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Geraldine Farrar "Star of Love" from the operetta "Apple Blossoms" (January 20, 1920)

There were famous prima donnas before Geraldine Farrar. Maria Malibran, Jenny Lind, and Adelina Patti all achieved world fame. But none—not even Nellie Melba or Luisa Tetrazzini—reached a wider audience than the American soprano. Farrar was not only an international opera star, she made more than 200 recordings and appeared in 14 silent films. The first media diva claimed headlines in newspapers, graced countless covers of magazines, and shared her life story in two autobiographies. During her 16-season reign at the Metropolitan Opera, Farrar commanded higher fees and appeared in more new productions than any other leading soprano. She sang 671 performances of 34 roles in 29 operas, a record matched by no soprano in the eight decades since Farrar's retirement. Before arriving at the Met on the opening night of the 1906 season, Farrar made headlines in Berlin, Monte Carlo, Munich, Stockholm, Salzburg, Paris, and Warsaw. Physical glamour, vocal appeal, and star temperament guaranteed Farrar acclaim few prima donnas have enjoyed. Giulio Gatti-Casazza divided sopranos on the Metropolitan Opera's roster between "magnificent voices" and "women of outstanding personalities." In the former category, the Met's general director placed Olive Fremstad, Lillian Nordica, Emma Eames, and Rosa Ponselle. In the latter, he cited only Geraldine Farrar. In his memoirs, Gatti-Casazza dubbed Farrar the Met's "beniamina" or "pet child." He also claimed, "She was not the possessor of a voice that was particularly flowing and free, a thing which she admitted herself. But she had a will of iron and succeeded always in triumphing over all obstacles."

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OTD in Music History: Legendary piano virtuoso Josef Hofmann (1876 - 1957) is born in what is now Poland. One of the greatest musical prodigies in history, Hofmann was also almost universally hailed as one of the finest concert pianists of his day. Unfortunately, by the early 1930s, Hofmann was beginning to suffer from the effects of chronic alcoholism, although he still retained most of his incredible pianistic command into the early 1940s… as evidenced by the fact that both Rudolf Serkin (1903 - 1991) and a very young Glenn Gould (1932 - 1982) later recounted lasting magical impressions from Hofmann’s late concerts. But following Hofmann's abrupt departure from the famed Curtis Institute of Music (where he had served as Director since 1927) in 1938, a combination of increasingly heavy drinking, mounting marital problems brought on by infidelity, and a loss of interest in public performance gradually eroded his formerly-peerless pianism. As Hofmann’s close friend (and arguably his greatest colleague) Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) sadly observed during that time: "Hofmann remains the greatest pianist alive -- when he is sober and in form. Otherwise, it is sadly all but impossible to recognize the great Hofmann of old.” Pianist Oscar Levant (1906 - 1972) later similarly opined: "One of the most terrible tragedies of music was the disintegration of Josef Hofmann as an artist. His last public concert [in 1948] was a true ordeal for all of us..." PICTURED: A publicity photo which Hofmann signed and inscribed to a fan in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1935, during that final period of fading glory.

“When studying a new work, it is imperative that a tonal picture of perfect clarity should be prepared in the mind before the mechanical (or technical) practicing begins.” – J. Hofmann “The problem with being a ‘wunderkind’ is that the ‘wunder’ disappears at the same time as the ‘kind.’” – J. Hofmann

A few assessments of Hofmann the pianist from great contemporaries and prominent music critics: “Hofmann’s style was one of the phenomena of twentieth-century pianism. Above all he had tone… a magical tone, never hard even at moments of greatest stress; a shimmering, tinted, pellucid tone. His playing had a degree of spontaneity, of ‘lift,’ of dash, of daring and subtle rhythm, that was unparalleled. Perhaps only his close friend Rachmaninoff was titan enough to stand by his side as an equal. But even Rachmaninoff never had Hofmann's poetry, color, and vitality. Nobody so made the piano sing. When Hofmann played, there was the feeling of a tremendous and original musical personality. His rubato was carefully measured, yet it always flowed freely and naturally. His playing had breathing space, and his basses had exceptional clarity. (Hofmann used to despise what he scornfully called ‘right-hand pianists.’) Never did the playing sag, never were there dead spots, never did the tensile quality slacken. A strong classic element was represented in the purity of his pianistic approach, and his interpretations -- romantic but not exaggerated -- had a measure of classicism.” – Harold C. Schoenberg “Hofmann was a unique personality, a unique pianist. What he did was perfect, at least for him. Every time I heard Hofmann play, I thought to myself: ‘Every note that he plays – that is what I would like to play, too.’” – Jorge Bolet “‘Hofmann’s musical interpretations were always delivered with great logic and beauty.” – Earl Wild

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January 20. 1892 was the World premiere from Alfredo Catalani’s Opera “La Wally” in Teatro alla Scala in Milano. Here is a old Libretto from this Opera.

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Patti was always generous in her applause for her fellow artists. When they were companions on her many tours, she would encourage and help them with useful criticism. The only fault she could not pardon was stupidity. She rarely took the trouble to point out the same error a second time. She knew how to tolerate mediocrity when she could not avoid it; but it was rather from a feeling of pity than because it did not try her patience. Very often it did. In those cases she said nothing to the offending parties, but, after considering how far their laches affected her comfort or the artistic serenity of the ensemble, she would send for Mapleson or Percy Harrison and make the point quite clear. ‘‘You know,’’ she would say, “‘I like so-and-so very much; but if there is one person in this world I cannot stand, it is an idiot or—anybody who habitually sings off the key.’’ The three singers whom she admired most were Jenny Lind, Alboni, and Christine Nilsson. The last-named was unquestionably her greatest rival in the esteem of the public; but they were the best of friends, and her admiration for the talent of the younger Swedish artist was whole-souled. When she died, one of the earliest and most touching messages received by her husband (Baron Cederstroém) was from Christine Nilsson, Countess Casa de Miranda. The peerless Alboni she loved, and thought her voice the most beautiful contralto that the world had ever known. Nor did she ever forget their wonderful duet at Rossini’s funeral.

From her girlhood her adoration of Jenny Lind had grown together with her memory of that renowned singer, whom she had been taken when a child to hear in America. It was only in after years that she learned how entirely reciprocal was the admiration existing between them—the one who had been called the ‘‘Swedish Nightingale’’ and the one who was now known as the ‘‘Queen of Song.’’ Once, early in the eighties, Madame Lind-Goldschmidt went to hear Patti at Covent Garden. She was accompanied by Sir Arthur Sullivan, who, when he next met Mme. Patti, asked her if she would like to know what Jenny Lind had said about her. ‘‘I would indeed,’’ was her reply. ‘‘Well,’’ said Sir Arthur, ‘‘she made this remark: ‘There is only one Niagara; and there is only one Patti.?’’ The recipient of the compliment treasured it as the greatest that had ever been bestowed upon her. ‘A beautiful voice is the gift of God.’’ These words, written by Adelina Patti in the birthday-book of a friend, at once indicate her recognition of what she herself owed to nature and the true source of that modesty which was not the least of her good qualities. For, all things considered, she was a singularly modest woman, unspoiled by adulation, wonderfully free from vanity, affectation, or self-assertiveness. Free, too, from the petty jealousies or the necessity for intrigue common to the atmosphere of the stage and the vie d’artiste, she commanded the sincere affection and respect of those who came into contact with her, and bore herself with queenly dignity and a sweet amiability of manner toward all alike.

From The reign of Patti by Hermann Klein

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"Ave Maria" (Gounod) Marie Michailowa 1905

"Ave Maria" sung in Russian by Marie Michailowa (Michailova), soprano. Maria Gamovetskaya (Hamowetzkaya), violin obbligato; Franz Hampe, pianoforte accompaniment. Recorded in St. Petersburg. 1905.

