Lola Artot de Padilla (Soprano) (Sèvres, France 5 Oct 1876 - Berlin, Germany 12 April 1933)

Daughter of the famous Mezzo-soprano Désirée Artôt (1835-1907) and the Spanish baritone Mariano Padilla y Ramos (1842-1906); real name - Dolores de Padilla. Trained by her mother, she made her debut in 1902 in a concert in Paris. She made her stage debut in 1902 at the Hoftheater in Wiesbaden as Mignon in A. Thoma’s ‘’Mignon’’.

Chronology of some appearances

1904 Paris Opéra-Comique

1905-1908 Berlin Komische Oper

1909 Berlin Gura Sommer-Oper

1909-1927 Berlin Hofoper

Opera Premieres

1910 Berlin Hofoper Poia (Arthur Nevin)

1911 Berlin Hofoper Rosenkavalier (Richard Strauss)

1911Berlin Hofoper Königskindern (Engelbert Humperdinck)

1911Berlin Hofoper Ariadne auf Naxos (Richard Strauss)

1921 Berlin Hofoper Turandot (Ferruccio Busoni)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Odeon, Berlin 1909?
Mignon (Thomas): Ihr Schwalben in den Lüften with Franz Egenieff  53008 O-6369

Gramophone, Berlin 1911-10-13
Königskinder (Humperdinck): Ach, ich bin allein B64031 19053
Königskinder (Humperdinck): Sieh' her, ob mir Hunger die Glieder entziert B64032 19053

Gramophone, Berlin 1915
Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Neue Freuden, neue Schmerzen 2-43461 17913½L
Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Ihr, die ihr Triebe des Herzens kennt 2-43462  17914L
Don Giovanni (Mozart): Wenn du fein fromm bist 043281 914m
Don Giovanni (Mozart): Schmäle, tobe, lieber Junge 043280  915m

Vox, Berlin 1922
Bohème (Puccini): O soave fanciulla with Bjorn Talén 04027 623A 
Traviata (Verdi): Parigi, o cara with Bjorn Talén 04026 624A 
Traviata (Verdi): Un dì felice with Bjorn Talén 04026 626A 
Carmen (Bizet): Parle-moi de ma mère with Bjorn Talén 04027 627A 

Erika Wedekind (Soprano) (Hannover, Germany 13. 11. 1868 † Zurch, Switzerland 10. 10. 1944)

From 1891 to 1894 song studies with Gustav Scharfe and Aglaja of Orgeni in Dresden. She made her stage debut (1894) at the Dresden Royal Opera as Frau Fluth in Nicolai's ''Lustigen Weiber von Windsor''. She was an immediate sensation and remained the celebrated principal coloratura soprano at the Dresden Opera until 1909. At Covent Garden in 1903 she introduced her interpretation of Rosina to the London audiences. She was acclaimed in this role by an enthusiastic critic of The London Times: "[Her] voice is a light soprano, and she is what the Germans call a 'coloratur' singer of rare skill, her execution of scales being almost as perfect as Mme Melba's. She sang 'Una voce' with a profusion of ornament which was almost bewildering. . . ." 

Chronology of some appearances

1894-1909 Dresden Hofoper Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Frau Fluth)

1896 Moscow Concert

1896 Zurich Stadttheater 

1897 Moscow Concert

1898 Dresden Hofoper Kirke (Premiere)

1899 Zurich Stadttheater

1900 Holland Concert

1901 Dresden Hofoper Nausikaa

1903 London Covent Garden Barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina)

1904 Vienna Hofoper Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia)

1905 Zurich Stadttheater
1907 Dresden Hofoper Die Schönen von Fogaras (Verona)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

G&T, Berlin 1905-06-24

Ernani (Verdi): Ernani involami (It) 53464 197r

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Arie der Rosine, pt 2 43713 198r

Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Nicolai): Nun eilt herbei 043063 107s 

G&T, Berlin 1907-10-04

Die Schönen von Fogaras (Grünfeld): Gänselied 43956 3408r 

Fille du Régiment (Donizetti): Weiss nicht die Welt (w. chorus) 43948 3410r 

Gramophone, Dresden 1908

Nozze di Figaro (Mozart): Un moto di gioia 53538 5063r 

Mignon (Thomas): Schwalbenduett (w. Rains) 2-44460 5062r

Fra Diavolo (Auber): Erblickt auf Felsenhöhen (w. Burian) 2-44461 5071r

Mignon (Thomas): Kennst du das Land 2-43173 5074r 

Mignon (Thomas): Kam ein armes Kind (Styrienne) 2-43174 5083r

Komm', Frau Nachtigall (Wunderlich) 2-43204 5079r 

Fra Diavolo (Auber): Welches Glück 2-43205 5075r 

Marie Delna (Contralto) (Meudon, France 1875, 3/4 - Paris, France 1932, 24/6)

