Dávid Ney (Bass/Baritone) (Várpalota 1842 – Budapest 1905)

He began his career at the Vienna Carltheater, then directed by von Suppe, first as a member of the chorus and then as a soloist. He made his debut at the Budapest Opera right after its establishment in 1884 and continued as its leading bass until his death in 1905. He appeared in 103 parts in 78 operas, singing such diverse roles as Don Giovanni, Leporello, and the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Hans Sachs, Sarastro, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Wotan, Mephistopheles and Falstaff. He sang the role of King Mark in Tristan und Isolde at the Budapest premiere of the opera in 1901. It was said that after his death in 1905 even three  singers found it difficult to take over all of his roles.

Chronology of some appearances

1884-1905 Budapest Opera

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Favorite 1905

Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer): Pif! Paf! in Hungarian  I-25533

Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer): Chorale in Hungarian I-25538
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Ah, cedi, cedi in Hungarian I-25523

Savel Kwartin (Baritone) ( Khonorad, Ukraine 1874 - New York 1953)

Savel (Zevulun) Kwartin was born in Khonorad, Ukraine in 1874. It is difficult to classify his voice, since it was part tenor and part baritone. Although offered many opportunities to sing in opera, he chose to remain exclusively a cantor. He held important posts in Vienna, St. Petersburg, and Budapest before emigrating to the United States in 1920. For 10 years he was cantor at the Temple Emanuel in Brooklyn. After retirement, he moved to Palestine, where he resided for 7 years, but then returned to New York, where he died in 1953. His daughter, Nina, had a respectable career as a soprano, and was the mother of the soprano, Evelyn Lear.

 RECORDING FOR SALE

Polyphon

Hazur tumim um puseloi 0211508

Moishe Rudinow (Bass/Baritone) (Odessa 1891 - Oakland, California 1953)

At the age of eight, he began to sing in a choir and to study the rudiments of musical theory, solfeggio and Jewish liturgical music. At fourteen. he was alto soloist in the Kiev Synagogue. After his voice changed, he became bass soloist in the choir of the Great White Synagogue. Drafted in 1915, he was gassed on the battlefield. Upon his return he became choir director and conductor of the Haomir and also  sang opera in Kiev. He was graduated from the Imperial Conservatory of Music in 1919. In 1921, Cantor and Mrs. Rudinow concertized in Poland and Rumania, where they introduced the new Jewish and Hebrew folk and art songs. After the tour was over they went to Palestine where Cantor Rudinow met the father of modern Hebrew music, Joel Engel, with whom he collaborated in producing Hebrew opera and oratorio. In 1928 Cantor Rudinow and his family  came to the United States. Shortly thereafter he became assistant Cantor of Temple Emanu-El of New York City and subsequently senior Cantor. He served in this Temple for 22 years, retiring in 1951.

Chronology of some appearances

1910's Kiev Opera

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Gamut

King Saul (Musorgsky) GT 10. 106 B

Sunless (Musorgsky) Gt. 10. 107B?

Rosette Anday (Mezzo-Soprano) (Budapest 1903 - Vienna 1977)

She studied to be a violinist and her unique musicality made her a child prodigy. Her sonorous deep contralto voice was soon noticed, however, and she chose to become a singer. She studied with Gyorgy Anthes at the Budapest Academy of Music and was granted a scholarship by the Opera House in 1920. When the Vienna Opera appeared in Budapest in the spring of 1921, her beautiful voice and graceful movements attracted the attention of the chief conductor, Schalk. He gave Anday a contract at the Vienna Opera House where she remained for almost 40 years. She appeared on almost all opera stages and concert podiums in Europe. Her most outstanding performances included Dalila, Carmen, Azucena, Ulrica, Orpheus, Waltraute (''Goetterdämmerung'') and Erda (''Das Rheingold''). She was also noted for her interpretation of Richard Strauss' songs. 

