Rosina Buckman (Soprano) (Blenheim, New Zealand 1881 - London 1948)

                                                                Cio-Cio-San

Rosina Buckman was born in Blenheim, New Zealand, on 16 March 1881, the second child of Henrietta Matilda Chuck, a skilled singer and organist, and her carpenter husband, John Buckman. Rosina showed early signs of a well-above-average singing voice, receiving her initial training from her mother. After the family's move to Apiti, Manawatu, in 1898, she was given more formal lessons by James Grace, choirmaster of the Methodist church in nearby Palmerston North. Grace realised that his young pupil's talents were such that tuition in Britain was essential and arrangements were made for her to study in Birmingham with the conductor Charles Swinnerton Heap. After his death in 1900 she moved to the Birmingham and Midland Institute's school of music to study under the celebrated voice teacher George Breedon. A fellow student regarded her as pleasant, but not inclined to mix freely. Rosina Buckman's clear coloratura soprano and fine sense of the dramatic were soon attracting much favourable public and critical attention, and after leaving the school in July 1903 she was able to support herself by taking concert engagements. A serious illness intervened, however, and the consequent lack of income caused her to accept an offer from her parents to pay her fare to New Zealand. She arrived home in March 1904 and almost immediately embarked on a tour with the American baritone Hamilton Hodges. Other appearances followed until she made her operatic début on 25 September 1905 in the Wellington production of Alfred Hill's light opera A Moorish maid. As the magnetic chieftainess, La Zara, she proved that in addition to a finely developed singing voice she possessed all the other essentials for a successful future in opera. Buckman continued to extend her stage experience in Australia and New Zealand, becoming sufficiently well respected by 1910 to be included in an opera company being formed by J. C. Williamson to tour both countries. She sang Suzuki, the second soprano role, in Puccini's Madame Butterfly, and Mercedes and later Micaela in Bizet's Carmen, eliciting such praise that in the next year she was invited by Nellie Melba to join a company she was forming to support her own operatic performances in Sydney and Melbourne. Melba and her leading tenor, John McCormack, were highly impressed with Buckman's singing and after much persuasion from each of them she eventually returned to Britain in mid 1912. There she soon obtained work, including an engagement conducted by Thomas Beecham. An audition at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden led to supporting roles in a special Wagner series in early 1914. This was followed by the normal summer repertoire in which she made her début on 20 April as Musetta to Melba's Mimi in Puccini's La Bohème; she went on to sing in three other operas. Although not effusive, the Londoncritics were encouraging. However, war was declared only seven days after the season ended andCovent Garden was closed for the duration. The following year Beecham formed an opera company of his own from British singers he believed to be the finest of the day and he selected Rosina Buckman as a principal dramatic soprano. Playing long seasons of opera in London and in the provinces throughout the war, Beecham's group achieved new heights of performance and became recognised as reaching a degree of excellence that has seldom been surpassed. Now a prima donna in her own right, Buckman was soon to be described as one of the company's ablest and most versatile members. She sang most of the standard repertoire and although acclaimed for all her work, her most significant successes were in the title role of Madame Butterfly and as Isolde in Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, the latter being considered by many critics as the best ever given in English. On one occasion she continued singing during an air raid, until the manager of the theatre forcibly cleared the stage. By this time, too, she had become an established recording artist, experts claiming that she had a true recording voice with especially clear enunciation. Her catalogue of recordings is extensive and covers many operatic arias and duets along with a large number of ballads and concert songs. With the post-war reopening of Covent Garden in May 1919, Buckman alternated the leading role in La Bohème with Nellie Melba. Among other operas atCovent Garden over the next 12 months she also played Madame Butterfly in a performance in English which was said to be a revelation to the regular subscribers in that, for once, the occupants of the stalls and boxes did not chatter. On 24 December 1919 in London Rosina Buckman married the tenor Emile Maurice d'Oisly. Together and separately they sang throughoutBritain with many leading orchestras and in distinguished celebrity concerts. After the British National Opera Company was formed in 1922 they became highly regarded regular performers. In that same year Buckman returned to New Zealand for several months and gave a series of joint recitals with her husband. The programmes of operatic excerpts, art songs and ballads attracted huge audiences and she was fêted wherever she appeared, the comprehensive tour rapidly developing into a celebratory homecoming triumph. The remainder of the decade saw a gradual decrease in Buckman's performances until in the 1930s she had given up public appearances and was teaching at the Royal Academy of Music, taking some private pupils as well. A special welcome was reserved for any students from her homeland: her upbringing, education, early music training and the nurturing her burgeoning career had received in New Zealand were obviously important to her. She always kept in close contact with her family, and in her concert programmes she had been proud to demonstrate her origins in the authenticity she brought to her singing of Alfred Hill's Maori songs, one set of which the composer had dedicated to her.

