Description

MARCELLE DENYA (MARCELLE MARIE ÉMILIE JOSÉPHINE DOGNON) (ANGOULÊME, NOVEMBER 25, 1896 – ? 1971)

 

 

 

 

A student of the renowned Felia Litvinne in Paris, she made her debut at the Paris Opéra in 1923 as Nedda in Pagliacci, remaining there for ten years and enjoying great popularity. In 1924, she sang in the world premieres of Max d’Olonne’s L’Arlequin and Charles-Marie Widor’s Nerto. In 1927, she appeared as Liù in the French premiere of Puccini’s Turandot.

From 1931 onward, she also performed at the Opéra-Comique and took part in classic French operettas at various theaters in the French capital. At the Grand Opéra, her roles included Stéphano in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Papagena and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Hilda in Reyer’s Sigurd, the Princesse in Henri Rabaud’s Marouf, and Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust.

At the Opéra-Comique, she was heard as Manon in Massenet’s opera, as Rozenn in Lalo’s Le Roi d’Ys, as Micaëla in Carmen, as Mimì in La Bohème, and as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly.

In 1936, she appeared at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. At the 1937 Salzburg Festival, she gave a recital of Mozart arias. In 1938, she undertook concert tours in the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries, and in 1940 she sang to great acclaim at New York’s Town Hall. Her success there was such that she remained in North America, establishing herself as a sought-after concert soprano.

In 1941, she appeared at the Montreal Festival in a concert performance of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande and in Fauré’s Requiem. After World War II, she visited France but continued to reside in New York.

Recordings: HMV (1924); Columbia (1930, including arias from Turandot); and 1941 Victor recordings from the Montreal Festival, offering interpretations of exceptional beauty.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

Agnus Dei Part 1 (Mozart) 18512-A Victor

Agnus Dei (concluded) (Mozart) 18512-B Victor

La Marseillaise (de Lisle) O-178-2 GCP O178-2 ACP Columbia

Les Brigands (Offenbach) Falsacappa, voici ma prise RF 40 L 3024 Columbia

Madame Butterfly (Puccini) Sur la mer calmée EP 917 P 80117 z Ultraphon

Marche Lorraine (Ganne) O-179-2 GCP O179-2 ACP Columbia

Noces de Figaro (Mozart) Air de Chérubin D 15077 Columbia

Noces de Figaro (Mozart) Mon coeur soupire D 15077 Columbia

Requiem, Op. 48: IV. Pie Jesu (Fauré) 18298-B M 844-6 Victor

Tosca (Puccini) D’art et d’amour P 80118-Z-1 EP 917 Ultraphon

Turandot (Puccini) Toi, froide et fiere statue D 1645 Columbia

Turandot (Puccini) Un si grand et secret amour D 1645 Columbia