Description

RACHEL MORTON (WEBSTER, MASSACHUSETTS, 1889 – CARMEL, CALIFORNIA, 13 APRIL, 1982)

She had a Canadian mother and a Yorkshire-born father who emigrated to the US from Canada. In 1912, she auditioned in Berlin for Lilli Lehmann, who recommended that she study with Clara Willenbucher. She also trained under Gertrude Miller, Frank King-Clark, and Frau Niklaus Kempner, the teacher of Frieda Hempel. After auditioning for Gatti-Casazza at the New York Metropolitan Opera, she returned to Europe to study with Jean de Reszke.

Her operatic debut came in December 1924 in Nice, where she performed as Donna Anna, followed by Sieglinde. This success led to Frederic Austin offering her a contract with the British National Opera Company (BNOC), where she made her debut as Tosca in 1925. The cast included Tudor Davies and Percy Heming, conducted by Malcolm Sargent. She remained with BNOC until 1928, performing roles such as Tosca, Aïda, Elsa, Elisabeth, Eva, Sieglinde, Kundry, and Isolde, often under the baton of Adrian Boult.

In 1928, she returned to America, where she sang Isolde in a concert performance with Rudolf Laubenthal as Tristan. The following year, in 1929, she returned to London, where she opened the Promenade Concert season at Queen’s Hall and toured with the Covent Garden Opera Company. She then returned to New York, where she opened a vocal studio and continued her concert career.

In 1940, she moved from New York to Long Beach, California, where she taught voice and served as a music critic for the local paper for eight years. From 1967 until her death at the age of 93, she taught in Carmel, California.

Despite her long and varied career, opera critic Neville Cardus described her as somewhat dull, and felt she lacked dramatic intensity, calling her a less accomplished actress.

Chronology of some appearances

1924 Nice Opera Don Giovanni (Donna Anna)

1924 Nice Opera Walküre (Sieglinde)

TRACKLIST

1. Carmen (Bizet) Habanera HMV E440 (3-3110)
2. Carmen (Bizet) Près des rempart de Séville (Seguidille) HMV E447 (7-33081)
3. Faust (Gounod) He loves me HMV E447 (3-3108)
4. La serenata (Tosti) HMV E457 (3-3168)
5. Messiah (Händel) Come unto Him HMV D1247 (03901)
6. Messiah (Händel) I know that my Redeemer liveth HMV D1247 (03900)
7. Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov) Chanson hindoue HMV E457 (3-3173)
8. Tosca (Puccini) Love and music HMV E440 (3-3109)