Description

MERLE ALCOCK (ANDOVER, MISSOURI, 6/2, 1884 – PHOENIX, ARIZONA 1/3, 1975)

She was born Merle Tillotson and studied singing at the Drake Conservatory in Des Moines, later training with William Wade Hinshaw, Paul Savage, and Herbert Witherspoon. Under her real name, she made her debut in 1914 in a concert in London. In 1914, she married the tenor Bechtel Alcock and thereafter performed under this name. In 1915, she appeared in New York as a soloist with the New York Symphony Orchestra, becoming a well-known oratorio contralto. That same year, she appeared at the Worcester Festival, and in 1918, she achieved triumphant success in a concert with the New York Philharmonic. She was regarded as an excellent interpreter of the works of J.S. Bach and G.F. Händel.

It was not until 1923 that she made her operatic stage debut, appearing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Beppe in L’amico Fritz by P. Mascagni. Until 1929, she enjoyed great success at the Metropolitan Opera, with a repertoire that included Maddalena in Rigoletto, La Cieca in La Gioconda by A. Ponchielli, and Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana. She also performed in Le Roi de Lahore by J. Massenet, Le coq d’or by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, U. Giordano’s La cena delle beffe, and La vida breve by M. de Falla. In 1929, she appeared in the premiere of the opera Fra Gherardo by I. Pizzetti. In 1924, she sang the role of Ortrud in Lohengrin at the Ravinia Festival. In 1930, she undertook a tour of America with the San Carlo Opera Company as Carmen. After her retirement, she taught singing in New York, where her pupils included soprano Eileen Farrell and tenor George Maran.

Chronology of some appearances

1923-1929 New York Metropolitan Opera

TRACKLIST

1. Let me dream again (Sullivan) (as Merle Tillotson) BA 2273 Edison 4-min cylinders, USA 1914-07
2. Songs we used to sing in Dixieland (Roma) (w. chorus) 80297 4407-A Edison, New York 1916-01
3. His lullaby (Jacobs Bond) 80325 4718-A Edison, New York 1916-05-05/11
4. Rigoletto (Verdi): Quartet with Verlet, Ciccolini & Middleton 84001 5629-A Edison, New York 1917-06-18
5. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Sextet with Verlet, Ciccolini, Scott, Middleton & Baroni 82266 5787-A Edison, New York 1917-09-14
6. Gioconda (Ponchielli): Voce di donna80783 6466-A Edison, New York 1918-11-12/27
7. Not a sparrow falleth (Gilbert) 45343 B26460 Victor, Camden NJ 1922-05-19
8. My task (Ashford) 45343 B27019 Victor, Camden NJ 1922-12-04
9. Violets (Wright) 45343 B26460 Victor, Camden NJ 1922-05-19
10. I cannot sing the old songs (Claribel) 45216 B24355 Victor, Camden NJ 1920-10-14
11. Xerxes (Händel): Ombra mai fù Edison 82199 6489-C Edison, New York 1918-12-02/11
12. I have a dream (Austin) 45216 B24624 Victor, Camden NJ 1920-10-14
13. Monastery bells (Wendling) 45247 B25201 Victor, Camden NJ 1921-04-12
14. Rock-a-bye baby (Canning) 45302 B25792 Victor, Camden NJ 1921-12-05
15. Hold thou my hand (Briggs) 45377 B27752 Victor, Camden NJ 1923-06-18
16. Lurline (Wallace): Sweet spirit, hear my prayer 45353 B27378 Victor, Camden NJ 1923-02-14
17. Gulistan (Bartlett): Grass and roses 45377 B27098 Victor, Camden NJ 1922-12-04
18. My trundle bed (Baker) 45302 B25793 Victor, Camden NJ 1921-12-05
19. Ship o’ dreams (Francis) 45254 B25514 Victor, Camden NJ 1921-08-15
20. The old road (Scott) 45254 B25513 Victor, Camden NJ 1921-08-15