe B183
Carmen (Bizet): Habanera B189
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Ballatella B194
Carmen (Bizet): Séguedille 40017
Cid (Massenet): Pleurez, mes yeux 40021
Faust (Gounod): Air des bijoux 40024, BA 28188

Edison, USA 1913?
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Voi lo sapete 82039 BA 28183

Wäinö Sola (Tenor) (vuoteen 1906 Sundberg; 8. tammikuuta 1883 Helsinki – 12. lokakuuta 1961 Helsinki)

                                                                           Canio

Sola was also one of the founder of the innish Opera. Sola had his first stage experience at he age of 15 in the choir and drama club of the Kilpi Temperance Society. Sola was soon invited to participate in other stage activities in a semi-professional activity capacity. In 1903 the author Jalmari Finne asked him to join a theatrical company, he was founding in Viborg. This company presented plays, operettas and operas. After a near fiasco as Canio with John Forsell as Tonio, Sola decided he needed more training. Sola studied with Ettore Gandolfi in Berlin in1908. Sola debuted in a concert in Helsinki on December 9th 1908 with Oskar Merikanto at the piano. Sola continued his studies in Berlin (1909-10), Paris (1910) and Milano (1911). In 1911, Sola founded with Merikanto, Eino Rautavaara, and William Hammar the first regular Opera Company in Finland. The opening night was on October 2nd 1911 with Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana. Sola sang both tenor roles. In 1916, Sola spent time in prison for his role in the underground independence movement. The Russian revolution got him out of jail. From 1920, Sola held with the company regular positions both as tenor and stage director until his retirement in 1949. Sola appeared in more than 100 operas and operettas. Sola also continued his career as concert singer, promoting the songs of Merikanto, Kuula and Sibelius. Sola appeared in hundreds of recitals and made four tours of the United States. Sola started recording in 1909 with Pathé. In 1919, Sola recorded with the Gramophone Company. He made close to 100 sides with them. During his visits in the US, Sola recorded with Columbia and Victor. In 1944, Sola recorded for the last time with the Rytmi label. Sola recorded an aria of the opera Nummisuutarit by Emil Kauppi. The premiere of that work in was of a fiasco. Apparently Kauppi disappeared forever as a result. He is thought to have drowned himself.

Chronology of some appearances

Finnish National Opera

 

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Gramophone, Helsinki 1913-01-24

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba 2-282270 4743ab

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Viva il vino  2-282271 4745ab