Marie Michailowa (Michailova) 1864-1943 was born Maria Van Puterin in Kharkov. She began her vocal studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and continued them abroad in Paris and Milan. Michailova made her debut at the Maryinsky Theater in 1892 and was a featured performer with that company for more than two decades. In the early years of the 1900s, she toured Russia extensively and performed in Japan in 1907. Michailova had a fear of traveling over water that limited her ability to appear outside continental Europe. At one point, Oscar Hammerstein was so taken with her voice that he attempted to engage Michailova for his Manhattan Opera Company, but she would not travel to New York. Maria Michailova was one of the most productive singers among recording pioneers. Beginning her career in 1901 with Gramophone and Typewriter, through 1914 Michailova made the astounding total of some 350 records for labels as diverse as Lyrophon, Columbia, Pathé, and HMV. About a half-dozen of these were released in the United States on Victor and were long-standing mainstays of their vocal catalog. Michailova made her farewell appearance in Leningrad in 1921.Recorded 350 records between 1901-1914.

This is an early recording that was limited by technology of the time and yet is still able to project the beautiful soprano voice! There are many "Ave Maria" early recordings but this version and the Rosa Ponselle (1926) seem to rise above. The recording technique of the time had the singer singing into a horn type funnel that would capture the sound waves and energy thus the singer was to project their voice in a consistent fashion. The loud projections could not be controlled very well. There is also hiss on this recording as you can hear. Reducing the hiss often times removes subtlety and nuances from the recording. In this case some of the transients of the voice or the resonance of the violin.

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January 14.1900 World premiere „Tosca“ in Rome. Here you see the original castlist from the third performance of this Opera at the The Metropolitan Opera March 16.1901. This was also the original cast of the United States Premiere at the MET. 125 years successfully around the World.

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The Hawaiian Nightingale, also known as “Hawaiʻi's Songbird: Ululani Robertson (1890-1970):

Born in Honolulu on January 5, 1890 (approx.), Ululani McQuaid was the daughter of James H. McQuaid, an Englishman, and Kapulani Kalola Nahienaena Leinaholo Papaikaniau, a native Hawaiian and descendant of ali’i (Hawaiian royalty and nobility) from the islands of Maui and Hawaii. According to Ululani’s recollections, she was primarily raised by her grandmother and attended the Sacred Hearts Academy, a Catholic school which was popular among the Island’s wealthier residents. The school was staffed mostly by Belgian nuns and Ululani grew up speaking Hawaiian, French, and English.

There is little known about Ululani’s earliest years, beyond information given in interviews conducted later in her life. Even her exact year of birth remains unclear as there is no birth record available and various obituaries listed her as 75 or 80 in 1970. Musicologist Dale E. Hall, who published a brief biographical portrait of Ululani in his 1996 article Two Hawaiian Careers in Grand Opera, was able to locate the 1910 census records which indicated her age as 20, establishing her probable birth year as 1890. Hall also went so far as to contact the Sacred Hearts Academy which was unable to confirm any records of her attendance at the school.

Ululani married Alexander George Morison Robertson, a Hawaiian attorney and jurist, on May 29, 1907. After her wedding, she begins to appear in newspaper records as Mrs. A.G.M. Robertson, and her activities are more closely documented in the social columns. The earliest clippings found describe her as a hostess for celebrities and dignitaries visiting Honolulu and the Hawaiian Islands.

It is likely that Ululani was introduced to singing by her grandmother who was a well-known Hawaiian chanter, and who probably instilled in her a deep reverence for the Hawaiian language and song traditions. In the early years of her marriage, Ululani began taking lessons with mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Mackall, one of Honolulu’s most noted voice teachers. Mackall helped to build Ululani’s knowledge of Western art music and develop her technique and repertoire.

Ululani’s first recorded recital appearance was in 1912 on a program featuring several of Mackall’s students. The next year, newspaper records give accounts of at least seven performances, both public and private. Ululani began incorporating musicales into the parties she hosted at her home.

Aside from her budding talent as a singer, Ululani was a noted hostess in Honolulu’s social circles. Both the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and the Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu’s largest and second largest news publications, praised the grandeur of events she hosted. An active member of her community, she was a member of the Morning Music Club and The Outdoor Circle, and was a founding officer of the Hawaiian Art Society.

As a result of Ululani’s talent, gracious personality, and social position, her popularity continued to increase between 1914 and 1920. She began appearing as a featured soloist with local churches and choral groups around Honolulu, receiving enthusiastic encores and splendid reviews from local newspapers.

wo notable performances in 1918 solidified the young Ululani’s place in Hawaii’s musical community, the first being a solo recital given for the benefit of the Red Cross at Honolulu’s new Mission Memorial Hall, and the second a feature in a Hawaiian musical given by Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole.

During World War I, the citizens of Hawaii did a great deal to support relief efforts, raising money and collecting clothing and food supplies. Ululani offered her talents as a singer, performing for events for Army and Navy groups stationed in the islands. Honolulu’s Ad Club sponsored a recital to benefit the American Red Cross on April 26, 1918 featuring Ululani Robertson (billed as Mrs. A.G.M. Robertson). Her program was a success, with nearly every seat filled. Encores included several Hawaiian songs, a tradition that the young singer would continue throughout her career. The concert was so well received that she was, from then on, known to the public as the “Hawaiian Nightingale.”

Later that year, with her notoriety as “Hawaii’s Nightingale,” Ululani was featured in a hookupu (traditional Hawaiian welcome ceremony for visiting nobles & dignitaries) given by Hawaii’s US Congressional delegate Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole. The event was a welcome for US Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane. On this program, Ululani performed traditional Hawaiian songs accompanied by ukuleles and a glee club from the Kamehameha Schools. Through this event she displayed herself not only as a fine singer of western art music but of the traditional and popular music of Hawaii. Throughout her life, Ululani would maintain her passion for performing and preserving the music and language of Hawaii.

Ululani continued performing and studying with Elizabeth Mackall. Sometime in late 1919 or early 1920, Mackall moved to San Francisco, California to join the music faculty at Mills College. Ululani took an apartment in San Francisco, travelling from Hawaii for periods of study with Mackall until 1921.

Having studied with Mackall for over a decade, in the spring of 1921, Ululani made the decision to seek a new teacher to further her musical accomplishments. Despite little connection to the musical world outside of Hawaii, she decided to seek an audition with Marcella Sembrich after reading an interview with the great prima donna in Mable Wangall’s 1899 book Stars of the Opera.

“When I went to New York I wanted to study with Madame Sembrich, not because someone had told me to go to her, but because I had read so much about this glorious woman. I had no letter of introduction to her. There was a long waiting list, so the secretary informed me.”

— Ululani Robertson, "Madame Butterfly Lauds Teacher, Mme. M. Sembrich." The Honolulu Advertiser. Page 27. January 20, 1935.

Having set her mind to meeting the renowned Sembrich, Ululani prepared to travel to New York. Her trip was hindered initially by a burglary at her San Francisco apartment and then when she contracted mumps on the long train ride. She arrived in New York City, but her prolonged illness delayed her seeking out Sembrich and caused her to miss Enrico Caruso’s final Metropolitan Opera performance, which she was to attend with fellow Hawaiian opera star tenor Tandy Mackenzie. After recovering, she began working to arrange her meeting with Madame Marcella Sembrich. After travelling five thousand miles and facing various trials and tribulations, her chance came on Easter Sunday of 1921.