She created no less than nine roles for the Opéra-Comique where she was a favorite with the audiences. However, even with those credentials, she was overshadowed by an enormous pool of talent when she made her only appearances at the Metropolitan Opera in 1910. Delna's debut (1892) took place at the Opéra-Comique as Dido in ‘’Les Troyens’’. At the age of eighteen she became France's first Charlotte in ‘’Werther’’, and later, the Opéra-Comique's first Dame Quickly in ‘’Falstaff’’. Some of her other creations for that House include Marion in ‘’La Vivandiere’’ (1895), the title role in ‘’Orphée’’ (1896), Zerline in ‘’Don Juan’’ (1896), Fee Grignotte in ‘’Hänsel et Gretel’’ (1900), Marianne in ‘’L'Ouragan’’ (1901), and Vieille Tili in ‘’La Lépreuse’’ (1912). There, too, she created the role of Marcelline in the world premiere of Bruneau's ‘’L'attaque du moulin’’. She sang this role in the Covent Garden (1894) and Metropolitan Opera (1910) premieres of this work. She also made appearances at the Monte Carlo Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels, La Scala, and the Grand Theatre de Parme. Delna originally announced her retirement in 1902 when she married M.A.H. de Saone, but within a year she returned to the Opéra-Comique to reprise the role of Marcelline. Even with her tremendously successful career, Delna died in a poorhouse. She was buried by the State.

 Chronology of some appearances

1892 Paris Opéra-Comique Les Troyens (Dido)
1895 Paris Opéra-Comique La Vivandiere (Marion)
1896 Paris Opéra-Comique Orphée (Orphée)
1896 Paris Opéra-Comique Don Juan (Zerline)
1900 Paris Opéra-Comique Hänsel et Gretel (Fee Grignotte)
1901 Paris Opéra-Comique L'Ouragan (Marianne)
1912 Paris Opéra-Comique La Lépreuse (Vieille Tili)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Pathé cylinders & discs, London 1903/1904
Prophète (Meyerbeer): Ah, mon fils 50071 3500
Carmen (Bizet): Près des remparts 50072 3501
Vivandière (Godard): Viens avec nous, petit 3504

Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1903/1904
Carmen (Bizet): L'amour est enfant de Bohème (Habanera) 3502
Les enfants (Massenet) 3503
Carmen (Bizet): Air des cartes 3514
Werther (Massenet): Air des larmes 3512
Troyens (Berlioz): Chers Tyriens (Air de Didon) 3513
Jocelyn (Godard): Berceuse 3515
Le vierge à la crèche (Clérice) 3516

Pathé, Paris 1905?
Prophète (Meyerbeer): Duo, act 5 with Albert Alvarez 0235
Favorite (Donizetti): Duo, act 4 with Albert Alvarez 0236

Pathé, Paris 1907?
O sole mio (di Capua) (It) 4870
Favorite (Donizetti): O mon Fernand 4875
Orphée et Euridice (Gluck): J'ai perdu mon Euridice 4878
Werther (Massenet): Air des lettres 4879
Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Mon coeur s'ouvre 4876
Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Printemps qui commence 4877
Vivandière (Godard): Hymne à la liberté 4873
Attaque du Moulin (Bruneau): Ah, la guerre  4872
Miarka (Georges): Hymne au soleil 4874
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Romance de Santuzza 4871

Edison 4-min cylinders, USA? 1910?
Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Mon coeur s'ouvre 40015 BA 28151
Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck): Che farò BA 28135
Favorita (Donizetti): O mio Fernando 40023
Prophète (Meyerbeer): Ah, mon fils 40022 BA 28126
Gioconda (Ponchielli): Voce di donna 40029

Edison, USA 1913?
Prophète (Meyerbeer): Ah, mon fils 83019 2762-A
Jocelyn (Godard): Berceuse 83036 2763-A
Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Mon coeur s'ouvre 83024 2766-B

Pathé, Paris 1918?
Carillon de guerre (Rohand) 3139
Espérance (Rohand) 3139

Walter Kurt (Tenor)

On the labels as Erich Schröter

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Odeon
Die Zauberflöte (Mozart): Dies Bildnis 25230
Martha (Flotow): Ach so fromm 25231

Anker
Troubadour (Verdi): In unsre Heimat with Louise Perrot 5753
Lohengrin (Wagner): Gralserzählung 5454

Juliette Simon-Girard (Soprano) (Paris, France 1859 – Nice, France 1954)

She was a daughter of the singer Caroline Girard. She received her education by Régnier in Paris. On 10. 2. 1877 she made her debut at the Folies-Dramatiques in Paris as Carlinette in the premiere of the operetta ‘’La Foire Saint-Laurent’’ of J. Offenbach. She was married to the tenor Max Simon (1852-1923), who appeared at the foil-Dramatiques as a big star. With his partner she created a large number of operettas in the 1870’s and 1880’s of the 19-th century: ‘’Les Cloches de Corneville’’ of Robert Planquette (19. 4. 1877 as Serpolette, her famous star role), ‘’Madame Favart’’ of J. Offenbach (28. 12. 1878), "La fille du Tambour-major" of J. Offenbach (13. 12. 1879), ‘’La Fauvette du temple’’ of André Messager (17. 11. 1885) and "Fanfan la Tulipe" of Louis Varnay (21. 10. 1882). Juliette Simon-Girard also gave a guest performances beyond the French metropolis and appeared by the end of her career in Brussels. She celebrated her unforgettable triumphs in Paris, where in 1900 she appeared again at the  Théâtre des Variétés  in ‘’La Belle Hélène’’ of J. Offenbach. She continued her career till 1914. During her retirement she dealt with social activities for artists ("Orphelins des Artistes", "Retraîte des Vieux Comédiens"). She continued her career till 1914. In 1894 she separated from Max Simon; a son came from this marriage, Aimé Simon, became an actor, a daughter became a singing-teacher. She entered the second marriage with the actor Félix Huguenet. She died in Nice.

