CHARLES KULLMAN NI 7938 NI 7938 Charles Kullman 1903-83 European Columbia Recordings 1931-38 BIBLIOGRAPHY 1 AIDA, Verdi – Holde Aida 4.35 The American Singer Oscar Thompson. The Dial Press Inc., New York 1937 Rec: November 1931 Matrix: WRX 17-1 Columbia Cat: DX 822 Metropolitan Opera Annals W.H.Seltsam. H.W.Wilson Co., New York 1947-57 Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Erich Orthmann, conductor Opera Caravan Quaintance Eaton. John Calder, London 1957 2 LA FORZA DEL DESTINO, Verdi – In dieser heil’gen Stunde 4.24 Two Centuries of Opera at Covent Garden H. Rosenthal. Putnam, London 1958 Rec: November 1931 Matrix: WRX 16-2 Columbia Cat: DX 822 Opera in Chicago Ronald L. Davis. Appleton-Century, New York 1966 with Walther Grossmann. Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Erich Orthmann, conductor 3 PRINCE IGOR, Borodin – Tageslicht langsam erlischt (Cavatina) 4.27 Charles Kullman C.I. Morgan. The Record Collector, Ipswich 1972 Rec: 18 June 1935 Matrix: CAX 7552-1 Columbia Cat: LX 396 50 Years of the San Francisco Opera Arthur Bloomfield. San Francisco Book Co., 1972 4 EUGEN ONEGIN, Tchaikovsky – Wohin seid irh entschwundern 4.29 Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia David Hamilton. Simon & Schuster, New York 1987 Rec: 18 June 1935 Matrix: CAX 7553-1 Columbia Cat: LX 396 Cincinnati Opera Eldred A. Thierstein. Deerstone Books, 5 DER ROSENKAVALIER, R. Strauss – Di rigori armato 3.06 Hillsdale Michigan 1995 Rec: September 1932 Matrix: WR 427-2 Columbia Cat: DW 3051 Saturday Afternoons at the Old Met Paul Jackson. Amadeus Press, Portland Oregon 1997 Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Fritz Zweig, conductor The American Opera Singer Peter G. Davis. Doubleday, New York 1997 6 TURANDOT, Puccini – O weine nicht, Liú 3.03 Rec: September 1932 Matrix: WR 479-2 Columbia Cat: DW 3068 From Johnson’s Kids to Lemonade Opera V.E.Villamil. Northeastern University Press 2004 Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Clemens Schmalstich, conductor Opera on Film K.Wlaschin. Yale University Press, New Haven 2004 7 TURANDOT, Puccini – Keiner schlafe 3.17 Rec: September 1932 Matrix: WR 480-2 Columbia Cat: DW 3068 Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Clemens Schmalstich, conductor 8 DIE MEISTERSINGER, Wagner – Morgenlich leuchtend 4.22 Rec: 20 June 1938 Matrix: CAX 8245-1 Columbia Cat: LX 729 Orchestra, Walter Goehr, conductor 9 LOHENGRIN, Wagner – In fernem Land 4.53 Rec: 20 June 1938 Matrix: CAX 8246-1 Columbia Cat: LX 729 Orchestra, Walter Goehr, conductor 0 Carissimi – Vittoria, vittoria 3.13 Rec: September 1932 Matrix: WR 562-2 Columbia Cat: DW 3051 Orchestra, Johannes Müller, conductor q LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN, Offenbach – This compilation ൿ 2006 Wyastone Estate Limited © 2006 Wyastone Estate Limited Die Liebe für’s Leben ist nur ein wahn 2.54 Transferred by Nimbus Records. Digital Recording from original 78rpm discs Rec: December 1931 Matrix: CWR 223 Columbia Cat: DW 3011 Series consultant Norman White. http://www.wyastone.co.uk Orchestra, Otto Dobrindt, conductor 2 11 NI 7938 NI 7938 w soprano Erna Berger is tender in the extreme. Whether in opera or operetta Kullman’s EINE NACHT IN VENEDIG, Strauss – Komm in die Gondel 3.25 Rec: August 1932 Matrix: WR 405-2 Columbia Cat: DW 3046 musicality and charm are always apparent making him one of the most satisfying of Orchestra, Ernst Hauke, conductor recording artists. e DER ZIGEUNERBARON, Strauss – Wer uns getraut 3.14 Note © 2006 Alan Bilgora Rec: September 1932 Matrix: WR 487-1 Columbia Cat: DW 3067 with Erna Berger. Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Clemens Schmalstich, conductor Note 1 r DER ZIGEUNERBARON, Strauss – Als flotter Geist 2.57 Orville Harold (b.1878); Paul Althouse (1889-1954), teacher of Richard Tucker; Charles Hackett (1889- Rec: September 1932 Matrix: WR 488-1 Columbia Cat: DW 3067 1942); Lambert Murphy (d.1954); Mario Chamlee born Archer Chalmondelay (1892-1966); Eyvind Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Clemens Schmalstich, conductor Laholm born Edwin Johnson (1894-1958); Sydney Rayner (1895-1981); Frederick Jagel (1897-1982); t DAS LIED DER LIEBE, J. Strauss-Korngold – Die eine Frau 2.41 Giuseppe Bentonelli born Joseph Benton (1898-1975); Richard Crooks (1900-72); James Melton (1904- Rec: December 1931 Matrix: CWR 239 Columbia Cat: DW 3014 61); Eugene Conley (1908-81); Felix Knight (1908-98); Thomas Hayward born Thomas Albert Tibbet Orchestra, Otto Dobrindt, conductor (1920-95), Lawrence Tibbett was a cousin; Donald Dame (1917-52). y DAS LIED DER LIEBE, J. Strauss-Korngold – Du bist mein Traum 3.31 A number like Charles Marshall; George Hamlin; Forest Lamont; Michael Bartlett; William Rec: December 1931 Matrix: CWR 240 Columbia Cat: DW 3014 Martin; Robert Rounseville; Norbert Ardelli and John Alexander were among those tenors who Orchestra, Otto Dobrindt, conductor appeared in opera centres such as