1892 Broadway Musical: The Fencing Master / Mr. & Mrs. Wheeler ~ Ah yes, I love thee (1911)

William & Elizabeth Wheeler / Ah yes, I love thee / The Fencing Master (DeKoven) / Recorded: April 28, 1911 / English singer and actress Marie Tempest (1864-1942) pictured in 1892 in "The Fencing Master" --

From the 1892 Broadway musical "The Fencing Master, " by American composer Reginald DeKoven (1859-1920). Set in the lavish palaces of 15th-century Milan and Venice, Marie Tempest starring in "another trouser role" as the daughter of a fencing master.
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Ah yes, I love thee

(the recorded lyrics are abridged from the following full version)

Ah, yes, I love thee,
Have loved thee in all of the bygone years;
Ah, yes, I love thee,
Have loved thee with hopes and fear.
Yes, a womans heart beats in my breast,
Only for thee. Faithful ever twill be.
I adore thee, yet implore thee,
Hold my secret in thy keeping:
Thine forever, naught can sever,
Fate has linked our lives together, dear!
Eer true to thee, love of mine.
Let naught divide. Eer at thy side
Ill be with thee.
My heart is thine, dear, forever.
Yes, thine only.
Take thou this floweret,
The emblem of love budding fresh and fair;
Lest thy love fade too soon,
Oh, dear one, I pray thee, beware.
I have held thine image in my heart, through the long years;
Now I smile through tears.
I adore thee, yet implore thee,
Hold my secret in thy keeping.
All my life is thine alone;
I give my life to thee, my own.

You love me? Ah! What secret is here?
Ah! Thou lovest me?
Tis in my keeping. Naught shall part.
I have wandered ever seeking
A love enduring as thine.
Faithful thou and true,
thy love the purest, the most divine.
Naught shall ever part us,
Dear one of my soul!
Dear heart, believe me,
My heart is thine forever.
Tell me, tell me once again,
You love me, love me only.
This floweret I take, dear,
Emblem of love, emblem of love.
Nay, twill last foreer,
Love cannot die, love as true as mine.
Long I sought for such a heart through bygone years;
And now there end all doubts and fears:
I adore thee, I adore thee.
My hearts in thy keeping forever.
All my life is thine alone;
I give my life to thee, my own.
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William Wheeler ~ Elizabeth Wheeler (pseudonym: Jane Kenyon)

Jim Walsh of Hobbies Magazine in 1961 described Elizabeth Wheeler and William Wheeler as "the most successful husband and wife duet pair in the history of the phonograph." She was born Bess Nicholson in Kokomo, Indiana, in 1875; he was born in Shawano, Wisconsin in 1879. They married in 1904, and performed widely, doing standard ballads, light opera, and hymns. Mr. Wheeler made some solo recordings for Leeds & Caitlin, Edison and others, and then the two began their duet recordings in 1910, for Victor. "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" was an early hit, though it did not reach the 1917 Victor catalog, where there were 17 other titles by the pair. Their final Victor recording was the most popular one, "What a Friend We have in Jesus." Mrs. Wheeler made many solo Victors beginning in 1909; she sang ballads and children's songs, and also "Elizabeth's Prayer" from Tannhauser. William Wheeler did some solo work for Pathe. They did not record after the acoustic period, and "What a Friend" was the only one of their titles to reach the 1927 Victor catalog. Elizabeth Wheeler died in 1971; the date of William Wheeler's death is c.1960. (From "The Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound in the United States" / edited by Guy A. Marco / Garland Publishing, Inc. - 1993)




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Category:

Music

Tags:

• 1890s
• Broadway
• Musical
• DeKoven
• Fencing
• Master
• Marie
• Tempest
• Elizabeth
• Wheeler
• William
• Acoustic
• 78
• rpm
• CurzonRoad

[DJacqu8351]

Thanks for this delightful treasure:)

[CurzonRoad]

@DJacqu8351

A pleasure... thank YOU!

[opertutto]

How utterly charming, but what a racy photo!

[CurzonRoad]

@opertutto

Hi George:

Indeed, so very charming... and LoL! yes a rather racy image!

Thanks!

Doug --

[PiscaCPT]

Bravo! Cheers from Brazil

[SilphiumSeeker]

Hi All,

I remember as a kid listening to radio shows narrated by Reginald DeKoven, and I loved them! He spoke with unmistakable authority, and his imperious voice was riveting!

Has anyone else heard these, or knows if there are recordings of DeKoven holding forth that I may acquire? I've been looking, but no luck ~ yet!

Thanks much!

Lou

[Bermatute]

I have the same birthday as her!

[EdmundStAustell]

Great! This is about as clear and perfect an example of 19th century musical theater as I have heard. Our artistic memory extends rather farther back than many think, thanks to film and phonograph. Excellent!

[mayatatyana1]

Doug, beautiful duet. The photo is exquisite...on my Favorites now. Thank you. Maya

[meltzerboy]

It's wonderful to discover new worlds of beauty! Great singing from this team. Thanks, Doug, for sharing.