Chronology of some appearances

1877 Paris Folies-Dramatiques La Foire Saint-Laurent (Carlinette)

1877 Paris Folies-Dramatiques Les Cloches de Corneville (Serpolette)

1878 Paris Folies-Dramatiques Madame Favart

1879 Paris Folies-Dramatiques La fille du Tambour-major

1882 Paris Folies-Dramatiques Fanfan la Tulipe

1885 Paris Folies-Dramatiques La Fauvette du temple

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

G&T, Paris 1903
Jolie Parfeumeuse (Offenbach): La famille Bruscambille 33327 1912F 
Belle Hélène (Offenbach): Amours divins 33309 1751F
Périchole (Offenbach): Couplets de l'aveu 33373 2115F 

Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein (Offenbach): Légende du verre 33374 2116F 

Madame Favart (Offenbach): Ronde des vignes 33310 1752F
Périchole (Offenbach): Air de la lettre 33372 2114F
Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein (Offenbach): Dites-lui 33375 2117F

Frances Saville (Soprano) (San Francisco, California, USA 1862 - Belmont, California, USA 1935)

She had a noted turn-of-the-century career in both America and Europe. Born Fanny Martina Simonsen to an operatic family, she was raised in Australia from an early age and taught to sing by her mother. Taking the name "Saville" from a brief early marriage to her father's secretary, she first sang in public at an 1882 presentation of Michael Balfe's "Satanella" then in the late 1880s had a busy recital career in Sydney and Melbourne before departing for Paris to study with mezzo soprano Mathilde Marchesi; Fanny made her 'formal' operatic debut on September 8, 1892, at La Monnaie, Brussels, as the tragic title heroine of Charles Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette". She soon took-on the role of Marguerite from the same composer's "Faust" and then appeared in Russia,Berlin, and Warsaw, along the way enhancing her repertoire with Violetta of Verdi's "La Traviata" and the doomed title lead of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor". Fanny added two of Verdi's 'heavyweight' parts, Leonora in "Il Trovatore" and Desdemona from "Otello", which she sang in Monte Carlo opposite Tamagno, to her list before returning to America for her November 18, 1895, Metropolitan Opera debut as Juliette. While in New York her assignments included Violetta, Micaela in Georges Bizet's "Carmen", Elsa of Wagner's "Lohengrin", Zerlina from Mozart's "Don Giovanni", the lead heroine of Jules Massenet's "Manon", Gutrune from Wagner's "Gotterdammerung" and Alice Ford of Verdi's "Falstaff"; begining in 1898 Fanny was a regular at the Vienna Court Opera (then, Hofoper) where she became a favorite of music director Gustav Mahler. For awhile she divided her time between New York and Vienna but by 1903 she was rich and retired to Vienna after giving her final performance on May 9th. in Prague as Violetta. Forced from Austria by the onset of World War I she lived in Australia for a time before relocating toNorthern California where ill health relegated her to a nursing facility in her final years.

Chronology of some appearances

1892 Brussels Théâtre de la Monnaie Romeo et Juliette (Juliette)

1895 New York Metropolitan Opera Romeo et Juliette (Juliette)

 RECORDINGS FOR SALE

G&T, Wien 1902
Heidenröslein (Schubert) 43300 2439B
Contes d'Hoffmann (Offenbach): Puppenarie  43240 951x 

Lohengrin (Wagner): Euch Lüften  43241 952x 

Georges Elval (Baritone)

He was a member of the Théâtre Royal de La Haye.  

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Disque Ideal, Paris

La rêve passe / (Helmer/Krier) 6422

Disque Pathé, Paris
Le Drapeau du paysan 2685
Pardon (Rico) 2692
L'Angélus de la mer (Gustave Goublier) 2686
Le Pere Ra-Fa (J. Danglas) 2633

Disque Aerophone, Paris
La Terre Nationale 657
Chemineau chemine 658
Le rêve passe 660

Lidia Milova (Soprano)

She studied singing at the Moscow Conservatory and then appeared in Saratov (1903/1904, 1915),Moscow (1911, Zimin Opera), Samara (1913). She made 5 records for Gramophone. 

Chronology of some appearances

1903-1904 Saratov Opera

1911 Moscow Zimin Opera

1913 Samara Opera

1915 Saratov Opera

RECORDING FOR SALE

Gramophone Moscow  1908

Ernani (Verdi): O sommo Carlo with Oskar Kamionsky, Vladimir Pikok and Dubrovin 022108 335m