American Contralto Janet Spencer ~ O don fatale (1911)

American contralto Janet Spencer / O don fatale / Don Carlos (Verdi) / Recorded: March 8, 1911 --

ITEM: (PHOTOGRAPH) The first, second, and final images of Spencer are from the Sunday, March 25, 1906 edition of The New York Times, prominently sharing pride of place at the top of a page headlined 'Music and Music Makers', with the portraits of noted tenor Alessandro Bonci and violinist Franz Kneisel. The portrait used in the third and fourth sequence are surely from the same studio session as image featured in the NYT.




Janet Spencer had a successful career in concert and oratorio. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, she made her debut at the age of 16, appearing with the Boston Festival Orchestra. She later toured throughout the United States and Europe. She was an intimate friend of Geraldine Farrar, encouraging the younger star in her Met career. In Spencer's later years she gave voice lessons in Hollywood, California, where she died in 1948 at the age of 74. She made nine recordings on Victor's prestigious Red Seal label.

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• American
• Contralto
• Janet
• Spencer
• Opera
• Verdi
• Acoustic
• 78RPM
• CurzonRoad

[MrCafiero]

She has a good instrument, but for me she sings to "mannered". I want to hear her just let it rip!

[CurzonRoad]

@MrCafiero

Yes, a nice voice and secure execution. Janet Spencer never actually performed in opera, so what we have here is a scaled down concert performance. THANKS!

[MrGer2295]

WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE!!! Thank you Sir Doug for sharing this wonderful video.

[mayatatyana1]

Thank you, Doug. Lovely performance. Maya

[65attila]

@AulicExclusiva

Whatever the original langauge and revisions IMO this is blood and guts Italian music and Stignan and Simionato and the great Frida Leider bear the standards for me. This seems a bit tentative but I am always glad to hear another approach.

I will listen to this singer in other music which you have posted. Now ro the Bolero..

Thanks Doug and reagrds-John

[schlusnus]

Thanks Doug...........I like her hat!!

[AulicExclusiva]

We are so used to the volcanic approach of Italian mezzos like Stignani and Simionato that a more delicate style, more appropriate, after all, to the French opera that this is, suggests itself as rather tame. Yet I feel this music can stand some subtlety and I like this performance, accurate in rhythm and finely tuned as one seldom hears. I wish Spencer, who has a fine voice, had used the original French text.

[Shabannie]

Thank you for the nice music. I liked her hat also.

--------Ellen

[Kievest]

Janet Spencer reminds me of a fighter who can't land a punch! Nice footwork and a few spills and chills, but she loses me in the clinches and some of the climactic moments fizzle without a strong finish! Like her color, resonance and enunciation! Thank you for posting, Doug. Her photo shows a woman with a lovely face, kind but determined eyes and a disarming cleft in her chin! Nice work!

[althazarr]

Very nice performance!