Henri Dons (Baritone) (Ghent, Belgium 1864 - Brussels, Belgium 1936)

He received his education at the Conservatory of Ghent. From 1896 to 1906 he joined to the Ghent Opera. As a guest he appeared at this opera house also in the 1899/1900, 1904/05 and 1905/06 seasons. An important part of his career took place in Netherlands, where for several years he performed at the  Hollandsch Opera-Gezelschap created by  Johannes de Groot. On September 25, 1889, he made his debut in G. Verdi's ‘’La Traviata’’ as doctor Grenvil at the Parkschouwburg in Amsterdam. In that same season he sang the roles of Count Oberthal (‘’Le Prophet’’), Sulpice (‘’La figlia del reggimento’’), Monterone (‘’Rigoletto’’) and Gessler (‘’William Tell’’). In 1890, he sang at the Nederlandsche Opera also the parts of Nilakantha (‘’Lakmé’’) and Lothario (‘’Mignon’’). On september 8, 1894, he sang at the Nederlandsche Opera-Vereeniging the role of Mephistofele in ‘’Faust’’ by C. Gounod. At  the Theatre Royal de la Haye he appeared again as Mephistofele in ‘’Faust’’ (30 September, 1899). His last performance was in Netherlands on 6 December 1916 at the Nederlandsch Opera  as Escamillo in ‘’Carmen’’ by G. Bizet.  His repertoire included King/Il re (‘’Aida’’), Roger (‘’Jerusalem’’ by G.b Verdi), Garrido Tonio (‘’Pagliacci’’), Casper (‘’Der Freischütz’’), Des Grieux (‘’Manon’’), Le grand inquisitor (‘’L'Africaine’’), Sparafucile (‘’Rigoletto’’), Dr. Falke (‘’Die Fledermaus’’), Le commandeur (‘’Don Giovanni’’) and Alfio in ‘’Cavalleria Rusticana’’.

Chronology of some appearances

1889 Amsterdam Parkschouwburg
1899 Theatre Royal de la Haye
1890 Amsterdam Nederlandsche Opera

1896-1906 Ghent Opera

1899-1900 Ghent Opera

1904-1905 Ghent Opera

1905-1906 Ghent Opera

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Berliner, Amsterdam 1901-09-10

Les rameaux (Faure) 32973 859B

G&T, Paris 1902
Chalet (Adam): Vallons de l'Helvétie 2-32507 780F

Pathé cylinders & discs, Bruxelles 1905?

Het dierbaar ouderhuis (van Herzeele) 9433

Het lied van den smid (Wijbo) 9434

Odeon, Berlin? 1906-12?

Hamlet (Thomas)  Chanson Bachique A33008 FO 106

Fritz Werner (Tenor) (18. November 1871 Wien, † 22. September 1940 Bad Hall)

