Notes and Editorial Reviews
Here we have examples – in several cases multiple examples –
of the art of ten British sopranos of the first half of the
twentieth century. Whether or not all are “great” is dubious,
but certainly all are characterful and worth hearing. The choice
of artists has been done well. Perhaps you might prefer it to
include also Florence Easton or Joan Cross, but it would be
hard to quibble with what has been included in terms of quality,
quantity or variety. Each of the singers featured had a very
individual sound and signature, and one might find it difficult
on the
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basis of these examples to write of a characteristically
British style of singing during this period.
Agnes Nicholls, wife of Sir Hamilton Harty, starts the disc
off with a wonderfully spontaneous and fearless sounding account
of Rezia’s great aria from “Oberon”. The sound may be very restricted
but there is no mistaking the attack of the voice. To my surprise
Miriam Licette, a singer who can sometimes sound excessively
correct on record, is also notable for her spontaneity here.
The choice of “One fine day”, sung in English, for Eva Turner
is a good one, and less obvious than one of the “Turandot” extracts
one might have expected. It is a glorious and very committed
performance, and an interesting comparison with Margaret Sheridan
(in Italian) at the end of the disc. The examples of Mary Garden
and Maggie Teyte are justly well known as models of the art
of idiomatic French singing. Both Isobel Baillie and Elsie Suddaby
sound lovely but very unstylish in Handel compared with what
we are used to today, although the latter is much better in
the Purcell extract. Dora Labette’s Delius songs, with wonderfully
vague accompaniments by Beecham, are interesting if not entirely
convincing, and Gwen Catley’s virtuoso singing in the Adam Variations
is entertaining if far from her best record. Clearly the compilers
have an especial and very understandable regard for the Irish
soprano Margaret Sheridan, with four long examples of her in
Puccini. This is singing of obvious sincerity and vitality.
Hugo Shirley’s notes are interesting if brief, and only limited
information is given about the sources of the individual recordings.
The transfers are satisfactory if no more than that. This is
nonetheless a fascinating, well filled and well chosen anthology
which should appeal to many to whom the chosen singers are not
even names or who usually avoid “historic” recordings.
-- John Sheppard, MusicWeb International
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Works on This Recording
1.
Oberon, J 306: Ozean! du Ungeheuer by Carl Maria von Weber
Performer:
Agnes Nicholls ()
Period: Romantic
Written: 1825-1826; Dresden, Germany
Date of Recording: 12/19/1911
Length: 4 Minutes 25 Secs.
2.
Don Giovanni, K 527: Mi tradì, quell' alma ingrata by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Miriam Licette ()
Period: Classical
Written: 1787; Prague, Czech Republ
Date of Recording: 05/02/1929
Length: 4 Minutes 6 Secs.
3.
Madam Butterfly: Act 2. Act 2. One fine day by Giacomo Puccini
Performer:
Eva Turner ()
Period: Romantic
Written: 1904
Date of Recording: 06/10/1933
Length: 4 Minutes 7 Secs.
4.
Pelléas et Mélisande: Mes longs chevaux by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Mary Garden ()
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1893-1902; France
Length: 1 Minutes 48 Secs.
5.
Psyché for voice & piano by Emile Paladilhe
Performer:
Maggie Teyte ()
Period: Romantic
Written: France
Date of Recording: 03/26/1941
Length: 2 Minutes 51 Secs.
6.
Ciboulette: Ce n'etait pas la même chose by Reynaldo Hahn
Performer:
Gerald Moore (Piano),
Maggie Teyte ()
Period: Post-Romantic
Written: 1923; France
Date of Recording: 05/20/1946
Length: 2 Minutes 34 Secs.
7.
Chanson d'avril by Georges Bizet
Performer:
Maggie Teyte ()
Period: Romantic
Written: by 1867; France
Length: 2 Minutes 31 Secs.
8.
Chansons (3) de Bilitis: no 1, La flûte de Pan by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Maggie Teyte ()
Period: 20th Century
Date of Recording: 03/12/1936
Length: 2 Minutes 30 Secs.
9.
Phidylé by Henri Duparc
Performer:
Maggie Teyte ()
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1882; France
Date of Recording: 07/31/1940
Length: 4 Minutes 26 Secs.
10.
Poème de l'amour et de la mer, Op. 19: no 3b, Le temps de lilas by Ernest Chausson
Performer:
Maggie Teyte ()
Period: Romantic
Written: 1882-1890; France
Length: 3 Minutes 54 Secs.
11.
Alessandro: Ne' trionfa d'Alessandro Lusinghe piu care by George Frideric Handel
Performer:
Isobel Baillie ()
Conductor:
Sir Malcolm Sargent
Period: Baroque
Written: 1726
Date of Recording: 02/16/1949
Length: 6 Minutes 29 Secs.
12.
Semele: O Sleep! Why dost thou leave me? by George Frideric Handel
Performer:
Elsie Suddaby ()
Period: Baroque
Written: 1743; England
Date of Recording: 06/1927
Length: 3 Minutes 35 Secs.
13.
The Fairy Queen: Act 5. Hark! The echoing air by Henry Purcell
Performer:
Elsie Suddaby ()
Period: Baroque
Written: 1689; England
Date of Recording: 07/11/1924
Length: 1 Minutes 39 Secs.
14.
Songs (7) from the Norwegian: no 1, Cradle Song by Frederick Delius
Performer:
Sir Thomas Beecham (Piano),
Dora Labette ()
Period: Romantic
Written: 1889-1890; Paris, France
Date of Recording: 06/24/1929
Length: 2 Minutes 17 Secs.
15.
The nightingale has a lyre of gold by Frederick Delius
Performer:
Sir Thomas Beecham (Piano),
Dora Labette ()
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1910; France
Date of Recording: 06/24/1929
Length: 2 Minutes 1 Secs.
16.
Songs (7) from the Norwegian: no 3, Evening Voices "Twilight Fancies" by Frederick Delius
Performer:
Sir Thomas Beecham (Piano),
Dora Labette ()
Date of Recording: 07/10/1929
Length: 4 Minutes 10 Secs.
17.
Le toréador: Variations on "Ah! vous dirai-je maman" by Adolphe Adam
Performer:
Lionel Solomon (Flute),
Gwen Catley ()
Conductor:
Eric Robinson
Period: Romantic
Written: 1849; France
Date of Recording: 03/07/1949
Length: 4 Minutes 21 Secs.
18.
Madam Butterfly: Act 1. Duet. Bimba dagli occhi by Giacomo Puccini
Performer:
Margaret Sheridan (),
Aureliano Pertile ()
Conductor:
Carlo Sabanjo
Period: Romantic
Written: 1904
Date of Recording: 1927
Length: 8 Minutes 31 Secs.
19.
Madam Butterfly: Act 2. Un bel di vedrimo by Giacomo Puccini
Performer:
Margaret Sheridan ()
Period: Romantic
Written: 1904
Date of Recording: 11/1926
Length: 4 Minutes 28 Secs.
20.
Madam Butterfly: Act 2. E questo? by Giacomo Puccini
Performer:
Margaret Sheridan ()
Conductor:
Sir Eugene Goossens
Period: Romantic
Written: 1904
Date of Recording: 11/1927
Length: 4 Minutes 13 Secs.
21.
La Boheme: Act 1. Si, mi chiamano Mimi by Giacomo Puccini
Performer:
Margaret Sheridan ()
Period: Romantic
Written: 1896; Italy
Date of Recording: 11/1926
Length: 4 Minutes 39 Secs.
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