Description

ALMA GLUCK (IAȘI, ROMANIA, MAY 11, 1884 – MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 27, 1938)

 

 

 

 

She came from a very poor Jewish-Romanian family; her real name was Reba Fiersohn. At the age of six, she emigrated with her parents to North America. Before beginning her vocal studies, she worked as a stenographer in New York. Only after her marriage in 1906 to the wealthy real estate agent Bernard Gluck did she gain the means to pursue training, studying that same year with Alberto Buzzi-Peccia.

She made her debut in 1909 as Sophie in Massenet’s Werther at the New Theatre in New York, in performances given by the Metropolitan Opera ensemble. At the Metropolitan Opera’s original home, she first appeared in concert on November 28, 1909, and a month later on stage as Ombre heureuse in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. By 1912, she was enjoying great success, particularly as a partner of the celebrated tenor Enrico Caruso in operas such as Puccini’s La Bohème, Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, and Verdi’s Rigoletto. Gilda in Rigoletto was her final role at the house, sung alongside Caruso during a guest tour performance in Atlanta on April 27, 1912.

In 1913 she returned to Europe for further study, working with Marcella Sembrich in Berlin. That same year she achieved further triumphs in concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and Queen’s Hall in London. After her stay in Europe, she no longer appeared in staged performances at the Metropolitan Opera, though she continued to take part in its Sunday Night Concerts until 1918. Over the course of seven seasons at the Met, she sang 14 roles in 57 performances. Her career, however, was effectively over by 1919, after barely a decade. A final concert appearance followed in 1925 at the Manhattan Opera House in New York, but without notable success.

After separating from Bernard Gluck in 1912, she married the violinist Ephraim Zimbalist (1889–1979) in 1914. From her first marriage she had a daughter, Marcia Davenport, who became a writer and based her novel Of Lena Geyer on her mother’s life, though heavily fictionalized. From her second marriage she had two sons: Ogden Goelet and Efrem Zimbalist Jr., both of whom later achieved fame as American television actors.

Alma Gluck also devoted herself to a variety of social and artistic causes. She was a founder of the American Women’s Organization and was active in the Musicians Emergency Fund and the American Guild of Musical Artists. She died after a long illness at the age of 52.

Considered one of the most beautiful lyric soprano voices of her generation, she was admired for the clarity of her intonation and the sovereign musicality of her phrasing, excelling particularly as a concert singer. She left 124 recordings, all made for the Victor label. Her interpretation of the folk song Carry Me Back to Old Virginia became the first record to sell over one million copies. On several recordings she was accompanied by her husband, Ephraim Zimbalist, on the violin.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Long ago, sweetheart mine (MacDowell) Unpubl. B11602 Victor, Camden NJ 1912-02-1

My laddie (Thayer) 64183 Victor, Camden NJ 1911-03-22

My old Kentucky home (Foster) (w. male qt) 74468 Victor, Camden NJ 1916-02-15

Natoma (Herbert) I list the trill (orch Herbert) Victor, Camden NJ 1912-06-10

Nellie was a lady (Foster) (w. Orpheus Qt Macdonough, Murphy, Werrenrath & Hooley) 64828 B20094-3 Victor, Camden NJ 1918-09-11

Old black Joe (Foster) (w. male qt) 74442 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-06-09

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Qual fiamma… Stridono lassù 74238 Victor, Camden NJ 1911-05-16

Parla! Valzer (Arditi) 74334 Victor, Camden NJ 1913-01-23

Red, red rose (Cottenet) 64321 Victor, Camden NJ 1913-01-23

Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov) Chanson hindoue 64269 Victor, Camden NJ 1912-06-10

Semele (Händel) O sleep, why dost thou leave me 74423 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-11-13

Sing me to sleep (Greene) (violin Zimbalist) 88573 Victor, Camden NJ 1916-06-10

Sonnambula (Bellini) Ah, non credea mirarti 74263 Victor, Camden NJ 1911-07-20

Swedish cradle song (trad) (violin Zimbalist) 87566 Victor, Camden NJ 1918-09-10

The lost chord (Sullivan) (violin Zimbalist) 88593 Victor, New York 1917-09-17

The Monotone (Cornelius) (violin Zimbalist) 87208 Victor, New York 1914-11-15

The old folks at home (Foster) (violin Zimbalist) 87196 Victor, New York 1914-11-15

The rosary (Nevin) (violin Zimbalist) 3006 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-06-08

Timbre d’Argent (Saint-Saëns) Le bonheur est chose légère (violin Zimbalist) 87209 Victor, New York 1914-11-15

Wenn die Schwalben heimwärts zieh’n (Abt) (violin Zimbalist) 87236 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-06-08