Chronology of appearance

1921 Vienna State Opera

Gershon Sirota (Sirotini) (Tenor) (Podolia 1874 - Warsaw 1943)

Gerson Sirota was born in 1874 in Odessa and first sang in synagogues there. However, in 1900 he was named Chief Cantor of Vilna, a position later to be held by a number of other famous cantors, including Mordechai Hershman. It was here that Sirota reached great prominence, performing frequently before the Russian nobility. In 1908, Sirota was called as Chief Cantor of the Great Synagogue in Warsaw. With a widespread reputation on an international scale, primarily because of the wide distribution of his recordings which he had begun in 1903, he began a series of concert tours of America. He first toured cross country in 1912, appearing in most of the major synagogues as well as concert halls. Sirota's international concert tours continued on an undiminished scale between the wars. He returned to the United States again in 1922 and on a number of other occasions, culminating in a 1938 tour. So frequent were Sirota's  excursions abroad that the synagogue officials in Warsaw decided to replace him. When he returned after officiating in New York on the High Holidays of 1927, he found that a successor had been found for his position, the young Moshe Kusevitsky. Sirota had no trouble finding another position in Warsaw, and in 1934 he was honored by Warsaw Jewry for his thirty years of service to the community at a special concert held at Warsaw's Hippodrome Theater. Tragically, Sirota was not spared the fate dealt to the Jews with the advent of Nazism. Returning to Warsaw after a trip abroad in 1938, he was trapped in the Warsaw Ghetto. His four sons and four daughters and their families are believed to have died during the shelling of the city. Sirota is believed to have perished on the concluding day of Passover, 1943. There is little question that Sirota possessed one of the greatest voices of his time. A true dramatic tenor, with both great range and flexibility, as well as a beautiful quality, Sirota might well have become an outstanding operatic singer, but for religious reasons he chose to remain a cantor. Caruso, having heard him sing, was quoted as stating: "Thank God he has chosen to employ his heavenly gift in a different field and I do not have to compete with such a formidable challenger in opera." Early in his recording career, Sirota made several operatic recordings under the name Sirotini so as not to divulge his true identity, but later excursions into opera were all sung under his real name.

http://archive.chazzanut.com/

Chronology of some appearances

1912 America Tour

1927 New York Concert

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Odeon

Adonaj, adonaj 18225

Berausch haschono jikusewun 18226

Broadcast

Adono moloch J.4-B  z 480

Celeste Aida 5017 L.053

Halbein chatoeinu  J.1-A  z 476

Ki-chol peh    J.2-B  z 483

Korutz m’chomer J.2-A  z 478

Ovinu molkeinu J.1-B  z 481

Sim sholom J.3-A z 484

V’chulom m’kablim aleihem J.4-A  z 479

Y’hi rotzon...hachodesh hazeh  J.3-B  z 482

Imperial

Ato niglaise unpublished TI 127

Hu Eloheinu 103X  (A55X)

Kveidei molei oilom 103X (A53X)

Pathe

Aw horachamin 29055

Eiz chajim 29061

Haben jakir li 29050

Mimchoimcho maleinu 29059

Mimkoimoi 29053

Ohawti ki üschma 29054

Rzei 29058

Waschomru 29056

Wesserow lefonecho 29057

Whosser soton 29052

Zadik katomor 29051

Favorite

Broisch Haschonu ikuseiwin 1-75603

Hayom Haras Oylom 1-75604

Kewakoras Roje sdroi 1-75598

U. Nsane Toikef 1-75605

Weshomru 1-75612  4105-o

Zadik katomer 1-75599  4092-o

Twin

Hamm’chadesh btuobh 654 T-2383  H1230ab

T’sur Yisroel 654 T-2384  H1231ab

Columbia

Havdallah (God is my salvation) E 9547 WAX 3693

Decca

Kodosh atoh F.2815 B GB 3595-1DJP

Veseorev lephonecho F.2815 A  GB 3594-2CJP

Gramophone

Kol nidrei 2-75503 142-p

Odom yesodoh meophor 2-75504 143-p

G&T

Mimkaumau hu jifen 4-102417 410z

Rzei 11585 1683z

Whosser soton 11573  1691z

Modest Menzinsky (Tenor) (Nowosiolki, Galizien 1875 - Stockholm 1935)