Despite having no letter of introduction, the secretary spoke to Sembrich who decided to hear the singer and have a luncheon to discuss Ululani’s ambitions as a singer. Another interview recounts the audition with Sembrich:

“The studio accompanist, hard-working fellow, brought the song to a close with a resounding chord. Its soft, somewhat sad, melody had been strange to him, and its words stranger still, for it was a Hawaiian bit about the rain and a drenched flower. The singer, resting now by the piano, gathered herself together for the verdict. She had come five thousand miles from Honolulu to ask the great Marcella Sembrich to teach her. And Mme. Sembrich was before her now, about to decide. She speaks. “Where, my dear, did you come upon such – shall I say – Chinese-Italian? So was habe Ich nie vorher gehört.” (tr. from German: I have never heard this before”) The singer, for all the fact that this audition was for her a solemn affair, had to laugh. “That, Madame, was not Italian at all. It was Hawaiian.” “Ah so,” breathed the great teacher, “you come from those islands out there in the Pacific, to have Sembrich teach you? Well, we shall see!”

— from "Mrs. A.G.M Robertson Returns After Long Absence." The Honolulu Advertiser. Page 3. December 10, 1933.

Following her audition, Sembrich asked the young Ululani what she desired from a career in music. She boldly told Sembrich that she had no ambition for a career, only to perfect her voice and her art. Following her audition and interview, Sembrich sent Ululani off to await a decision. After three days passed, Sembrich contacted Ululani to accept her as a pupil, only on the condition that she pursue a career. She immediately took an apartment near Manhattan’s Bryant Park and set to study. Ululani and Sembrich worked well together and Ululani was soon fondly called Sembrich’s “little tropical flower.”

In the summer of 1921, Ululani travelled with her new teacher to “The Maples,” Sembrich’s Adirondack retreat in Lake Placid, New York. It was there that the only known photographs containing both Ululani Robertson and Marcella Sembrich in the same image were taken.

“All pupils loved my teacher. It made no difference whether they were successes or failures, they never forgot her magnetic personality. I spent my first summer with Mme. Sembrich at her home in Lake Placid. She herself was a marvelous cook and she planned her menus each day. I remember a little squirrel who, each summer, came to the back kitchen door to be fed by Madame. I think he got his winter store of nuts from her. Like people, he never forgot the gracious woman.”

— Ululani Robertson "Madame Butterfly Lauds Teacher, Mme. M. Sembrich." The Honolulu Advertiser. Sunday, January 20, 1935.

For the next four years, Ululani alternated between periods of study in New York and trips to Honolulu to visit family and give performances. It is during these years that her billing for concerts now included the line “Artist Pupil of Mme. Sembrich.” Reviews praised her abilities and her fine coloratura voice. Ululani, much like her Sembrich, was also known to accompany herself for encores, playing the piano or ukulele.

Sembrich moved her Adirondack summer retreat to Bay View, an estate on the shores of Lake George, in the summer of 1922 and purchased the property the following winter. Ululani was among the first students, along with sopranos Dusolina Giannini and Queena Mario, to take lessons in Sembrich’s new teaching studio (today The Sembrich) which was completed 1924.

Reviews indicate that Robertson showed great improvement in stage presence and the finer details of her artistry following only a year of study with Sembrich:

“Her dulcet tones, always so appealing to her many admirers, have developed a range, a power, a flexibility and a depth of feeling which have lifted her from the mere amateur class into that of the semi-professional, as all who hear her at her concert next Wednesday will agree. One year under the direction of such a noted singer has done so much for Mrs. Robertson, that one can have no doubt that in the next year’s work, which she is planning, she will easily reach the goal for which Madame Sembrich sets for her most promising pupils, a successful New York appearance.”

— from "Teacher Perpetuates Fame Through Pupils." The Honolulu Advertiser. Page 5. July 11, 1922.

Ululani returned to Lake George and New York City for extended periods of study alongside Sembrich’s students from the Curtis Institute and the Juilliard Graduate School, where she was director of the vocal programs. During her studies with Sembrich, Ululani began studying the roles of Mimi (La Bohème) and Cio-Cio-san (Madama Butterfly) by Puccini. Sembrich worked with Ululani to refine her diction, stage presence, and musicality, preparing for for a grand debut. However, the New York City debut that was the standard for Sembrich’s pupils never came as was decided between singer and teacher that a trip abroad for European study was more advantageous than an expensive Aeolian Hall debut:

“Mme. Sembrich felt that I should have European study. So, with my husband’s approval, I sailed for Italy and studied with Professor Guisseppi Benvenuto. I had already had four years of study with Mme. Sembrich. But there were languages to be studied, stage deportment, and a repertoire to be built up. I also had a few lessons with Mascagni, author of the opera, Iris, which I was studying.”

— Ululani Robertson in “Island Hostess,” Paradise of the Pacific. Page 32. February 1953

One of Ululani’s final performances as a pupil of Sembrich was in September of 1925 in the Italian play “Scampolo.” The event was held in the studio of Lake George resident and Sembrich pupil Polly Hoopes on her estate Stillwater. Following her final summer in Lake George, Ululani set sail for Milan, Italy to further her studies in Europe.

Following Sembrich’s advice, Ululani sought out several European teachers to help further her musical education, beginning in Milan, Italy.

While there, she took lessons with Giuseppe Benvenuto and Pietro Mascagni, studying roles from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and La Bohème, Mascagni’s Iris, andCharpantier’s Louise. Ululani then set her sights on France, particularly Paris, for further study. She continued her preparations for a European debut with pianist John Byrne. In 1926, she made her concert debut at the Salle Comedia in Paris and garnered positive reviews, particularly for her inclusion of several songs from Hawaii.

“Miss Ululani Robertson, who had chosen the Salle Comedia for her concert, possesses a very pretty soprano voice with exquisite crystalline notes. She knows how to sing, she sustains a note and reaches the pianissimo with undeniable art... Where she was quite remarkable was in some “Lieder” by Grieg; in “The Answer” by Terry, which she was obliged to repeat, and, above all, in some Hawaiian songs, to which she gave a really artistic expression. The “Na Lei O Hawaii” by King, won her a unanimous encore.”

— Louis Schneider in "The New York Herald," Paris. July 9, 1926

Following her successful concert debut, Ululani began appearing for social club events and private salons in Paris. In April 1927, she made her operatic debut in the title role of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in Bordeaux, France. Despite singing the role in Italian instead of French, which was customary in French opera houses, critics were enamored by her vocal ability and refined acting. Her debut was followed by 22 more performances of the role across the continent. Her career took her to Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain where she appeared on stages in Deauville, Florence, Liège, Leipzig, Lyons, Milan, Prague, Rouen, Vienna, and more. Billed as “Madame La Princesse Ululani,” news outlets praised her interpretation of the role, deeming her “an artist of unusual merit” and characterized her singing as “ravishing,” “charming,” and “superb.” Near the end of her tour, several news articles in Europe reported that Ululani would return to Honolulu to perform the role in 1928.

However, Ululani did not return to Honolulu and instead began study at the American Conservatory in Fountainbleau around 1928, coaching with pianist Camille Decreus, the long-time accompanist of the Polish Tenor (and friend of Sembrich) Jean de Reszke. During her studies, she continued to appear in concert and opera across the continent and her popularity in the European musical scene began to grow.

During this time in Europe, nationalism was a prevailing trend in the musical world. Folk songs, particularly those sung in original native languages, were garnering attention as the true expressions of national culture and identity. Ululani, being one of so few Hawaiian singers to achieve European fame, was made even more popular by her renditions of Hawaiian songs, her ukulele accompaniments, and her displays of Hawaiian dance for European audiences. Among the Hawaiian songs presented by Ululani was the popular song Na Lei O Hawaii by Hawaiian composer Charles E. King.

