Cornelis Bronsgeest (Baritone) (Leiden, Holland 24/7 1878 - Berlin, Germany 22/9 1957)

Frist he decided to became an architecture, but after discovering that he had a beautiful voice, studied singing with Richard Schulz-Dornburg in Berlin, then under Julius Stockhausen in Frankfurt a. M. and made his debut in 1902 at the Stadttheater in Magdeburg, where he appeared till the next year. At the Berlin Hofoper he made his debut as Amonasro in ‘’Aida’’ and in 1913 sang the part of Posa in the premiere of G. Verdi’s ‘’Don Carlo’’. Three years later he performed here in the premiere of R. Srauss’s ‘’ Ariadne auf Naxos’’. Before the First World War he made successful guest performances in Holland, Belgium and France. In 1914, under Sir Thomas Beecham, he sang at the Drury Lane Theater of London the part of Papageno in ‘’Zauberflöte’’. In the 1919-1920 season he undertook a North America tour. In 1920 he guested at the Wien Staatsoper. He founded the Berlin broadcasting company orchestra and the broadcasting company choir. Then in the 1922-1924 seasons he went on a tour around Holland and Belgium. In 1924 he organized at the Amsterdam Théâtre Carré the performance of R. Wagner’s ‘’Parsifal’’. In 1933, because of political reasons, he gave up his activities with broadcasting company and from 1935 to 1944 worked as director of the Berlin Theater der Jugend. Till 1935 he still made guest appearances at the Berlin Hofoper. During the Second World War, he gave an opera performances before German soldiers. After the Second World War he organized the first opera performances in destroyed Berlin. Married to actress Bertha Kleen.

Chronology of some appearances

1902-1903 Magdeburg Stadttheater

1903-1908 Hamburg Stadttheater

1906-1919 Berlin Hofoper

1914 London Drury Lane Theatrer

1919-1920 North America tour

1920 Wien Staatsoper

1921-1923 Berlin Hofoper

RECORDIGNS FOR SALE

Odeon, Berlin 1907-03/05 
Tannhäuser (Wagner): Blick' ich umher X50292 xB2538 

Odeon, Berlin 1908-09
Aida (Verdi): Vater, ich bin nicht ihnen die Sklavin with Rose X50569 xB4146

Odeon, Berlin 1908-10?
Nozze die Figaro (Mozart): Ich soll ein Glück entbehren X50582 xB4263 

Odeon, Berlin 1909-02?
Zauberflöte (Mozart): Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja X50611 xB4408 

Odeon, Berlin 1909-10?
Aida (Verdi): Ihr Vater! Ich hab' gekämpft X50672 xB4703

Demédy (Soprano)

Chronology of appearance

1890 Rouen Théâtre-des-Arts  La Vivandière (Marion)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Edison cylinders, Paris 1907?

Reine de Saba (Gounod): Cavatine 17940 17940 

S. A. Baturina (Soprano)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Victrola, Camden, N. J.,  1928
Dubrovsky (Napravnik): I Have Gone too Far 4064 
Pique dame (Tchaikovsky) On the channel 4064 matrix XVE-01814

L. N. Agarina (Soprano)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Columbia
Pique dame (Tchaikovsky): Now evening with M. I.  Lyarova 35209 36209

Marcella Craft (Soprano) (Indianapolis, Indiana 1874 – Riverside, California 1959)

