JOSEPH O’MARA (LIMERICK, IRELAND, 16 JULY, 1864 – DUBLIN, 5 AUGUST, 1927)
He received his education, among other things, from Moratti in Milan. He made his debut at the Royal English Opera House in London in 1891, performing the title role in Sullivan’s opera Ivanhoe. During the 1894–95 season, he appeared with great success at the Drury Lane Theatre as well as at Covent Garden in London, where he continued to perform until 1910. He then became the leading tenor of the Moody-Manners Opera Company.
During the 1902–04 seasons, as a member of the Beecham Opera Company, he toured various English cities. Later, he founded his own opera troupe, the O’Mara Opera Company, in which he was the star singer. He was considered an excellent interpreter of Wagner, though his extensive repertoire included more than 70 stage roles. In 1896, he created the title role in the premiere of Charles Stanford’s opera Shamus O’Brien in London. He retired from the stage in 1926.
BARTON MCGUCKIN (DUBLIN, IRELAND, 1852 – STOKE POGES, ENGLAND, 1913)
He began as a choirboy at Armagh Cathedral, where he studied singing, organ, violin, and piano. In 1871, he became the first tenor at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, studying under Sir Joseph Robinson. He performed at the Crystal Palace concerts in 1875 before traveling to Milan to study with Trevulsi.
In 1880, he joined the Carl Rosa Opera Company, remaining with them at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, until 1887. He achieved great success both as a singer and an actor, creating several important roles, including in A. Goring Thomas’s Esmeralda, Alexandra McKenzie’s Colomba, and Massenet’s Manon.
In 1887, he embarked on a two-year tour of the United States. Upon his return to London at the end of 1888, he performed in Hubert Parry’s oratorio Judith. In 1892, he was invited to sing in Berlioz’s Damnation of Faust when the Hallé Orchestra gave two concert performances in London. He then went on to perform the title role in Arthur Sullivan’s Ivanhoe.
McGuckin’s other principal roles included Lohengrin, Faust (Gounod), Don José in Carmen, and Eleazar in Halévy’s La Juive. He continued singing into the early 20th century and made several recordings. He also performed at the Philharmonic and Monday Popular Concerts, as well as at provincial festivals.
In 1905, he became the director of an amateur operatic society in Dublin and later served as conductor of orchestral concerts at the Irish Exhibition of 1908.
JOHN O’SULLIVAN (CORK, IRELAND, 29 OCTOBER, 1877 – FRANCE, PARIS, 28 APRIL, 1955)
Since 1899, he studied at the Paris Conservatory under Masson. In 1900, he made his debut as a comprimario at the Opéra Populaire at the Théâtre de la République in G. Verdi’s La Traviata. In 1908, he performed in R. Wagner’s Tannhäuser at the Lyric Theatre in London. He then made guest appearances in Birmingham, Halifax, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Middlesbrough, Hull, and Bolton.
In 1910, O’Sullivan made his French debut in G. Verdi’s Rigoletto at Toulouse. He made his debut at the Paris Opera in 1914, appearing in E. Reyer’s Sigurd. Cleofonte Campanini engaged him for the 1918-1919 season in Chicago. After a successful performance in Gli Ugonotti in Rouen in 1918, he sailed to America for the second time. That year, in Chicago, he performed as Arnoldo in G. Rossini’s Guglielmo Tell with great success.
In 1920, O’Sullivan made his first appearance in Bordeaux at the Grand Théâtre in Gli Ugonotti. He began his Italian career in 1922 at the Teatro Lirico in Milan. O’Sullivan also performed in England, Egypt, Portugal, Spain, and South America (including Rosario, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Santos, and Santa Fe). He retired in 1943 and died in Paris from prostate cancer.
