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TOSTI: DANKS: ADD ¡ My Dreams 3:21 ∞ Silver Threads Among the Gold 3:22 THE McCORMACK EDITION • 3 11th December 1912; B 12758-1 (Victor 64310) 3rd January 1913; B 11834-3 (Victor 64260) 8.110330

TUCKER: Track 14: Studio orchestra conducted by Percy Pitts ™ Sweet Genevieve 3:31 2nd January 1913; B 12759-2 (Victor 64309) All other tracks with the Victor Orchestra, conductor(s) unknown John CLAY: £ I’ll Sing Thee Songs of Araby 2:51 Tracks 1-13, 15, 19-25 sung in English 2nd January 1913; B 12760-1 (Victor 64375) Tracks 14, 16-18 sung in Italian McCORMACK

RUSSELL: ¢ Where the River Shannon Flows 3:13 2nd January 1913; B 12761-2 (Victor 64311) 1912-13 Acoustic Recordings

BIZET BOITO HERBERT TOSTI

John McCormack (1884-1945) AITKEN: NEVIN: The McCormack Edition Vol. 3 1 Maire, My Girl 3:28 ! The Rosary 2:13 2nd April 1912; C 11813-1 (Victor 74298) 5th April 1912; B 11825-2 (Victor 64257) “I have always thought”, Max de Schauensee wrote, “that friends in high places had counted more than sheer what Caruso was to grand opera, McCormack was to the musical merit. McCormack himself was under no SQUIRE: OLD IRISH AIR ‘Gramachree’: concert platform”. It is an accurate judgment. Caruso and illusions about his need for further study; his unceasing 2 Like Stars Above 3:29 @ The Harp that Once through Tara’s Halls 2:27 McCormack were the tenors who dominated the opera hard work over the next two years, along with his shrewd 2nd April 1912; C 11814-1 (Victor 74269) 5th April 1912; B 11833-1 (Victor 64259) house and the recital hall respectively in the opening observations of other singers at Covent Garden, resulted decades of the last century. Although John McCormack in an artistic leap which has no parallel in the history of STERNDALE BENNETT: DANKS: established an opera career for which he was originally recording. In less than three years, the McCormack 3 Take, O Take Those Lips Away 2:57 # Silver Threads Among the Gold 3:19 trained, he soon began to enjoy his greatest recognition on instrument was fully mature; his first Victor records, 2nd April 1912; B 11815-1 (Victor 64252) 5th April 1912; B 11834-1 (Victor 64260) the concert platform. The years just before World War I made just after his 1909 New York début in La traviata, saw him firmly established in England; those same years show a completely finished artist. (Naxos 8.110329 fully MARSHALL: A Masque WOLF-FERRARI: I gioielli della Madonna also witnessed his first seasons in the United States. As documents the first years of the tenor’s American career.) 4 A Child’s Song 2:45 $ T’eri un giorno ammalato 4:25 his appearances in opera diminished, his work as a In addition to his beautifully produced voice and his 2nd April, 1912; B 118 16-1 (Victor 64253) with Louise Kirkby Lunn, contralto recitalist increased to the point where his reputation (and superb technique, McCormack had an important 15th July 1912; Ho201af (HMV 2-054040) fortune) made him the most popular singer ever heard in advantage over most other European singers who came to TROTÈRE: recital. He is, in musical history, a phenomenon without the United States. This was the enormous population of 5 Asthore 4:24 CADMAN: precedent. Irish immigrants who were only too ready and willing to 2nd April 1912; C 11817-1 (Victor 74299) % At Dawning, Op. 29 