Description

TUDOR DAVIES (CYMMER, NEAR PORTH, SOUTH WALES, 12, NOVEMBER, 1892 – LONDON, ENGLAND 2, APRIL, 1958)

 

 

 

 

He studied in Cardiff and at the Royal College of Music in London. During World War I, he served as an engineer in the Royal Navy. After the war, he toured the United States, Canada, and Australia, sharing the stage with Maggie Teyte. He then returned to Britain, where he performed with the British National Opera Company, Sadler’s Wells Opera, and the Carl Rosa Opera Company.

In 1922 at Covent Garden, he sang Rodolfo opposite Dame Nellie Melba’s Mimi in La bohème. His repertoire included leading tenor roles from the Italian, French, and German operas, such as Lohengrin, Tamino, Florestan, Faust, Don José, and the Duke of Mantua. He also appeared in English operas, including Dame Ethel Smyth’s Fête Galante and Arthur Benjamin’s The Devil Take Her.

He created the title role in Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Hugh the Drover in 1924, and performed in the opera’s United States premiere with the Washington National Opera in 1928. He also created the role of Prince Hal in Gustav Holst’s At the Boar’s Head in 1925.

In 1938, he sang the title role in Giuseppe Verdi’s Don Carlos at its first performance in England and appeared in the first Sadler’s Wells performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Snow Maiden. Later in his career, he focused mainly on concert singing and teaching in Cardiff.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1922 London Covent Garden

1924 His Majesty’s Theatre

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Aida (Verdi) Celeste Aida 5040 Scala, London 1921/1922
2. Because (d’Hardelot) Coliseum 1478 Scala, London 1922-02
3. Carmen (Bizet) Flower song D739 (2-02009) HMV, London 1923-06-28
4. 5. Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) What then, Santuzza, pt 2 (w. Austral & Jones) D840 (04346), D840 (04347) HMV, London 1924-02-15
5. Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Legend of Kleinsack D654 (02964) HMV, London 1922-08-28
6. Faust (Gounod) All hail thou dwelling D739 (2-02008) HMV, London 1923-06-28
7. Favorita (Donizetti) Spirit so fair E264 (5-2607) HMV, London 1922-08-24
8. Forza del destino (Verdi) O thou that now with angels fair D707 (02993) HMV, London 1922-08-24
9. Gondoliers (Sullivan) Take a pair of sparkling eyes Coliseum 1464 Scala, London 1921-07?
10. Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast (Coleridge-Taylor) Onaway, awake beloved D1142 (2-02184) HMV, London 1926-07-19
11. In a Persian Garden (Liza Lehmann) Ah moon of my delight D1283 (2-02229) HMV, London 1927-06-15
12. Judas Maccabaeus (Händel) Sound an alarm D972 (2-02083) HMV, London 1924-07-18
13. Kathleen Mavourneen (Crouch) Coliseum 1458 Scala, London 1922-02
14. King Olaf (Elgar) And King Olaf heard the cry D723 (02998) HMV, London 1923-03-12
15. Little garden mine Coliseum 1378 Scala, London 1921-03
16. Lohengrin (Wagner) By silent hearth… Breathest thou not (Love duet, pt 2) (w. Austral) D931 (3-0869), D931 (3-0867) HMV, London 1922-09-07, 1922-12-14
17. Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Child from whose eyes… They say that in your country (w. Buckman) D897 (04357), D897 (04358) HMV, London 1924-04-04