Description

LENORA BEATRICE SPARKES (GLOUCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1878 – ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, JUNE 8, 1969)

She was born in 1878 in Gloucestershire, England to Jacob Sparkes and Elizabeth Mountain. Andreas Dippel heard her sing at Covent Garden and offered her a contract at the Metropolitan Opera in 1908.

She appeared in the American premiere of Boris Godunov at the Metropolitan Opera as Tsarevna Xenia Borisovna of Russia on March 19, 1913 with Arturo Toscanini conducting.

She sang with Enrico Caruso three times, including in the Met’s production of Aida in 1913. Her career was primarily spent in London and New York, but she also sang in Paris.

She died in Erie, Pennsylvania aged 90.

TRACKLIST

1. Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Ave Maria 92102 Pathé, London 1912/1913
2. Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Barcarole (w. Herwin) 92100 Pathé, London 1912/1913
3. Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Romance, act 3 92098 Pathé, London 1912/1913
4. Rigoletto (Verdi) Quartet (w. Herwin, Cheetham & Baker) 78857 Pathé, London 1910/1911
5. Trovatore (Verdi) Miserere (w. Cheetham) 78856 Pathé, London 1910/1911
6. Venetian song (Tosti) (w. Herwin) 92103 Pathé, London 1912/1913
7. Zauberflöte (Mozart) Du also bist mein Bräutigam (w. Gadski, Case & Mattfeld) 88441 C13131-3 Victor, New York 1913-04-16