His real name was Fritz Herz; he was the son of a Viennese dentist. He was trained by pedagogue Hermann Grün in Vienna and his first part sang in 1892 at the Rudolfsheimer Volkstheater in Vienna in "Les dragons de Villars" of Maillart. Afterwards he guested in Ischl as Canio in ‘’Pagliacci’’ and Turiddu in ‘’Cavalleria Rusticana’’. In the 1893-1896 seasons he was engaged as the first Tenor-Buffo by the theaters of Cologne and Bonn. Now he turned to the operetta and joined in 1896 to the Theater an der Wien. There he had in operetta "Der Schmetterling"  (as Rosefleur) by Weinberger a prominent success. In 1898, under the impresario Jauner,  he took part in the Russia tour of a Viennese operetta ensemble. He made guest performance at the Berliner Theater des Westens in opera "Der Husar" by I. Brüll. In Vienna he appeared only 200 times at the Carl Theater as Niki in operetta "Ein Waltertraum" by Oscar Straus. Then he performed  in Munich, Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe and in the 1900-1902 and again in the 1904-1906 seasons he was a member of the Theater am Gärtnerplatz in München.  in the  1902-1903 season he was engaged by the Viennese Carl Theater, where he also made appearances in  the 1907-1910 seasons.  In  the 1913-1914 season he was active as a singer and director at the Viennese Bürgertheater; then he was active at the Metropoltheater in Berlin, Operettentheater in Hamburg and in the 1924-1925 season at the Corso-Theater in Zürich. In 1926 he retired because of a heavy illness. He appeared in a huge number of operetta premieres, among other things: "Der Frauenfresser" by E. Eysler (Bürgertheater Wien 1911), "Der lachende Ehemann" of the same composer (Bürgertheater Wien 1913), "Die Winzerbraut" of O. Nedbal (Theater an der Wien 1916) and "Das Hollandweibchen" of E. Kálmán (Johann Strauß-Theater Wien 1920), "Ein Walzertraum" (Carl-Theater 1907) and "Rund um die Liebe" by Oscar Straus (Johann Strauß-Theater 1914) as well as the operetta ‘’Mädi’’ of Robert Stolz (Berlin Theater 1920). 

Chronology of some appearances

1892 Rudolfsheimer Volkstheater
1892 Ischl Theater
1896 Theater an der Wien
1900-1902 München Theater am Gärtnerplatz
1902-1903 Wien Carl Theater
1904-1906 München Theater am Gärtnerplatz
1907-1910 Wien Carl Theater
1913-1914 Wien Bürgertheater
1924-1925 Zürich Corso-Theater

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

G&T, Berlin  1905
Geh, mach' dein Fensterl auf (Jurek) 3-42234  3139L
I und der Mond (Leicht) 3-42233 3138L

G&T, Berlin 1906
Verzeihe mir Fritz Werner 3-42653 4558L

Zonophone,  Berlin 1906
Der Herrgott meint's gut Maxstadt X-22451

G&T, Berlin 7- 1-10
Der Graf von Luxemburg (Lehár): Ich bin der Graf von Luxemburg V* 2-22191  2014ab
Der Graf von Luxemburg (Lehár): Bist du's lachendes Glück V* 2-24152  2015ab

Dennis Noble (Baritone) (25. 9. 1898 Bristol, England † Javea, Spain 14. 3. 1966)

                                                                      Figaro

His real name was William Ewart Noble. He was trained by Dinh Gilly in London and later in Italy. After the First World War he sang in English cinemas and was discovered by the conductor Percy Pitt. In 1924 he provided for Noble an engagement for the London Covent Garden, where as the first role he took over the part of Marullo in ‘’Rigoletto’’. During the next six years he appeared at Covent Garden in small parts and only in 1930 he had a huge success as Sharpless  in  ’’Madama Butterfly’’ and especially in 1931 as Germont-père in ‘’La Traviata’’ opposite Rose Ponselle. In 1937 he sang there in the premiere of the opera ‘’Don Juan de Mañara’’ of E. Goossens. Till 1938 he was active as the first baritone of the London Covent Garden. In 1947 he again appeared here. He further sang with the British National Opera Company in London and with Carl Rose Opera Company, made guest performances at the opera houses of Cleveland (1935-36) and Cincinnati. At  Convent Garden he performed in premieres of several operas: ‘’Pickwick’’ of A. Coates (1936), ‘’Judith’’ (25. 9. 1929), ‘’Don Juan de Mañara’’ (24. 6. 1937)  by E. Goossens. 

