Description

FLORENCE QUARTARARO (SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, 31 MAY, 1919 – SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, 6 JUNE, 1994)

 

 

 

 

She studied singing under Elizabeth Wells in San Francisco and Pietro Cimini in Los Angeles. In 1945, she made her concert debut at the Hollywood Bowl. That same year, she made her opera debut at the Redlands Bowl (California) as Leonora in Il Trovatore. In 1946, she was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York, making her debut as Micaela in Carmen. She remained a member of the Metropolitan Opera until 1949, where her repertoire included Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Desdemona in Otello, Violetta in La Traviata, and Nedda in Pagliacci. From 1947, she also appeared as a guest in San Francisco and Philadelphia. In 1947, she performed as Violetta in La Traviata at Central City (Colorado). She also appeared as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni in San Francisco, and as Thaïs in Philadelphia. In 1953, she sang the role of Margherita in Mefistofele at the Arena Flegrea in Naples.

 

TRACKLIST

 

Andrea Chénier (Giordano) La mamma morta 12-1000 Victor

Atalanta (Händel) Care selve 12-1000 Victor

Carmen (Bizet) Parle-moi de ma mère, pt 1 pt 2 (w. Vinay) 12-0687, 12-0687, D7-RC-8090, D7-RC-8091 Victor, 1947

Tosca (Puccini) Perchè chiuso… La vedi Ti ama (w. Vinay) 12-0531, 12-0531, D7-RC-8088, D7-RC-8089 Victor, 1947

Trovatore (Verdi) Tacea la notte placida, pt 1 pt 2 12-0530, 12-0530 Victor

April 5, 1945 – Puccini: Tosca: Vissi d’arte
Radio debut as Florence Alba on the Bing Crosby Radio programs at age 23.

June 28, 1945 – Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana: Voi lo sapete

Ronald: Cycle of Life “Love I have won you” (Summer)

Delibes: Les filles de Cadix

Ford Sunday Evening Hour, orchestra conducted by Eugene Goosen, 28 April 1946

Puccini: Madam Butterfly: Un bel dì vedremo
New Jersey Symphony, 18 November 1946 (conductor unknown)

Mozart: Nozze di Figaro: Dove sono

Broadcast Commentary

Mozart: Don Giovanni: Taci ingiusto core
with Ezio Pinza, Salvatore Baccaloni
Standard Hour, 28 September 1947

Verdi: Otello, Act I duet (abridged)
with Joseph Laderout, tenor
Mutual Opera concert, 30 April 1950

Massenet: Thaïs: Mirror Song
Mutual Opera Concert, 11 February 1950

Schubert: Ave Maria
Union Square Christmas Concert
San Francisco – Christmas Eve 1949

Wally (Catalani) Ebben ne andrò lontana

From a Mutual Opera concert in 1951

Thine Alone (Victor Herbert) May 17, 1945

Ouvre ton coeur (Georges Bizet) April 5, 1945

Kraft Music Hall, Broadcast

Pagliacci (R. Leoncavallo)

Metropolitan Opera House

GiuseppE Antonicelli, conductor.

Cast

Canio………….Ramón Vinay

Nedda…………Florence Quartararo

Tonio…………..Leonard Warren

Silvio…………..Hugh Thompson

Beppe…………Leslie Chabay

Broadcast commentary, Milton Cross.

Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera House

Live recording, 25/II/1948