Esmeralda Pucci (Soprano) (Milano, Italia 1888 - ? 1968)

She received her singing lessons at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and made her debut in 1905 at the Teatro San Carlo in Lisbon as Nahir in ''Re di Lahore''.

Chronology of some appearances

1905 Lisbona  Teatro San Carlos Re di Lahore (Nahir)

1906 Messina  Teatro Vittorio Emanuele Mefistofele (Margherita)

1907 Torino Teatro Regio Oro Del Reno (Freia)

1909 Roma Teatro Costanzi Dannazione di Faust (Margherita)

1911 La Spezia Politeama Duca di Genova Aida (Aida)

1913 Fermo Teatro Dell'Aquila  Trovatore (Leonora)

1915 Genova Politeama Genovese Fanciulla del West (Minnie)

1917 Verona  Teatro Ristori Gioconda (Gioconda)

1921 Sampierdarena Politeama Sampierdarenese Tosca (Tosca)

1923 Milano Teatro Carcano Trovatore (Leonora)
1925 Palermo Teatro Nazionale Norma (Norma)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Edison, Milano 1912

Tosca (Puccini): Sempre con fè sincera 44956

Isabella Paoli (Soprano) (Firenze, Italia 1860 - Bologna, Italia 1903)

She began her career in 1878 in operetta. Blessed with both beauty and vocal talent, she quickly became a great success. She subsequently appeared in opera, an early performance having been in Valencia, 1889, as Elsa in ‘’Lohengrin’’. Heard in a number of Italian theaters, including the Politeama in Genoa, the Dal Verme in Milano, and the Mercadante in Naples, Paoli gained considerable attention, both for her on stage performances and her prima donna behavior with related scandals and eccentricities. She died as a result of complications following surgery while engaged to sing Gioconda at the Duse Theater in Bologna. Judging from her records, she was one of the great dramatic sopranos of her era. 

Chronology of her appearances

1889 Valencia Teatro Principal Lohengrin (Elsa)

1896 Montevideo Teatro Solis Pagliacci (Nedda)

1899 Torino Teatro Carignano Gioconda (Gioconda)

1900 Napoli Teatro Mercadante Ruy Blas (Casilda)

1901 Modena Teatro Municipale Norma (Norma)

1902 Milano Teatro Dal Verme I Lombardi alla prima crociata (Giselda)

1903 Milano Teatro Dal Verme Gioconda (Gioconda)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Zonophone, Milano 1902-09?  
Gioconda (Ponchielli): Suicidio X-1842
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Voi lo sapete X-1843

Ettore Ciccolini (Bass)

Chronology of some appearances

1900 Parma Politeama Reinach La Sonnambula (Conte Rodolfo)  with Primo Maini (Elvino), Giulietta Wermez (Amina), Clelia Cappelli (Teresa), Rosina Lucchini (Lisa), Arturo Negri (Alessio) and Clelia Cappelli (Teresa)

1905 Montevideo Teatro Solis Rigoletto (Sparafucile) with Giuseppe Armanini (Duca), Maria Barrientos (Gilda) and Alessandro Arcangelli (Rigoletto).

RECORDING FOR SALE

Edison cylinders, Milano? 1903?
Faust (Gounod): Tu che fai l'addormentata 12518

Francisco Puiggener (Baritone)

He studied singing at the Barcelona Conservatory under the pedagogue Bardelli and made his debut in 1895 at the Teatro Liceo as Germont in ‘’Traviata’’ opposite Hariclea Darclee and Giuseppe Moretti.

Chronology of some appearances

1895 Barcelona Teatro Liceo Traviata (Germont)

1898 Barcelona Teatro Liceo Traviata (Germont)

1898 Barcelona Teatro Liceo Boheme (Schaunard)

1900 Lisbona Coliseo Recrejos Aida (Amonasro)

1900 Madrid Reale Aida (Amonasro)

1901 Madrid Reale Aida (Amonasro)

1903 Almeria De Variedades Traviata (Germont)

1903 Lisbona Coliseo Recrejos Aida (Amonasro)

1903 Barcellona Tivoli Andrea Chenier (Gerard)

1905 Alicante Principal Aida (Amonasro)

1905 Las Palmas Principal Aida (Amonasro)
1906 Barcellona Bosque Aida (Amonasro)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Cylinder

Amleto (Thomas): O vin discaccia la tristezza

Julienne Marchal (Soprano) (Schaerbeek, Belgium 1882 – ?)