                                                                   Tristan

                                                                  Radames

                                                                Siegfried

                                                                Radames

Son of a Russian-orthodox priest. First he studied theology at the university of Lvov (Lwów). He studied singing with Walery Wysocki in Lwów and continued his education from 1899 to 1903 with Julius Stockhausen in Frankfurt a. M. He made his debut in 1901 at the Opernhaus of Frankfurt a. M. as Lyonel in ‘’Martha’’. In  the 1902-1904 seasons he sang at the Stadttheater in Elberfeld. From 1904 to 1910 he was a member of the Royal Opera in Stockholm. Here he sang in 1905 or in 1907 in the premières of R. Wagner’s ‘’Siegfried’’ and "Götterdämmerung". In the 1910-1926 seasons he was engaged by the Opernhaus in Cologne. He made successful guest appearances in Vienna (Hofoper) and London (Covent Garden). On 11. 2. 1909 he appeared at the  Opernhaus in Lwów (Lvov) in the premiere of the opera "Boleslaw Smialy" ("Boleslaw der Mutige") by Lubomir Rózycki. On 27. 3. 1924 he sang also at the Opernhaus in Cologne in the premiere of Fr. Schreker’s ‘’Irrelohe’’. In 1926 he retired from the stage and for the last time appeared in Cologne as Eleazar in ‘’La Juive’’ by Halévy. Since 1926 he lived in Stockholm where he still gave concerts and been active as a vocal pedagogue.

 Chronology of some appearances

1901 Frankfurt a. M. Opernhaus

1902-1904 Elberfeld Stadttheater

1904-1910 Stockholm Royal Opera

1910-1926 Cologne Opernhaus

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Gramophone 20-10-10
Lohengrin (Wagner): Mein lieber Schwan 042269 188z

Gramophone 31-7-11
Othello (Verdi): Gott! Warum hast du gehauft 042303 2263c

Gramophone 4-8-11
Bajazzo (Leoncavallo): Nein, bin Bajazzo nicht bloss  042304 2266c

Ildebrando Santafè (Baritone)

Probably he made his debut in 1924 at the Teatro Balbo in Turin as Sivlio in R. Leoncavallo's ''Pagliacci''.

Chronology of some appearances

1924 Torino  Teatro Balbo Pagliacci (Silvio)

1926 Castelsangiovanni  Teatro Verdi Ernani (Carlo)

1928 Milano Liceo Sperimentale Puritani (Riccardo)

1930 Milano Teatro Verdi Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1932 Fiorenzuola d'Arda Teatro Verdi Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1934 Bergamo Teatro Nuovo Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1937 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli  Boheme (Schaunard)

1940 Fano Teatro della Fortuna I Quattro Rusteghi (Maurizio)

1942 Novara Teatro Coccia Manon Lescaut (Lescaut)

1944 Macerata Teatro Lauro Rossi Barbiere di Siviglia (Don Bartolo)

1946 Lisbona Coliseo Recrejos Barbiere di Siviglia (Don Bartolo)
1948 Livorno Teatro Goldoni Lodoletta (Franz)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Odeon Fonotipia, Milano

Don Pasquale (Donizetti): Pronto io son with Pina Bruschi 168504 a 10451

Don Pasquale (Donizetti): Siamo intesi with Pina Bruschi 168504 b 10451

Tina Costa (Mezzo-Soprano)

Probably she made her debut in 1914 at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan as Gutruna in ''Crepuscolo Degli Dei''.

Chronology of some appearances

1914 Milano Teatro Dal Verme Crepuscolo Degli Dei (Gutruna)

1919 Pisa Teatro Verdi  Trovatore (Azucena)

1924 Cesena Teatro Comunale  Rigoletto (Maddalena)

1927 Madrid Teatro Zarzuela Gioconda (Cieca)

1928 Madrid Teatro Zarzuela  Racconti di Hoffmann

1930 Orvieto Teatro Unione  Ballo in Maschera (Ulrica)

1931 Galatina  Teatro Comunale Rigoletto (Maddalena)
1932 Novara Teatro Coccia  Gioconda (Cieca)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Odeon Fonotipia, Milano

Gioconda (Ponchielli): Voce di donna Z21500

Sante Canali (Baritone) (Romiglione 1877 - Milano 1958)

Probably he made his debut at the Teatro Mariani in Ravenna as Malatesta in ''Don Pasquale''. He had a successful career at the smaller Italian opera stages as well as at guest performances in Spain, France and South America. He lived after ending of his singer's career in the Casa di riposo Verdi in Milan where he has also died.

