Description

JOSEPH O’MARA (LIMERICK, IRELAND, 16 JULY, 1864 – DUBLIN, 5 AUGUST, 1927)

 

 

 

 

He received his education among other things by Moratti in Milan. He made his debut at the Royal English Opera House in London (1891) in the title role of the opera ”Ivanhoe” of Sullivan. In the 1894-95 season he appeared with great success at the Drury Lane Theatre like at the Covent Garden in London in which he performed still in 1910. Then he became the leading tenor of the Moody Manners Opera Company. In the 1902-04 seasons he undertook as a member of the Beecham Opera Company tours through the English cities. Later he founded own opera troop under the name O’Mara Opera Company which real star singer was he himself. He counted as an excellent Wagner’s interpreter, however, his extensive repertoire contained more than 70 stage roles. In 1896 he created in the premiere of the opera ”Shamus O’Brien” of Charles Stanford in London the title role. In 1926 he retired from the stage.

 

 

 

BARTON MCGUCKIN (DUBLIN, IRELAND, 1852 – STOKE POGES, ENGLAND, 1913)

 

 

 

 

He began as a choirboy in Armagh Cathedral where he studied singing, organ, violin and the piano. In 1871 he became the first tenor at St. Patrick’s Catherdral in Dublin where he was a pupil of Sir Joseph Robinson. He appeared in the Crystal Palace concerts in 1875 and went to Milan to study with Trevulsi. In 1880 he bagan with the Carla Rosa Opera Company and remained with them at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane until 1887. He achieved great success both at singing and acting and created several important roles in A. Goring Thomas’s ”Esmeralda”, Alexandra McKenzie’s ”Colomba” and Massenet’s ”Manon”. He began a 2-year tour of the USA in 1887. At the end of 1888 Barton returned to London to perform in Hubert Parry’s oratorio Judith. In 1892 he was called to perform in ”Damnation of Faust” by H. Berlioz, when the Halle Orchestra gave two concert performances in London. He then went on to take the title role in Arthur Sullivan’s ”Ivanhoe”. McGuckin’s other principal roles were in ”Lohengrin”, in ”Faust” (Gounod), as Don José (Carmen) and Eleazar in Halévy’s ”La Juive”. McGuckin continued to sing into the early 20th century, and made several recordings. He sang at the Philharmonic and Monday Popular Concerts, and at provincial festivals. In 1905 he became director of an amateur operatic society inDublin, and was conductor of orchestral concerts at the Irish Exhibition of 1908.

 

 

 

JOHN O’SULLIVAN (CORK, IRELAND, 29 OCTOBER, 1877 – FRANCE, PARIS, 28 APRIL, 1955)

 

 

 

 

Since 1899 he studied at the Paris Conservatory with Masson. In 1900 he made his debut as comprimario at the Opéra Populaire at the Théâtre de la République in G. Verdi’s ‘’Traviata’’. In 1908 he sang in R. Wagner’s ‘’Tannhauser’’ at the Lyric Theatre in London. Then he made guest appearances in Birmingham, Halifax, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Middlesborough, Hull, Bolton. In 1910 O’Sullivan made his french debut at Toulouse in G. Verdi’s ‘’Rigoletto’’. In 1914 he made his debut at Paris Opera, this time appearing in E. Reyer’s ‘’Sigurd’’. Cleofonte Campanini engaged him for the 1918-1919 season in Chicago. After a successful ‘Gli Ugonotti’’ in Rouen in 1918 he sailed to America for the second time. In the same year in Chicago he performed as Arnoldo in G. Rossini’s ‘’Guglielmo Tell’’ with great success. In 1920 O’Sullivan appeared for the first time in Bordeaux at the Grand Théâtre in ‘’Gli Ugonotti’’. He started his italian career in 1922 appearing for the firs time at the Teatro Lirico in Milan. O’Sullivan sang also in England, Egypt, Portugal, Spain and South America (Rosario, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santos, Sante Fe). He retired in 1943 and died in Paris from prostate cancer.