Chronology of some appearances

1924 London Covent Garden Rigoletto (Marullo)

1930 London Covent Garden Madama Butterfly (Sharpless)

1931 London Covent Garden La Traviata (Germont-père)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Columbia, London 1927
Complete Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) with  Mullings, Licette, Williams and Nash

Columbia, 1928-01-24
Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Largo al factorum 9556 WAX 3200

Columbia, 1943-12-20
Traviata (Verdi): Ah! Say to thy daughter with  Joan Hammond C3387 2ER 734
Traviata (Verdi): Now command me with Joan Hammond C3387 2ER 733

George Hamlin (Tenor) (20. 9. 1869 Elgin (Illinois), † 20. 1. 1923 New York)

He studied in his American native country as well as in Europe, among other things under George Henschel in London. He made his debut in 1886 together with St. Louis Choral Society in Symphony No. 2 (Mendelssohn). In 1898 he gave in Chicago a song recital with songs of Richard Strauss still quite unknown at that time in America. During the following years he had in the USA in music parties and oratorio performances much notable success. In the 1904-1906 seasons  he undertook a big concert tour through Holland, England, France and Germany which probably was the climax of his career. Finally, in 1911 his stage debut occurred when he sang the part of Paul Merrill in Victor Herbert opera ‘’Natoma’' at the Chicago Opera. He took over the same part then also with performances in New York and Chicago. Till 1915 he remained a member of the Chicago Opera, where he also appeared in the première of the opera ‘’Das Heimchern am Herd’’ by Goldmark. He sang in Chicago the following parts: Gennaro in E.Wolf-Ferrari’s ‘’I gioielli della Madonna’’, Pinkerton in ‘’Madama Butterfly’’, participated also in the opera premieres: ‘’A Lover's Knot’’ by Buchhalter (1915), ‘’I dispettosi amanti’’ of Attilio Parelli (1915) and ‘’Madeleine’’ by Victor Herbert (1917). In 1918 he gave in New York again a successful concerts. His daughter Anna Hamlin had in America a short, but successful career as a concert soprano. She published under the title ‘’Father what a tenor’’ (Hicksville, NY, 1978) a commemorative book to her father.

Chronology of some appearances

1911-1915 Chicago Opera

RECORDING FOR SALE

Victor, Camden NJ 1911-04-12
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Viva il vino (Brindisi) 64245 B10174

Pierre Lamy (Tenor)

Ténor du Grand théâtre de Monte-Carlo.

RECORDING FOR SALE 

Pathé, Paris 1919 - 1925
Postillon de Longjumeau (Adam): Ronde du postillone, act 1 0347

James Johnston (Tenor) (Belfast 11 August 1903 - Belfast 17 October 1991)

He studied singing under the pedagogue John Vine and made his debut in 1940 at the Opera of Dublin as Duke in G. Verdi’s ‘’Rigoletto’’. He remained till 1945 in Dublin and still continued his butcher business. Then he sang in different English opera theaters, among other things in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London. In the 1945-1951 seasons he performed with the Sadler's Wells Opera in London in many parts, among other things as Hans in B. Smetana’s "Verkaufter Braut", Rodolfo in ‘’La Bohème’’, Pinkerton in ‘’Madama Butterfly’’, Cavaradossi in ‘’Tosca’’, Turiddu in ‘’Cavalleria Rusticana’’, Canio in ‘’Pagliacci’’, Manrico in ‘’Il Trovatore’’, Faust, José in ‘’Carmen’’, Radames in ‘’Aida’’, and Alfredo in ‘’La Traviata’’. In the 1949-1958 seasons he sang at Covent Garden in London (debut as Alfredo in ‘’La Traviata’’ opposite Elisabeth Schwarzkopf). In this opera house he took over on 29. 9. 1949 in the premiere of the opera ‘’The Olympians’’ by Arthur Bliss in the part of Hector. In 1948 he appeared in the English première of G. Verdi’s ‘’Simon Boccanegra’’ at the Sadler's Wells Opera as Gabriele Adorno. In 1958 he returned to Belfast and was active as businessman. 

Chronology of some appearances

1945 Dublin Opera

1945-1951 London Sadler's Wells Opera

1949-1951 London Covent Garden

RECORDING FOR SALE

Columbia  1948-06-23

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend DX1506 CAX 10291