Description

EDWARD JOHNSON (AUGUST 22, 1878 GUELPH, ONTARIO, CANADA † APRIL 20, 1959 TORONTO, CANADA)

 

 

 

 

He began his musical journey as a child in the “Fife-and-Drum Band” and later studied piano and sang in the choir at the University of Toronto. He started his vocal education with Mrs. von Feilitsch in New York before continuing his studies with Vincenzo Lombardi in Florence.

In 1908, he sang the role of Niki in the American premiere of Oscar Straus’s Ein Walzertraum at the New York Broadway Theatre. He made his operatic debut under the name Edoardo Di Giovanni in 1912 at the Teatro Verdi in Padua, performing as Andrea Chénier in the opera by Ugo Giordano.

His career flourished in Italy, and he was engaged by La Scala in 1914, where he appeared in several important roles including Folco in Mascagni’s Isabeau and Walter in Catalani’s Loreley. Notably, he created the role of Parsifal in the Italian premiere at La Scala in 1914. He continued to be a leading tenor at La Scala until 1919.

He also performed in numerous premieres, including Vincenzo Tommasini’s Uguale Fortuna at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome in 1913, Ildebrando Pizzetti’s Fedra at La Scala in 1915, and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi in Rome in 1919. His repertoire included Siegfried and Tannhäuser.

He made guest appearances at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires in 1916, at the Teatro Real in Madrid in 1917, and with the British National Opera Company at Covent Garden in 1923 as Faust.

In the 1919-1922 seasons, he was active at the Chicago Opera, debuting as Loris in Fedora. He then had a successful career at the Metropolitan Opera from 1922 to 1935, making his debut as Avito in L’Amore dei tre Re by Montemezzi. His roles there included Pelléas in the first performance of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande in 1925, and he participated in the premieres of several operas including Deems Taylor’s The King’s Henchman and Peter Ibbetson, and Howard Hanson’s Merry Mount. In 1930, he appeared in the Metropolitan premiere of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sadko.

After the sudden death of Herbert Witherspoon in 1935, he became the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera. In 1950, he returned to Guelph, where he remained active in music through the University of Toronto.

His life and career are detailed in R. Mercer’s The Tenor of His Time (Toronto, 1976).

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Lassie o’ mine (Walt) 64930 B24173 Victor, Camden NJ 1920-10-13
2. Louise (Charpentier) Depuis longtemps 9293 CVE45615 Victor, New York 1928-06-08
3. Manon Lescaut (Puccini) Ah Manon, mi tradisce S61 42153 Columbia, Milano 1914
4. Mignon (Thomas) Elle ne croyait pas (Eng) B29001 Victor, Camden NJ 1923-11-08
5. Mother o’ mine (Tours) A1673 42187 Columbia, Milano 1914
6. O Canada (Lavallée) (w. male qt Croxton, Kinsey, Hart & Lawrie) 24005 BVE45612 Victor, New York 1928-06-07
7. O come with me in the summer night (van der Stucken) A1673 42198 Columbia, Milano 1914
8. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vesti la giubba 29002 CVE45266 Victor, Camden NJ 1928-06-11
9. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vesti la giubba 64840 B23457 Victor. Camden NJ 1919-11-07
10. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vesti la giubba S61 42154 Columbia, Milano 1914
11. Parsifal (Wagner) Il Santo Graal A5630 74741 Columbia, Milano 1914
12. Parsifal (Wagner) Soltanto un’ arma val A5630 74742 Columbia, Milano 1914
13. Someone worth while (Stephens) 693 B25366 Victor, Camden NJ 1921-06-23
14. Sunrise and you (Penn) 4088 BVE23759 Victor, New York 1928-06-07
15. Sunrise and you (Penn) 64864 B23759 Victor, Camden NJ 1920-03-06
16. The garden of sleep (de Lara) 502 74746 Columbia, Milano 1914
17. The Maple Leaf forever (Muir) (w. male qt Croxton, Kinsey, Hart & Lawrie) 24005 BVE45613 Victor, New York 1928-06-07
18. The want of you (Vanderpool) 64985 B25367 Victor, Camden NJ 1921-06-24
19. Tho’ shadows fall (MacDermid) 978 B29002 Victor, Camden NJ 1923-11-08