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8.111141 VERDI: : VERDI: : 1 Pace, pace, mio Dio 4:37 ! Miserere 4:30 GREAT SINGERS • PONSELLE 17th January 1928; CVE 29060-8 (Victor 6875 A) with , , ADD and the Metropolitan Chorus VERDI: La forza del destino: 23rd January 1928; CVE 41637-1 (Victor 8097 A) 2 Pace, pace, mio Dio 4:42 17th January 1928; CVE 29060-9 VERDI: Il trovatore: (unpublished on 78 rpm) @ Miserere 4:28 with Giovanni Martinelli, tenor, Rosa VERDI: and the Chorus 3 Ernani! Ernani, involami 4:40 23rd January 1928; CVE 41637-2 (Victor 8097 A) 17th January 1928; CVE 29062-6 (Victor 6875 B) PONSELLE VERDI: La forza del destino: DVORˇ ÁK: # La vergine degli angeli 4:33 4 Songs My Mother Taught Me 2:41 with , bass, 17th January 1928; BVE 41623-1 (Victor 1319 A) and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus 23rd January 1928; CVE 41636-1 (Victor 8097 B) American Recordings RUBINSTEIN: 5 Since I First Met Thee 3:16 BELLINI: : with Lennartz, cello Casta diva 1923-1929, Volume 4 17th January 1928; BVE 41624-3 (Victor 1319 B) with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus $ Sediziose voci 4:51 VERDI: La forza del destino: 30th January 1929; CVE 49031-3 (Victor 8125 A) Final Scene (Act IV Scene 7) with Giovanni Martinelli, tenor, and Ezio Pinza, bass % Ah! bello a me ritorna (Cabaletta) 3:03 6 Io muoio! 3:28 31st December 1928; CVE 49032-2 (Victor 8125 B) BELLINI 18th January 1928; CVE 41625-1 (unpublished on 78 rpm) BELLINI: Norma: ^ Mira, o Norma 7 Non imprecare, umiliati 4:40 with , contralto VERDI 18th January 1928; CVE 41626-1 and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus 7:20 (unpublished on 78 rpm) 30th January 1929; CVE 49703-2 & CVE 49704-1 (Victor 8110 A & B) VERDI: La forza del destino: DVORˇ ÁK Final Scene (Act IV Scene 7) Tracks 11 - 16 with orchestra with Giovanni Martinelli, tenor, and Ezio Pinza, bass conducted by Giulio Setti 8 Io muoio! 3:27 All other tracks with orchestra 18th January 1928; CVE 41625-2 (Victor 8104 A) conducted by Rosario Bourdon RUBINSTEIN 9 Non imprecare, umiliati 4:42 Tracks 4 and 5 sung in English 18th January 1928; CVE 41626-2 (Victor 8104 B) All other tracks are sung in Italian VERDI: : 0 Ritorna vincitor 4:49 18th January 1928; CVE 29063-9 (Victor 7438 A) New restorations by Ward Marston 8.111141 4 111141 bk Ponselle04 EU 3/8/07 12:15 Page 2

Rosa Ponselle (1897-1981) also sang together on the last night of that second season destino. In 1933, at the first Maggio Musicale in in L’amore dei tre re. According to The Times, ‘It was a Florence, she performed the rôle of Giulia in her only American Recordings 1923-1929, Vol. 4 great pity that Fiora’s death should occur at the end of appearances in Italy. With the revival of Bellini’s Norma in the Met’s 1927- United States, Ponselle returned to the Met to make her the second act, for she had given a performance of great After the Norma recordings in 1929, Ponselle did 28 season, Ponselle achieved perhaps the greatest final appearance of the season as Norma on 12th April. visual and aural beauty.’ not make any further commercial recordings for more triumph of her career. (On my programme she wrote, Six weeks later she made her London début in the same In her final season at Covent Garden, Ponselle than a decade. It is indeed fortunate that these souvenirs ‘My favourite of all - because it was my greatest rôle. This was the soprano’s first performance outside would sing Leonora in La forza del destino, Fedra in of her Norma have been preserved for posterity. challenge.’) After the first performance on 16th North America and an event eagerly awaited by Romano Romani’s opera of the same name and again November W. J. Henderson wrote in the New York Sun London audiences. Broadcast by the BBC, Ponselle’s Violetta in La traviata. The Times noted that King © Bill Park that her flawless technique blended ‘the qualities of the Royal Opera Covent Garden début on 28th May 1929 George V and Queen Mary attended La forza del tragédienne and the passionate accent of the artist’. was an unqualified success. The New York Times Olin Downes, writing in The New York Times, headlined its review: “ has a London remarked that the opera’s success was due to Ponselle, triumph - Wins ovation in middle of act while making ‘probably the most beautiful voice of any soprano of début in Norma - A tradition broken” - Melba had her generation, and who has advanced remarkably as an warned her not to expect applause after the aria Casta artist’, and, according to the Musical Courier, Rosa diva. According to the London Daily Express: ‘Time Ponselle in Norma was the sensation of the 1927-28 seems to have stood still... thunderous applause greeted season. No one can dispute that fact.’ what undoubtedly is one of the finest voices of the age’. On New Year’s Day 1928, Ponselle appeared again And Harold Rosenthal had this to say in the London on the radio in the Victor Talking Machine Hour. As Times: ‘Here is that rarity of the operatic stage, an artist well as singing Ritorna vincitor, she was joined by who can not only sing but create a character.’ He also Martinelli and Pinza, performing the Miserere from Il praised the voice ‘as remarkable for its purity in the big trovatore with the former and the Trio Finale from La dramatic passages as in the quiet phrases of the Casta forza del destino with both. Later that same month the diva and a really finished style in the long-sustained three artists joined forces at the Victor studios to record notes and in the coloratura passages.’ all three pieces. We are fortunate to have two sets of Ponselle’s second rôle of that first Covent Garden “takes” of the famed “Forza” trip - one of which was season was as Gioconda. Gioconda was a great never published in its original form. The singing by all favourite with both Ponselle and her public. Her three singers is sublime in both. In addition to these comment on my programme was: ‘Another great opera memorable recordings, she also made her famous - and one of the heavier and most demanding – but electrical versions of Pace, pace, mio Dio and Ernani, loved it!’ involami. In her later years Ponselle regarded these solo Ponselle would sing two more seasons at Covent recordings as among her best performances on disc. Garden. Here she sang her first Violetta on any stage. No new rôles entered Ponselle’s repertoire during Newman wrote of the occasion: ‘It was difficult to the Met’s 1928-29 season, but she was chosen to open believe that she was singing the rôle for the first time. the season in L’amore dei tre re with Martinelli, Danise In the great scene at the end of the first act she repeats and Pinza. In addition to Fiora, she repeated the roles of the words ‘È strano’ four times; each time it was Norma, Gioconda, Maddalena, Leonora and Elvira. On different because the mental image at the back of the New Year’s Eve Ponselle returned to the Victor studios note was different.’ Francys Toye cited her Violetta as to record Casta diva from Norma. This aria and the duet the alliance between first-class singing and first-class Mira, o Norma, recorded on 31st January 1929 with intelligence. ‘I do not think I have ever heard anything Marion Telva, were to be Ponselle’s last recordings to surpass or even to equal it.’ Unfortunately because of made at Victor’s Camden studios. the great depression, Ponselle did not commercially Following a three-month concert tour across the record anything from La traviata. Ponselle and Pinza 8.111141 23 8.111141 111141 bk Ponselle04 EU 3/8/07 12:15 Page 2

Rosa Ponselle (1897-1981) also sang together on the last night of that second season destino. In 1933, at the first Maggio Musicale in in L’amore dei tre re. According to The Times, ‘It was a Florence, she performed the rôle of Giulia in her only American Recordings 1923-1929, Vol. 4 great pity that Fiora’s death should occur at the end of appearances in Italy. With the revival of Bellini’s Norma in the Met’s 1927- United States, Ponselle returned to the Met to make her the second act, for she had given a performance of great After the Norma recordings in 1929, Ponselle did 28 season, Ponselle achieved perhaps the greatest final appearance of the season as Norma on 12th April. visual and aural beauty.’ not make any further commercial recordings for more triumph of her career. (On my programme she wrote, Six weeks later she made her London début in the same In her final season at Covent Garden, Ponselle than a decade. It is indeed fortunate that these souvenirs ‘My favourite of all - because it was my greatest rôle. This was the soprano’s first performance outside would sing Leonora in La forza del destino, Fedra in of her Norma have been preserved for posterity. challenge.’) After the first performance on 16th North America and an event eagerly awaited by Romano Romani’s opera of the same name and again November W. J. Henderson wrote in the New York Sun London audiences. Broadcast by the BBC, Ponselle’s Violetta in La traviata. The Times noted that King © Bill Park that her flawless technique