József Járay (Tenor) (Nagygencs, Hungary 7. 9. 1913 – Budapest, Hungary 1. 10. 1970)

                                                                  Cavaradossi

He studied singing  at the Budapest National Conservatory under Ferenc Székelyhidy. In the 1941-1942 season he was engaged by the National Opera and made his debut as Tannhäuser. On October 8, 1949 he appeared at the Wien Staatsoper in  ‘’Rigoletto’’ opposite Emmy Loose (Gilda). In 1950 he made guest appearance at the Berlin Städtische Oper as Rodolfo in ‘’La Boheme’’. At the Wien Staatsoper on March 1 he sang in ‘’Rigolettó’’ as a partner of Rita Streich as Gilda. On 8 March in Dresden he again performed in  ‘’Rigolettó’’. On 12 March 1950 at the Staatsoper in Berlin he sang the part of Cavaradossi in ‘’Tosca’’. The following year, at Stuttgart, on January 8, he participated in ‘’Tosca’’.

Chronology of some appearances

1941-1942 Budapest National Opera

1947 Budapest National Opera
1949 Wien Staatsoper
1950 Berlin Städtische Oper
1950 Dresden Opera
1951 Stuttgart Opera

RECORDIGNS FOR SALE

Odeon
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Siciliana 198 237
Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle  198 233
Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna e mobile 198 237
Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia 198 233

Paul Payan (Bass) (Toulon, France 1. 1. 1878 - Juan-les-Pins, France 1. 11. 1959)

                                                             Mefistofele

He studied singing at the Conservatoire National in Paris under Isnardon. In 1906 he was engaged by Albert Carré for appearances at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Here he made his debut  in the same year as comprimario in G. Charpentier’s ‘’Louise’’. He appeared with great success many years at the Opéra-Comique as principal bass. Payan participated also in several opera premieres: ‘’La Habanéra’’ of Raoul Laparra (26. 2. 1908), ‘’Macbeth’’ of Ernest Bloch (30. 11. 1910), ‘’La Lépreuse’’of  Sylvio Lazzari (7. 2. 1912), ‘’La Danseuse de Pompéi’’ of Jean Nouguès (29. 10. 1912) and  ‘’Marouf’’ of Henri Rabaud (15. 5. 1914). Later he joined to the Paris Grand Opéra and became known in the French province by numerous guest performances.  In  the 1921-1922 season he became a member of the Chicago Opera, where he had a huge success in ‘’Le jongleur de Notre Dame’’, ‘’Manon’’, ‘’Roméo et Juliette’’ and in ‘’Samson et Dalila’’. In 1924 he was engaged by the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. In 1928 he sang at Covent Garden the following parts: Zuniga in ‘’Carmen’’, an old Hebrew in ‘’Samson et Dalila’’ and in ‘’Louise’’. Nevertheless, center of his artistic work remained Paris, where he was active later also as pedagogue. He may not be mistaken with French baritone Paul Payen (1900-1982).

Chronology of some appearances

1906 Paris Opéra-Comique

1921-1922 Chicago Opera

1924 Buenos Aires Teatro Colón

1928 London Covent Garden

RECORDIGNS FOR SALE

Gramophone, Paris 1910-11-25
Bohème (Puccini): O défrôque si chère 4-32095 16152u
Les Saisons (Massé): Chanson du blé 4-32096 16153u

Gramophone, Paris 1910-11-29
Faust (Gounod): Jusqu'aux premiers feux du matin (w. chorus) 032175 01755v

Gramophone, Paris 1910-12-09
Les deux Reines (Mompou): Adieu, mon beau navire (w. chorus) 032177 01775v

Gramophone, Paris 1910-12-14
Caïd (Thomas): Couplets de la Diane 4-32237 16181u

Gramophone, Paris 1910-12-23
Favorite (Donizetti): Frères, creusons l'asile (w. chorus) 4-32099 16194u