First she studied singing under Charles R. Adams, then in Milan with Francesco Mattino and Alessandro Guagni, later in Munich. She made her debut in the Italian province and was engaged in 1905 by the  Stadttheater in Elberfeld. In the 1905-1907 seasons she sang at the Stadttheater inMainz, from 1907-1909 at the Stadttheater in Kiel, in the 1909-1914 at the Hofoper in München. Here she had in 1910 a special success in ‘’Salome’’ of Richard Strauss under the management of the composer. She made guest appearances in Berlin, Schwerin, Frankfurt a. M. and Hannover. In 1907 she performed at the Covent Garden in London as an Agathe in ‘’Freischütz’’. In 1914 she stayed in Paris, when the First World War broke out. She returned to America, where she primarily at the concert hall. Then in the 1917-1918 season she was engaged again by the San Carlo Opera Company in the USA. In 1921 she made guest appearances in Pittsburgh and Cleveland as Nedda in ‘’Pagliacci’’ and as Gilda in ‘’Rigoletto’’. Her repertoire included Cio-Cio-San, Mimi in ‘’Bohème’’, Aida, Leonora in ‘’Trovatore’’, Marguerite in ‘’Faust’’ and Elvira in ‘’La Muette de Portici’’. In 1922 and in 1927 she sang again in Germany as a concert singer (among other things in Cologne,Hamburg and Leipzig). She was active temporarily as director and leader of the Riverside Operain California. Since 1930 she worked as vocal pedagogue in California.

Chronology of some appearances

1905 Elberfeld Stadttheater
1905-1907 Mainz Stadttheater
1907-1909 Kiel Stadttheater
1907 London Covent Garden
1909-1914 München Hofoper
1921 Pittsburgh Opera
1921 Cleveland Opera

RECORDING FOR SALE

Edison, NYC 1918. 06. 05/7 
Traviata (Verdi): Addio del passato Unpubl.  6203-C

Elizabeth Parkina (Soprano) (1878, Oct, Butler, Kansas City - 1922, 10/6, Colorado Springs)

Her real name was Elizabeth Parkinson. She studied under Mathilde Marchesi in Paris and made her debut in 1902 at the Opéra-Comique of Paris in ‘’Lakmé’’ by L. Delibes. In London (Covent Garden) she appeared as Musetta in ‘’La Bohème’’ and Siebel in ‘’Faust’’. She substituted for prima donna Nellie Melba as Marguerite in ‘’Faust’’. In 1905 she undertook an Australia tour. She retired from the stage early and after 1907 never performed. She died after long illness.

Chronology of some appearances

1902 Paris Opéra-Comique

1904-1907 London Covent Garden

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

G&T, London 1904-02-13
Villanelle (dell'Acqua) 3515 5056b

G&T, London 1904-11-02
Should he upbraid? (Bishop) 3586 6201b
Killarney (Balfe) 3587 6204b

G&T, London 1904-11-30

I know a lovely garden (d'Hardelot) 3588 6292b
The little grey linnet (Willeby) 3583 6289b

G&T, London 1906-06-02
La serenata (Tosti) 3659 8225b

Marguerite Roger (Soprano)

In 1920 she appeared at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo as Pedro in ‘’Don Quichotte’’ of  J. Massenet. The next year she sang at the Paris Opéra-Comique and remained active there till 1924. Here she sang among other things the part of Dorabella in ‘’Così fan tutte’’, Zerline in ‘’Don Giovanni’’, Lakmé, three soprano roles in ‘’Les contes d'Hoffmann’’, Manon, Philine in ‘’Mignon’’, Mireille, Cio-Cio-San and Mimi in ‘’La Bohème’’. Later she performed in different French provincial theaters. 

Chronology of some appearances

1920 Opéra de Monte-Carlo

1921-1924 Paris Opéra-Comique

Opera Premiere

1920 Opéra de Monte-Carlo La Damnation de Blanchefleur (H. Férrier)

1920 Opéra de Monte-Carlo Satan  (R. Gunsbourg)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Gramophone, Paris 1924-12-04

Manon (Massenet): Toi! Vous! with Emile Marcelin Y84 (034262)

Manon (Massenet): N'est-ce plus ma main with Emile Marcelin Y84 (034263)

Jeanne Tiphaine (Soprano) (? 20/8/1873 - ? 1958)

She studied singing at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1894 she made her debut at the Opéra-Comique in Paris and remained member of this house during her whole long career. In 1898 she created for Paris the part of Musetta in G. Puccini’s ‘’Bohème’’.

