Description

HARRY LAMBERT MURPHY (SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, 1 APRIL 15, 1885 – HANCOCK, NEW HAMPSHIRE, JULY 25, 1954)

He was a Harvard University student and sang in a university choir. In 1908 he finished his scientific studies. On the advice of tenor Riccardo Martin he studied singing under Isadore Luckstone and Herbert Witherspoon. He became a soloist of St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York and appeared at the concert hall in 1908 with the Boston Festival Orchestra and the Handel and Haydn Society. His stage debut was in 1911 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as young sailor in “Tristan und Isolde” under Arturo Toscanini. A day after his debut, he participated at the Metropolitan Opera in the American premiere of the opera “Lobetanz” by Ludwig Thuille. Until 1914 he remained at the Metropolitan Opera, where he participated in various premieres: in 1912 in the American premiere of “Le Donne curiose” by Wolf Ferrari, in 1913 in the premiere of “Cyrano de Bergérac” by Damrosch, the same year in the first performance of the “Rosenkavalier”, in 1914 in the premiere of Charpentier’s “Julien” as a partner of Enrico Caruso and Frances Alda. After 1914 he appeared as a concert and oratorio singer and was one of the leading performers in North America. In the 1930’s he appeared in many concerts and especially valued as an evangelist in the passions of J. S. Bach; the Dutch oratorio singer Tom Denijs described him as the best evangelist he had ever heard. Around 1940, after a larynx surgery, he retired and since then worked as teacher at the Malkin Conservatory in Boston.

Chronology of some appearances

1911-1914 New York Metropolitan Opera

TRACKLIST

1. Africana (Meyerbeer) O paradiso Victor 70100
2. Boheme (Puccini) Ah! Mimi tu piu with Reinald Werrenrath Victor 60108
3. Die Meistersinger (Wagner) Walther’s Preislied Victor 70080
4. La Forza del Destino (Verdi) Solenne in quest’ora with Reinald Werrenrath Victor 70103
5. If this rose told you all it knows (Mahoney-Morse) Victor 17007-B
6. Chansonette (Paskman-Spaeth-Caesar-Friml) Victor 45395-A
7. Chimes of Normandy (Alfred Bryan-Jack Wells) Victor 45148-B
8. Darling (Arthur Jackson-Chris. Schonberg) Victor 45245-A
9. Dreams (James La Mont-Egbert Van Alstyne) Victor 45493-A
10. Good Night, Little Girl, Good Night (Julia M. Hays-J. C. Macy) Victor 45126-A
11. Kashmiri Song (Laurence Hope-Amy Woodforde-Finden) Victor 45106-B
12. Life and Love (Henry Blossom-Victor Herbert) Victor 45164-A
13. Lonesome – That’s All (Ben J. Bradley-Lee S. Roberts) Victor 45162-B
14. Lorna Doone (Arthur A. Penn-Frederick W. Vanderpool) Victor 45345-B
15. Love in lilac time (Douglas Furber-Jean Lensen) Victor 45245-B
16. Nearer, my God, to Thee (Adams-Mason) Victor 17029-A
17. Rose-Marie (Harbach-Hammerstein-Friml) Victor 45456-B
18. Smiles (J. Will Callahan-Lee S. Roberts) Victor 45155-A
19. Sylvia (Clinton Scollard-Oley Speaks) Victor 45249-B
20. Tell Me (J. Will Callahan-Max Kortlander) Victor 45171-A