Louise Homer and Alma Gluck - Rock of Ages (1914)

Louise Homer (American contralto, 1871 - 1947)
She was born Louise Dilworth Beatty in Pittsburgh and studied music at Philadelphia and Boston, then married the composer Sidney Homer in 1895 and went to Paris, where she studied singing with Fidèle König and Paul Lhérie (who had been the first Don José in Bizet's Carmen). Louise made her operatic debut as Léonore in Donizetti's La Favorite at Vichy in 1898. She sang Amneris and Lola at Covent Garden and was Ortrud and Maddalena in Brussels.

Her American debut was with the Metropolitan Opera in 1900 where her first role was Amneris. During a very successful and long lasting Met career, she appeared at first mainly in Italian and French operas, but soon adding Wagnerian roles to her repertory. She created the Witch in Humperdinck's Königskinder in 1910 and was a notable Orfeo in Toscanini's revival of Gluck's opera in 1909. After resigning from the Met in 1919, she sang with other major American companies (San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles). Her last appearance at the Met was as Azucena in 1929.


Alma Gluck (born Reba Feinsohn; May 11, 1884-October 27, 1938), was an American soprano, one of the world's most famous female singers at the peak of her career (around 1910). Marcia Davenport was the child of her first marriage (to Bernard Gluck); Alma Gluck later married violinist Efrem Zimbalist and had two children, Efrem Jr. (Stephanie Zimbalist's father) and Maria.

Gluck was born to a Jewish family in Iaşi, Romania, the daughter of Zara and Leon Feinsohn.[1] Gluck moved to the United States at a young age. Although her initial success came at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, Gluck later concertized widely in America and became an early recording artist.

Her recording of "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" for the Victor Talking Machine Co. was the first celebrity recording by a classical musician to sell one million copies. Gluck was a founder of the American Woman's Association. She retired to New Hartford, Connecticut to raise her family in 1925. Alma Gluck died at the relatively young age of 54, of liver failure.


Louise Homer and Alma Gluck - Rock of Ages (1914) Victor-3009 (87198)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Louise
• Homer
• Alma
• Gluck
• 1914

[goth1945]

i had this record and loved it, right up until the day I sat on it. sigh.

[vintagegoon7]

Lovely!

[chepin85]

What a most delightful combination and rendition.

[w0103411]

Read the online English Wikipedia articles on Alma Gluck and Louise Homer.

[grmey78]

My favorite Hymn! You do a great job in transfer.

[ilswk]

Then a contralto was a truly contralto, not a mezzo!

[Beevac]

Your turntable is a revolution or two fast. This record was (unfortunately) recorded at 76,not 78. i can't adjust my electric turntable either. I am Alma Gluck's greatest living (male) fan. Preserve her records!!!

[paulostroff99]

A female duet from heaven! Brava!

[1888junkteam]

excellent work!

[Corrie121]

Beautiful !!

Thanks for sharing.