Josephine Antoine
Encyclopedia
Josephine Antoine, coloratura soprano
, sang at the Metropolitan Opera
from 1936 through 1948 in 76 appearances, and was well known in "Un ballo in maschera
", "Il barbiere di Siviglia", "Les contes d'Hoffmann
", "Le Coq d'Or", "Don Giovanni
", "Lucia di Lammermoor
", "Mignon
", "Parsifal
", "Rigoletto
", and "Die Zauberflöte."
She made at least six commercial recordings for Columbia
, but there may be more. Her career also included radio where she appeared on "Chevrolet Musical Moments Revue
" in 1937. Miss Antoine was a regular star on NBC
Radio's "The Carnation Contented Hour
" ("The Melody Hour
," without commercials, at Armed Forces Radio Service) with Percy Faith
during World War II.
Miss Antoine was a favorite at Chautauqua Institution
, New York where she had been soloist for many seasons. Hence she was affectionately known as "Chautauqua's Sweetheart."
on October 27, 1907. She was adopted while still a baby by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur H. Antoine (Bertha Olive Hammer Antoine). By 1914 her family had moved to Boulder
. http://www.boulderhistorymuseum.org/reveal/bios/antoine.html
, and continued with him until she graduated from the University of Colorado with a B. A. in 1929. That same year she won the Atwater Kent
Audition Contest which provided her with scholarship money and the opportunity to go to the east coast to study vocal music. She also received the first Master of Music degree ever granted by University of Colorado. In 1930-31 she studied at Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia, and from 1931-34 studied at Juilliard in New York City. http://www.juilliard.edu/update/journal/j_articles1110.html
She trained under the legendary Marcella Sembrich
at Curtis and Juilliard with whom she was often compared. Her voice was remarkable for its bell-like quality in the high register as well as its warmth and power throughout the entire vocal range. Arthur Bodansky
conductor at the Metropolitan Opera heard her sing in a student performance of Strauss' "Ariadne Auf Naxos
" and arranged an audition with Giulio Gatti-Casazza
, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera.
", broadcast on January 4, 1936.
Her career with the Met lasted through February 28, 1948. During this period she also sang for other opera companies including the Chicago Opera, the San Francisco Opera
, the Cincinnati Opera
and the Chautauqua Opera
. http://www.boychoirs.org/american/abs02.html
(1938–39), in addition to her responsibilities at the Metropolitan Opera.
on KPO, October 22, 1936, Miss Antoine appeared for some years on "The Carnation Contented Hour
" radio program. According to Frank Buxton and Bill Owen's "The Big Broadcast 1920 - 1950", (1972)http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/354618&referer=brief_results, the Carnation Contented Hour was a long-running music program sponsored by the Carnation Milk Company. It first appeared on NBC
in 1931. The music theme was "Contented." The program was a variety show originating from Chicago featuring Percy Faith
and his orchestra (1940–1947). During the Antoine era key personnel included the orchestra, the Carnation Contented Chorus, Ralph Nyland, tenor; Reinhold Schmidt, bass; and Josephine Antoine, soprano. The announcer was Vincent Pelletier. Producers were Harry K. Gilman and C. H. Cottington.
During World War II, the Armed Forces Radio Service obtained rights to rebroadcast the program for the entertainment of military personnel. Commercial messages were edited out and the program was re-titled "The Melody Hour
." It was a 30 minute show. Recordings were made on 16" electrical transcription discs for play back at 33 1/3 rpm over AFRS according to their schedules.
Jay Hickerson's compendium "The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide to all Circulating Shows" (1992) http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/27408194&referer=brief_results indicates that during this era, the program was on NBC
at 8:00 p. m. from October 31, 1932 and as of November 21, 1932 until September 26, 1949 then moved to 10:00 p. m. He reports that there are 43 recorded shows available, 36 bearing dates.
(1947–48), University of Colorado (1948–49), Los Angeles Conservatory of Music (1950–53), University of Texas (1953–57), Arizona State University
(1959–66), and at Eastman School of Music
(1957–59, and 1966–71). She made her home in Rochester, New York
since 1966 and taught voice at Chautauqua Summer Schools.
", Central City, 1940, and in "The Red Mill
" for the Denver Post Opera, 1949. In 1948 she sang for the Colorado Memorial Center fund. Josephine Antoine was married to Edward Hinkle, program director at a radio station in Boulder. Their daughter Myra was born in 1949.