No. 1 2:20 John McCormack was born in the small Irish town of welcome this ambassador of song from their native 11th December 1912; B 12704-1 (Victor 64302) Athlone on 14th June 1884. By 1903 he was in Dublin, culture. Their deep emotional ties to their Ireland of LIDDLE: studying half-heartedly for a post in the civil service, but memories and dreams were the chords this minstrel 6 A Farewell 2:21 BOITO: Mefistofele: when he won first prize in an important music festival that would play upon, as no other artist ever could. 2nd April 1912; B 11819-1 (Victor 64254) ^ Dai campi, dai prati 2:15 same year, he found himself on the road to a singing Welcomed in the concert hall by adoring audiences 11th December 1912; B 12705-1 (Victor 64303) career. Generous local support enabled him to travel to who clamoured for (and got) double the number of HERBERT: Natoma Milan in 1905 where he studied with Vincenzo Sabatini selections announced on the singer’s programmes, and 7 My Commander as Envoy Bids Me Come 3:28 BOITO: Mefistofele: (whose son wrote Scaramouche and other romance faced in the opera house with direct competition from 3rd April 1912; C 11822-1 (Victor 74295) & Giunto sul passo 2:56 novels). The maestro’s work soon made the fledgling tenors of the Caruso variety, McCormack soon realised 11th December 1912; B 12706-1 (Victor 64304) tenor ready for his operatic début, which took place at the direction his career must take. The wisdom of that CLUTSAM: Savona’s Teatro Chiabrera on 13th January 1906. When, decision is confirmed by statistics that continue to 8 I Know of Two Bright Eyes 2:36 BIZET: Les pêcheurs de perles: as the hero of Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz, the young impress. For example, what singer of the present day 3rd April 1912; B 11823-1 (Victor 64255) * Mi par d’udir ancora 3:10 Irishman had to look twice his age, it was perhaps an could fill New York’s Carnegie Hall five times in a single 11th December 1912; B 12707-1 (Victor 64305) omen of the discomfort McCormack would always feel season? By 1918 a national music magazine could OLD IRISH AIR, arr. MacMurrough: on the operatic stage. pronounce McCormack “the most popular singer in the 9 Eileen Aroon 3:14 ADAMS: After this quiet Italian début and some unsuccessful world”, and in one year of that same decade the Irish tenor 3rd April 1912; B 11824-2 (Victor 64256) ( Nirvana 3:54 auditions at La Scala, the young singer set his sights on even surpassed Caruso’s legendary annual record sales. 11th December 1912; C 12708-1 (Victor 74329) London. Thanks to the influential Sir John Murray Scott, “Please, Giovanni”, the great Neapolitan warned with a OLD IRISH AIR, arr. James: McCormack made his Covent Garden début, in twinkle in his eye, the next time they met, “not to let it 0 The Wearing of the Green 2:46 WALLACE: Maritana: Cavalleria Rusticana on 15th October 1907; at 23, he was happen again”. It did not, but the Irish tenor had reached a 3rd April 1912; B 11826-1 (Victor 64258) ) There is a Flower that Bloometh 3:06 the youngest principal tenor ever engaged by that opera high-water mark in his success. 11th December 1912; B 12710-1 (Victor 64307) house, but recordings made at the time clearly show that McCormack spent the war years in the United States, 8.110330 27 8.110330 110330 bk McCormack3 2/9/06 10:19 AM Page 6