Chronology of some appearances

1914 London Covent Garden
1919 London Covent Garden

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Columbia, London 1915?
Rigoletto (Verdi): Fairest daughter of the graces with d'Oisly, Clegg & Austin L1025 6674
Faust (Gounod): Prison scene with d'Oisly & Ranalow L1025 6683

Columbia, London 1916?

Traviata (Verdi): Far from the busy throng with d'Oisly L1400 6936

Amico Fritz (Mascagni): Cherry duet with d'Oisly L1400 6982
Bohème (Puccini): Lovely Maid in the moonlight with d'Oisly L1076 6927

Madam Butterfly (Puccini) (sung in English) with Rosina Buckman (Butterfly), Tudor Davies (Pinkerton), Frederick Ranalow (Sharpless); Nellie Walker/Gladys Peel (Suzuki), Sydney Coltham (Goro), Edward Halland (Bonze/Yamadori), Bessie Jones (Kate Pinkerton. Chorus: Gladys Peel, Edna Thornton, Ruby Heyl, Walter Glynne, Sydney Coltham, Leonard Hubbard and Bessie Jones with the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra, cond. Eugène Goossens.

108. What a sky! What a sea! - Butterfly arrives w. TD, SC, FR & Ch.

Cc4436-2, 4 April 1924, 2-04521, D894

109. What might your age be? w. TD, SC, FR & Ch.

Cc4437-2, 4 April 1924, 2-04522, D895

110. I should like to be (Marriage of Butterfly) w. TD, SC & EH

Cc4439-1, 4 April 1924, 2-04523, D895

111. Dear Madam Butterfly (The Bonze curses Butterfly) w. TD, SC, EH, FR & Ch.

Cc4438-2, 4 April 1924, 2-04524, D896

112. Dearest, weep no more (Pinkerton reassures Butterfly) w. TD, NW & Ch.

Cc4485-1, 16 April 1924, 2-04525, D896

113. Child from those eyes (Love duet - Part 1) w. TD

Cc4440-2, 4 April 1924, 04357, D897

114. They say that in your country (Love duet - Part 2) w. TD

Cc4441-2, 4 April 1924, 04358, D897

115. And Izaghi and Izanami w. NW

Cc4358-1, 14 April 1924, 04359, D898

116. One fine day w. NW

Cc4363-4, 16 March 1924, 04360, D898

117. Come, she’s here (Letter from Pinkerton) w. SC & FR

Cc4359-2, 14 March 1924, 04361, D899

118. We were saying (Yamadori presses his suit on Butterfly) w. SC, EH & FR

Cc4362-2, 14 March 1924, 04362, D899

119. You hear me (Sharpless tries to read the letter) w. SC, EH & FR

Cc4361-2, 14 March 1924, 04363, D900

120. How can I tell her? (Sharpless urges her to accept Yamadori) w. FR

Cc4360-2, 14 March 1924, 04364, D900

121. Look here then (Butterfly shows Sharpless ‘Trouble’) w. FR

Cc4401-2, 21 March 1924, 04365, D901

122. Sharpless leaves, his news untold w. NW, SC & FR

Cc4402-2, 21 March 1924, 04366, D901

123. Look! ‘Tis a man-of-war (Butterfly rejoices) w. NW

Cc4403-2, 21 March 1924, 04367, D902

124. The Flower duet w. NW

Cc4405-2, 21 March 1924, 04368, D902

125. Bring me now my wedding garment

Cc 4486-2, 16 April 1924, 03835, D903

126. Tis daylight w. NW

Cc4488-2, 16 April 1924, 04369, D904

127. Who is it? (Sharpless arrives with Pinkerton) w. NW, TD & FR

Cc4336-2, 10 March 1924, 04370, D904

128. Is it not as I told you? (Sharpless recalls his warnings) w. BJ, NW, TD & FR

Cc4484-2, 16 April 1924, 2-04526, D905

129. He’s here! (Butterfly learns the truth from Kate Pinkerton) w. BJ & NW

Cc4406-2, 21 March 1924, 04371, D905

130. Forgive me? (Kate pleads with Butterfly) w. BJ, GP & FR

Cc4404-6, 23 June 1924, 04372, D906

131. Death of Butterfly w. TD

Cc4487-2, 16 April 1924, 04373, D906