JOHN MCCORMACK (ATHLONE, COUNTY WESTMEATH, IRELAND, 14 JUNE, 1884 – BOOTERSTOWN, DUBLIN, IRELAND, 16 SEPTEMBER, 1945)
He began his singing career within the Roman Catholic Church in Dublin, Ireland. In 1902 he became a member of the Palestrina Choir of Dublin’s Cathedral, where he received lessons from the choirmaster, Vincent O’Brien. In 1903 he won the gold medal in the tenor section of the Feis Ceoil (National Music Festival) in Dublin, and began making concert appearances there. John McCormack first sang in the USA at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904. That same year he commenced making recordings. Afterwards he had private vocal studies with Vincenzo Sabatini in Milan (1905). His excellent musicianship and promising voice quality landed him his first stage appearance at the early age of 21 under the name Giovanni Foli in the role of Fritz in L’Amico Fritz in Savona (January 1906). Shortly after, he made went to London, where he began appearing in concerts in 1907. In October 1907, he made his Covent Garden debut in the roles of Turrid in Cavalleria Rusticana, the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni. Subsequently he sang there during the 1908-1914 summer seasons in such roles as Edgardo, the Duke in Rigoletto, Rodolfo, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Pinkerton, Charles Gounod’s Romeo, Cavaradossi, and Elvino. In 1909 John McCormack made his Italian debut as Alfredo in La Traviata at San Carlos, Naples. Immediately following his Italian performance, he made his USA operatic debut as Alfredo in La Traviata at the Manhattan Opera House (November 1909), a role he also chose for his Metropolitan Opera debut in New York (November 1910), remaining on the company’s roster until 1911 and returning from 1912 to 1914 and from 1917 to 1919. He also sang with the Chicago Opera (1910-1911). After World War I, he made few appearances in opera, giving his last performance as Gritzko in Mussorgsky’s The Fair at Sorocbinsk in Monte Carlo in March 1923. John McCormack was best known for his ability as a concert performer, always performing to sold-out houses. One season, he was noted for his whopping 95 concerts performed across the country. With this kind of exposure and popularity, it is no surprise that his recording catalogue spans over 30 years. In 13 of those years, he grossed well over five-million dollars, and when his record royalties exceeded even those of the great Enrico Caruso, he was warned by his Neapolitan friend to never let this happen again!
John McCormack’s warm reception from the American audiences prompted his application for American citizenship in 1914. This action, coupled with his strong support of the Irish cause, cost him the support of the British public during World War I. He became a naturalized USA citizen in 1919. After an absence of 10 years, he made a triumphant return to England at a Queen’s Hall Concert in London in 1924. In subsequent years he pursued a far-flung concert career with enormous success, although his vocal powers began to Wane about 1930. He made his farewell to the USA in Buffalo in March 1937. He gave his last concert in London at the Royal Albert Hall in November 1938. At the outbreak of World War II (1939), he came out of retirement to aid the Red Cross. He sang on the radio; continued to make recordings until 1942. He received a number of honours, including being made a Papal Count by Pope Pius XI in 1928. He was also honoured by composer Victor Herbert to create the role of Lieutenant Paul Merrill in his opera Natoma. In 1915 he published his autobiography, “John McCormack: His life story.”
TRACKLIST
Joseph O’Mara Shamus O’Brien (Stanford): Ochone! When I used to be young 2-2567 1229b G&T, London 1901
Joseph O’Mara An April Birthday (Ronald) (pf: Ronald) 2-2061 4143a G&T, London 1902-03?
Joseph O’Mara Friend and Lover (Ronald) (pf: Ronald) 2-2062 4144a G&T, London 1902-03?
Barton McGuckin Avenging and bright (Moore) X-42279 Zonophone, London 1905-02-25
John O’Sullivan Carmen (Bizet): Flower song 096 Unpublished APGA
John O’Sullivan Lohengrin (Wagner): Récit du Graal 07 Unpublished APGA
John O’Sullivan Roméo et Juliette (Massenet): Cavatine 06 Unpublished APGA
John O’Sullivan Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Recitar 08 Unpublished APGA
John O’Sullivan Otello (Verdi): Esultate…Ora per sempre D5374, 70601 Columbia/Cigale, Milano 1922 (late)
John O’Sullivan Guglielmo Tell (Rossini): O muto asil D4942 70609 Columbia/Cigale, Milano 1922 (late)
John McCormack Manon (Massenet): Il Sogno Victor 64312 B12764
John McCormack Mefistofele (Boito): Dai campi, dai prati Gramophone 7-52033 DA498
John McCormack La fille du régiment (Donizetti): Pour me rapprocher de Marie Victor 74221 C8739
John McCormack Faust (Gounod): Salve dimora Gramophone 2-052028 DB634
John McCormack Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Prize sing HMV DB329 VB7
John McCormack Lucia di Lamermoor (Donizetti): Tu che a Dio spiegasti l’ali Victor 88249 C8740
John McCormack When night descends (Rachmaninov) HMV DA457
John McCormack O cease thy singing, maiden fair (Rachmaninov) HMV DA457
John McCormack Calm as the Night (Mattullath) Victor 87233
John McCormack Flirtation (Meyer-Helmund) Victor 87232
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