Southern Yemen, on the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, of Araby, held in Dublin in 1894. One of the young and as that conflict was coming to an end the singer and observed, Natoma “set back the cause of opera in English an area known at the time as Aden. The mention of the Dubliners who attended the fair was the twelve-year-old his wife decided to make official what had by then almost beyond reparation”. He also notes how ironic it “Siha’s fragrant thorn” eludes positive identification, but James Joyce who used his memories of that visit when he become a reality: they became American citizens. It was a was that McCormack’s English, “so flawless and so we may assume it is a botanical specimen from the same came to write one of his short stories, entitled “Araby”. move that caused the singer a great deal of difficulty. beautiful, should have been put to such misuse”. As area. In any event, the poem’s exotic references make it McCormack and Joyce knew each other, and even sang People in the British Isles, and throughout the Empire, unfortunate as the opera was, with its mediocre music and reminiscent of Moore’s long poetic romance, Lallah together at a Dublin concert in 1904, when Joyce was saw him as a traitor; he was so unpopular in England that ludicrous text, we are grateful to have McCormack’s Rookh, a best-seller of the day, and one that catered to the seriously considering a singing career for himself. Joyce it was not until 1924 that he dared give a concert in clarion interpretation of Paul’s aria, conducted here by widespread interest in Eastern settings and themes. chose the life of a writer, and McCormack began his long London. The post-war years included memorable recitals Herbert himself, and recorded little more than a year after One final selection deals with the work of another journey through the world of music, but when we listen to in Paris, Berlin, and Prague, and in the early 1920s the that forgettable production. The recording is noteworthy Irish writer, but takes us into the twentieth century and this Victorian song, it gains another dimension with its tenor made his final appearances in opera. These as the only creator record McCormack made from his has a near personal connection with McCormack himself. distinct echoes of the world that produced both of these performances took place in Monte Carlo, his singing of career in opera. This is I’ll Sing Thee Songs of Araby, a piece with all the brilliant modern artists. the part of Gritzko in the newly edited La foire de Other operatic titles have more successful hallmarks of a classic parlour ballad, but with very Irish Sorotchintzi of Mussorgsky in 1923 being the most associations. For example, Covent Garden’s 1914 season connections. It was the theme song of a fair with the title John Scarry memorable production. featured a revival of Boito’s Mefistofele, with Three years later the singer made an extended concert McCormack in the rôle of Faust and Claudia Muzio as his tour of the Orient, and in 1929 he starred in the Margherita. Both of the present recordings from the Hollywood film Song o’ My Heart. Playing opposite him opera, made two years before that production, reveal this was the young Maureen O’Sullivan, then at the beginning tenor at his operatic best. His “Giunto sul passo estremo” of her career. After several more seasons touring the is a marvel of caressing legato and beautiful tone, and we United States and England, the tenor bade farewell to his have Lily McCormack’s own memory of the young tenor public at London’s Albert Hall in November 1938. He singing “Dai campi, dai prati” during his student days in would continue to make records until 1942, and he made Italy; she thought the aria could well have been written for several fund-raising tours and BBC broadcasts in support his voice. It is a judgement that could stand for both of of the war effort. McCormack retired to Ireland, where he these lovely souvenirs of McCormack’s final Covent died at his home just outside of Dublin, on 16th Garden season. September 1945. Three additional operas represented here are outside This volume of recordings continues to document the the McCormack repertoire, but they give us some fine earliest years of McCormack’s success in the United examples of his singing. The first is Bizet’s Les pêcheurs States, the titles indicating his greatly increased concert de perles, and in this duet with Mario Sammarco the sheer work. In 1910-1911, the singer had recorded some sixteen loveliness of his voice is matched only by the fine operatic and other selections in Italian, and 23 different chemistry that is immediately apparent with this valued selections in English; the present CD, covering all of 1912 Covent Garden colleague. Almost as fine a level of and the first month of 1913, contains six operatic arias chemistry is to be found in the duet with Louise Kirkby and nineteen songs and ballads. Lunn, although, again, I gioielli della Madonna is an Our first operatic item documents an eagerly awaited opera that McCormack never encountered beyond the moment in American music. This was the première of recording studio. To these we must add Wallace’s Victor Herbert’s much vaunted opera Natoma, first given Maritana, an Irish opera of the Victorian period, in Philadelphia on 25th February 1911. Herbert was one represented here by McCormack’s lush singing of “There The discographic data for the original Romophone CD issue is taken from John McCormack - A Comprehensive of the composers who had responded to Antonín is a flower that bloometh”; the tenor infuses the aria with Discography by Worth, Paul W. and Cartwright, Jim. (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1986). Dvorˇák’s earlier call for an American opera; in Herbert’s an intimacy that gives it the flavour of a parlour ballad. case the results were disastrous. As Francis Robinson has As successful as McCormack was in some operatic 8.110330 6 3 8.110330 110330 bk McCormack3 2/9/06 10:19 AM Page 4

