Description

JAMES MELTON (MOULTRIE, GEORGIA, JANUARY 2, 1904 – NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 21, 1961)

 

 

 

 

He studied at the Universities of Florida and Georgia and played the saxophone in a dance band as a student, then studied singing with Gaetano de Luca in Nashville and later with Enrico Rosati in New York. In 1927 he joined the cabaret troupe Roxy’s Gang. Then he toured America and Europe with the male quartet The Revellers, formed by bassist Wilfred Glenn, where he sang second tenor. After studying again with Michael Raucheisen in Berlin, he gave his first serious concert in New York’s Town Hall in 1932. In the years that followed he became known as a radio singer, where he also performed light music. In 1938 he made his stage debut as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly in Cincinnati. In the 1938-1939 season he was a member of the San Carlo Opera Company. In the 1940-1942 seasons he sang with great success at the Chicago Opera. Here he appeared as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor (along with Lily Pons), as Lyonel in Martha and as Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly (his particular starring role, which he sang in Chicago with Helen Jepson as Butterfly). In 1942 he became a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York (debut: Tamino in “Zauberflöte”), where he was engaged until 1950 and performed roles including Pinkerton, Alfredo in “Traviata”, Wilhelm Meister in “Mignon” and Don Ottavio in “Don Giovanni”. He also took part in music films in Hollywood.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Carmen (Bizet) La fleur Victor 10-1329-B 1947
2. Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Ave Maria Victor 13593-B 1941
3. Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Siciliana Victor 18365-A 1942
4. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg (Wagner) Preislied Victor 11-8931-B 1945
5. Don Giovanni (Mozart) Il mio tesoro Victor 11-8929-A 1945
6. Lohengrin (Wagner) In fernem land Victor 11-8931-A 1945
7. Manon (Massenet) Ah! fuyez, douce image Victor 11-8930-B 1945
8. Manon (Massenet) Le rêve Victor 11-8930-A 1945
9. Martha (Flotow) M’appari Victor 10-1329-A 1947
10. Paganini (Lehár) Love is like a breeze in may Victor 11-8224-B 1943
11. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) O Columbina Victor 18365-B 1942
12. The Magic Flute (Mozart) O image angel-Like and fair! Victor 11-8929-B 1945
13. Tosca (Puccini) E lucevan le stelle Victor 10-1357-B 1948
14. Tosca (Puccini) Recondita armonia Victor 10-1357-A 1948