Lucyna Szczepańska sings Sylva's Song (Kálmán), 1935

Lucyna Szczepańska (sopran) & Orkiestra pod dyr. Olgierda Straszyńskiego - Piosenka Sylvy z operetki „Księżna Czardaszka" (Kálmán /Makowiecka) (Sylva's Song from Emmerich Kálmán Operetta "The Czardas Princessin") , Syrena-Electro 1935

NOTE: Lucyna Szczepańska (1909-1999) Polish soprano, primadonna of the Warsaw Opera, called „the Nightingale Of Warsaw". She was one of the most popular singers in prewar Poland, who was performing not only in operas, but also in operettas and often recording for Syrena-Electro and Odeon popular songs and ariettas (see her recording with Adam Aston http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2qIc41eS50 ). She was also a good actress: in 1935 she featured with the star Jadwiga Smosarska in a film comedy "Dwie Joasie" (Two Joannas). During 2nd World War, when most of Polish actors participated in the boycott of Nazi-directed Warsaw stages, she made an unfortunate decision to appear in the Humpredinck's opera "Hansel und Gretel" (Jaś i Małgosia) in Teatr Polski, renamed by its German administration into Theater der Stadt Warschau. Her act was well remembered by the actors society so, shortly after the war was ended and the communist regime was being installed in Poland, she used all her connections to leave for the West. She managed to flee via Cracow to Italy, and then to London. In 1965 she moved to New York where she married count Leński and, with pianist and composer Stanisław Ferszko (who, before 1939, was Wiera Gran's accompanist) she toured around the country with recitals. In 1973 she returned to Warsaw, where she lived in a complete desolation having not given a single concert nor ever appearing in public until her death, in 1999.

One word to those who may be surprised with the strange Polish spelling "Księżna Czardaszka" of the Kálmán's operetta "The Czardas Princessin". Its name reads today as "Księżniczka Czardasza". Also today's lyrics of famous Sylva's Song are different : toaday it goes "W rytm walczyka serce śpiewa kochaj mnie"... (My heart sings in the rhythm of this little waltz -love me!", while Szczepańska sings "Wszystkie zmysły nucą we mnie - kochaj mnie" (All the senses are crooning in me: love me!". It's because music theatres today are using the libretto's later translation into Polish by poet and lyricist Jerzy Jurandot. In Szczepańska's times the only available Polish libretto was by Makowiecka.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 1930
• Thirties
• operetta
• Warsaw
• Opera
• soprano
• lata
• trzydzieste
• śpiewaczka
• Lucyna
• Szczepańska
• Księżniczka
• czardasza
• Emmerich
• Kalman
• Czardas
• Pricessin
• Die
• Csardas-furstin
• wiedeńska
• operetka
• Vienna
• 78rpm
• stare
• płyty
• walc

[MrGeorgalbert]

dziękuję bardzo za możność usłyszenia tego nagrania

[XxXEMOBOYx]

piękne nagranie, słucha się z przyjemnością. Pozdrowienia ;)

[munecojim]

That illustration @ :56 is stunning.

[dzheger]

Delicious slice of Austro-Hungarian Dobos Torte. Kalman's operettas were loved and were frequently performed in Israel in my childhood. Delightful and sweet waltz illustrations too.