Description

MARIO CHAMLEE (LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, MAY 29, 1892 – LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, NOVEMBER 13, 1966)

 

 

 

 

His real name was Archer Cholmondeley. He began his studies in science at the University of Southern California before turning to singing, which he studied under Achille Alberti in Los Angeles. He made his debut in 1916 in Los Angeles as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor. After further vocal training with Sibella and Dellera in New York, he embarked on a tour with the Aborn Opera Company in 1917, adopting the stage name Mario Rodolfi. His partner on this tour was the soprano Ruth Miller (1892–1983), who performed under the name Francesca Milena. The two married in 1919.

From 1917 to 1919, he served as a soldier in World War I. Upon returning to the United States, he sang with the Scotti Opera Company during the 1919–20 season. In 1920, he was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York, making his debut as Cavaradossi in Tosca. He was active at the Met during the 1920–21 season and again from 1927–28. During this time, he also performed in San Francisco (1927 and 1931) and appeared annually at the Ravinia Summer Opera in Chicago from 1921 to 1931.

From 1928 to 1936, he performed extensively in Europe, primarily at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, but also in Brussels, Liège, Lille, Bordeaux, Nice, the Vienna Volksoper, and the German Theatre in Prague. In 1933, he appeared at the Chicago Opera. From 1936 to 1939, he returned to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he sang in the premieres of R. Hageman’s Caponsacchi (1937) and G. Menotti’s Amelia Goes to the Ball (1938).

In 1940, he retired from the stage and, alongside his wife, dedicated himself to teaching voice in Los Angeles.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

Il duca di Mantova 6/5/1920, B. F. Pinkerton 4/4/1922, 12/12/1922, Il duca di Mantova 2/6/1923, Uin-San-Lui 11/27/1923, Rodolfo 2/26/1924, B. F. Pinkerton 1/13/1925, Il duca di Mantova 6/5/1926, B. F. Pinkerton 3/8/1927, Hoffmann 2/14/1928, Jeník 12/22/1936, L’amante 3/3/1938, 3/8/1938, 1/11/1939 (in Filadelfia)

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

 A dream (Bartlett) 10223 E18219-E18221 Brunswick, New York City, 1926

A perfect day (Jacobs-Bond) 10002 2611 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Africana (Meyerbeer) O Paradiso! 15040 9601 Brunswick, New York City, January 1923

Africana (Meyerbeer) O Paradiso! 15111A E18178 Brunswick, New York City, 1926

Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod) 50155 XE27473 Brunswick, New York City, 4 May 1928

Bohème (Puccini) Che gelida manina 50075 XE18273-XE18275 Brunswick, New York City, 1926

Bohemian Girl (Balfe) Then you’ll remember me 10227 E17918 Brunswick, New York City, 1927

Call me no more (Cadman) 10111 10465-10466 Brunswick, New York City, April 1923

Carmen (Bizet) Il fior che avevi a me tu dato (on the label as Mario Rodolfi) 7106 Lyric, New York City, 1917

Carmen (Bizet) La fleur que tu m’avais jetée 30018 11660 Brunswick, New York City, 1921

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Brindisi 15056 10205-10206 Brunswick, New York City, 28 March 1923

Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni) O Lola 10008 3016-3017 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Don Pasquale (Donizetti) Com’è gentil 15194 E28483-A Brunswick, New York City, 19 October 1928

Dream on (Herbert) 10158  14758-14759 Brunswick, New York City, 30 January 1925

Dreams dimly lying (Roxas) 10115 12176-12177 Brunswick, New York City, 1923

Dreams of long ago (Caruso) 10040 11475 Brunswick, New York City, May 1921

Dreams of long ago (Caruso) 15161 E22781-E22783 Brunswick, New York City, 1927

E’en as the Flower From the Poem, The Passion Flower (Blackburn) 10224A E18063-E18065 Brunswick, New York City, 23 February 1926

Élégie (Massenet) 10003 2980 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Élégie (Massenet) 50155 XE27474 Brunswick, New York City, 4 May 1928