Chronology of some appearances

1894 Paris Opéra-Comique Le pre-aux-Clercs (Isabelle) (Debut)

1898 Paris Opéra-Comique Bohème (Musetta) (Premiere)

1899 Paris Opéra-Comique Cendrillon (Premiere)

1900 Paris Opéra-Comique Louise (Irma) (Premiere)

1901 Paris Opéra-Comique La Fille de Tabarin by Gabriel Pierné (Premiere)

1901 Paris Opéra-Comique Grisélidis (Premiere)

1905 Paris Opéra-Comique L'Enfant Roi by Alfred Bruneau (Premiere)

1905 Paris Opéra-Comique La pure Fiammette by Xavier Leroux (Premiere)

1914 Paris Opéra-Comique Marouf by Henri Rabaud (Premiere)

1921 Paris Opéra-Comique Dans l'ombre de la Cathédrale by Georges Hüe (Premiere)

1922 Paris Opéra-Comique Gianni Schicchi (Premiere)

RECORDING FOR SALE

Beka-Symphonie, Paris  1904

La Fille du Régiment (Donizetti): Au bruit de la guerre with Jean Delvoye 10113

Beka, Paris 1906/1907  
Boheme (Puccini): Air de Musette 8445
Louise (Charpentier): Depuis le jour 8442

 

Hans Siewert (Tenor) (26. November 1872 Cordova/Argentinien, † 31. März 1941 Berlin)

His father was a chemistry professor at the university of Cordova in Argentina. He came early toGermany and studied pharmacy. He concluded his studies and worked in Wroclaw as druggist. Then he studied singing under Breslau pedagogue Paul and in 1899 made his debut at theOpernhaus in Köln, where he appeared till 1903. In the 1903-1908 seasons he was active at theOpernhaus in Breslau, from 1909-1911 seasons at the Stadttheater (Opernhaus) in Hamburg, in the 1911-1916 seasons at the Hoftheater in Karlsruhe, from 1916 to 1917 season at theStadttheater in Essen. In the 1919-1923 seasons was a soloist of the Stadttheater in Königsberg. Later he was active as director. He made guest appearances at the Hofopern of Munich (1901),Vienna (1904), Dresden (1905) and Stuttgart (1916). He sang also in Frankfurt a. M. (1901),Leipzig (1903) and at the Theater des Westen in Berlin (1903). A respected concert and oratorio tenor, he sang  with success in G. Mahler’s "Lied von der Erde" in Leipzig (1912).

Chronology of some appearances

1899-1903 Köln Opernhaus

1903-1908 Breslau Opernhaus

1909-1911 Hamburg Stadttheater

1911-1916 Karlsruhe Hoftheater

1916-1917 Essen Stadttheater

1919-1923 Königsberg Stadttheater

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Gramophone, Breslau 1908
Trovatore (Verdi): Dass nur für mich 4-42058 12402u
Postillon de Longjumeau (Adam): Postillonlied 4-42059 12403u

Isabella De Frate (Soprano) (Valletta 1892 - ? 1918 ?)

The daughter of the famous soprano Ines de Frate, she had a successful, but short career. During her appearances in Parma and Roma, she had a brief relationship with his partner Tito Schipa. She retired from the stage in 1918. She died young. 

Chronology of some appearances

6 April 1912 Parma Politeama Reinach Don Pasquale (Norina) with Tito Schipa (Ernesto) and Giuseppe De Bernardi (Don Pasquale)

8 April 1912 Parma Politeama Reinach Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina) with Tito Schipa (Almaviva), Giuseppe De Bernardi (Bartolo) and Sante Canali (Figaro)

23 April 1912 Parma Politeama Reinach La Sonnambula (Amina) with Tito Schipa (Elvino), Gennaro Maria Curci (conte Rodolfo) and Aida Ballarin (Teresa)

2 March 1915 Venezia Teátro Rossini Rigoletto (Gilda) with Charles Hackett (Duca) and Adolfo Pacini (Rigoletto)

1918 Bologna Teatro Comunale Rosina Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina)
1918 Bologna Teatro Comunale Don Pasquale (Norina)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Fonotipia, Milano 1912-04-02

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Una voce poco fà 92903 XPh4828

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Io sono docile  92904 XPh4829