Maurizio Trosselli (Tenor)

He was a member of the Trianon-Lyrique, a lesser Parisian theater which presented an opera season underwritten by the city council. 

Chronology of appearance

1915 Trovatore Genova Politeama Genovese, Galeazzi Elvira - Besalu Bianca - Trosselli Maurizio/Toscani Andrea - Bione Emilio/Paci Leone - Becucci Silvio

RECORDING FOR SALE

Pathé, Paris 1912

1587-2 Traviata (Verdi): A la fête, il manque des fidèles (w. Morlet, Gantéri,

Belhomme, de Poumayrac & Dupré) 1587

1588-1 Traviata (Verdi): Toi d'Orbel (w. Morlet, Gantéri, Belhomme, de Poumayrac

& Dupré) 1588

1588-2 Traviata (Verdi): Versez (w. Morlet, Gantéri, Belhomme, de Poumayrac

& Dupré) 1588

1589-1 Traviata (Verdi): Un jour pour charmer ma vie (w. Morlet) 1589

1589-2 Traviata (Verdi): Eh bien! Que faites-vous? (w. Morlet & de Poumayrac) 1589

1590-2 Traviata (Verdi): Folie! Folie! (w. Morlet) 1590

1591-1 Traviata (Verdi): Non, non! Loin d'elle tou plaisir est trompeur 1591

1591-2 Traviata (Verdi): D'où venez-vous, Annette? (w. Morlet & Gantéri) 1591

1594-1 Traviata (Verdi): C'est moi! (w. Morlet) 1594

1594-2 Traviata (Verdi): Ton coeur est bien à moi (w. Albers) 1594

1595-1 Traviata (Verdi): Ne reviendras-tu jamais (w. Albers & Belhomme) 1595

1596-2 Traviata (Verdi): Rodolphe, vous ici! (w. Morlet, Gantéri, Belhomme,

de Poumayrac & Dupré) 1596

1597-1 Traviata (Verdi): Il viendra (w. Morlet, Gantéri, Belhomme, de Poumayrac

& Dupré) 1597

1597-2 Traviata (Verdi): Par un amour coupable! (w. Gantéri, Belhomme, de

Poumayrac & Dupré) 1597

1598-1 Traviata (Verdi): A toi, Rodolphe, à toi ma vie (w. Morlet, Gantéri, Belhomme,

de Poumayrac & Dupré) 1598

1600-2 Traviata (Verdi): Madame! (w. Morlet & Gantéri) 1600

1601-1 Traviata (Verdi): L'amour m'enivre (w. Morlet) 1601

1601-2 Traviata (Verdi): Ah! Partons! (w. Morlet) 1601

1602-1 Traviata (Verdi): Ah! Ma fille! (w. Morlet & Albers) 1602

1602-2 Traviata (Verdi): A toi mon bien-aimé (w. Morlet, Gantéri, Albers &

Belhomme) 1602

Nina Friede (Mezzo-Soprano) (St. Petersburg 1859 - St. Petersburg 1942)

First she studied singing at the St. Petersburg conservatory under Natalya Iretskaya, then with Mathilde Marchesi in Vienna (1880-1881) and Gilbert-Louis Duprez in Paris (1881-1882). She made her debut with great success as Pieretto in G. Donizetti’s ‘’Linda di Chamounix’’ at the Teatro Nicolini in Florence (October 18, 1882). In the 1882-1883 season she appeared at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona, then in Vienna. Then she returned to Italy and perfected her vocal technique under the pedagogue Buzzi in Milan, then with G. Ronconi in Madrid. In 1883 she again appeared in Florence, this time at the Teatro Nuovo, but the same year she returned to Russia. In the 1883-1884 season mostly she sang in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 1884 she made her debut at the Mariinsky Theatre as Amneris in ‘’Aida’’ (St. Petersburg) and sang here till 1891, then in the 1895-1903 seasons and in 1914. In 1884 she made guest appearances in Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon. In 1891 in Warsaw. In 1898 she made her debut at the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. In 1903 she made 4 recordings for Columbia.