." That summer she also appeared for the first time with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. In the traditions of Chautauqua her name is linked to "The Last Rose of Summer", a song with which she closed her appearances in the Amphitheater. In neighboring Jamestown, New York she appeared as soloist for the Mozart Club and the Jamestown Civic Orchestra.
the day after her daughter, Myra Louise was married. At the time of her death she was a professor of voice at the Eastman School of Music. Much of her opera memorabilia was given to the Sibley Music Library at the University of Rochester.
Coloratura soprano
A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano who specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps. The term coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component of the music written for this voice...
, sang at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
from 1936 through 1948 in 76 appearances, and was well known in "Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
", "Il barbiere di Siviglia", "Les contes d'Hoffmann
Les contes d'Hoffmann
Les contes d'Hoffmann is an opéra by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on short stories by E. T. A...
", "Le Coq d'Or", "Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
", "Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor is a dramma tragico in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor....
", "Mignon
Mignon
Mignon is an opéra comique in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre. The Italian version was translated by Giuseppe Zaffira. The opera is mentioned in James Joyce's The Dead,...
", "Parsifal
Parsifal
Parsifal is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail.Wagner first conceived the work...
", "Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
", and "Die Zauberflöte."
She made at least six commercial recordings for Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, but there may be more. Her career also included radio where she appeared on "Chevrolet Musical Moments Revue
Chevrolet Musical Moments Revue
"Chevrolet Musical Moments Revue" also known as "Musical Moments" or the "Chevrolet Show" was an electrically transcribed or recorded radio program issued by World Broadcasting System. It was a musical variety show which in 1935 - 36 featured David Rubinoff and Hugh Conrad, Monday through Friday...
" in 1937. Miss Antoine was a regular star on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Radio's "The Carnation Contented Hour
The Carnation Contented Hour
The Carnation Contented Hour was a long-running radio music series, sponsored by the Carnation Milk Company, which premiered April 26, 1931 on the regional NBC West Coast network...
" ("The Melody Hour
The Melody Hour
"The Melody Hour" was the retitled name of NBC radio's "The Carnation Contented Hour" a 30 minute musical show re-recorded by the Armed Forces Radio Service without commercials. During World War II, particularly, this program was broadcast over AFRS by means of 16" electrical transcriptions or...
," without commercials, at Armed Forces Radio Service) with Percy Faith
Percy Faith
Percy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...
during World War II.
Miss Antoine was a favorite at Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Institution
The Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State...
, New York where she had been soloist for many seasons. Hence she was affectionately known as "Chautauqua's Sweetheart."
Early life
Josephine Louise Antoine was born in Denver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
on October 27, 1907. She was adopted while still a baby by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur H. Antoine (Bertha Olive Hammer Antoine). By 1914 her family had moved to Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. http://www.boulderhistorymuseum.org/reveal/bios/antoine.html
Training
In 1921 Miss Antoine began studying voice with Alexander Grant, a faculty member at the University of ColoradoUniversity of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, and continued with him until she graduated from the University of Colorado with a B. A. in 1929. That same year she won the Atwater Kent
A. Atwater Kent
Arthur Atwater Kent, Sr. was an inventor and prominent radio manufacturer based in Philadelphia, usa. In 1921, he patented the modern form of the automobile ignition coil.-Biography:...
Audition Contest which provided her with scholarship money and the opportunity to go to the east coast to study vocal music. She also received the first Master of Music degree ever granted by University of Colorado. In 1930-31 she studied at Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
in Philadelphia, and from 1931-34 studied at Juilliard in New York City. http://www.juilliard.edu/update/journal/j_articles1110.html
She trained under the legendary Marcella Sembrich
Marcella Sembrich
Marcella Sembrich was the stage name of the Polish coloratura soprano, Prakseda Marcelina Kochańska...
at Curtis and Juilliard with whom she was often compared. Her voice was remarkable for its bell-like quality in the high register as well as its warmth and power throughout the entire vocal range. Arthur Bodansky
Artur Bodanzky
Artur Bodanzky was an Austrian-American conductor particularly associated with the operas of Wagner.- Career :...
conductor at the Metropolitan Opera heard her sing in a student performance of Strauss' "Ariadne Auf Naxos
Ariadne auf Naxos
Ariadne auf Naxos is an opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Bringing together slapstick comedy and consuming beautiful music, the opera's theme is the competition between high and low art for the public's attention.- First version :The opera was originally...