To date, no original recordings of Ululani’s singing have been located. The Victor Talking Machine Company has notes of two recordings recorded by Ululani in 1923, however, neither made it to publication. While Ululani was in Europe, another “Hawaiian Songbird,” named Lena Machado, began recording and popularizing the music of Hawaii in the United States. Machado’s 1928 recording of the work with traditional instrumental accompaniment is a definitive representation of the traditional Hawaiian vocal technique ha’i which is characterized by a distinct break between vocal registers and accompaniments.

Prior to her entrée to the European opera scene, Ululani was offered a position as a Hawaiian singer with a touring band. While she loved to sing the songs of Hawaii and perform the popular music for audiences, she still believed that the role of Butterfly best suited her. Although the operatic stage was her chosen home, Ululani did appear on several occasions performing popular Hawaiian music. One such instance was with a Hawaiian orchestra at the Colonial Exposition in Paris in 1931, which was broadcast on the radio and was heard by Ululani’s husband A.G.M. Robertson in San Francisco.

Ululani toured across Europe appearing as Madama Butterfly and occasionally in other roles such as Mimi in La Bohème. Then in 1931, it was announced that Mme. Ululani was to appear for several performances of Madama Butterfly at Paris’ Opera Comique, one of the most celebrated European venues with perhaps the most discriminating audience. This was the first time a Hawaiian opera singer would appear on the stage of the famous opera house. The night of her debut, Madame Sembrich cabled her fondest congratulations. Ululani’s husband even travelled from Honolulu to see her take the stage in Paris.

News of her lauded debut was announced in papers across the United States. Her achievements on the stage of the Opera Comique were the pinnacle of her international fame and solidified her place as one of the leading interpreters of Puccini’s Butterfly. The Parisian Critic Louis Schneider published this review of the Opera Comique performance in an unidentified Paris newspaper:

Louis Schneider, music critic, writes in a Paris newspaper…

Madame Ululani sang “Madama Butterfly” at the Opera Comique, on Monday night. Her carriage and extreme grace give her an exacting possession of the role in which she proves the fullest depths of the character in her interpretation. Her voice, although not of great volume, is sufficiently ample for the role; and if, on entering the stage, she was overcome with emotion, she affirmed herself in the succeeding acts with charm and beauty of her voice, and the seizing tenderness of her intonation. She sang quite remarkably “Sur la mer calmes,” and also the Berceuse. Her success was decisive and mounted act by act.

– from an unidentified French publication. Translated and printed in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Page 26. January 2, 1932.

Despite her success on the stage in Paris, in 1932, Ululani stated that she was needed at home in Honolulu to take care of her husband, and thus made the decision to end her European career, having achieved the success she initially sought. She remained in Europe performing and exploring the continent with her husband until the latter half of 1933 when she began her journey home.

On Thanksgiving Day of 1933, the Hawaiian Nightingale returned to Honolulu with her husband aboard the Lurline. Friends and acquaintances gathered at the port to welcome the newly minted international star home, showering her with flowers and leis. While she had ended her European career, Ululani continued to make appearances in Hawaii and rumors of a contract with the Civic Opera of Chicago and offers from New York managers abounded, but none proved true or of any interest to Ululani.

Upon her return to Honolulu, Ululani brought with her three Siamese cats she adopted while in Paris. The trio, Handsome, Poupoulle, and Big Boy, captured headlines and even won awards in the first official Honolulu cat show in 1935.

Ululani, like Sembrich, was a lover of nature and animals. In a 1953 interview, Ululani said:

“I am a great animal lover and I was always bringing home stray kittens to be cared for or little puppies who had no home. But I am especially fond of kittens.”

- from “Island Hostess” in Paradise of the Pacific. February, 1953.

One of her first notable appearances upon her return to Honolulu was on an NBC live radio broadcast commemorating President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first year in office. Ululani was a featured soloist on this program. She performed a new composition by Charles E. King, dedicated to Mrs. Roosevelt, titled Makuahine O Ka Lahui.

Her debut with the Honolulu Symphony was initially scheduled for 1934, but was cancelled due to illness. Her debut with the Symphony finally came the next year when she appeared as a guest soloist, performing “Pleurez mes yeux” from Massenet’s Le Cid. Praise for her artistry was universal andthe only critique noted was “the aria was too short.” Ululani continued to appear in venues across the islands and was ubiquitous with Hawaiian musical life in Honolulu.

In 1936, Ululani was able to, once again, display her talents as both an operatic prima donna and a champion of the music and traditions of Hawaii. In March, she appeared in a Hawaiian pageant reenacting the High Chiefess Kapiolani’s defiance of the volcano goddess Pele. Ululani took the lead role as the High Chiefess and scored great success singing traditional Hawaiian songs and melodies.

About two weeks later, the Morning Music Club and the Honolulu Symphony announced that they would launch a joint production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly with Ululani reprising her signature role. This proved to be a highly anticipated musical event in Honolulu as it was the first time the opera would be staged in Hawaii. American Tenor Frank Colson, who performed under the stage name Aroldo Collini, was brought to Hawaii from Los Angeles to star aside Ululani as Lt. Pinkerton. The opening of the opera was delayed by a day due to illness. The next night, the production opened and proved to be the musical event of the season, earning generous plaudits from the press. This was the last time Ululani appeared in her signature role on the operatic stage.

“Outstanding in an evening of excellence was the lovely and meticulous singing of Mme. Ululani Robertson. Effective and convincing was her sympathetic portray of the fragile Japanese girl. Her singing was of a high order, her phrasing was that of an accomplished musician in full command of her role, and her high tones rang out with real splendor. Mme. Robertson was considerate of every meaning of her music, her sense of dramatic values is schooled as it is in thoughtful European teaching and direction. Butterfly delighted by approaching the music through intelligence. A broad vocal sweep was evident in Mme. Robertson’s singing and she shaded her songs according to the meaning of the words.”

— from "Local Opera is Hit with Mme. Robertson Star" by Edna B. Lawson. Honolulu Advertiser. May 15, 1936

Over the next decade, “Hawaii’s Songbird” gave recitals, hosted musicales, and quickly reentered the social circles of Honolulu, becoming involved with local clubs and social groups including the Morning Music Club, The Outdoor Circle, and the Civic Club. In 1938, she was elected President of the Morning Music Club and began publicly advocating for the preservation of the music and language of Hawaii through a Hawaiian School of Music and presenting entire programs featuring the songs of Hawaii. Ululani was also featured in a serial column in the Honolulu Advertiser titled, “How’s Your Hawaiian?”

In 1941, following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Ululani once again became involved in relief efforts. Following the devastation from the bombing, Ululani opened her home to several displaced families. Gayle Andersen, who was 15 at the time, was one of those displaced. In a 2017 article, Anderson recalled:

“‘I was let loose,’ reminisced Andersen about her short but memorable time at the house. ‘I could go anywhere I wanted to during the day. Mrs. Robertson didn’t care, so I played up and down both sides of the bank [of the stream], and the stepping stones were [just] slightly in the water, so you could go across.’ Andersen remembers the formal dinners she enjoyed in the company of Robertson and the host’s regal appearance. She recalled the host’s elegant muumuus, trailed over her arms as she walked down the stairs. Andersen also remembers admiring Robertson’s old opera costumes. ‘She wanted me to take home some clothes. I was fifteen, but I [even though I] only weighed 115 pounds, I couldn’t fit any of them. I was too big!’ exclaimed Andersen.”

— from “World War II Survivor Visits HBA High School” by Kayci Kumashiro in Eagle Eye. Honolulu. January 3, 2017

Similar to her efforts during World War I, Ululani organized performances for troops stationed in Hawaii during the second World War. Through her involvement with the Hawaiian Civic Club she raised funds for the Red Cross and organized events for the sale of war bonds. She also chaired benefit events for the Civic Club and served a term as President of the organization.