She made her debut in 1906 at the Le Théâtre Royal à La Haye as Lakmé. The same part she sang in 1906 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. During the following years she appeared in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille Pau and Antwerp. In the 1912-1915 seasons she had a huge success at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. In 1916 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome she sang the part of Gilda in ‘’Rigoletto’’ and as a partner of Mattia Battistini appeared in ‘’Traviata’’. In 1917 at La Scala she took over the part of Philine in ‘’Mignon’’ by A. Thomas. After her marriage with the pilot Le Blanc she retired from the stage, but began again after her husband’s early death in 1922. Now she appeared in Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo. In the 1930’s she sang small character roles at the French provincial theaters.

Chronology of some appearances

1906 Le Théâtre Royal à La Haye Lakme (Lakme)

1906 Paris Opéra-Comique Lakme (Lakme)

1916 Roma Teatro Costanzi Rigoletto (Gilda)

1916 Roma Teatro Costanzi Traviata (Violetta)

1917 Milano La Scala Mignon (Philine)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Odeon, Paris 1908
Faust (Verdi): Il était un roi de Thulé 97452 XP 4795
Rigoletto (Verdi): Ah! veille o femme with Lucien Rigaux  97129 xP 4415
Traviata (Verdi): C'est mom trésor, ma vie with Lucien Rigaux 97119 xP 4413
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Ah! que dieu seul with Agustarello Affre 97130 XP4417
Faust (Verdi): Air des Bijoux 97453 XP 4796

Georges Nansen (Tenor) (? 1880 - ?)

His real name was Georges-Louis Noël. He appeared as Georges Nansen and made a few records as Louis Nansen. In the 1907-1914 seasons he appeared as Comprimario at the Grand Opéra in Paris, where he made his debut in ‘’La Catalane’’ by F. Le Borne. Then his career was interrupted by the First World War. He took part as a front-line soldier and was distinguished with a medal for bravery. After end of the war he joined again to the Grand Opéra and remained there untill 1920. He appeared also in several operatic stages of the French province. His repertoire included Melot in ‘’Tristan und Isolde’’, Mime in "Rheingold", Tybalt in ‘’Roméo et Juliette’’, Jonas in ‘’Le Prophète’’ and Shababarim in ‘’Salammbô’’.

Chronology of some appearances

1907-1914 Paris Grand Opéra

1919- 1920 Paris Grand Opéra

Opera Premieres

1909 Paris Grand Opéra Monna Vanna (Vedio)

1909 Paris Grand Opéra Bacchus (Fourna)

1920 La Légende de Saint Christophe (-)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Pathé, Paris 1908/1911

Le chant du départ (Méhul) with Devriès, Dangès & Belhomme 0803

La Marseillaise (de l'Isle) with Devriès, Dangès & Belhomme 0808

Tannhäuser (Wagner): Choeur des pèlerins with Devriès, Hypolite Belhomme and Dangès 0775

Pathe, Paris 1912

Complete Trovatore (Verdi) with Fontaine, Morlet, Lapeyrette and Note

Hendrik Drost (Tenor) (Amsterdam, Netherlands 5. Juni 1891 † Nürnberg, Deutschland 17. Mai 1963)

He studied singing under Cateau Esser in Amsterdam. He began his career in Holland andBelgium and was engaged till 1927 by the Opera in Antwerpen. In 1928 he joined to the Opernhausin Nuremberg. Here he attained a special popularity with the opera audience and remained till 1956 in this opera house. His repertoire included Manrico in ‘’Il Trovatore’’, Florestan in ‘’Fidelio’’, Erik in ‘’Fliegenden Holländer’’, Siegfried in ‘’Nibelungenring’’, Canio in ‘’Pagliacci’’, Schwalb in ‘’Mathis der Maler’’, Cavaradossi in ‘’Tosca’’ and Pedro in ‘’Tiefland’’. In 1930 he appeared in Nuremberg in the premiere of the opera ‘’Der Tag im Licht’’ by Hans Grimm. He made guest appearances inMunich, Coburg, Stuttgart and in other German cities, also in Graz. In 1930 he sang in Nurembergin the German première of R. Zandonai’s ‘’Il Cavalieri di Ekebù’’. In 1933 he performed there in the premiere of the opera ‘’Godiva’’ of L. Roselius. After his retirement from the stage, he worked as pedagogue in Nuremberg. His wife was the famous soprano Minna Drost.