Gramophone, Paris 1911-01-10
Faust (Gounod): Le jour va luire with Heilbronner & Beyle 034092 01818v

Gramophone, Paris 1911-01-27
Hérodiade (Massenet): J'ai souvent contemplé ton astre with Brohly 034094 01857v

Gramophone, Paris 1911-04-28
Faust (Gounod): Il était temps 4-32235 16442u

Gramophone, Paris 1911-07-05
Zauberflöte (Mozart): Isis, c'est l'heure (w. chorus) 4-32243 16522u

Gramophone, Pa ris 1911-07-10
Louise (Charpentier): Berceuse, 4 acte 032203 01975v

Gramophone, Paris 1911-11-04
Haydée (Auber): A la voix séduisante 032224 02177v
Caïd (Thomas): Le Tambour-Major 032218 02178v

Gramophone, Paris 1912-09-05
Faust (Gounod): Divine pureté with César & Campagnola 034153 02506v

Odeon, Paris 1913/1915
Fauvette du Temple (Messager): A travers le desert with R. Heilbronner 97774
Cendrillon (Massenet): Viens, nous quitterons cette ville with R. Heilbronner 111585
Juive (Halevy): L'ai-je bien entendu? with C. Vezzani 111879
Louise (Charpentier): Ah! quelle jonrnee with M. Charbonnel 111566  xP 6044
Louise (Charpentier): Le bonheur, vois-tu with M. Charbonnel 111537 xP 6045
Tosca (Puccini):  O de beautés égales with C.Vezzani 111557

Gramophone, Paris 1914-01-07
Le Crucifix (Faure) with Campagnola 034201 02877v

Gramophone, Paris 1914-04-04
Jongleur de Nôtre-Dame (Massenet): Il pleure, un peu de foi 4-32378 18758u

Aérophone, Paris
Le cor (Flégier) 834
Chanson pour Jean 835
Juive (Halévy): Cavatine 836
Robert le diable (Meyerbeer): Invocation des nonnes 837

Pathé, Paris
Le Chalet (Adam): Chanson Bachique 1127
Le Caid (Thomas): Air du Tambour-Major 1126

Star
La Charite (Faure)  15542-B
Entre Nous Deux 15535-B

Naldina Angelelli Tantillo (Mezzo-Soprano)

First she appeared in different operetta companies and also went on a tour in South America.

Chronology of some appearances

1913 Buenos Ayres  Teatro Coliseo Operetta
1922 Lodi Teatro Gaffurio Aida (Amneris)
1922 Genova  Politeana Genovese  Lohengrin (Ortruda)
1922 Roma Teatro Adriano Gioconda (Laura)
1922 Milano Teatro Dal Verme Isabeau (Giglietta)
1923 Venezia Teatro Fenice Louise (Madre)
1923 Roma Teatro Adriano Norma (Adalgisa)
1923 Bologna  Teatro Duse Aida (Amneris)

Marguerite Bériza (Soprano) (1880 - 1970)

She studied in Marseille and Paris and made her debut  in 1900 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. In 1906 she sang there in the Paris première of G. Puccini’s ‘’Madama Butterfly’’ as Kate Pinkerton, in later performances she appeared as Suzuki.  Since 1912 she started to perform  at the Opéra-Comique in principal roles: as Tosca, Mignon, Santuzza in ‘’Cavalleria Rusticana’’, Anita in ‘’La Navarraise’’, Traviata, Musetta in ‘’Le Bohème’’ and as Mallika in ‘’Lakmé’’. In 1910 she appeared there in the premiere of ‘’Le Mariage de Télémaque’’ of Claude Terrasse. She made guest appearances at the opera houses of Lyon, Geneva, Nice and Marseille and Monte Carlo, where in 1909 she sang the part of Wellgunde in Nibeklungenring and Stéphano in ‘’Roméo et Juliette’’. In 1923 she appeared at the Théâtre Fiametta in Paris in modern works. During the 1920’s she founded a private society. In 1927 at the Théâtre Fémina in Paris she appeared with them in the premiere of ‘’Angélique’’ of Jacques Ibert. She was married the famous French tenor Lucien Muratore (1878-1954), but later separated. 

