Description

CLARENCE WHITEHILL (MARENGO, IOWA, 1871, 5/11 – NEW YORK, 1932, 18/12)

He began his education with L. A. Phelps in Chicago and then went to Europe, where he studied under Giraudet and Giovanni Sbriglia. In 1898, he made his debut at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels as Count Capulet in Roméo et Juliette by C. Gounod. In 1899, performing under the artistic name Eugene Clarence (as the only American opera singer), he appeared at the Opéra-Comique in Paris as Nilakantha in Lakmé. In 1900, he joined the Savage Opera Company and went on a tour in the USA. In 1901, he made his German debut at the Stadttheater in Lübeck. In 1902, he refined his vocal technique with Julius Stockhausen in Frankfurt am Main. During the 1902-1904 seasons, he sang at the Stadttheater in Elberfeld. From 1904 to 1909, he was engaged by the Opernhaus in Cologne. On March 30, 1904, he sang in Elberfeld in the premiere of Koanga by F. Delius. In 1905, he achieved great success in Cologne with the German premiere of I. de Lara’s Messaline. In the same year, he appeared at the Hoftheater in Hannover. During the 1906-1907 season, Whitehill joined the Hofoper in Munich. In 1908, he guest-starred in Amsterdam. The public especially appreciated his interpretations of Richard Wagner’s operas, which he studied under Julius Kniese in Bayreuth at the behest of Cosima Wagner. At the Bayreuth Festival, he appeared in the following operas: Tannhäuser (Wolfram, 1904), Parsifal (Amfortas, 1906), and Götterdämmerung (Gunther, 1908-1909). In 1909, he was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he made his debut as Amfortas in Parsifal. He was a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s ensemble until 1910 and then again from 1914 to 1932. At the Metropolitan Opera, he sang in the premieres of the following operas: The Pipe of Desire by Converse (1910), Ägyptische Helena by R. Strauss (1928), Louise by G. Charpentier (1921), and Violanta by Korngold (1927). During the 1911-1916 seasons, he was engaged by the Chicago Opera. From 1905 to 1910, he made guest appearances at Covent Garden in London, where he sang in the English premiere of R. Strauss’s Salome (Jochanaan, 1910). In 1909, he performed at the Grand Opéra in Tannhäuser (Wolfram) and Die Walküre (Wotan). In 1914 and 1922, he was heard as a member of the British National Opera Company in London. After his retirement, he taught singing in New York.

Chronology of some appearances

1898 Brussels Théatre de la Monnaie Roméo et Juliette (Count Capulet)

1899 Paris Opéra-Comique Lakmé (Nilakantha)

1904 Bayreuth festival Tannhäuser (Wolfram)

1909 New York Metropolitan Opera Parsifal (Amfortas)

TRACKLIST

1. Nancy Lee (Adams) 64613 B17725 Victor, Camden NJ 1916-05-24
2. Old black Joe (Foster) 64359 B13496 Victor, USA 1913-06-26
3. Panurge (Massenet) Je suis né 64735 B20342 Victor, USA 1917-07-17
4. Parsifal (Wagner) Mein Vater 2-042014 DB439 HMV, USA 1914-07-22
5. Requiem (Verdi) Confutatis maledictis 74405 C14971 Victor, USA 1914-06-18
6. Siegfried (Wagner) Siegfried’s ascent (w. T. Davies) 3-0779 DB441 HMV, London 1922-06-30
7. Siegfried (Wagner) Wotan invokes Erda (Opening act 3) 3-0783 DB441 HMV, London 1922-06-22
8. Some day (Wellings) 74452 C16129 Victor, USA 1915-06-22
9. Some day I’ll wander abck again (Huntley) (w. qt Macdonough, Murphy, Hooley & Rous) 64609 B17715 Victor, USA 1916-05-22
10. Take me back to home and mother (Huntley) (w. qt Macdonough, Murphy, Hooley & Rous) 64610 B17716 Victor, USA 1916-05-22
11. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Wohl wüsst’ ich hier sie im Gebet 042196 2814f Gramophone, London 1909-02-12
12. Thaïs (Massenet) Voilà donc la terrible cité 74364 C13606 Victor, USA 1913-11-07
13. The slumber boat (Gaynor) 64359 B13496 Victor, USA 1913-06-26
14. Tramp, tramp, tramp (Root) (w. qt Macdonough, Murphy, Hooley & Rous) 64608 B17713 Victor, USA 1916-05-22
15. Uncle Rome (Homer) 64388 B13564 Victor, USA 1913-07-18
16. Walküre (Wagner) Feuerzauber (Wotan’s farewell, pt 3) 3-0782 DB439 HMV, London 1922-06-22
17. Walküre (Wagner) Wotans Abschied, pt 1 64278 B12274 Victor, USA 1912-07-30
18. Walküre (Wagner) Wotans Abschied, pt 2 74305 C12275 Victor, USA 1912-07-30