The Shellac Project: Great Singers

Hungarian tenor Koloman von Pataky was one of the beloved stars of Vienna State Opera in the 1920s/30s. And he still is considered one of the best Mozart tenors of the 20th century, as this recording from 1927 proves.

Hungarian tenor Koloman von Pataky was one of the beloved stars of Vienna State Opera in the 1920s/30s. And he still is considered one of the best Mozart tenors of the 20th century, as this recording from 1928 proves.

Austrian tenor Julius Patzak was also internationally acclaimed as a Mozart tenor in the 1920s/30s. Ottavio's beautifully performed aria from Don Giovanni , recorded in 1935, is sung in German.

Erna Berger is considered one of the most important and famous German sopranos of the 20th century, especially loved for her Mozart portraits. However, she also gave an impressive interpretation of the title role from Verdi's La Traviata, as this recording from 1935 shows.

In his time, he was called "La gloria d'Italia": Baritone Mattia Battistini proves it in this glorious 1911 recording of Germont's aria from La Traviata.

Russia in the Czarist era also appreciated the art of singing; some of the most important Russian artists also had international careers. One of them was bass Lev Sibiryakov who is presented here with an early recording (1912) of Gremin's aria from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin.

Russian tenor Leonid Sobinov was not only famous in his native country but also celebrated big successes at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. His 1910 recording of Lensky's aria from Eugene Onegin mirrors his beautiful voice and great artistry.

Hermann Jadlowker, born in Riga, was an internationally acclaimed Opera and Lied singer at the beginning of the 20th century. At the same time he worked as a main cantor at his native city's synagogue before he eventually emigrated to Palestine in 1938. His Rossini interpretations can still be considered benchmarks today, as this example from 1912 proves.

Baritone Titta Ruffo, revered as a counterpart to tenor Enrico Caruso, sings Figaro's famous aria from The Barber of Seville in this formidable recording from 1912.

Especially for the great number of Irish immigrants in the United States, tenor John McCormack became a symbol of their national heritage. His splendid technical skills made him an ideal performer for opera parts from Mozart to Verismo as well as for popular music. Nadir's aria from Les pêcheurs de perles, sung in Italian, is an example for his legendary soft high notes.

Russian baritone Vladimir Kostarsky impresses by a rich voice, as shows this recording from 1909. The well-known Schumann song of the Two Grenadiers is getting a fascinating new colour by the accompaniment of an orchestra (instead of a piano) as well as by the Russian recitation.

The Era of Castrates was mainly gone when Alessandro Moreschi became one of the last representatives of this art at the end of the 19th century. Moreschi was mainly connected with the Pope's Chapel in Rome (Cappella Musicale Pontificia Sistina) with whom he recorded some spiritual works in 1904 when he was 46 years old. His recordings are the only acoustic witnesses of Castrate singing in the world.

Emmy Destinn, a Czech by the origin name of Ema Destinová, was one of the most important dramatic Sopranos at the beginning of the 20th century. She sang with all great artists of her time and was, among others, partnering Enrico Caruso at the world premiere of Puccini's Opera La fanciulla del West at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, in 1910. Two years before, she had recorded a work of completely different musical character, Bach/Gounod's Ave Maria, which gives an impression of her voice's rich colours.

Ernestine Schumann-Heink possessed one of the most impressive Alto voices of her time. Born in Bohemia (today Czech Republic), she was Cosmopolitan, grew up German-speaking but later moved into the USA where she performed often at New York's Metropolitan Opera. During 18 years she was also guesting regularly at the Bayreuth Festival and is still condidered one of the best performers of Erda in Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen.

French-German singer Sigrid Onégin had one of the most expressive alto voices of the early 20th century and was famous for her wide-ranging repertoire. The name "Onégin" was the pseudonym of her "husband" whom she married in 1913 - and who, in fact, was a woman.

Baritone Heinrich Schlusnus was one of the most famous German singers of early 20th century and one of the first stars at Deutsche Grammophon for whom he did nearly 500 recordings. Many of them are arias from Italian opera, often sung in his native German, such as Luna's aria from Verdi's Il Trovatore in this recording from 1928.

Italian baritone Umberto Urbano was also a star of the 1920s: not only because of his beautiful voice and superb technique, but also for his good looks … He was successful with both opera and popular songs. In this recording he presents an impressive performance of Renato's aria from Verdi's Un ballo in maschera.

Elisabeth Ohms was a Dutch soprano who studied in Germany and sang in the ensemble of Munich's State Opera for many years. Leonore's big aria from Beethoven's Fidelio is one of the few recordings of this artist who was also reknown as a Wagner singer.

Franz Völker's voice showed lyrical as well as dramatic qualities and made him one of the most famous German tenors of his time whose repertoire is also well documented in many recordings.