Elisir d’amore (Donizetti) Una furtiva lagrima (on the label as Mario Rodolfi) 7102 6143-1 Lyric, New York City, 1917

Elisir d’amore (Donizetti) Una furtiva lagrima 50030 X9928 Brunswick, New York City, 15 February 1923

Faust (Gounod) Laisse-moi (w. Easton) 50157 XE28460-A Brunswick, New York City, 8 October 1928

Faust (Gounod) Salut, demeure 50030 X10114-X10115 Brunswick, New York City, 15 March 1923

For you alone (Geehl) 10000 11477 Brunswick, New York City, May 1921

For you alone (Geehl) 15161 E23572-E23573 Brunswick, New York City, 1927

Forgotten (Cowles) 10223 E17998-E18000 Brunswick, New York City, 1926

Forza del destino (Verdi) Solenne in quest’ora (on the label as Mario Rodolfi, and John Charles Thomas as Enrico Martini) 7106 Lyric, New York City, 1917

Forza del destino (Verdi) Solenne in quest’ora (w. Bonelli) 50142 XE27552-A Brunswick, New York City, 15 May 1928

Fra Diavolo (Auber) On yonder rock reclining 10227 E17914-E17917 Brunswick, New York City, 1926

Fra Diavolo (Auber) On yonder rock reclining 10227 E17916 Brunswick, New York City, 1927

Gioconda (Ponchielli) Cielo e mar 15056 10361-10362 Brunswick, New York City, April 1923

Give me one rose to remember (Grey) 10201 15753-15756 Brunswick, New York City, April 1925

Goin’ home (Dvořák-Fisher) 10212 XE17361-XE17363 Brunswick, New York City, 1925

Hosanna (Granier) 30110 X14840 Brunswick, New York City, 6 February 1925

I look into your garden (Haydn Wood) 10201 15757-15758 Brunswick, New York City, April 1925

I love you so (Robinson) 10217 E17720-E17722 Brunswick, New York City, 1926

Ideale (Tosti) 15213 E27322 Brunswick, New York City, 10 April 1928

In a Persian garden (Liza Lehmann) Ah, moon of my delight 30103 X11437-X11438 Brunswick, New York City, 1922 or 1923

Jocelyn (Godard) Berceuse with Max Rosen violin 10126 13668-13670 Brunswick, New York City, 4 August 1924

L’alba separa dalla luce l’ombra (Tosti) 50020 X9091 Brunswick, New York City, October 1922

Le crucifix (Faure) (w. J. C. Thomas) A62593 E15632 Brunswick, New York City, April 1925

Liebestraum (Liszt) 30113 X18001-X18003 Brunswick, New York City, 1926

Lolita (Buzzi-Peccia) 10109 9355 Brunswick, New York City, December 1922

Lolita (Buzzi-Peccia) 15207 E27323 Brunswick, New York City, 10 April 1928

Love is mine (Gartner) 10033 5350 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Manon (Massenet) Ah fuyez 50075 XE18304-XE18305 Brunswick, New York City, 1926

Manon (Massenet) En fermant les yeux 15040 9603-9604 Brunswick, New York City, January 1923

Manon (Massenet) Le Reve 15111B E18223 Brunswick, New York City, 1926

Marchéta (Schertzinger) 10101 13744 Brunswick, New York City, 14 August 1924

Martha (Flotow) Like a Dream 10016 3891 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Martha (Flotow) Solo profugo (w. Bonelli) 50142 XE27553-A Brunswick, New York City, 15 May 1928

Mattinata (Leoncavallo) 10109 9359 Brunswick, New York City, December 1922

Mattinata (Leoncavallo) 15207 E27566 Brunswick, New York City, 18 May 1928

Me neenyah (Spencer) 10158 14659-14661 Brunswick, New York City, 30 January 1925

Memory Lane (Conrad-Spier) 10101 13824 Brunswick, New York City, 19 September 1924

Mignon (Thomas) Adieu, Mignon 50141 XE27222-XE27223 Brunswick, New York City, 1928

