Supervia sings "Musetta's Waltz" in 1934 film "Evensong"

"Evensong" -- a British film (directed by Victor Saville), adapted from a tell-all novelization of Nellie Melba's life, with a plot resembling "All About Eve". The Eve Harrington/Anne Baxter character is the great Spanish mezzo, Conchita Supervia (1895-1936). Supervia plays "Baba L'Etoile", the young rival of the aging British has-been "Madame Irela" (Evelyn Laye), who refers to the younger singer as a "Spanish cow". Supervia has a very small part in this film, but most of it is singing, and her distinctive vibrato is in full throttle here.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Opera
• Supervia
• Boheme
• Musetta'sWaltz
• NellieMelba

[Patriciasinger]

Thankyou! I wonder if you could post the Spanish songs she sings after the opera? I think they're pretty fragmentary but still well worth it, and of course hellishly rare footage.

[WeicheWotan]

You're welcome! I just posted the Spanish songs. I don't think the Brits who made this film recognized what a great cinema character Supervia was -- otherwise they would have written in a few more scenes for her in the script.

[yunshanwanli]

Brava！

Forever Supervia!

[Aviva2121]

@Loobs666: I assume that's a cheap joke based on the word 'gypsy'. Then let me rephrase - my Grandad was a violinist dressed up as a gypsy in this film; he serenades the blonde actress with a beautiful solo. He died in 2002.

[Loobs666]

@Aviva2121 My grandad was the lighting engineer in this movie.... your Grandad tried to sell my Grandad some pegs, and then stole all the copper plumbing from his shed.

[Tenorboy29307]

Has anyone tried recording some of our currently premiere singers using this technology? It may answer a few questions.

[AUDIOPHlLE]

Fantastic. Until now I've only heard her sing it in French.

[Rigelcentauri58]

Por qué actualmente ya no se canta asi?? con esta belleza de voz.....y de

mujer. Me pregunto por qué la técnica de voz ha cambiado tanto.

[Aviva2121]

My Grandad George Treger was in this movie, playing the gypsy violinist.

[LordMgls]

I've just been reading now, and it seems to be as De Lucia: witnesses say they didn't sing with the vibrato, and that the vibrato is sort of some distortion of the grammophon.

[raanan17]

Surely one of God's gifts to mankind.

[Pawelp]

I think we're used to slightly to slow vibratos nowadays, though Supervia does have a tremolo to my ear... yet.. it is so effortless and beautiful.. it made me cry more than once.. and it's not a sad aria :)