Chronology of some appearances

1882 Florence Teatro Nicolini
1882 Barcelona Teatro Liceo
1883 Barcelona Teatro Liceo
1883 Florence Teatro Nuovo
1884 St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre
1898 Moscow Bolshoi Theatre

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Columbia, St Petersburg 1903?
Roméo et Juliette (Gounod): Air of the page  35088
Jocelyn (Godard): Berceuse 35096

Arminio Ballistini (Baritone) (Legnago ? - ?)

He studied singing in Padua under the pedagogue G. Orefice and in Milan with Giuseppe Mandolini. He made his debut in 1909 at the Teatro Dauno in Foggia in ‘’Lucia di Lammermoor’’. After the First World War he started to appear as tenor, but without success.

Chronology of some appearances

1910 Cagliari   Teatro Civico Wally (Gellner)

1911 Malta Teatro Reale Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)

1912 Lendinara Teatro Ballarin Werther (Albert)

1913 Livorno   Teatro Rossini  Traviata (Germont)

1914 Caltagirone Teatro Garibaldi Madama Butterfly (Sharpless) 
1918 Milano Teatro Lirico Pagliacci (Canio)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1911?

Trovatore (Verdi): Un istante almen with Carlo Albani and Bianca Besalu 110143

Emilio Bione (Baritone) (La Spezia 1882 – La Spezia 1957)

He studied singing under the pedagogue Domenico Cortopassi and made his debut in 1908 at  the Teatro Verdi in Florence as Germont in ‘’Traviata’’. In 1916 he appeared at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova in the world premiere of R. Leoncavallo’s opera ‘’Goffredo Mameli’’. He spent the last years of his life in Casa di Riposo G. Verdi in Milan.

Chronology of some appearances

1908 Firenze Teatro Verdi Traviata (Germont)

1910 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Ballo in Maschera (Renato)

1912 Guastalla Teatro Sociale Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1914 Gorizia Teatro Sociale Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1916 La Spezia Politeama Duca di Genova Favorita (Alfonso)

1918 Firenze Teatro Della Pergola Ernani (Carlo)

1920 Lisbona   Teatro San Carlos Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1922 Savona Teatro Chiabrera Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1924 Massa Teatro Guglielmi Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1926 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1930 La Spezia Politeama Duca di Genova Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)

1932 Savona Teatro Chiabrera Ernani (Carlo)

1935 La Spezia Teatro Monteverdi Boheme (Marcello)

1939 La Spezia Teatro Monteverdi Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Odeon Fonotipia, Milano 1910/1912
Ernani (Verdi) Oh! Dei verd'anni miei 0056 mo 6293

Aida (Verdi): Di Napata le gole with Carlo Albani and Louise Plavano X110321 Xm17?? 

Daria Zakharova (Mezzo-Soprano) (Kirovograd 1887 - St. Petersburg 1963)

Following studies at the St Petersburg Conservatory, she sang from 1910 to 1918 as soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre. During the seasons that followed, she made guest performances in the major provincial Russian theatres and abroad. From 1938 to 1952, she taught in the conservatory of Gorky (now Nizhny- Novgorod) and in addition she gave recitals and undertook stage direction.