blended ‘the qualities of the Royal Opera Covent Garden début on 28th May 1929 George V and Queen Mary attended La forza del tragédienne and the passionate accent of the artist’. was an unqualified success. The New York Times Olin Downes, writing in The New York Times, headlined its review: “Rosa Ponselle has a London remarked that the opera’s success was due to Ponselle, triumph - Wins ovation in middle of act while making ‘probably the most beautiful voice of any soprano of début in Norma - A tradition broken” - Melba had her generation, and who has advanced remarkably as an warned her not to expect applause after the aria Casta artist’, and, according to the Musical Courier, Rosa diva. According to the London Daily Express: ‘Time Ponselle in Norma was the sensation of the 1927-28 seems to have stood still... thunderous applause greeted season. No one can dispute that fact.’ what undoubtedly is one of the finest voices of the age’. On New Year’s Day 1928, Ponselle appeared again And Harold Rosenthal had this to say in the London on the radio in the Victor Talking Machine Hour. As Times: ‘Here is that rarity of the operatic stage, an artist well as singing Ritorna vincitor, she was joined by who can not only sing but create a character.’ He also Martinelli and Pinza, performing the Miserere from Il praised the voice ‘as remarkable for its purity in the big trovatore with the former and the Trio Finale from La dramatic passages as in the quiet phrases of the Casta forza del destino with both. Later that same month the diva and a really finished style in the long-sustained three artists joined forces at the Victor studios to record notes and in the coloratura passages.’ all three pieces. We are fortunate to have two sets of Ponselle’s second rôle of that first Covent Garden “takes” of the famed “Forza” trip - one of which was season was as Gioconda. Gioconda was a great never published in its original form. The singing by all favourite with both Ponselle and her public. Her three singers is sublime in both. In addition to these comment on my programme was: ‘Another great opera memorable recordings, she also made her famous - and one of the heavier and most demanding – but electrical versions of Pace, pace, mio Dio and Ernani, loved it!’ involami. In her later years Ponselle regarded these solo Ponselle would sing two more seasons at Covent recordings as among her best performances on disc. Garden. Here she sang her first Violetta on any stage. No new rôles entered Ponselle’s repertoire during Newman wrote of the occasion: ‘It was difficult to the Met’s 1928-29 season, but she was chosen to open believe that she was singing the rôle for the first time. the season in L’amore dei tre re with Martinelli, Danise In the great scene at the end of the first act she repeats and Pinza. In addition to Fiora, she repeated the roles of the words ‘È strano’ four times; each time it was Norma, Gioconda, Maddalena, Leonora and Elvira. On different because the mental image at the back of the New Year’s Eve Ponselle returned to the Victor studios note was different.’ Francys Toye cited her Violetta as to record Casta diva from Norma. This aria and the duet the alliance between first-class singing and first-class Mira, o Norma, recorded on 31st January 1929 with intelligence. ‘I do not think I have ever heard anything Marion Telva, were to be Ponselle’s last recordings to surpass or even to equal it.’ Unfortunately because of made at Victor’s Camden studios. the great depression, Ponselle did not commercially Following a three-month concert tour across the record anything from La traviata. Ponselle and Pinza 8.111141 23 8.111141 111141 bk Ponselle04 EU 3/8/07 12:15 Page 4

8.111141 VERDI: La forza del destino: VERDI: Il trovatore: 1 Pace, pace, mio Dio 4:37 ! Miserere 4:30 GREAT SINGERS • PONSELLE 17th January 1928; CVE 29060-8 (Victor 6875 A) with Giovanni Martinelli, tenor, ADD and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus VERDI: La forza del destino: 23rd January 1928; CVE 41637-1 (Victor 8097 A) 2 Pace, pace, mio Dio 4:42 17th January 1928; CVE 29060-9 VERDI: Il trovatore: (unpublished on 78 rpm) @ Miserere 4:28 with Giovanni Martinelli, tenor, Rosa VERDI: Ernani and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus 3 Ernani! Ernani, involami 4:40 23rd January 1928; CVE 41637-2 (Victor 8097 A) 17th January 1928; CVE 29062-6 (Victor 6875 B) PONSELLE VERDI: La forza del destino: DVORˇ ÁK: # La vergine degli angeli 4:33 4 Songs My Mother Taught Me 2:41 with Ezio Pinza, bass, 17th January 1928; BVE 41623-1 (Victor 1319 A) and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus 23rd January 1928; CVE 41636-1 (Victor 8097 B) American Recordings RUBINSTEIN: 5 Since I First Met Thee 3:16 BELLINI: Norma: with Lennartz, cello Casta diva 1923-1929, Volume 4 17th January 1928; BVE 41624-3 (Victor 1319 B) with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus $ Sediziose voci 4:51 VERDI: La forza del destino: 30th January 1929; CVE 49031-3 (Victor 8125 A) Final Scene (Act IV Scene 7) with Giovanni Martinelli, tenor, and Ezio Pinza, bass % Ah! bello a me ritorna (Cabaletta) 3:03 6 Io muoio! 