Franz Völker was also highly estimated as a Lied singer, as these recordings of Lieder by Carl Loewe can prove.

Franz Völker was also highly estimated as a Lied singer, as these recordings of Lieder by Carl Loewe can prove.

Adele Kern was one of the famous German "light sopranos" of the 1920s/30s, much praised for her stupendous technique. Zerbinetta in Strauss's "Ariadne auf Naxos" was one of her signature roles which she also sung under the composer's baton. Her big scene was recorded in 1933 with the Staatskapelle Berlin conducted by Alois Melichar.

Born in Copenhagen in 1897, Danish tenor Helge Rosvaenge became a star of the Berlin Staatsoper during the 1930s. He was known for his impassioned interpretations of the Italian repertoire, mostly performed in German translation. "Keiner schlafe!" – better known as "Nessun dorma!" – demonstrates the power and lustre of Rosvaenge's majestic voice.

Soprano Erna Sack was famous for her extremely high top notes: In this song from the 1936 movie Blumen aus Nizza (Flowers from Nice), for example, she reaches a range even higher than Mozart's Queen of the Night.

Austrian baritone Theodor Scheidl collected sporting victories including participating as a pentathlon competitor at the Olympic Games (1905), before he started his very successful singing career. This recording presents him with a song by German composer Carl Loewe which was quite well known during the 19th and early 20th Century. "Archibald Douglas", based on a ballad by Theodor Fontane, tells the story of a faithful Scotsman who would rather die than be forever banished from his country.

Bass Rudolf Watzke, today rather unknown, was one of the celebrated singers of his time who also sang at the Bayreuth Festival. In 1927 he recorded Carl Loewe's ballad about legendary King Henry the Fowler which was then one of the most popular German Lieder.

Soprano Maria Cebotari, born in Chișinău (today Republic of Moldova) was one of the most important singers of her generation. After early successes at a young age she was later considered an ideal performer of opera roles from Mozart to Bizet, Verdi, Puccini and Richard Strauss. She was only 39 years old when she died of cancer.

Soprano Maria Cebotari, born in Chișinău (today Republic of Moldova) was one of the most important singers of her generation. After early successes at a young age she was later considered an ideal performer of opera roles from Mozart to Bizet, Verdi, Puccini and Richard Strauss. She was only 39 years old when she died of cancer.

Margarete Klose was considered one of the most important altos in the 1930/40s. Her wide ranging repertoire included roles of Italian, French and German opera, Oratorio and Lied. As a Wagner performer she was a regular guest at the Bayreuth Festival. Anyway, also her Carmen - sung in German - was very famous in her time.

Margarete Klose was considered one of the most important altos in the 1930/40s. Her wide ranging repertoire included roles of Italian, French and German opera, Oratorio and Lied. As a Wagner performer she was a regular guest at the Bayreuth Festival. Anyway, also her Carmen - sung in German - was very famous in her time.

This recording from 1903, featuring a Massenet baritone aria, was for a
long time credited to tenor Francesco Tamagno who had premiered Verdi's "Otello" 16 years before. Meanwhile it is obvious that it was not Tamagno - or at least not Francesco. However, the singer could be his younger brother Giovanni who was also occasionally present on recordings, or it could be Antonio Cotogni.

During the Tsarist Era baritone Nikolai Shevelev ranked among the
great stars of Russian music. In this aria from Anton Rubinstein's forgotten opera "The Demon", recorded in 1908, he demonstrates his presence as a singer in an impressive way.

Tenor Heinrich Hensel was discovered by the legendary Felix
Mottl, Wagner conductor from Day One, and studied with, among others, Gustav Mahler. His recording of Mendelssohn's "Frühlingslied" from 1910 is a rare testimonial of his art.

Tenor Karl Jörn, nearly forgotten today, was a much requested
guest on the operatic stages of London, Brussels or New York in the early 20th century. In 1914, when this recording of Brahms' song "Feldeinsamkeit" was made, he sang the first-ever Parsifal at what was then the Deutsches Opernhaus Berlin.

Baritone Heinrich Schlusnus, still famous today and almost ubiquitous
on recordings at his time, can here be heard in a duet with the nearly forgotten tenor Robert Hutt. Back then, Hutt was very successful at many big opera houses in Germany and participated, among others, in the world premieres of Strauss' "Frau ohne Schatten" and Prokofiev's "Love for Three Oranges".

When still a child, English-born Alfred Piccaver came to the USA
where he was discovered at a very young age by the director of the Metropolitan Opera, Heinrich Conried. Conried sent him back to Europe for further apprenticeship. Since 1912 he was a member of what was then the K.u.K. Hoftheater (Imperial and Royal Court Theatre) at Vienna, where he soon became a darling of the public. He remained a member of the house for more than two decades.