Boston, Chicago, Cincinatti, San Francisco, The San Carlo U.S.A. u DER TEUFELSREITER, Kálmán – So verliebt kann nur ein Ungar sein 3.05 the New York Hippodrome, and later The New York City Opera. This line stretched into the 1940s Rec: March 1932 Matrix: WR 305-1 Columbia Cat: DW 3027 with Jan Peerce born Jacob Pincus Perelmuth (1904-84) and Richard Tucker born Reuben Ticker (1913- i DIE ZIRKUSPRINZESSIN, Kálmán – Zwei Märchenaugen 3.22 75). Rec: March 1932 Matrix: WR 306-4 Columbia Cat: DW 3027 The second half of the 20th century until today has witnessed the international successes of o DIE LOCKENDE FLAMME, Künneke – Ich traume mit offenen Augen 3.13 David Poleri; James McCracken; Barry Morell; James King; Jess Thomas; Rockwell Blake; Chris Rec: September 1932 Matrix: WR 560-1 Columbia Cat: DW 3077 Merrett; Bruce Ford; Jerry Hadley; Neil Shicoff; Richard Leech and Michael Sylvester. Orchestra Theater des Westens, Berlin, Eduard Künneke, conductor One should also note the great Canadian tenors such as Paul Dufault; Edward Johnson, later the p DIE LOCKENDE FLAMME, Künneke – Was bist du ohne mich 3.16 manager of the Metropolitan Opera; Raoul Jobin and his son Andre; Leopold Simoneau; Jacques Rec: September 1932 Matrix: WR 561-1 Columbia Cat: DW 3077 with Ellice Illiard, Orchestra Theater des Westens, Berlin, Eduard Künneke, conductor Gerard; Andre Turp and his son Richard; Richard Verreau; Jon Vickers; Richard Margeson and Ben a DIE SONNE GEHT AUF (Film), Meisel – Die Sonne geht auf 3.22 Heppner. Rec: October 1932 Matrix: WR 534-2 Columbia Cat: DW 2190 Orchestra, Ludwig Rüth, conductor s DIE SONNE GEHT AUF (Film), Meisel – Schon ist jeder Tag 3.17 Rec: October 1932 Matrix: WR 535-2 Columbia Cat: DW 2190 Orchestra, Ludwig Rüth, conductor Total playing time 78.18 With thanks to Alan Bilgora for his generous assistance and the loan of original records. 10 3 NI 7938 NI 7938 Charles Kullman 1903-1983 The annual ‘Met’ tours, (which are covered in detail by Quaintance Easton’s book ‘Opera Caravan’) also took Kullman to Bloomington, where on his retirement from the theatre “Lotte Lehmann sang Tosca opposite the Cavaradossi of the young American tenor he accepted a post as resident tenor of the School of Music at Ohio University. He Charles Kullmann, fresh from his European successes. In those days his voice–which remained there until 1971, eventually returning to New Haven where he died on th had real sex appeal–was full of bloom……” February 8 1983. Arthur Bloomfield, 50 years of the San Francisco Opera. A number of the arias recorded here are mementos of roles in which he had success; That ‘untiring chronicler of American singers’, Oscar Thompson, in his book The notable among them is Vladimir’s soulful aria from Prince Igor. The ‘Prizelied’ from Die American singer, a Hundred years of Success, made the following interesting observation. Meistersingers is sung lyrically but with heroic intent. Likewise his duet with Walter He listed the many native-born sopranos, contraltos, baritones and basses who had Grossmann from La Forza del Destino retains a moving dramatic undertone in spite of the returned to the US (following study and stage experience in Europe) and established German language. themselves at the Metropolitan Opera during the second half of the 19th century. In contrast he noted the absence of American born tenors who had to wait until the very Arias from operas which he did not sing on stage nonetheless possess vocal authority; end of the century for acceptance and a share of the major roles. First among them, in his ‘Celeste Aida’ (sung here in German) was once reviewed, by an experienced collector 1895, was Lloyd D’Aubignè (Thomas Lloyd Dabney), followed in 1907 by Riccardo and commentator, as being technically one of the very best on record. His Turandot arias Martin (Hugh Whitfield Martin 1874-1952), after which the ‘flood gates’ opened.1 One in particular are notable for their ringing high A naturals, culminating in a beautifully such tenor was Charles Kullmann, who emerged in the 1930s, and was born on 13th sustained and thrilling top B natural. In Offenbach’s Hoffmann’s Erzählungen he is ideally January 1903 to German parents in New Haven Connecticut. romantic. Like so many other fine tenors of the period, (including Tauber, Wittricsh, Bollman, Björling and Roswaenge), Kullman was expected to record items that Kullmann might have become a doctor, but while studying medicine at Yale University displayed his vocal prowess in music of a lighter vein - without necessarily having he won a prestigious inter-collegiate vocal competition, and with limited funds already performed the roles. Thus we have songs from operettas such as Kálmán’s Die making it difficult to continue his medical studies, he decided on a musical career. Zirkusprincessin and Kunneke’s Die Lockende Flamme both of which were surprisingly Kullmann initially sang as a baritone until lessons with Maestro Marcosano in New under-recorded in the days of 78 rpm discs.