" and arranged an audition with Giulio Gatti-Casazza
Giulio Gatti-Casazza
Giulio Gatti-Casazza was an Italian opera manager. He was general manager of La Scala in Milan, Italy and later the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.-Life and career:...
, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera.
Operatic career
In 1935 Josephine Antoine signed with the Met and subsequently she made her debut in 1936 as Philine in "MignonMignon
Mignon is an opéra comique in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre. The Italian version was translated by Giuseppe Zaffira. The opera is mentioned in James Joyce's The Dead,...
", broadcast on January 4, 1936.
Her career with the Met lasted through February 28, 1948. During this period she also sang for other opera companies including the Chicago Opera, the San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
, the Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera is an American opera company based in Cincinnati, Ohio and the second oldest opera company in the United States .-History:...
and the Chautauqua Opera
Chautauqua Opera
The Chautauqua Opera is the resident summer opera company of the Chautauqua Institution. It is the oldest continuously active summer opera company in the U.S, having been founded in 1929, and it has produced several operas during the Institution's nine-week summer season every year since...
. http://www.boychoirs.org/american/abs02.html
Concert career
Josephine Antoine was an internationally known artist. She toured throughout the United States, Canada, Newfoundland and Puerto Rico appearing as soloist with orchestras in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Worcester, Massachusetts, Washington, D. C., and the southwest (The Chautauquan Daily; August 18, 1962). The peak of her touring occurred during the 1938 - 1940 seasons when Miss Antoine appeared on stages of the Allied Arts Events at Oklahoma State University (1939), the Santa Fe Concert Association (1939–40), the Sarasota Concert Association (1938–39), and the Wisconsin Union TheaterWisconsin Union Theater
Wisconsin Union Theater is a performing arts center in Madison, Wisconsin, located in the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Memorial Union. Wisconsin Union Theater performances include world stage, concerts, dance, jazz and other special events.- History :...
(1938–39), in addition to her responsibilities at the Metropolitan Opera.
Radio career
Outside of incidental occasions such as with Bing CrosbyBing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
on KPO, October 22, 1936, Miss Antoine appeared for some years on "The Carnation Contented Hour
The Carnation Contented Hour
The Carnation Contented Hour was a long-running radio music series, sponsored by the Carnation Milk Company, which premiered April 26, 1931 on the regional NBC West Coast network...
" radio program. According to Frank Buxton and Bill Owen's "The Big Broadcast 1920 - 1950", (1972)http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/354618&referer=brief_results, the Carnation Contented Hour was a long-running music program sponsored by the Carnation Milk Company. It first appeared on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in 1931. The music theme was "Contented." The program was a variety show originating from Chicago featuring Percy Faith
Percy Faith
Percy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...
and his orchestra (1940–1947). During the Antoine era key personnel included the orchestra, the Carnation Contented Chorus, Ralph Nyland, tenor; Reinhold Schmidt, bass; and Josephine Antoine, soprano. The announcer was Vincent Pelletier. Producers were Harry K. Gilman and C. H. Cottington.
During World War II, the Armed Forces Radio Service obtained rights to rebroadcast the program for the entertainment of military personnel. Commercial messages were edited out and the program was re-titled "The Melody Hour
The Melody Hour
"The Melody Hour" was the retitled name of NBC radio's "The Carnation Contented Hour" a 30 minute musical show re-recorded by the Armed Forces Radio Service without commercials. During World War II, particularly, this program was broadcast over AFRS by means of 16" electrical transcriptions or...
." It was a 30 minute show. Recordings were made on 16" electrical transcription discs for play back at 33 1/3 rpm over AFRS according to their schedules.
Jay Hickerson's compendium "The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide to all Circulating Shows" (1992) http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/27408194&referer=brief_results indicates that during this era, the program was on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
at 8:00 p. m. from October 31, 1932 and as of November 21, 1932 until September 26, 1949 then moved to 10:00 p. m. He reports that there are 43 recorded shows available, 36 bearing dates.
Teaching career
After a successful opera career Miss Antoine taught at Indiana UniversityIndiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
(1947–48), University of Colorado (1948–49), Los Angeles Conservatory of Music (1950–53), University of Texas (1953–57), Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
(1959–66), and at Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
(1957–59, and 1966–71). She made her home in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
since 1966 and taught voice at Chautauqua Summer Schools.
Colorado life
Miss Antoine sang concerts at Denver Auditorium in 1936 and 1945. She starred in "The Bartered BrideThe Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The opera is considered to have made a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It was composed during the period 1863–66, and first performed at the...