Near the end of the war, in July 1945, fellow Sembrich student Dusolina Giannini visited Oahu to sing for members of the armed services stationed on the island. Giannini and Robertson had studied together under Madame Sembrich in New York City, Lake Placid, and Lake George. It is no surprise that Ululani insisted on hosting Giannini for her stay and, in elegant fashion, threw a grand reception for her friend and fellow artist.

Following the war, Ululani performed less frequently, instead focusing on her involvement with social clubs and organizations. In 1946, she was named to the board of Public Parks and Recreation in Honolulu and played a large role in the beautification of the city.

It is also suspected that during this time, her husband’s health was in decline. In 1947, A.G.M. Robertson passed away, leaving his estate to Ululani.

In the final two decades of her life, Ululani rarely performed but stayed actively engaged in her community. In 1948, she remarried to Jan Jabulka, the managing editor of the Honolulu Advertiser. They held the event at Ululani’s home and her friends filled her home with flowers for the occasion. A small ceremony was held in the evening with the Nuuanu Valley as the backdrop.

In 1951, Jan Jabulka was named the Executive Director of the Hawaii Statehood Commission. The couple relocated to Washington D.C. and made their primary residence in the nation’s capital, working to secure statehood for the territory. Ululani anticipated that they would be away only three to four months. However, securing statehood for the Hawaiian Territory took nearly a decade. Reports of Ululani’s activities in Washington are scarce, but she does appear in attendance records for several events, occasionally singing by popular request. In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state in the Union and the Jabulkas’ time in Washington DC came to a close.

Following Hawaii’s battle for statehood, the Ululani and her husband returned to Honolulu. Ululani was pleased to return to her Honolulu estate following nearly a decade living in apartments and hotels in Washington, DC. Ululani spent the 1960s as a socialite, presiding as a patroness of numerous club events. She passed away at her home in 1970 at the age of 80.

Following her death, Ululani’s estate home passed on to the heirs of her first husband and was eventually sold. The building still stands and is the administration building for the Hawaii Baptist Academy’s High School. Her second husband inherited her Tantalus mountain home and the rest of her estate. The majority of her belongings were sold at auction in 1971, aside from a few items that were bequeathed to family and friends. Her collection of ali’i jewelry was donated to the Bishop Museum and still remains in their collection. Honolulu’s Morning Music Club, of which Ululani was a dedicated member, established the Ululani Memorial Voice Competition, as a tribute to the late singer. A 1934 poem dedicated to the Hawaiian opera star by Maryjane Kulani F. Montano also appears in several publications:

Manu Memele (Original Hawaiian)

Hooheno i ka lai ehukai Lamalama po Mahealani Ko leo, e ka manu hulu Melemele Hoene malie i ka poli.

Mehe lehua pua kea a-la E haaheo maila i ka uka I po ke aha onaona Ko leo, e ka Manu Memele.

Yellow Bird (English Translation)

Bewitching the ocean spray’s fair clime, Brilliant as the full moon light, Your voice, O bird of yellow plumage Brings melody gently yo the breast

Like unti a pale yellow Lehua Proudly blooming at the uplands That pervadesits fragrant scent, Is your voice, O singing bird.

In 1980, following the death of Jan Jabulka, a gift of $1,000,000 was bequeathed to the Bishop Museum for the construction of a new open air entrance pavilion in honor of his late wife. The Jabulka Pavilion was completed in 1982 and continues to serve as the main entrance to the museum.

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The importance of Hariclea Darclée in the operatic pantheon can't be stressed enough. Far more than just being the Maria Callas or Anna Netrebko of the verismo era Darclée was the last of the legendary role creators in line that ran from the castratos and contraltos of Händel’s day through Isabella Colbran (Rossini), Maria Malibran, Giulia Grisi, Giuditta Pasta and Pauline Viardot-Garcia (Bellini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer) and Cornélie Falcon (grand opéra) to Gemma Bellincioni in Cavalleria rusticana and Fedora. Darclée created Catalani’s La Wally, Mascagni’s Iris and I Rantzau, Carlos Gomes’s Odalêa, Mancinelli’s Ero e Leandro and Puccini’s Tosca. She was responsible for the local creations of works ranging from Don Giovanni to Meistersinger, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Manon, Le Cid, Cavalleria rusticana and even Glinka’s Vie pour le tsar in Paris, Nice, Monte Carlo, Milan, Naples, Barcelona, Madrid, Porto, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Rosario or Rio de Janeiro. Puccini had wanted Darclée to create Manon Lescaut but could not afford her at the time! She appeared in the first Scala run of both Cavalleria rusticana and Manon Lescaut though. And yet Darclée ended up practically forgotten outside Romania, because her legendary operatic recordings, including creator's records of Tosca and Iris, were lost for posterity when the Berlin Odeon/Fonotipia factories were bombed during World War II.

Darclée was undoubtedly the most famous soprano of the 1890s and the last of the great creators, but following the Tosca premiere in 1900, the operatic world changed in an unprecedented manner. Recordings soon became predominant in spreading and preserving one’s fame. In the process Covent Garden London and the Metropolitan opera House New York became the prime opera theatres of the world. For reasons explained in the book Darclée never performed in either. With her recordings lost for posterity she turned from legend to mystery. All questions regarding her life and career are answered in ‘Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore, the Life & Times of the First Tosca, Hariclea Darclée’. Seghers: ‘The biography restores Hariclea to her rightful place in the top ranks of the operatic pantheon. That is good news for Darclée, but also for Romania, since she still is the national soprano heroine there to date.’

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Today a very rare original program from the Teatro de la Opera in Buenos Aires 1902. „Tosca“ with the Soprano Hariclea Darclée (1860-1939). She was the first Tosca in the Word premiere in Rome 125 years ago January 14.1900.

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It suited well the part of Puccini’s Mimi and also equipped the singer admirably for the inter-pretation of Lieder. Mme. Sembrich sang the colora-ture parts from Amina in ‘“Son-nambula’’ to Rosina in the ‘‘Barber of Seville.’’ She had the purity and distinction of style appropriate to Mozart. She sang the lines of Mar-guerite de Valois in ‘‘Les Hugue-nots,’” while her performance of ‘‘Ernani involami’ caused Richard Aldrich to remark in Tuy Times that Verdi’s aria “had not been heard for long in so large and mag-isterial a style.’’ Led in Lieder Singing. For a rarity among opera singers of this generation Mme. Sembrich was a mistress of Lieder singing, to whom melody and poetry had equal significance and by whom song and text were blended in a perfect whole. She spoke fluently and sang in seven languages, but she astonished when in the course of a series of historical recitals, late in her ca-reer, she sang in dialects of sixteen different races, a variety of lan-guages which has probably been equaled by no other singer known to the American stage. She had sung in most of the countries of the world, as Greece, where she made her début; Germany, Russia, Poland, Austria, Hungary, England, France, Holland, Belgium,. Portu-gal, Spain, Rumania, Italy and the United States. In this country Mme. Sembrich’s career has been closely associated with the Metropolitan, where she had enjoyed so many of her greatest triumphs. She made a last ap-pearance on its stage at the jubilee performance given for Mr. Gatti- Casazza, Jan. 26, 1933. Mme. Sembrich worked to the last of her strength, as it was her nature to do. She knew how to work, and how to live; how to work and live with infinite zest for her art, her pupils and her friends, More than once she had fought severe illness with a superb cour-age and optimism, and left her bed as quickly as possible to resume her activities. Energy, strength of character, capacity for the hardest and most exacting effort, were hers almost to the end. She was in variably courageous, optimistic, possessed of a philosophy of living, which included tolerance and sense of humor. She met tribula-tions with fortitude and self-cone trol. She was a steadfast friend, with a special gift for human com-panionship. Her relations with those who were great or small on the world’s stage were unaffected by considerations of fortune or sta-tion. She was a lady and artist of an earlier period than this one, and it was the greater tribute to her mind and character that she car-ried over into a noisy modern age, and made her own place in it. Her friends all over the world and the public which remembers will mourn her passing, but that mourning and loss will be tempered by the thought of the woman who gave and accom-plished so much, who added so mae terially to the real wealth of the world, and whose life was so complete.