 

 

 

JOHN MCCORMACK (ATHLONE, COUNTY WESTMEATH, IRELAND, 14 JUNE, 1884 – BOOTERSTOWN, DUBLIN, IRELAND, 16 SEPTEMBER, 1945)

 

 

 

 

He began his singing career within the Roman Catholic Church in Dublin, Ireland. In 1902 he became a member of the Palestrina Choir of Dublin’s Cathedral, where he received lessons from the choirmaster, Vincent O’Brien. In 1903 he won the gold medal in the tenor section of the Feis Ceoil (National Music Festival) in Dublin, and began making concert appearances there. John McCormack first sang in the USA at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904. That same year he commenced making recordings. Afterwards he had private vocal studies with Vincenzo Sabatini in Milan (1905). His excellent musicianship and promising voice quality landed him his first stage appearance at the early age of 21 under the name Giovanni Foli in the role of Fritz in L’Amico Fritz in Savona (January 1906). Shortly after, he made went to London, where he began appearing in concerts in 1907. In October 1907, he made his Covent Garden debut in the roles of Turrid in Cavalleria Rusticana, the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni. Subsequently he sang there during the 1908-1914 summer seasons in such roles as Edgardo, the Duke in Rigoletto, Rodolfo, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Pinkerton, Charles Gounod’s Romeo, Cavaradossi, and Elvino. In 1909 John McCormack made his Italian debut as Alfredo in La Traviata at San Carlos, Naples. Immediately following his Italian performance, he made his USA operatic debut as Alfredo in La Traviata at the Manhattan Opera House (November 1909), a role he also chose for his Metropolitan Opera debut in New York (November 1910), remaining on the company’s roster until 1911 and returning from 1912 to 1914 and from 1917 to 1919. He also sang with the Chicago Opera (1910-1911). After World War I, he made few appearances in opera, giving his last performance as Gritzko in Mussorgsky’s The Fair at Sorocbinsk in Monte Carlo in March 1923. John McCormack was best known for his ability as a concert performer, always performing to sold-out houses. One season, he was noted for his whopping 95 concerts performed across the country. With this kind of exposure and popularity, it is no surprise that his recording catalogue spans over 30 years. In 13 of those years, he grossed well over five-million dollars, and when his record royalties exceeded even those of the great Enrico Caruso, he was warned by his Neapolitan friend to never let this happen again!

John McCormack’s warm reception from the American audiences prompted his application for American citizenship in 1914. This action, coupled with his strong support of the Irish cause, cost him the support of the British public during World War I. He became a naturalized USA citizen in 1919. After an absence of 10 years, he made a triumphant return to England at a Queen’s Hall Concert in London in 1924. In subsequent years he pursued a far-flung concert career with enormous success, although his vocal powers began to Wane about 1930. He made his farewell to the USA in Buffalo in March 1937. He gave his last concert in London at the Royal Albert Hall in November 1938. At the outbreak of World War II (1939), he came out of retirement to aid the Red Cross. He sang on the radio; continued to make recordings until 1942. He received a number of honours, including being made a Papal Count by Pope Pius XI in 1928. He was also honoured by composer Victor Herbert to create the role of Lieutenant Paul Merrill in his opera Natoma. In 1915 he published his autobiography, “John McCormack: His life story.”

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Joseph O’Mara Shamus O’Brien (Stanford): Ochone! When I used to be young 2-2567 1229b G&T, London 1901
2. Joseph O’Mara An April Birthday (Ronald) (pf: Ronald) 2-2061 4143a G&T, London 1902-03?
3. Joseph O’Mara Friend and Lover (Ronald) (pf: Ronald) 2-2062 4144a G&T, London 1902-03?
4. Barton McGuckin Avenging and bright (Moore) X-42279 Zonophone, London 1905-02-25
5. John O’Sullivan Carmen (Bizet): Flower song 096 Unpublished APGA
6. John O’Sullivan Lohengrin (Wagner): Récit du Graal 07 Unpublished APGA
7. John O’Sullivan Roméo et Juliette (Massenet): Cavatine 06 Unpublished APGA
8. John O’Sullivan Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Recitar 08 Unpublished APGA
9. John O’Sullivan Otello (Verdi): Esultate…Ora per sempre D5374, 70601 Columbia/Cigale, Milano 1922 (late)
10. John O’Sullivan Guglielmo Tell (Rossini): O muto asil D4942 70609 Columbia/Cigale, Milano 1922 (late)
11. John McCormack Manon (Massenet): Il Sogno Victor 64312 B12764
12. John McCormack Mefistofele (Boito): Dai campi, dai prati Gramophone 7-52033 DA498
13. John McCormack La fille du régiment (Donizetti): Pour me rapprocher de Marie Victor 74221 C8739
14. John McCormack Faust (Gounod): Salve dimora Gramophone 2-052028 DB634
15. John McCormack Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Prize sing HMV DB329 VB7
16. John McCormack Lucia di Lamermoor (Donizetti): Tu che a Dio spiegasti l’ali Victor 88249 C8740
17. John McCormack When night descends (Rachmaninov) HMV DA457
18. John McCormack O cease thy singing, maiden fair (Rachmaninov) HMV DA457
19. John McCormack Calm as the Night (Mattullath) Victor 87233
20. John McCormack Flirtation (Meyer-Helmund) Victor 87232