Going Hollywood was the thing for the leading opera figures at the time. We have already explored the time spent in tinseltown by Ezio Pinza, who was more successful on the West Coast than Melchior.
Nonetheless, Melchior did make a few films, and I will have the soundtrack recording from one of them here soon. Today, however, we have one of his other side trips into non-Wagnerian roles - Sigmund Romberg's operetta The Student Prince.
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| Lauritz Melchior |
Was Melchior as suited for Romberg as Wagner? Not really. He tends to overwhelm the songs, and his voice, while still huge and golden, is not as effortless as it once seemed. Still, I found this version very enjoyable. It features Jane Wilson, who appeared in a number of operetta records of the time, and Lee Sweetland, a fine studio singer. Directing the effort is Hollywood composer Victor Young, who uses his own orchestrations.
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| Jane Wilson |
But Melchior's is the name above the title, and at this time he possibly was more interested in fame than art. Among his other exploits of the time were:
- Endorsing gasoline and after shave, hopefully not getting them confused. Also beer (see below).
- Singing "Open the Door, Richard" on the radio.
- Testifying in court that the Korn Kobblers produced music, not noise, after they were charged with disturbing the peace.
Melchior also made single records for M-G-M when he was making movies for that company's studio, and I have one of them coming up on my other blog. Also, as mentioned, music from one of Melchior's movies - Two Sisters from Boston - will be heard here at some future time.
LINK (May 2024 remastering in ambient stereo)
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| 1948 ad |
Very enjoyable! Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am a Melchior-Fan and plan to bring something from his opera and Lied recordings in my blog in the future. I always like to listen to "late recordings" of great singers. Your Pinza-LPs were also enjoyed very much by me! Many MGM recordings of Melchior are published on a (rather cheap) Naxos-CD. Nevertheless: keep on with this!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Emilio
Thanks, lugworm and Emilio!
ReplyDeleteEmilio - I will post one of the MGM singles on my other blog. The Two Sisters from Boston recordings are on RCA (if I recall correctly). Glad you enjoyed the Pinza as well. I love this kind of thing, as may be apparent.
this was reissued by Decca on a CD in the Broadway series with the American Decca recording of the Merry Widow. Still in print I believe.
ReplyDeleteRootie - I think it was issued on 12-inch LP with the same coupling. Decca had an operetta line at one point - I know I have New Moon conducted by Victor Young and probably others.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised when they started reissuing some of those items. Wish they had done the Judith Anderson Medea (I saw her do the nurse in the 1970s production in NYC with Zoe Caldwell as Medea, the description of the burning of Jason's bride to be was riveting, you could see the whole thing happening in her eyes as she spoke.), Lee J Cobb in Death of a Salesman, Menotti's The Consul and others, mostly spoken only but important theater history.
ReplyDeleteRootie - I have the original issue of The Consul; I thought it had been reissued, but that may have just been my assumption.
ReplyDeletenot by Universal who owns the American Decca catalog. Naxos did issue a CD transfer from LPs.
ReplyDeleteMarvelous. Best rendition of the "Drinking Song" ever, for my money.
ReplyDeleteDear Buster!
ReplyDeleteCan you reupload this album?
Thank you very much!