From: The New York Times 1935-01-12

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Marcella Sembrich, one of the greatest singers this country has known, was not only a musician of the most exceptional achievements but a woman whose intelligence, character and charm had direct'y to do with the quality of her art. She was born in a great period of singing—fifteen years after Patti and Nilsson, and ten years later than Lilli Lehmann. Among Sembrich’s associates of the stage were Melba, Nordica, Calvé, Eames, Plancon and the de Reszkes. It was an age of magnificent voices and of bril-liant vocal performance, but it pro-duced no more finished artist than Sembrich. It was characteristic of her that she quickly realized the true eharacter and capacities of her voice, which she never abused. By the greatest industry and conscien-tiousness she developed its re-sources to the utmost and supple-mented them: by her rare accom-plishments as a musician, It is well known that she was trained as a pianist and violinist before she studied song, but her warmest admirers were astonished when she performed at Henry E. Abbey’s benefit after that mana-ger’s disastrous season of 1883-84. The anticipation was of a dilettante exhibition of instrumental preten-sions by a well-meaning prima don-na. But Sembrich played a de Bé-riot violin concerto which the or-chestra joined the audience in rap-turously applauding. She then played a Chopin nocturne, ‘‘proving beyond question,’’ said William J. Henderson in The New York Sun, ‘‘that she was great also as a pian-ist."”’ The audience demanding an aria, she sang the ‘‘Ah, non giunge’”’ from Bellini’s ‘‘Sonnambula’”’ and ended by playing the violin obbli-gato for Christine Nilsson’s singing of the Gounod ‘‘Ave Maria!”’ Range of Voice. The range of Mme. Sembrich’s voice was from the C below the treble clef to the F above it. The voice had been very carefully schooled before she essayed oper-atic appearances. She had a per-fectly tempered scale, with no breaks or inequalities between reg-isters. All the famous colorature roles, with the exception of the very dramatic one of ‘‘Norma,’’ were in her repertory. But the voice, though transparent in tone quality, singu-larly free and flexible, and equal to every test of technic, had also lyrical warmth.

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WALTER DAMROSCH, Symphony and Opera Conductor—I have been associated with Mme. Sembrich for so many years, as musician and friend, and have so admired her during that entire period in both capacities that I can only remember the many years that God granted her to dispense her wonderful gifts to the musical world. I do not know of any one who has left behind such a glorious memory of her exquisite art, her sunny temperament and, up to the very end, an intense activity in her profession, endeavoring to give to the future what she had had so abundantly in the past. JOHN ERSKINE, President of the Juilliard School of Music—Mme. Sembrich was one of the greatest artists in one of the happiest periods of music. The perfection of her skill and the integrity of her ideals have become a legend. She was an inspiring teacher and a friend of young artists. Her loss to us at the Juilliard School is immeasurable. LUCREZIA BORI of the Metropolitan Opera—She was a great inspiration not only to beginners but to artists. She was such =| marvelous example of faithfulness | to art and to music. She was one) of the greatest artists of her! epoch. I am heartbroken not only | by the loss of the artist but also} of an outstanding woman. | GERALDINE FARRAR-—It is a shock to learn that a dear friend has joined the company of the immortals. One has come to look upon Mme. Marcella Sembrich as an incomparable, defying the elements. Her memorable contributions to our musical world are allied to the decade of Jean de Reszke and Lilli Lehman. ANTONIO SCOTTI—I am shocked by the news of Mme. | Marcella Sembrich’g death and so. filled with sorrow that I cannot do justice to her attainments as an artist. She was one of the greatest. All who met her, whether in her career on the stage or as a teacher, found her kind and sympathetic. She will always live in my memory, not only for her achievements but as a marvelous woman. PASQUALE AMATO—Good fortune | gave me the privilege and great honor to sing with such a marvelous artist, whose achievements will not be duplicated for many years. We have lost one of the greatest examples of the true bel canto. I shall always remember her as one of the finest persons I have met in my life. EDWARD ZIEGLER, Assistant General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera Compan — Wyit h Mme. Sembrich’s death there concludes an admiration and friendship of more than thirty years. As an artist she was the embodiment of the highest ideals; as a woman she was lovable, wise and understanding. It was my rare privilege to have known her in both roles, and in both she was/| supreme, Mme. SCHUMANN-HEINK (in Chicago)— I was terribly shocked to learn of the death of Mme. Sembrich. I have lost another of my oldest colleagues and (friends. Marcella Sembrich worked herself up into the position of one of the greatest singers of her day in the world. She was not only a singer but a violinist and pianist and was exceptionally musical. Mme. Sembrich was the pet of all European royalty and an especial favorite of the Russian court when it was at its peak. - The whole world admired her wonderful voice and her great art. The} musica] world has lost one of its) greatest stars, a singer, musician | and teacher. I shall try to be present at the services to pay any last respects.

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Tribute to the memory of Mme. Marcella Sembrich was paid yesterday by persons who had known her as an artist, a friend and a teacher. Their statements follow: GIULIO GATTI-CASAZZA, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera Company—The news of the death of Mme. Marcella Sembrich has produced in me as well as in all the members of the Metropolitan Opera a profound sorrow. She had been one of the purest and most complete glories of this theatre, to which she had given all of herself for so many years. Her great ability and merits will never be forgotten. She was not only a great artist but also an exquisite woman and an incomparable teacher. PAUL D. CRAVATH, Chairman of the board of the Metropolitan Opera Company—Mme. Sembrich was the queen of opera for years, and since her retirement as an opera singer while in the full plenitude of her powers she has been the queen of teachers of voice. She was not only a great singer and teacher but a woman of unusual character and ability. No opera singer of my time has had such a host of admirers and friends. No one can fill her place. CORNELIUS N. BLISS, Chairman of the Board of the Metropolitan Opera and Real Estate Company— I am a2eply grieved by the death of Mme. Marcella Sembrich. The world has lost one of its greatest artists and one of its loveliest women.

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Mme. Marcella Sembrich, whose successes as a star of the opera were followed by widely hailed achievements as the mentor of singers after her retirement in 1909 from the Metropolitan and from the concert stage in 1916, died at 8 A. M. yesterday in her home, 151 Central Park West. She was 76 years old. She had been ill since last Nov. 15, with her condition becoming progressively worse as she lost strength. For the last few days death, which was attributed to emphysema and heart complications, had been hourly imminent. So widely was she known, however, not only in New York City but also in other cities of the United States and abroad, that the foreknowledge of the end did not dim the shock of her passing. Persons who called at or telephoned to her home yesterday forenoon for| news of her condition were in-'| formed of her death, and then to)! the apartment began a steady succession of messages of condolence and of callers to express their grief.

Son Present at the End. Recently, Mme. Sembrich had been in such a weak condition that she had received no callers. With her at the time of her death were her son, William Marcel Stengel, and her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Juliette Stengel. Her husband, Wilhelm Stengel, died in 1917. She had no other close relatives in the) United States. Until the onset of her illness she had remained actively at work as a. teacher. During the Summer she) had conducted the school she had maintained for a number of seasons at Lake George, N. Y. Many satudents got instruction there from her | rich store of operatic accomplishment.

