Lilli Lehmann - Porgi Amor from 'Le Nozze di Figaro' (1907)

[AmericanEvita]

The most beautiful aspect is really the 113 year old technology and sound. We are hearing the distant past recorded into a device. This was in 1907. Lilli Lehmann had a unique and gorgeous voice and by the time of this recording, as in the case with other sopranos - Nordica, Melba, Caruso, etc, they were all singing past their prime and their singing wasn't really as good as a live performance. Only a time machine can help us hear the real sound of their voices. But this was great

[dodacon]

Dover published a paperback edition of Lilli's highly detailed book - if it's out-of-print, a used copy should be easy to find. When Lilli was in her teens, Richard Wagner wanted to "adopt" her, legally. Lilli's mother didn't allow it... she said Lilli was to old and Wagner too young for that arrangement...

[mucharolller]

anyone has her book?

[AulicExclusiva]

MOZART could easily have been still alive when Lehmann was born in 1848. Which is why she has such a perfect legato and classic portamento style.

This is very far from the way the "authentic" frauds sing this music today.

[Anonymous24728]

Mozart died at the age of 35 in 1791.

[AulicExclusiva]

Correct. Which means that, if he hadn't, he would have been 79 when Lilli Lehmann was born in 1848. As I stated.

[Heraopera]

She has been one of the ones.... Grande...

[Merlin1940]

It seems sung, as said on the sticker, "In German". Anyone can post the Lyrics in German? or at least email them to me? TIA,

Sat 19 Jul 2008 21:29 GMT

[Merlin1940]

I found a German version on the lovely watch?v=uESwv1RnDY0 Veronique Gens Porgi Amor but it seems quite different:

Hör mein Flehn, o Gott der Liebe,

hab' Erbarmen mit meiner Not,

gib mir meinen Gatten wieder

oder sende mir den Tod!

TIA to anyone for a better one

Sat 19 Jul 2008 23:57 GMT

[LLehmannfan]

Yes you're right.

There are two German translations of the opera.

Here is used the other version of the aria.

Heil'ge Quelle reiner Triebe,

gib mir wieder des Gatten Herz!

Lass' mich sterben, Gott der Liebe,

oder lind're meinen Schmerz!

[Merlin1940]

Thx a lot for this wonderful upload.

« Lilli Lehmann (1848 - 1929)... Recorded in July 5th, 1907 »

So the voice we are hearing is from a 59-old woman? She kept an astounding freshness, like a young girl. I love it.

BTW, I remember hearing a lot of Columbia records when I was a boy in Africa (1946-1955), with the exact same navy sticker we see here.

BTW2, this shows that good stuff passes through any material, even poor good old shellac 78rpm.

Sat 12 Jul 2008 11:57 GMT

[allangoo]

I believe the villainess of this anecdote may have been Milka Ternina, not Lilli.

[gmmix]

Thanks for posting. Very interesting Columbia label.  Never saw one of these before. Great story about Lilli being approached by Geraldine Farrar at a social event who informed the aging soprano that she should like to call upon her some time. At this juncture, Farrar was an established opera star herself. Lilli looked at her cooly and replied," I'm not taking students this season."

[solenas]

But wasn't Farrar a student of Lehmann in Berlin?

[gmmix]

Correct, but this was at a later date. Apparently during a subsequent season she WAS

taking students. I posted this comment with no intention of demeaning Farrar; it was simply what I thought an interesting tidbit in the manner of divas of yesteryear.

[comey717]

No. Your wrong. It was Lillian Nordica. She said that too.

[ChickenLickin18]

I've been looking at her book on singing and it's SO neat to be able to listen to her voice.Thanks so much!

[dirak]

Thanks for posting!!

[osvaldito55]

The incomparable Lilli... Funny finding her here.