American Contralto Sophie Braslau ~ Elli, Elli (1927)

By request from "opertutto" / American contralto Sophie Braslau (1892-1935) / Elli, Elli... lama sabachthani (Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?) / Psalms ~ Jacob K. Sandler, arranged by M. Schalit / Recorded: September 26, 1927 --

Sophie Braslau (b. August 16, 1892, New York - d. December 22, 1935, New York) was the daughter of Russian scholar Abel Braslau. After studying piano she studied with Buzzi-Peccia, Sibella, Herbert Witherspoon, Marafioti, and finally with Marcella Sembrich. She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera (1914), singing the Voice from on High in Parsifal. From 1914 to 1920 she was very successful at the Metropolitan where she sang among other roles in the world premieres of Mme. Sans-Gene (1915) and Shanewis (1918). In 1918 she sang at Ravinia, near Chicago. After 1920 she had a great career as a concert artist. In 1930-31 she appeared a few times at the Philadelphia Opera as Carmen and as Marina in Boris Godounov. She had a heavy, dark-timbered voice of great impressiveness.

Of her very early career she once recalled having to substitute for Louise Homer at the Richmond, Virginia, Festival, where in her first public appearance she achieved a triumph, as she had the previous afternoon during the dress rehearsal. After singing the final note to her first number, "Che far senza Euridice" with orchestra: "at first there came dead silence, quickly followed by the strangest sound I had ever heard. The musicians tapped their music stands with their bows or clapped their hands. In a few seconds it seemed as if pandemonium had let loose... It was really up to then the finest moment of my life."

Sophie Braslau died at age 43 following a long battle with lung cancer. Among the honorary pallbearers at her funeral were fellow musicians Sergey Rachmaninoff, Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Reiner, and José Iturbi. (Sources: Kutsch & Riemens Biographical Dictionary of Singers - Chilton Book Company - 1969 / The Record Collector, Volume 41, No. 1 - March 1998)

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• American
• Contralto
• Sophie
• Braslau
• Elli
• Hebrew
• Lament
• 78RPM
• Phonograph
• Silhouette
• CurzonRoad

[Kievest]

A performance that leaves me in stunned silence for the great power and majesty

of this plaintive prayer as well as crushing universal vulnerability that motivates

its pronouncement. Sophie Braslau's singing is the unerring expression of the

soul not just of one people but of all! Thank you for posting!

[bsharppianomajor]

You've done it again! Just when I think I have heard them all~~~you prove me wrong...and I love it!

[paulostroff99]

Awesome! TY Doug!

[mayatatyana1]

Doug. beautiful! Quite touching performance. Thank you. Maya

[dantitustimshu]

Agree with what others have said and couldn't add further. Thank you for sharing, Doug.

[HM0880]

A heartfelt and spiritually intense rendition. Thank you, Doug, for posting.  :)

[65attila]

What a touching performance

Thanks-John

[meltzerboy]

This is not Sophie Tucker and we're not in Kansas anymore. Sophie Braslau was influenced in her career by Alma Gluck and often performed songs such as this--and beautifully, I might add. Did Rosa Ponselle also record the piece? Thanks for sharing, Doug!

[EdmundStAustell]

Beautiful! Great minds have but a single thought:) I was just about to put up the Yossele Rosenblatt version of this. I just need to doctor the record a bit, it's very scratchy. This is smooth as silk, and very movingly sung. Wonderful recording.

[opertutto]

Superb version of this moving piece, sung with conviction. The voice is beautiful and so well- focused. Fine pressing. Thank you, Doug. George