Chronology of some appearances

1905 Ravenna  Teatro Mariani Don Pasquale (Malatesta)

1908 Bologna  Teatro Del Corso Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1910 Ancona   Teatro Vittorio Emanuele Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1912 Borgo Valsugana Teatro Sociale Traviata (Germont)

1914 Casale Monferrato Kursaal Don Pasquale (Malatesta)

1917 Milano Teatro Dal Verme Le Educande di Sorrento di E. Usiglio (Rodolfo)

1921 Montecchio Teatro Zacconi Elisir d'amore (Belcore)

1924 Cuneo Teatro Toselli Don Pasquale (Malatesta)

1926 Ravenna  Teatro Mariani Boheme (Benoit/Alcindoro)

1931 Roma Eiar IL RE di U. Giordano (Prete)

1933 Modena  Teatro Storchi  Barbiere di Siviglia (Don Bartolo)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1930-10-15

Cenerentola (Rossini): Miei rampoli femminini, pt 1 168616 Mo3221

Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1930-10-17

Cenerentola (Rossini): Miei rampoli femminini, pt 2 (Ma d'un sogno) 168616 Mo3228

Giovanni Lazzarini (Baritone) (Lucca 1883 - ?)

He studied singing under Pietrasanta. In 1912 he spent a few months in the USA and came back to Italy. He made his debut in 1913 at the Teatro Giglio in Lucca in G. Verdi’s ‘’Rigoletto’’. In November 1924 he went to Canada to sing at Montreal. In 1927 he moved to USA, where he continues his career. He made only one record.

Chronology of some appearances

1913 Lucca Teatro Del Giglio Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1915 Madrid Teatro Reale Boheme (Marcello)

1919 Malta Teatro Reale  Manon Lescaut (Lescaut)

1921 Cairo Kursaal Dalbagni   Trovatore (Conte)

1923 Lucca Teatro Del Giglio Boheme (Marcello)

1926 Trapani   Teatro Garibaldi Gioconda (Barnaba)

1929 New York Starlight Park Aida (Amonasro)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1911/1912?

Andrea Chénier (Giordano): Un dì m'era di gioia 110387

Tudor Davies (Tenor) (Cymmer, near Porth, South Wales 1892 - London, England 1958)

He studied in Cardiff and at the Royal College of Music in London. He served as an engineer in the Royal Navy during World War I. He toured the United States, Canada and Australia (where he shared the stage with Maggie Teyte and then returned to Britain, where he sang with the British National Opera Company, Sadler's Wells Opera and the Carl Rosa Opera Company. He sang Rodolfo to Dame Nellie Melba's Mimi in ''La bohème'' in 1922 at Covent Garden. He sang a number of leading tenor parts from the Italian, French and German repertoire, such as Lohengrin, Tamino, Florestan, Faust, Don José and the Duke of Mantua. He also appeared in English operas such as Dame Ethel Smyth's ''Fête Galante'', and Arthur Benjamin's ''The Devil Take Her''. He created the title role in Ralph Vaughan Williams' opera ''Hugh the Drover'' in 1924. (In 1928, he also sang in the United States premiere of the opera, with the Washington National Opera.) He created Prince Hal in Gustav Holst's ''At the Boar's Head'' in 1925. He sang the title role in Giuseppe Verdi's ''Don Carlos'' in the opera's first performance in England in 1938, and he appeared in the first Sadler's Wells performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's ''The Snow Maiden''. In his later career he was mainly a concert singer, and teacher in Cardiff.

Chronology of  some appearances

1922 London Covent Garden 

1924 His Majesty's Theatre 

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Columbia
Complete Madame Butterfly (Puccini) with Rosina Buckman, Frederick Ranalow, Nellie Walker, Gladys Peel and Sydney Coltham

Victor
The Valkyrie (Wagner): Siegmund sees the sword hilt in the tree 55204 B
The Valkyrie (Wagner): Siegmund greets the Spring night 55205 A/B
The Valkyrie (Wagner): Brunnhilde fortells Siegmund's death with Austral 55207 A

Victor
Siegfried (Wagner): forges the broken sword 55209 A
Siegfried (Wagner): The forest bird warns Siegfried with Russell and Austral 55209 B
Siegfried (Wagner): follows the forest bird with Jones 55210 A

Victor
Twilight of the Gods (Wagner): The parting of Brunnhilde and Siegfried with Austral 55212 A/B
Twilight of the Gods (Wagner): Gunther and Gutrune welcome Siegfried with Radford and Jones 55213 A

Stefan Islandi (Tenor) (Skagafjord, Island 1907 - Skagafjord, Island 1994)