", Central City, 1940, and in "The Red Mill
The Red Mill
The Red Mill is an operetta written by Victor Herbert, with a libretto by Henry Blossom. It premiered on Broadway on September 24, 1906 at the Knickerbocker Theatre and ran for 274 performances, starring comedians Fred Stone and David Montgomery. It was revived on October 16, 1945, opening at the...
" for the Denver Post Opera, 1949. In 1948 she sang for the Colorado Memorial Center fund. Josephine Antoine was married to Edward Hinkle, program director at a radio station in Boulder. Their daughter Myra was born in 1949.
Chautauqua life
Josephine Antoine made her debut with the Chautauqua Opera Association in 1933 in the title role of "MarthaMartha (opera)
Martha, oder Der Markt zu Richmond is a 'romantic comic' opera in four acts by Friedrich von Flotow, set to a German libretto by Friedrich Wilhelm Riese and based on a story by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges....
." That summer she also appeared for the first time with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. In the traditions of Chautauqua her name is linked to "The Last Rose of Summer", a song with which she closed her appearances in the Amphitheater. In neighboring Jamestown, New York she appeared as soloist for the Mozart Club and the Jamestown Civic Orchestra.
Death
On October 30, 1971 Josephine Antoine in her sixty-fourth year died of heart failure in Jamestown, New YorkJamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
the day after her daughter, Myra Louise was married. At the time of her death she was a professor of voice at the Eastman School of Music. Much of her opera memorabilia was given to the Sibley Music Library at the University of Rochester.
Verified discography
- Columbia 69813D; WXCO26300; Polonaise: Je Suis Titania (Thomas, Mignon); WXCO26299; Jewel Song (Gounod, Faust); Josephine Antoine, soprano, with Wilfrid PelletierWilfrid PelletierJoseph Louis Wilfrid Pelletier , CC was a Canadian conductor, pianist, composer, and arts administrator. He was instrumental in establishing the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, serving as the orchestra's first artistic director and conductor from 1935-1941...
conducting the Columbia Opera Orchestra; 12" 78 rpm phonorecord dating from 1939. - Columbia 71025-D; XCO29333; The Russian Nightingale (Liebling-Alabiev); XCO29327; Lo! Here the Gentle Lark (Shakespeare-Bishop); Josephine Antoine, soprano with Henry J. Bove, flute, and Stuart Ross, piano; 12" 78 rpm phonorecord dating from 1940.
- Chevrolet Musical Moments Revue: Prog. No. 364; 1937; World Broadcasting System (Western Electric Wide Range Recording); Audio Cassette from Esoteric Sound, original 16" 33 1/3 rpm electrical transcription disc. Gus HaenschenCarl FentonCarl Fenton born as Walter G. Haenschen, was an American bandleader, composer, and radio musician.- Name origin :The Carl Fenton Orchestra was a title given to Brunswick Records studio bands through the 1920s...
, conductor; Josephine Antoine, coloratura soprano; Casper ReardonCasper ReardonCasper Reardon was a classical and later jazz harpist. He studied classical harp at the Curtis Institute of Music going on to play for the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra...
, harp; Songsmiths, male quartet; orchestra; Graham McNameeGraham McNameeGraham McNamee was a pioneering broadcaster in American radio, the medium's most recognized national personality in its first international decade....
, announcer. - Chevrolet Musical Moments Revue: Prog. No. 368; 1937; World Broadcasting System (Western Electric Wide Range Recording); Audio Cassette from Esoteric Sound, original 16" 33 1/3 rpm electrical transcription disc. Gus Haenschen, conductor; Josephine Antoine, coloratura soprano; Reed Lawton, baritone; Songsmiths, male quartet; orchestra; Prof. John Look, commercial; Graham McNamee, announcer.
- Armed Forces Radio Service; Melody Hour (NBC Carnation Contented Hour*): Prog. No. 60; 9/4/44; 16" 33 1/3 rpm electrical transcription disc. *Without commercials. Percy Faith, conductor and arranger; Ralph Nyland, tenor; Reinhold Schmidt, bass; orchestra; chorus; Vincent Pelletier, announcer.
- Armed Forces Radio Service; Melody Hour (NBC Carnation Contented Hour*): Prog. No. 63; 10/2/44; 16" 33 1/3 rpm electrical transcription disc.
- Armed Forces Radio Service; Melody Hour (NBC Carnation Contented Hour*): Prog. No. 82; 4/16/45; 16" 33 1/3 rpm electrical transcription disc.