Mignon (Thomas) Elle ne croyait pas 50141 XE27120 XE27119-XE27120 Brunswick, New York City, 1928

Millions d’Arlequin (Drigo) Moonlight shining bright 10121 13637-13639 Brunswick, New York City, 29 July 1924

Mon gentil Pierrot (Leoncavallo) 15178 E27435 Brunswick, New York City, 26 April 1928

Moon Dream Shore (Dick-Lockhart) 10117B 12561 Brunswick, New York City, February 1924

My dearest enemy (Rodgers) Here in my arms 10124 E17601-E17603 Brunswick, New York City, 4 August 192

My dreams (Tosti) 10107 7520-7521 Brunswick, New York City, February 1922

My dreams (Tosti) 10230 E18301-E18303 Brunswick, New York City, 1927

O dry those tears (del Riego) 30104 X13635 Brunswick, New York City, 29 July 1924

O holy night (Adam) 10045 6650-6651 Brunswick, New York City, October or November 1921

‘O sole mio (Di Capua) 10042 5686-5687 Brunswick, New York City, May 1921

On the road to Mandalay (Speaks) 30104 X13321 Brunswick, New York City, 13 June 1924

Open the gates of the temple (Knapp) 30110 X14842 Brunswick, New York City, 6 February 1925

Out of the Dusk to You (Lamb-Lee) 10117A 12622 Brunswick, New York City, early March 1924

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vesti la giubba 10005 3007 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vesti la giubba 15134 E23570-E23571 Brunswick, New York City, 1927

Paquita (Buzzi-Peccia) 15213 E27420 Brunswick, New York City, 25 April 1928

Paquita (Serenata Spagnola) 10126 13666 Brunswick, New York City, 4 August 1924

Parted (Tosti) 10107 7719 Brunswick, New York City, March 1922

Parted (Tosti) 10230 XE18276-XE18278 Brunswick, New York City, 1927

Pleading (Kramer) 10224B E18173 Brunswick, New York City, 23 February 1926.

Rigoletto (Verdi) La donna è mobile 10049 6866 Brunswick, New York City, October or November 1921

Rigoletto (Verdi) La donna è mobile 15194 E28490 Brunswick, New York City, 28 October 1928

Rigoletto (Verdi) Questa o quella 10014 3649 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Santa Lucia (trad) A62570 3889 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Si vous l’aviez compris (Denza) 15178 E27292 Brunswick, New York City, 5 April 1928

Thank God for a garden (del Riego) 10026 4755-4756 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

The last hour (Kramer) 10115  12178-12179 Brunswick, New York City, 1923

Tosca (Puccini) E lucevan le stelle (on the label as Mario Rodolfi) 7102 6111-2 Lyric, New York City, 1917

Tosca (Puccini) E lucevan le stelle 10024 3647 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Tosca (Puccini) E lucevan le stelle 15134 E23567-E23569 Brunswick, New York City, 10 June 1927

Tosca (Puccini) Recondita armonia 10020 4103 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Traviata (Verdi) Parigi o cara (w. Easton) 50157 XE28459-A Brunswick, New York City, 8 October 1928

Triste ritorno! (Barthélemy) 50020 X9087 Brunswick, New York City, October 1922

Trovatore (Verdi) Ai nostri monti (w. Onegin) 15093 12632 Brunswick, New York City, 5 March 1924

Trovatore (Verdi) Mal reggendo (w. Onegin) 15093 12634 Brunswick, New York City, 5 March 1924

Vagabond king (Rodgers) Only a rose 10124 E17460-E17462 Brunswick, New York City, 4 August 1924

When my ships come sailing home (Dorel) 50040 X11618 Brunswick, New York City, 1922 or 1923

Who knows (Ball) 10006 3893 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Will that dear one be you (Schuler) 10217 E17723-E17725 Brunswick, New York City, 1926

Your eyes have told me (O’Hara) 10018 4060 Brunswick, New York City, 1920

Your voice (Quirke) 10111 10467-10469 Brunswick, New York City, April 1923