His real name was Gud Gudmundsson. Originally he was ahairdresser. From 1930 to 1935 he studied singing under the great italian baritone Ernesto Caronna. Still during education he made his debut in 1933 at the Teatro Comunale in Florence as Cavaradossi in ‘’Tosca’’. From 1935 to 1940 he gave guest performances and concerts in the European music centers. Since 1938 he sang regularly at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen, where he made his debut as Pinkerton in ‘’Madama Butterfly’’. He made guest appearances in Italy,  France, Germany and Sweden. Till 1959 he belonged to the Copenhagen Opera, where his repertoire included Duke in ‘’Rigoletto’’, Rodolfo in ‘’La Bohème’’, Turiddu in ‘’Cavalleria Rusticana’’ and José in ‘’Carmen’’. In 1946 he undertook a big concert tour through North America. In the 1950’s he appeared several times in his native country, where at the National Theatre of Iceland in Reykjavik he appeared with great success in  ‘’Rigoletto’’ and ‘’Tosca’’. In 1966 he returned to Iceland and became a pedagogue at the Reykjavík College of Music. From 1940 to 1949 married to the Danish mezzo-soprano Else Brems.

http://www.the-discographer.dk/

Chronology of some appearances

1933 Florence Teatro Comunale Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1938 Copenhagen Royal Opera Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)

RECORDING FOR SALE

HMV, København 1940-09-02

Bohème (Puccini): Che gelida manina DB5247 2CS1680

Robert Marvini (Bass)

Probably he made his debut in 1909 as Fasolt in ‘’Das Rheingold’’ at the o Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Since then most closely his work associated with the Opéra de Monte-Carlo (1910-1911, 1914, 1923, 1928-1938). Here his repertoire included not only Hunding in ‘’Die Walküre’’, Hagen in "Götterdämmerung", Sparafucile in ‘’Rigoletto’’, Ramphis in ‘’Aida’’, Conte Rodolfo in ‘’La Sonnambula’’, Alvise in ‘’La Gioconda’’, Colline in ‘’La Bohème’’, but also Zuniga in ‘’Carmen’’, Schlemihl in "Hoffmanns Erzählungen", Monterone in ‘’Rigoletto’’', Roucher in ‘’Andrea Chénier’’, Saint Bris in ‘’Les Huguenots’’, Tristan in ‘’Martha’’ and Geronte in ‘’Manon Lescaut’’. Later he sang Buffo roles (Bartolo in ‘’Il Barbiere di Siviglia’’, Sakristan in ‘’Tosca’’) and sang also in operettas. He appeared at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo in several opera premieres: In 1914 as Ennius in ‘’Cléopâtre’’ by J. Massenet, two years later in ‘’Béatrice’’ of A. Messager, during the same year also in ‘’I Mori di Valenza’’ of  A. Ponchielli, in 1923 in ‘’Lysistrata’’ of R. Gunsbourg, in 1929 in ‘’'La Femme nue’’of H. Fevrier, in 1937 as Marmont in ‘’L'Aiglon’’ of Honegger-Ibert. In 1934 he sang at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo in the French-speaking première of ‘’Arabella’’ by R. Strauss. At the Grand Opéra in Paris he made guest appearances between 1909 and 1913 (debut in ‘’Le vieil Aiglon’’ of R. Gunsbourg). In 1927 he sang at the Théâtre Fémina in Paris with the opera troop of Marguerite Bériza in the premiere of J. Ibert’s ‘’Angélique’’ in the role of the Fabigen, which he reported in in the 1930-1934 seasons also at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. In 1913 he made guest appearance at the Covent Garden in London as Mephistofeles in ‘’Faust’’ and as Frère Laurent in ‘’Roméo et Juliette’’. In most appearances he is announced as Mr Marvini.

Chronology of some appearances

1909-1911 Monte-Carlo Opéra
1909-1913 Paris Grand Opéra
1914 Monte-Carlo Opéra
1923 Monte-Carlo Opéra
1927 Paris Théâtre Fémina
1928-1938 Monte-Carlo Opéra
1930-1934 Paris Opéra-Comique

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Pathé, Paris 1912?
Favorite (Donizetti) with Lassalle, Albers, Lapeyrette and Gantéri
Trovatore (Verdi) with Fontaine, Noté, Morlet and Gantéri

Idéal - Aspir, Paris 1913?
Quo Vadis (Nouguès): Récit de Saint-Pierre, pt 1 6179
Quo Vadis (Nouguès): Récit de Saint-Pierre, pt 2 6182
Quo Vadis (Nouguès): Récit de Saint-Pierre, pt 3 6183
Quo Vadis (Nouguès): Pourquoi vous plaignez-vous 6184