3:28 31st December 1928; CVE 49032-2 (Victor 8125 B) BELLINI 18th January 1928; CVE 41625-1 (unpublished on 78 rpm) BELLINI: Norma: ^ Mira, o Norma 7 Non imprecare, umiliati 4:40 with Marion Telva, contralto VERDI 18th January 1928; CVE 41626-1 and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus 7:20 (unpublished on 78 rpm) 30th January 1929; CVE 49703-2 & CVE 49704-1 (Victor 8110 A & B) VERDI: La forza del destino: DVORˇ ÁK Final Scene (Act IV Scene 7) Tracks 11 - 16 with orchestra with Giovanni Martinelli, tenor, and Ezio Pinza, bass conducted by Giulio Setti 8 Io muoio! 3:27 All other tracks with orchestra 18th January 1928; CVE 41625-2 (Victor 8104 A) conducted by Rosario Bourdon RUBINSTEIN 9 Non imprecare, umiliati 4:42 Tracks 4 and 5 sung in English 18th January 1928; CVE 41626-2 (Victor 8104 B) All other tracks are sung in Italian VERDI: Aida: 0 Ritorna vincitor 4:49 18th January 1928; CVE 29063-9 (Victor 7438 A) New restorations by Ward Marston 8.111141 4 K Y M C

NAXOS Historical PONSELLE: American Recordings, Vol. 4 8.111141 La Trio Time 69:48 Playing Playing , remarked that , remarked opposite Caruso in opposite Caruso La forza del destino recordings are Ponselle’s are recordings from from in the Met’s 1927-28 season 1927-28 in the Met’s Described by Maria Callas as ‘the by Maria Described singergreatest us all’, the of Rosa Ponselle American-born acknowledged as one (1897-1981) is dramatic of the outstanding twentieth century. sopranos of the experience of any previous Without stage, she made her the operatic Verdi’s début in Metropolitan forza del destino 1918. With the revival of Bellini’s the revival With 1918. Norma the Ponselle achieved perhaps of her triumph greatest career. After the first performance on 16th Downes, writing in Olin November, Times York The New was due to success the opera’s the most Ponselle, ‘probably of beautiful voice of any soprano her generation.’ 1923-1929 final disc of Ponselle’s fourth and This includes two American recordings the sublime sets of takes of Finale recorded with Giovanni Martinelli with recorded The 1929 and Ezio Pinza in 1928. Norma before recordings last commercial her and the stage, from retirement hercapture voice in its prime. 2 3 6 2 3 6 5 7 3 5 7 6 6 5 7 6 2 3 6 6 2 3 6 1 6 4 5 7 6 2 5 7 2 5 7 Io muoio! * * umiliati Non imprecare, Io muoio! umiliati Non imprecare, La vergine degli angeli Pace, pace, mio Dio mio Dio Pace, pace, Dio * Pace, pace, mio Rosa Ponselle (1897-1981) Ponselle Rosa American Recordings 1923-1929, Vol. 4 Vol. 1923-1929, Recordings American Miserere Miserere Miserere Casta diva: Sediziose voci Casta diva: Sediziose voci ritorna Ah! bello a me Casta diva: Mira, o Norma Ernani! Ernani, involami Ernani! Ernani, Since I First Met Thee Met Since I First Ritorna vincitor Songs My Mother Me Taught ÁK: ˇ ADD 8.111141 with Marion Telva, contralto Telva, with Marion Opera Chorus with the Metropolitan by Rosario Bourdon conducted with Orchestra by Giulio Setti conducted with Orchestra BELLINI: Norma: BELLINI: Norma: BELLINI: Norma: with Lennartz, cello tenor with Giovanni Martinelli, with Ezio Pinza, bass RUBINSTEIN: RUBINSTEIN: forza del destino: VERDI: La forza del destino: VERDI: La forza del destino: VERDI: La VERDI: La forza del destino: VERDI: Aida: VERDI: Il trovatore: VERDI: Il trovatore: VERDI: La forza del destino: VERDI: La forza del destino: La forza VERDI: forza del destino: VERDI: La VERDI: Ernani: DVOR * unpublished on 78rpm previously 4 5 6 7 2 1 3 www.naxos.com Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Ward Marston Audio Restoration Engineer: Ward Producer and A the booklet complete track list can be found in 1925 (Private Collection) York, Cover image: Rosa Ponselle, New $ % ^ 5 6 7 8 9 0 ! @ # 1 2 3 4

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PONSELLE: American Recordings, Vol. 4 4 Vol. Recordings, American PONSELLE: 8.111141 NAXOS Historical NAXOS