Chronology of some appearances

1910's-1927 Antwerpen Opera

1928-1956 Nuremberg Opernhaus

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Odeon
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba AA178002a Aoo 1238
Faust (Gounod): Salve dimora AA178002b Aoo 1239

Columbia
Crucifix (Faure) with Joh. H. Nelissen D 17107 75681
Tosca (Puccini): Recondita armonia D6491
Don Pasquale (Donizetti): Duo with Minna Drost D6553 68922
Guillaume Tell (Rossini): Accours dans ma nacelle D6491
Rigoletto (Verdi): È il sol dell'anima with Minna Drost D 6553 68923
Martha (Flotow): Duo with Minna Drost D 17107 75634

Jean Périer (Baritone) (1869, 2/2 Paris, France - 1954, 3/11 Neuilly, Paris, France)

He studied singing at the Conservatoire National in Paris with Taskin and Bussine and made his debut in 1892 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris as Monostatos in  "Zauberflöte". He spent all his life by appearing in this opera house. He sang not only on the opera stage, but also in Paris operetta theaters (The Bouffes-Parisiens, where he also performed on 10. 12. 1898 in the premiere of Messager’s "Véronique"). In 1923 he appeared at the  Théâtre des Nouveautés in Paris  in the premiere of the operetta ‘’Ciboulette’’ by Reynaldo Hahn. He also appeared as an actor in a lot of films. In 1908 he sang at the Manhattan Opera House in New York the part of Pelléas. He retired from the stage in 1938 and then was active as pedagogue in Paris..

Chronology of appearances in opera premieres

24.5.1893 Paris Opéra-Comique Phryn (Saint-Saëns)

20.2.1901 Paris Opéra-Comique La fille de Tabarin (Gabriel Pierné)

30.4.1902 Paris Opéra-Comique Pelléas et Mélisande (Debussy)

6.11.1903 Paris Opéra-Comique La Reine Fiammette (Xavier Leroux)

16.3.1904 Paris Opéra-Comique La fille de Roland  (Henri Rabaud)

3.3.1905 Paris Opéra-Comique L'Enfant Roi (Alfred Bruneau)

5.6.1907 Paris Opéra-Comique Fortunio (Messager)

6.11.1907 Paris Opéra-Comique Le Chemineau (Xavier Leroux)

19.5.1911 Paris Opéra-Comique L'Heure espagnole (Ravel)

1912 Paris Opéra-Comique La Sorcière (Camille Erlanger)

15.5.1914 Paris Opéra-Comique Marouf (Henri Rabaud)

1916 Paris Opéra-Comique Les quatre journées (Alfred Bruneau)

1920 Paris Opéra-Comique Le Roi Candaule (Alfred Bruneau)

1920 Paris Opéra-Comique La Rôtisserie de la Reine Pedauque (Charles Lavadé)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1905?

Chanson de Musette (Thomé) 1732

J'étais aimé (Périer) 1733

François les Bas-Bleus (Messager): C'est François 1734

Giuseppina Bonetti (Mezzo-Soprano) (Venezia, Italia 1896 - Salerno, Italia 1963)

She studied singing in Venice under Rupnick and made her debut in 1905 at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan in ''Mignon''. She retired from the stage in 1925.

Chronology of some appearances

1913 Venezia Teatro la Fenice Carmen (Carmen)

1925 Venezia Teatro la Fenice Gli amanti sposi (Madama Floris)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Gramophone, Milano 1911-06-28
Bohème (Leoncavallo): Mimì Pinson 53623 1172ah 

Edison 2-min cylinders, 1912?
Mignon (Thomas): Connais-tu le pays test, unpubl.