New York in October and took up her residence in her apartment,which overlooked , Central Park. She went forward as usual with her teaching. Since her illness, however, which at first took the form of asthma and interfered seriously | with her breathing, all of her contact with her students had been curtailed. To conserve her strength, the utmost quiet was prescribed by her physician, Dr. Charles Goodman Taylor. Friends said yesterday, however, that her advanced ace had from the first made her, illnes a matter of serious concern to them. : Her teaching contacts previously had been linked both with the Juilliard School of Music here, and) with the Curtis School in Philadelphia. She was a director of the, latter institution until last year, and was the recipient of a degree of Doctor of Music for her work there. In accordance with what was understood to be a wish of Mme. Sembrich, and of her family, the funeral services will be simple. The services, it was announced, will be held at 3 P. M. tomorrow in St.Patrick’s Cathedral. There will be. no special music, other than that, by the boys’ choir of the cathedral. The place of burial was not made known.

Active pallbearers were announced as Cornelius N. Bliss, Serge Rachmaninoff, Josef Hofmann, Ernest Hutcheson, Ernest Schelling, Frank Ia Forge, Wilfred Pelletier, André de Coppet, Walter Damrosch, Antonio Scotti, H. H. Flagler, W. J. Henderson, Richard Aldrich, Emilio de Gogorza, Edward Ziegler, Adolfo) Betti, Efrem Zimbalist and Paul D. Cravath. | Honorary pallbearers will be Giulio Gatti-Casazza, John Erskine, Francis Rogers, Alexander Siloti, Ugo Ara, Dr. W. H. Haskin, Adolph S. Ochs, Alfred Pochon, Rubin Goldmark, Sigismund Stojowski and Dr. J. A. Taylor.

When Marcella Sembrich sang her |farewell to opera on Feb. 6, 1909,her voice was young and beautiful. The final rise of the curtain that | night revealed her enthroned on | the Metropolitan Opera House) stage. Grouped about her was every member of the Metropolitan Opera Company. Facing her was an audience that filled every foot of floor space from the doors to the roof. Gifts were piled high beside her throne and great masses of flowers | stretched into shadows far down. the stage. “It is because I like the sun best | when it is high,’’ she said, in ex- | planation of her retirement. ‘‘It is | better that I leave when every one is asking ‘why?’ than later when. my ability might be less.’’ * She was then within nine days) of being 51 years old. She had | reigned at the Metropolitan for| more than a generation; she had/| typified for three decades here and| abroad the highest perfection of| bel canto singing. Just as Mme. Adelina Patti had done before her, she had kept alive the old traditions of Italian song, and with Melba she had carried on to increasingly greater heights the traditions of the old Italian mastery of the voice. She had found success early and it had lasted long. In her bright career was no place for anticlimax. She never could recall a time when music was not the chief interest of her life. There were piano lessons when she was 4 years old; lessons on the violin two years later. After she had developed a remarkable ability on both instruments recognition of her extraordinarily appealing and expressive colorature soprano voice came when she was 15. So she had, as Franz Liszt told her, ‘‘three pairs of wings to fly with through the land of music.”” ‘‘But sing,” he had ordered, ‘‘sing for the world, for you have the voice of an angel.’’ Music, poverty and endless work made up her childhood. She was born Praxede Marcelline Kochanska on Feb. 15, 1858, in the hamlet of Wizniewczyk, Galicia, Poland. Her father, Kasimir Kochanski, one of fourteen children of a tanner, had run off and joined a military band. Leaving to marry, he had learned to play all the musical instruments and was able to make a passable living by his skill.

The family made up a home quartet. Her mother, whose maiden name was Sembrich, played second violin, her brother first violin, the father a ‘cello and Marcelline the piano. They wandered about seeking pupils. As the daughter grew older she played piano to her father’s violin in the homes of the minor nobility and rich townsfolk, Always very poor, they had to borrow the scores of Haydn and Mozart, and the daughter worked by candlelight, copying the parts. She was 12, alert and confident, a self-supporting artist—she lived very cheap—when she met her first patron. A wandering singer of folk-songs, Father Lanovich, liked her instrumental accomplishments so much he helped her to enter the conservatory at Lemberg. In three years one Wilhelm Stengel, instructor of piano, taught her all he had to teach. He took her to Liszt and the great man talked of her wings. He gained her a hearing wit: Epstein, who accepted her as a student of piano and to Helmesberger, under whom she studied the violin. He took her to Rochitansky, in Vienna, under whom she _ studied voice. Then, when she was 19 years old and ready for her début he married That year of her début and marriage, 1877, she wintered in Milan, learning from the younger Lamperti that Italian ‘‘bel canto’’ which she was later to make her special art. To Milan then as now came impresarios seeking singers. Marcelline had two offers. One would have taken her to Tiflis, across the Black Sea. The other called to Athens and she accepted it. The night of her début was June 3, 1877. It was very hot; the opera was at Phaleron by the sea. The King entered the royal box and the opera, “‘I Puritani,’’ started. The new singer was well received, but ee was no great sensation about it.

In the next year advisers on her musical career worked. over her name and molded it into Marcella Sembrich. She appeared as Sembrich at the Saxon Royal Opera at Dresden and had an immediate and tremendous success. A two-year engagement in Dresden followed.

Then she made her London début at Covent Garden in 1880. It was in ‘Lucia’? and the critics reported that London was dazzled by her vocalization. A season of grand opera in Madrid followed directly and then the first of fifteen seasons in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Those were great days for the opera. The gracious applause of royalty was important and thrilling then. The young singer had much of it. Orders and decorations and royal gifts began overwhelming her. But in 1883 she left Europe for New York.

She came in stirring times. A war was on between the old and the rew. Insurgents from the old citathe Academy of Music, had joined with considerable recent wealth to build the Metropolitan Opera House, familiarly known As the ‘‘White Elephant,’’ where every one with enough money could sit in a box and show off gowns and jewels. Adelina Patti was retained by the old; Christine Nilsson by the new. | Marcella Sembrich, then only 25) years old, rated next to Nilsson in| in “‘Lucia,’’ the second opera it, gave, and sang Patti’s roles. By the end of the season the critics could find no praise too She was not, of coursé, favored above Patti. When Patti Sang the Academy was two-thirds For Patti was was Queen of But Marcella Sembrich did make a real place for herself. Her great night of that first year was April 21, 1884. Henry E. Abbey, impresario for the Metropolitan, had found hard going that first year. He had gambled on exrensive productions and lost heav‘- .. A benefit was given for him. The littl. girl whose father could play all the instruments in the band showed off her three pairs of wings. She sang an aria from ‘“‘La Sonnambula,’” she played a nocturne by Chopin and furnished the violin obbligato to Gounod’s ‘‘Ave Maria,’’- sung bv Miss Nilsson. One critic the next day described her as a “‘meteor in a galaxy of More Singing Lessons, England and many long tours of the Continent followed. She appeared in opera and concerts in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Warsaw, Berlin, Paris, Madrid and lesser capitals, sharing the first honors of Italian opera with the most distinguished artists of her generation and with the great ones who had been famous when she was still playing for dances in Galicia. In 1897 she came back to America for a concert tour, and in ovember, 1898, rejoined the Metropolitan Opera Company. In the Metropolitan’s répertoire she made the operas of the florid Italian school inevitable. In the succeeding seasons she lost none of her vocal powers. Several stars of the last generation made their debuts by her side. She reappeared as Gilda on Nov. 23, 1903, for Caruso’s American début as the Duke in ‘‘Rigoletto’’ and she sang with him in his first successes. There were several reasons why she retired in 1909, when her career was at zenith, when she was winning the operatic honors and popularity that were to be equaled only by Caruso. One was that fashions in opera had changed. In her younger days, as she put it, you just came out In your nicest evening frock and sang. But by 1909 the dramatic opera had pretty much taken the place of lyric opera and she found that while the public had once wanted to hear only the old operas sung over and over again, they then wanted ‘‘a new role every week.’’