Chronology of some appearances

1910-1918 St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre

RECORDING FOR SALE

Gramophone 1912
Life for the Tsar (Glinka): Do not weep, little orphan 2-23663 16545
The cherry-tree blossoms (Glinka) 2-23664 16546

Anna El-Tour (Soprano) (Odessa 1886 – Amsterdam 1954)

She was one of those rare musicians whose teaching career began while she was at the beginning of her singing career. She studied at the St Petersburg Conservatory, where her professors were Annette Essipova for the piano and Mme von Hacke (mother of the soprano Eugenia Bronskaja), voice. She is credited with a debut in London in 1909, and she sang in the Saint Gall Opera, inSwitzerland, from 1913 to 1914. She taught in Moscow from 1915 to 1920 and in Berlin at the New Conservatory, from 1922 to 1925, after touring for two years in China, Burma, India and thePhilippines. From 1925 she taught in Paris, from where she continued to make extensive concert tours. Her repertoire included songs in Russian, French, German and English. Among her students was the mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel. Mme El-Tour died in Amsterdam on 30 May 1954.

Chronology of some appearances

1913-1914 Switzerland Saint Gall Opera

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Gramophone  1910

The soldier's bride, op 8, n° 4 (Rachmaninov) 2-23476 14095

Zuleika (Persian songs, op 34, n° 1) (Rubinstein) 2-23488 14096
By the sea: op 46: 2. Not a sound from the sea. - 1. The wave breaks into spray (Rimsky-Korsakov) 2-23491 14100

Gabriel Hernández (Baritone) (Valencia 1866 - ?)

He made his debut at the Opera House in Chieti (1892?).

Chronology of some appearances

1896 I Pescatori di perle Valencia Principal with Ignazio Varela (Nadir)

1899 Boheme Valencia Apollo with Edoardo Mario Pagani (Rodolfo), Giuseppina Huguet (Mimi) and Alfredo Papi (Colline)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Puerto e Novella cylinder
Ernani (Verdi): Lo vedremo o veglio audace with Alfredo Papi

M. Geninatti (Tenor)

About this singer I have no information.

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Excelsius

Sonnambula (Bellini): Prendi l’anel ti dono with Rosetta Ferlito M 7129 25M/1012

Sonnambula (Bellini): Son geloso with with Rosetta Ferlito  M 7129 25M/1013

Tadeusz Orda (Bass/baritone) (Ukraine, village Rashkovo, province of Chernovitskaya 1889 – Warsaw, Poland 1930)

                                                                 Onegin

The real surname of this totally forgotten bass-baritone was Zalessky. He studied vocal art at the Music School of Kishinev. Later he also took lessons from great italian baritone Antonio Cotogni inItaly and Paris. Orda made his debut as Escamilio in Bizet’s ‘’Carmen’’ at the Opera Theatre of Tbilisi. It happened in 1910. Guest appearances followed in Odessa, Ekaterinoslav, Moscow(Opera House of S. Zimin, 1915) and Baku (1918-1919). In 1919 he also appeared in Turkey,Bulgaria, Greece and in Egypt. From 1921 to 1922 Orda was in Italy, where he performed with success. In 1922 he made his debut at Warsaw appearing as Rigoletto. From 1922 to 1923 Orda appeared not only at the Grand Opera in Paris but also in french provincial theatres. He visited alsoBelgium and Czech Republic. From 1925 to 1927 he was a soloist of the Warsaw Opera. In 1927 Orda fell seriously ill, he was forced to end his career and after losing his voice he committed suicide. He possessed a strong, equal voice of a deep timbre (especially in the top register). Orda was made only one record for Sirena.

Chronology of some appearances

1910 Tbilisi Opera Theatre

1915 Moscow S. Zimin's Opera House

RECORDING FOR SALE

Sirena 1925
Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky): Monologue

Rūdolfs Tunce (Tunze) (Tenor) (Latvia ? 1892 - Latvia ? 1963)

                                                                  Faust

Rodolfo

                                                                 Lensky

                                                                  Duke

In the 1920-1930's he appeared at the Latvian National Opera in Riga. His repertoire included the title role in ''Faust'', Rodolfo in ''La Boheme'', Pinkerton in ''Madama Butterfly'', Lensky in ''Eugene Onegin'', Duke in ''Rigoletto''.

Chronology of some appearances

1920-1930's Riga Latvian National Opera

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Metropol
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba 176
Eugen Onegin (Tchaikovsky): Aria 154

Vox
The Queen of Spades (Tchaikovsky): Duet with Dagmara Rozenberg 4066  209D