Description

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

The singer’s father and mother were originally from Scotland. His father worked in a spinning mill in Dublin. John McCormack began his training with Vincent O’Brien in Dublin in 1902, became a member of the Palestrina Choir of Dublin Cathedral, and won a singing competition in Dublin in the same year. At that competition, his future wife, Lily Foley, won a prize for sopranos. In 1904, he sang at the World’s Fair in St. Louis in the Irish Village with the soprano Marie Narelle. After further training with Vincenzo Sabbatini in Milan, he made his debut in 1906 under the name Giovanni Foli at the City Theater of Savona as the title role in L’Amico Fritz by P. Mascagni.

In 1907, he gave successful concerts in London and made his debut at Covent Garden Opera in London as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. From then on, he was highly successful in America as well. In 1910, he was a member of the Chicago-Philadelphia Opera Company and made his debut that same year, once again as Alfredo (this time with Nellie Melba), at the New York Metropolitan Opera, where he was also a member from 1912 to 1914 and again in the 1917-1918 season. He only appeared six times at the Metropolitan Opera over five seasons but performed more frequently at the Chicago and Boston operas.

In 1911, he created the role of Paul Merrill in the world premiere of Victor Herbert’s opera Natoma in Philadelphia. That same year, he joined an opera company for a tour of Australia with the famous soprano Nellie Melba. In 1912, McCormack embarked on a major international concert tour and became widely celebrated in concert halls worldwide.

During World War I, he was an advocate for Irish independence and reduced his stage appearances. He performed occasionally, including at the Monte Carlo Opera in 1921 and 1923, and in the 1923 premiere of a new adaptation of M. Mussorgsky’s The Sorochintsy Fair. In 1919, he became a naturalized American citizen and was later appointed a Papal Count.

At the closing event of the World Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 1932, he sang Panis Angelicus by César Franck. He donated large sums of money from his fortune to charitable institutions of the Catholic Church. McCormack gave his farewell concert in London in 1938, though he continued to appear on Irish radio during World War II.

From the 1920s, he resided in his Irish homeland on a country estate near Dublin. Over his career, McCormack sang a total of 21 operatic roles, most notably as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, the Duke in Rigoletto, Elvino in La Sonnambula, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Rodolfo in La Bohème.

Lit.: J. McCormack, John McCormack: His Life Story (1919); R. Foxall, John McCormack (1963); G.R. Ledbetter, The Great Irish Tenor (London, 1977).

TRACKLIST

1. A dream (Bartlett) 64434 B14676 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-07
2. A little bit of Heaven (Ball) 64543 B16764 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-11-10
3. Adeste fidelis (trad) (w. chorus Hooley, Macdonough & Werrenrath) 74436 C15849 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-03-31
4. Aida (Verdi) O terra addio (w. Marsh) 74398 C14694 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-09
5. Angel’s serenade (Braga) (violin Kreisler) 88479 C14623 Victor, New York 1914-03-25
6. Ave Maria (Cavalleria Rusticana) (Mascagni) (violin Kreisler) 87192 B14652 Victor, New York 1914-03-31
7. Ave Maria (Gounod) (violin Kreisler) 88481 C14624 Victor, New York 1914-03-31
8. Ave Maria (Schubert) (violin Kreisler) 88484 C14633 Victor, New York 1914-03-25
9. Avourneen (King) 64431 B14673 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-07
10. Beautiful Isle of Somewhere (Fearis) 64428 B14669 Victor, Camden, NJ 1914-04-06
11. Because (d’Hardelot) 64430 B14671 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-07
12. Ben Bolt (Kneass) 64433 B14675 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-07
13. Bohème (Puccini) O soave fanciulla (w. Bori) 87512 B14658 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-08
14. Bohemian Girl (Balfe) Then you’ll remember me 64599 B14677 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-07
15. Bonnie wee thing (Lehmann) 64427 B14668 Victor, Camden, NJ 1914-04-06
16. Calm as the night (Bohm) (violin Kreisler) 87233 B16093 Victor, New York 1915-06-10
17. Carmé (arr de Curtis) (violin Kreisler) 87231 B16091 Victor, New York 1915-06-10
18. Come into the garden, Maud (Balfe) 74434 C15846 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-03-30
19. Come where my love lies dreaming (Foster) (w. chorus) 64423 B14678 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-08
20. Evening song (Hadley) 64496 B15838 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-03-30
21. Flirtation (Das Fensterln) (Meyer-Helmund) (violin Kreisler) 87232 B16092 Victor, New York 1915-06-10
22. Forgotten (Cowles) 64546 B16760 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-11-10
23. Funiculì, funiculà (Denza) (w. chorus) 64437 B14679 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-08
24. God’s hand (arr Hoffman) 64548 B16763 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-11-10
25. Golden love (Wellings) 64429 B14670 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-07
26. It’s a long way to Tipperary (Williams) 64476 B15415 Victor, New York 1914-11-23
27. Jocelyn (Godard) Angels guard thee (violin Kreisler) 88483 C14626 Victor, New York 1914-03-25
28. Le Nil (Leroux) (violin Kreisler) 88482 C14625 Victor, New York 1914-03-25
29. Lily of Killarney (Benedict) The moon hath raised her lamp above (w. Werrenrath) 64440 B14693 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-09
30. Marriage Market (Löhr) Little grey home in the West 64425 B14666 Victor, Camden, NJ 1914-04-06
31. Mary of Argyle (Nelson) 64432 B14674 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-07
32. Mavis (Craxton) 64407 B15420 Victor, New York 1914-11-23
33. Morning (Speaks) 64498 B15847 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-03-30
34. My wild Irish rose (Olcott) 64426 B14667 Victor, Camden, NJ 1914-04-06
35. Rigoletto (Verdi) Bella figlia dell’amore (w. Bori, Jacoby & Werrenrath) 89080 C14657 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-08
36. Serenade (Schubert) (violin Kreisler) 87191 B14651 Victor, New York 1914-03-31
37. Serenata (Moszkowski) (violin Kreisler) 87230 B16090 Victor, New York 1915-06-10
38. Sing, sing, birds on the wing (Nutting) 64532 B16762 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-11-10
39. Somewhere a voice is calling (Tate) 64405 B15419 Victor, New York 1914-11-23
40. The trumpeter (Dix) 74432 C15845 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-03-30
41. The vacant chair (Root) (w. chorus Hooley, Macdonough & Werrenrath) 64499 B15417 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-03-31
42. Traviata (Verdi) Parigi o cara (w. Bori) 88453 C14686 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-04-08
43. Turn Ye to me (Old Scotch air, arr Hopekirk) 74435 C15848 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-03-30
44. Until (Sanderson) 64495 B15844 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-03-30
45. Venetian song (Tosti) 64549 B16765 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-11-10
46. When my ships come sailing home (Dorel) 74428 C15839 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-03-29
47. When the dew is falling (Schneider) 64497 B15850 Victor, Camden NJ 1915-03-31
48. Who knows (Ball) 64424 B14665 Victor, Camden, NJ 1914-04-06