Description

ALBERT DA COSTA (ALBERT OLSHIN) (AMSTERDAM, NEW YORK, 21. 3. 1927 – KOLDING, DENMARK, 8. 11. 1967)

 

 

 

 

He was born into a family of Jewish parents. He received his initial vocal training in his native city as a baritone, followed by four years at the Julliard School of Music in New York City. He won the Met Auditions in 1954, still as a baritone, but restudied as a tenor and was engaged by the Met in 1955. He remained there until 1962, singing 69 performances of 14 roles, including Tristan, Erik, Walther, Canio, Manrico, and Parsifal. He left the Met to pursue a career as a Wagnerian tenor in Europe, but died in an automobile accident in Denmark in 1967. The young Da Costa, heard on these recordings, had just switched from baritone to tenor a year earlier, and although the recordings themselves are poor, one can get some idea of the potential of the voice. It was still a work in progress at the time of his death.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Albert Da Costa Concord Record Corporation – 3004 LP

Africana (Meyerbeer) O paradiso

Carmen (Bizet) La fleur

Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Plus blanche

Lohengrin (Wagner) In fernem Land

Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Morgenlich leuchtend

Otello (Verdi) Dio! mi potevi scagliar

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Un tal gioco

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vesti la giubba

Prophète (Meyerbeer) Versez que tout respire

Puritani (Bellini) Credeasi misera, da me tradita

Siegfried (Wagner) Nothung! Nothung! Neidliches Schwert

Walküre (Wagner) Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond

 

Albert Da Costa – Albert Da Costa Sings LP

Aida (Verdi) Se quel guerrier io fossi… Celeste Aida

Faust (Gounod) Salut demeure chaste e pure

Gioconda (Ponchielli) Cielo e mar

Juive (Halévy) Rachel, quand du Seigneur

Otello (Verdi) Esultate!

Otello (Verdi) Ora e per sempre addio

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) No, Pagliaccio non son

Prophète (Meyerbeer) Pour Bertha

Prophète (Meyerbeer) Roi du ciel