Chronology of some appearances

1900 Paris Opéra-Comique

1906 Paris Opéra-Comique

1909 Opéra Monte-Carlo

1912 Paris Opéra-Comique

1923 Paris Théâtre Fiametta

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Edison 2-min cylinders, Paris 1904
Faust (Gounod): Ne me permettez-vous pas with L. Muratore  17350
Faust (Gounod): Il se fait tard with L. Muratore 17395

Pathé, Paris 1910?

Rigoletto (Verdi): Quatuor with Vaguet, Marignan & Albers 0791 

Romano Rasponi (Baritone) (Roma, Italia 1878 - ?)

Probably he made his debut in 1902 at the Teatro Sociale in  Cittadella as Marcello in ''Boheme''.

Chronology of some appearances

1902 Cittadella Teatro Sociale Boheme (Marcello)
1903 Alessandria  Teatro Finzi Lohengrin (Araldo)
1905 Udine Teatro Vittorio Emanuele Faust (Valentino)
1906 Ascoli Piceno Teatro Ventidio Basso Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)
1908 Milano Teatro La Scala Cristoforo Colombo (Romeo)
1909 Foligno Teatro Piermarini Tosca (Scarpia)
1910 Milano Teatro La Scala Sansone e Dalila (Grande Sacerdote)
1911 Palermo  Teatro Massimo Aida (Amonasro)
1912 Buenos Ayres Teatro Colon Manon (Lescaut)
1914 Cremona  Teatro Ponchielli Tosca (Scarpia)
1917 Lucca Teatro Del Giglio Boheme (Marcello)
1919 Roma  Teatro Costanzi  Madama Butterfly (Sharpless)
1921 Livorno Teatro Avvalorati Amico Fritz (David)
1926 Buenos Ayres Teatro Colon Carmen (Morales)
1931 Roma Eiar Manon Lescaut (Lescaut)
1935 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice Adriana Lecouvreur (Principe)
1940 Roma Eiar Fedora (Lorek/Borov)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Pathé, Milano 1912?
Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet): Del tempio al limitar with Giorgini 86263

Dumitru Mihăilescu-Toscani (Tenor) (Bucureşti 1 oct. 1888 - Bucureşti 10 mai 1962)

                                                            Cavaradossi

Prim tenor de la Opera Romana.

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

HMV, Bucarest 19-11-27
La partida (Alvarez) 7-62182 AM 1057
Smaranda (Mihăilescu-Toscani) 15-12964 AM 1057

Giovanni Azzimonti (Bass) (Rome, Italy 16 November 1889 - ?)

He made his debut in Italy. In  the 1915-1916 season he sang at the Italian Opera in Holland. Here he appeared as king in ‘’Aida’’, Tom in ’’Ballo in maschera’’ and Stromminger in ‘’La Wally’’. He took a ship to England. On the way across the English Channel, the Sussex was torpedoed by a German U-boat, as part of the German World War I policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. He survived, while the Spanish composer Enrique Granados and his wife as well as the Spanish mezzo-soprano Rosita Cesaretti died. In Italy Azzimonti continued his Comprimario career and appeared there among other things also at La Scala, where he on 23. 4. 1923  he sang in the premiere of the opera ‘’Belfagor’’ by O. Respighi. In 1935 iat Florence he took part in the premiere of  I. Pizzetti’s  opera ‘’L'Orseolo’’. In the 1934-1935 season and in 1943 he again made guest appearances in Holland.

Chronology of some appearances

1915-1916 Holland Italian Opera

1934-1935 Holland Italian Opera

RECORDING FOR SALE 

HMV, Milano  21-11-29
Tosca (Puccini): Ah, finalmente! with Antonio Gelli 102-610 AN 683