For some years. after retirement from opera she continued in concert tours both here and abroad. ‘“‘Gradually,’’ she had said in re-calling the period, “I began to feel the desire of transmitting to the younger generation of today the art that I had learned so thoroughly. and practiced so long.’’ After the death of her husband in 1917 she withdrew entirely from the public platform and devoted her time and energy exclusively to teaching. Aspirants came to her and she selected and labored over the most promising. Stars of the Metropolitan and other companies came also; ‘‘for inspiration,’’ they always said, but Sembrich’s aides ‘the ichestra, she appealed to the public knew they were seeking perfection. When the Juilliard Foundation was established in New York and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia she was called to head the departments of voice. In the succeeding years at New York, Philadelphia and at her estate in Lake George pupils from all over the world assembled for her tutelage. She gave many stars to the musical | firmament. Her most. successful pupils included Dusolina Giannini, Queena Mario, Alma Gluck, Hulda Lashanska, Harriet van Emden, Ethyl Hayden, Florence Page Kimball and many others. Her great hope in the last few years of her life was that America should have a national opera— opera through a movement that should reach out to every part of the country, bringing to the nation the culture that goes hand in hand with musical development. It would utilize American talent and its productions would be entirely in English. It was on behalf of this movement that she appealed to the public béginning in 1930 when the depression threatened the American opera. First her efforts were in behalf of the American Opera Company. Then she returned to the stage of the Metropolitan on Feb. 26, 1933, at the jubilee stage show, and begged her old friends to help the Metropolitan, urging the company and its followers to ‘‘carry on.”’

For the Metropolitan, as well as Philharmonic-Symphony Oragain on her seventy-sixth birthday on Feb. 15, 1934. Paderewski, her friend of many years’ standing, sent her the following message on this birthday: ‘‘Most affectionate. wishes and greetings to the greatest and noblest artist and friend, from Paderewski."’ Except for such occasions, and in addition her chairmanship of the Polish-American Relief Fund during the war, she remained in retirement from the public eye. But in the world of music, even to her last days, retirement was not for her. She occupied a position in American music such as Liszt had in the Weimar days. Musical notables came to her studio, her ‘“‘trophy room,” as she called it. Surrounded by mementos of Brahms, Verdi, Rubinstein, Gounod, Thomas, Paderewski, Modjeska, Joachim and Clara Schumann and others of the great artists who had worshiped her talent, she was sought for the gospel of perfection with which she inspired fellow-musicians. In those last years most of her time was spent in America, her Winters in the apartment facing Central Park, replete with cherished reminders of her lifelong triumphs; her Summers at Lake George at the estate she had established with her husband and teacher, and-to which they used to repair in the early days of her retirement. She was one of the really great personalities in the music world, one of the great ones whose sun was always high.

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Here we see the Austrian Soprano Marie Renard (1864-1939). She was born January 8.1864. On this Postcard from 1898 we see her together with the Tenor Ernest van Dyck (1861-1923) who was also a great star, in the Opera „Manon“ from Massenet.

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Today a castlist from the Royal Opera, Covent Garden 1910. A performance of Richard Strauss “Elektra”. This was in the year after the first performance in Desden January 29.1909.

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Dame Clara Butt - God shall wipe away all tears from The Light of the World (Sullivan)

(Recorded: London 1915)

Sullivan began the composition of The Light of the World at the end of September, 1872 and it would occupy him for many months. In a letter to his friend, J. W. Davison, dated 16 May 1873 Sullivan makes clear the unusually long time (for him) that he spent on its composition. He wrote:

I never go out in the world as my Oratorio takes all my time and thought...I have stuck to my work since last Michaelmas without faltering. The 1st part is done & is in rehearsal and the second is rapidly progressing. The words are all compiled from the Bible by Grove & myself. I think the book is really beautiful thanks to dear old 'G'.

During the rehearsal period, Sullivan made several visits to Birmingham, where the work was to receive its first performance at the Festival of 1873. He soon became a popular figure with the choristers. As one, William Poutney, later recalled:

I well remember the rehearsals of this work. The composer came several times to try over the choruses, and his firm but gentle manner soon made him a favourite with the choristers, who seemed to vie with each other in the desire to make the oratorio a success.

As the time of the first performance approached, the betrothal of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, to the Grand Duchess Marie, daughter of Tsar Alexander II was announced. Sullivan numbered the Duke amongst his friends and immediately sought and received permission to dedicate the Oratorio to his future wife.

The first performance took place at the Birmingham Festival on 27 August 1873 in the presence of the Duke of Edinburgh with Tietjens, Trebelli, Sims Reeves and Santley as the principal soloists. It had been confidently expected that the work would be a masterpiece that would rival Handel's Messiah and Mendelssohn's Elijah in popularity. Indeed, the first performance was a triumph and the President of the Festival, the Earl of Shrewsbury, publicly congratulated the composer at the end of the performance.

Sullivan used to say that when the lull in the cheering came and he heard Lord Shrewsbuy's voice calling out 'Mr. Sullivan' a sudden dread came upon him lest the religious prejudices of the noble President should have been wounded by the treatment of the libretto, and that he was going to hear a protest. He was soon relieved, however, and Lord Shrewsbury's eulogy was warmly supported by the audience. The press were equally enthusiastic. The critic of The Standard wrote: And The Observer of 31 August 1873 commented: The Duke declared the work to be "a triumph" and Gounod, who heard the work at a later performance in London called it "a masterpiece." After its premiere in Birmingham, performances followed in other towns and cities: Bootle on 5 January 1874, Nottingham on 21 January 1874 and Manchester on 19 February 1874. The music lovers of Manchester, perhaps realising that Sullivan would derive little pecuniary reward for the months he had laboured over the score, arranged a complimentary dinner at which Sullivan was presented with a 'handsome silver cup and a considerable sum of money'. Sullivan also derived income from the sale of scores. According to the contract with Cramer for the publication of the vocal score, dated 4 September 1873, Sullivan was paid £300 in respect of all rights, with further payments of £100 when sales reached 2,000 and again when the 4,000 mark was reached. But this was considerably less than the income he would derive from one of the Savoy operas, so it is perhaps unsurprising that it would be some years before he would compose another large scale choral work. By 1899, when he came to write an assessment of Sullivan as a composer, Benjamin Findon could no longer put it in quite the same class as the greatest oratorios:

To maintain the peculiar quality of sacred music throughout a long and diffuse text restrains within too narrow a limit a gift which leans so closely to the dramatic as Sullivan's; but again we are constrained to admire the wonderful art of the part writing and the beauty of the orchestral accompaniments. A fine illustration of his accomplishment in the direction of concerted vocal music is the imposing chorus, "I will pour out my spirit," while his more delicate method is well instanced by the grateful children's chorus, "Hosanna to the Son of David"; and his exquisite handling of four and five part harmony is adequately shown in the unaccompanied quartet and quintet. A somewhat singular feature in connection with this work is that it presents Jesus in the first person, and an inner orchestra is provided especially to accompany the utterances of the Saviour, which throughout are particularly solemn in character. "The Light of the World" may not take rank with the highest examples of oratorio art, but its undoubted merits entitle it to an honoured and intimate companionship with its more favoured brethren. It is a member of the same family, it has the noble traits of a great inheritance; but it is of the younger branch and once removed from the direct line of succession. Its production gave an additional cachet to the composer's fame, and its musicianly qualities will certainly not lessen his reputation in the eyes of the student of the future.