- Armed Forces Radio Service; Melody Hour (NBC Carnation Contented Hour*): Prog. No. 99; 8/13/45; 16" 33 1/3 rpm electrical transcription disc.
- Armed Forces Radio Service; Melody Hour (NBC Carnation Contented Hour*): Prog. No. 110; 11/5/45; two, one sided 16" 33 1/3 rpm electrical transcription discs.
- Eclipse EKR CD 46; The American Prima Donna, 1995; Josephine Antoine's broadcast of 1940 with Lionel BarrymoreLionel BarrymoreLionel Barrymore was an American actor of stage, screen and radio. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in A Free Soul...
as Master of Ceremonies; With other artists: Rosa PonselleRosa PonselleRosa Ponselle , was an American operatic soprano with a large, opulent voice. She sang mainly at the New York Metropolitan Opera and is generally considered by music critics to have been one of the greatest sopranos of the past 100 years.-Early life:She was born Rosa Ponzillo on January 22, 1897,...
, Marguerite NamaraMarguerite NamaraMarguerite Namara was a classically trained American lyric soprano whose varied career included serious opera, Broadway musicals, film and theater roles, and vocal recitals, and who counted among her lifelong circle of friends and acquaintances many of the leading artistic figures of the first...
, Mary McCormicMary McCormicMary McCormic was an American operatic soprano and a professor of opera at the University of North Texas College of Music ....
, Jeanette MacdonaldJeanette MacDonaldJeanette MacDonald was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier and Nelson Eddy...
, Dorothy Maynor, Thelma VotipkaThelma VotipkaThelma Votipka was an American mezzo-soprano who sang 1,422 performances with the Metropolitan Opera, more than any other woman in the company's history ....
, and Grace MooreGrace MooreGrace Moore was an American operatic soprano and actress in musical theatre and film. She was nicknamed the "Tennessee Nightingale." Her films helped to popularize opera by bringing it to a larger audience.-Early life:...
. - Walhall Records (CD) WHL2; Wolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
: Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), 1994; From broadcast of December 26, 1942 with other artists: Jarmila NovotnáJarmila NovotnáJarmila Novotná was a celebrated Czech soprano and actress and, from 1940 to 1956, a star of the Metropolitan Opera.-Early career:...
, Charles Kullman, Ezio PinzaEzio PinzaEzio Pinza was an Italian basso opera singer with a rich, smooth and sonorous voice. He spent 22 seasons at New York's Metropolitan Opera, appearing in more than 750 performances of 50 operas...
, John BrownleeJohn Brownlee (baritone)John Donald Mackenzie Brownlee was an Australian operatic baritone.-Biography:John Brownlee was born in Geelong, Victoria. As a boy, he became a junior naval cadet in the Royal Australian Navy, serving during World War I. Following service, he studied accounting...
, Lillian Raymondi, John Garris, Norman Cordon, Eleanor SteberEleanor SteberEleanor Steber was an American operatic soprano. Steber is noted as one of the first major opera stars to have achieved the highest success with training and a career based in the United States.-Biography:...
, Maxine Stellman, Anna Kaskas, Marita Farell, Mona Paulee, Helen Olheim, Louis D'Anngelo, John Dudley, Emery Darcy, John Gurney, and Bruno WalterBruno WalterBruno Walter was a German-born conductor. He is considered one of the best known conductors of the 20th century. Walter was born in Berlin, but is known to have lived in several countries between 1933 and 1939, before finally settling in the United States in 1939...
Conductor. - Studio Couch (CD from an LP audiodisc); HoneggerArthur HoneggerArthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which is interpreted as imitating the sound of a steam locomotive.-Biography:Born...
: King David, 2005; Performance recorded on May 19, 1955 at the University of Colorado, College of Music; With other artists: Martha Miller (Contralto), Frank BargerFrank BargerFrank Barger was an American high school football coach at Hickory High School in Hickory, North Carolina. A graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne College, Barger compiled a 273-120-5 record coaching the Hickory Tornadoes, including 12 conference titles, during a 31-year tenure...
(Tenor), Basil RathboneBasil RathboneSir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
(Narrator), University Choir and Festival Chorus, and Horace JonesHorace JonesSir Horace Jones was an English architect of the 19th century, knighted in 30 July 1886.He is particularly noted for his work as Architect and Surveyor for the Corporation of the City of London from 1864 to 1887...
, Conductor.