rôles – his Don Ottavio was virtually definitive – it is in in England. This recording has all of the passion and even we listen to McCormack’s recording of Charles where he would, within the decade, swear his allegiance the world of song that we find this tenor at his best. With more polish than his original efforts for the Odeon Wakefield Cadman’s At Dawning, we are hearing another and where he would enjoy unprecedented popularity for his beautifully liquid Gaelic vowels, his expressive company; it has a very special place in the McCormack perennial favourite of the time. These first recordings of many years to come. colouration of tone, and his always extraordinary diction, discography. American music tell us much about this most versatile of a McCormack interpretation of a song always gives us the No consideration of McCormack’s repertoire, in singers. Here, during his first seasons in the United States, perfect union of text, music, and singer. An important concert or on record, would be complete without a we find him successfully exploring the music of the land John Scarry point about McCormack is that his technique is utterly consideration of the singer’s own musical heritage and timeless; his recordings never contain the distracting, these recording sessions show us the wide range of his nineteenth-century mannerisms heard with so many work with Irish and Irish-American songs. Thomas Notes on the Song Texts the song echoes the era that witnessed the 1798 uprising singers of the time. This is even true in the present CD’s Moore’s The harp that once through Tara’s halls is the against English rule. Napper Tandy was a Dublin examples of what is often called “Victorian singing”. most traditional example, followed by the quietly In concert and on record John McCormack’s diction merchant who had joined the United Irishmen and, Many of these songs are reminders of McCormack’s early evocative old Irish melody of Eileen Aroon. Noteworthy, was legendary; every recording he made demonstrates pursued by the authorities, escaped to America in 1795. days in London, when much of his concert repertoire was too, is The Wearing of the Green, with its protest against the extraordinary clarity of his enunciation. Certain Three years later he was in France, where he was made a made up of the parlour ballads so dear to the audiences of historical injustice forcefully illuminated by words and phrases in a number of songs, however, general; he then headed the abortive invasion of Ireland the time. With the coming of World War I, the Victorian McCormack’s tone of controlled anger. As has been said, require explanation for the modern listener. The that same year. (He would escape once again, making his era would vanish forever, but in 1912 it was still good the aria from Wallace’s famous nineteenth-century Irish pronunciation of the young woman’s name in the song way back to France, where he died in 1803.) St Patrick’s marketing for McCormack to rerecord some of the titles opera Maritana is closer to English “Victorian singing” Maire, My Girl tells us that the Irish “Maire” is close to Day is celebrated on 17th March each year, and the he had done for the old Odeon company before 1910. So than to any strictly Irish tradition. Far from the Emerald the more familiar “Moira” or “Maura.” The phrase, song’s mention of a “caubeen” refers to a little cap. it is that this CD includes such ballads as Like stars above, Isle itself are such shamrock-drenched songs as Asthore “Were I Tyrconnell’s chief or Desmond’s earl” takes the Some of the selections touch upon our literary past, I know of two bright eyes, and I’ll sing thee songs of and Where the River Shannon flows, items that clearly listener literally from one end of Ireland to the other, beginning with Shakespeare himself: Take, O Take Those Araby. McCormack’s sweetness of voice, along with his reflect purely imaginative views of Old Erin. since Tyrconnell is in Northern Ireland, in the area of Lips Away is a text from Act IV of Measure for Measure, undeniably masculine utterance of tone, would make any The present CD is an invaluable document of this County Tyrone, while Desmond was an ancient Irish and here it receives the full Victorian treatment from the crinolined maiden of the time willingly surrender to the important singer’s training and early career. The operatic kingdom, comprising counties Cork and Kerry in the nineteenth-century composer William Sterndale Bennett. romantic urgency of such parlour gems. Listen to the arias give us insights into the career for which present day Republic of Ireland. One of the most famous nineteenth-century Irishmen of hauntingly beautiful pianissimo with which he ends Take, McCormack originally trained, and to which he made In addition to Gaelic personal and place names, the letters was Thomas Moore, and he is represented here by O take those lips away, and listen also to that textbook important contributions; the items we think of as use of Irish words and phrases in some of the songs two selections, the first one being a very famous song, example of Victorian singing, Nirvana. Note the Victorian singing recall the popular ballads of the day, requires translation. For example, the direct address to The Harp That Once Through Tara’s Halls. Tara was the McCormack magic at work, as the singer changes his their words and melodies revealing the taste of an entire “Asthore” (“I am dreaming of you, asthore”) is not a legendary seat of Irish kings, located in County Meath; timbre at the end of the second verse: the firm tone used era; and the Irish songs, both native and long distance, woman’s name; the word “asthore” is Irish for “dear” or here it aptly stands for the glory of ancient Irish history. It to describe the priests as they “weave their mystic bring us to the very heart of this artist’s native sensibility. “beloved.” The same term of endearment is also heard in is a symbol that Moore’s original Irish audiences – and charms” melts without a break into the warmth of, “I only One additional group strikes a major chord in Where the River Shannon Flows (“Come and take me McCormack’s audiences in America – would know Nirvana within thy loving arms”, all done with a McCormack’s career. It might be called the American name, asthore”). With Eileen Aroon we have a woman’s immediately recognize and cherish. The second Moore seamless vocal line and with a rich subtlety of expression. group, and appropriately enough it comprises the worlds name and an intimate form of address: to the name Eileen text is not heard in the poet’s own choice of a musical One additional title holds a special place in of opera and song, direct echoes of McCormack’s twin the writer has added the Irish word that means “a secret setting. This is A Child’s Song, identified in his collected McCormack’s career. This is Samuel Liddle’s A careers. We have already noted the Victor Herbert opera love.” works as being from a masque, that now forgotten Farewell. The singer’s interpretation of this ballad Natoma and McCormack’s appearance in it only two The Wearing of the Green documents an important English theatrical hybrid of drama and music, and set to heralded his first real success in London, no less an years after his arrival in the United States. American song moment in Irish history. The effect of this street ballad on music by Charles Marshall. (Marshall composed I Hear authority than Walter Legge noting that McCormack’s has a much greater prominence in the tenor’s repertoire. the course of Irish nationalism two centuries ago is You Calling Me, the piece that became McCormack’s singing of this song at a Boosey Ballad Concert in March The Rosary, an immensely popular song by Ethelbert comparable to the impact of the Marseillaise on the signature song throughout his career.) At the beginning of 1907, rather than his Covent Garden début more than a Nevin, is interpreted here with a fervour that could be French Revolution or Dixie during the American Civil the second verse of A Child’s Song, the “fawn from half a year later, marked the true beginning of his career responded to equally by the lovesick or the pious. When War. The deep sense of historical injustice that pervades Aden’s land” seems to put the setting in present day 8.110330 45 8.110330 110330 bk McCormack3 2/9/06 10:19 AM Page 4

TOSTI: DANKS: ADD ¡ My Dreams 3:21 ∞ Silver Threads Among the Gold 3:22 THE McCORMACK EDITION • 3 11th December 1912; B 12758-1 (Victor 64310) 3rd January 1913; B 11834-3 (Victor 64260) 8.110330

RUSSELL: ¢ Where the River Shannon Flows 3:13 2nd January 1913; B 12761-2 (Victor 64311) 1912-13 Acoustic Recordings

BIZET BOITO HERBERT TOSTI

The Naxos historical label aims to make available the greatest recordings in the history of recorded music, in the best IRISH SONGS and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number of respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standards in the field of historical recordings. New restorations by Ward Marston 8.110330 8 NAXOS Historical McCORMACK EDITION • 3: The Acoustic Recordings 8.110330 Time 77:53 Playing Playing Although John McCormack John Although opera careerestablished an for originally trained, he which he was recognition his greatest received platform, above all on the concert of Irish songs. in his repertoire Gaelic his beautifully liquid With colouration vowels, his expressive clear of tone and extraordinarily adored diction, McCormack was This third by his audiences. covering the volume of recordings, month whole of 1912 and the first of 1913, further the documents earliest years of McCormack’s where, success in the United States in 1918, a national music magazine him “the most pronounced popular singer on available 1 and 2 are in the world”. Volumes and 8.110329. Naxos 8.110328 3:31 3:28 2:57 4:24 2:21 2:36 2:13 2:27 3:19 2:20 2:15 2:56 3:10 3:54 3:06 3:21 2:51 3:13 3:22 3:29 2:45 3:28 4:25 T’eri un giorno John McCormack John Mi par d’udir ancora The McCormack Edition, Vol. 3 Vol. Edition, McCormack The The Acoustic Recordings (1912-13) Recordings Acoustic The Take, O Take Those Lips Away Those Lips O Take Take, (Old Irish Air; arr(Old Irish James) 2:46 A Song Child’s There is a FlowerThere that Bloometh My Commander as Envoy Bids Me Dai campi, dai prati Giunto sul passo (Old Irish Air; arr(Old Irish MacMurrough) 3:14 I Know of Two Bright Eyes Two I Know of Asthore Asthore Where the RiverWhere Shannon Flows At Dawning, Op. 29 No. 1 At Dawning, Op. 29 No. Sweet Genevieve Maire, My Girl My Girl Maire, Like Stars Above Above Like Stars A Farewell Nirvana SilverAmong the Gold Threads SilverAmong the Gold Threads The Rosary My Dreams I’ll Sing Thee Songs of Araby Thee Songs of I’ll Sing ADD 8.110330 ammalato [with Louise Kirkby Lunn, contralto] ammalato [with Louise Kirkby DANKS: BOITO: Mefistofele: BOITO: Mefistofele: BOITO: BIZET: Les pêcheurs de perles: ADAMS: Maritana: WALLACE: TOSTI: TUCKER: CLAY: RUSSELL: CLUTSAM: Eileen Aroon of the Green Wearing The NEVIN: Halls Tara’s The Harp that Once through Air(Old Irish ‘Gramachree’) DANKS: della Madonna: WOLF-FERRARI: I gioielli CADMAN: AITKEN: AITKEN: SQUIRE: BENNETT: STERNDALE AMARSHALL: Masque: TROTÈRE: LIDDLE: Natoma: HERBERT: Come www.naxos.com ∞ ^ & * ( ) ¡ ™ £ ¢ 8 9 0 ! @ # $ % 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Producer and Audio Restoration: Ward Marston • Production Coordinator: Jeffrey Miller Restoration: Ward Audio Producer and Peter Lack, Special thanks to John Bolig, Jim Cartwright, Lawrence Holdridge, Scarry Moran and John William Previously released on Romophone A on pages 7 and 8 of the booklet complete track list can be found Potter Collection) Tully Cover image: McCormack as Lt Paul Merrill in Natoma (The

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8.110330 NAXOS Historical NAXOS McCORMACK EDITION • 3: The Acoustic Recordings Acoustic The 3: • EDITION McCORMACK