Classical Kern: The Vocal Recordings

Jerome Kern by Bettina Steinke (National Portrait Gallery)

For at least the first 60 years of the last century, it was not unusual for classical vocalists to sing popular songs. Those days, singers could appear at the Met, in film, operetta and on the radio performing a variety of repertoire.

Record companies were keen to exploit the fame their artists had developed through radio or film, so it became common for these singers to adopt songs that suited their styles and had popular appeal. What better source than the rich catalogue of the beloved songwriter Jerome Kern, who wrote in a style that was close to the operettas that most of these singers had appeared in.

Today's post presents 13 of those crossover classical-popular vocalists in the Kern repertoire, via recordings dating from 1919 to 1951. We start with an album by mezzo Risë Stevens, and continue with singles from John McCormack, Lawrence Tibbett, Lily Pons, Richard Tauber, Grace Moore, Eleanor Steber, Gladys Swarthout, Jeanette MacDonald, Lauritz Melchior, Dorothy Kirsten and William Warfield. Finally, we have a reupload of an album by Irene Dunne, who appeared in several Kern films.

This is a companion to my recent post of the Show Boat Scenario for Orchestra from the Cleveland Orchestra and Artur Rodziński.

Risë Stevens in Songs of Jerome Kern

When her Jerome Kern album was recorded in 1945, Risë Stevens had achieved so much notoriety than Hollywood had cast her as an opera singer in Bing Crosby's 1944 film Going My Way. She had already been at the Met for six years by that time, and was to continue throughout the next few decades.

The Kern songs formed the first album she would make with the Shulman brothers - Alan providing the arrangements and Sylvan conducting them. The Shulmans were notable crossover artists themselves - when they were not performing in the NBC Symphony, they formed one half of the Stuyvesant String Quartet and were the motive force behind the jazz group the New Friends of Rhythm. Alan wrote for both classical and pop ensembles.

The New Friends of Rhythm: Alan Shulman is the first violin, Sylvan the cellist

The second album by Stevens and the Shulmans (Love Songs from 1946) has appeared on this blog already and can be found here. You also can hear her in songs by Victor Herbert and in the elusive 1945-46 set of excerpts from her signature role, Carmen.

For her Kern album, Stevens selected prime examples of the composer's artistry; only "Don't Ever Leave Me" might not be considered among his greatest hits. It is, however, one of his best songs and is especially well done here. Overall, I find the performances pleasing, although critics of the time took issue with both the singer and the accompaniments. The New York Times insisted that Stevens was "an operatic singer and not a crooner." And the formidable Max de Schauensee in The New Records declared that he had never heard such "elaborately saccharine arrangements." (He was not paying attention to the pop music of the time - swooning romanticism was the vogue.) Well, for what it is worth, I enjoy the singer and her accomplices a great deal. It helps to have songs the quality of Kern's compositions.

Stevens was popular with the advertisers as well as the record buyers. Below, she touts GE radio-phonographs: the better to hear her with.

Please forgive some surface noise on a few cuts.

Kern Songs by Classical Vocalists

John McCormack

Risë Stevens was not the first operatic vocalist to turn to the Jerome Kern songbook for material. The tradition goes back as least as far as 1919 and the incomparable John McCormack. All the singers below had an active career both in opera (or at least operetta) and popular songs, the bridge usually being either radio or films, and often both.

The earliest recording in the group is also perhaps the least well-known song. "The First Rose of Summer" comes from the 1919 show She's a Good Fellow, with book and lyrics by Anne Caldwell. John McCormack (1884-1945) made his record the same year, with his usual exceptional diction, control and involvement. The acoustic recording is one of the best of its kind. More McCormack can be found in these earlier blog collections.

Lawrence Tibbett

By 1932, baritone Lawrence Tibbett (1896-1960) had managed to become not only a star at the Met, but in films and on radio. Victor had taken notice, and he was often in its studios from 1926 on. In 1932, the Camden crew had him set down two songs from Kern's new show Music in the Air: "And Love Was Born" and "The Song Is You," both with Oscar Hammerstein's lyrics. The latter became much more popular, but our selection today is the less often heard "And Love Was Born." We'll hear "The Song Is You" in a later recording.

In 1935, Kern was in Hollywood composing for the film I Dream Too Much, starring the unlikely couple of Lily Pons (1898-1976) and Henry Fonda. Columbia brought the coloratura (Pons, that is) to the studio with her future husband Andre Kostelanetz and a male chorus to perform two of the songs, "I Dream Too Much" and "I'm the Echo (You're the Song that I Sing)." Lyricist Dorothy Fields worked with Kern on this score.

Richard Tauber

Kern then moved on to the film musical High, Wide and Handsome, again with Hammerstein. The 1936 production starred the radiant Irene Dunne, who introduced both "Can I Forget You?" and the immortal "Folks Who Live On the Hill." (Oddly, neither appeared in Dunne's 1941 Kern album, discussed below.) To represent the score, we turn to the elegant German singer Richard Tauber (1891-1948), who recorded "Can I Forget You?" in London, where he was making films and where he soon would reside. Tauber's intimate singing is ideal.

Gladys Swarthout

Kern adapted his 1933 Broadway musical Roberta, with lyrics by Otto Harbach, for a 1935 film starring Dunne, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Dunne got to sing two of Kern's greatest songs, "Yesterdays" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and the latter made it into her Decca album. Our version comes from 1942 and the excellent mezzo Gladys Swarthout (1900-69). This recording was part of the album Gladys Swarthout Singing Musical Show Hits.

Grace Moore

Next we turn to Kern's greatest score, Show Boat and the magnificent "You Are Love," here in a version by the "Tennessee Nightingale," Grace Moore (1898-1947). It may be ironic that Moore would perform songs from this show - she reputedly would not appear on stage with black performers. Moore had made her Broadway debut in 1920 in Kern's Hitchy-Koo. It wasn't until several years later that she appeared on the opera stage. Her greatest success was in films. This disc dates from 1945, just a few years before her death in a plane crash.

Jeanette MacDonald RCA promo

Jeanette MacDonald (1903-65) was another performer whose greatest successes were behind her when she recorded "They Didn't Believe Me" in 1947 with Russ Case. MacDonald had no operatic experience, but became famous in films opposite Maurice Chevalier and then in a series of operettas co-starring her lifelong companion Nelson Eddy. "They Didn't Believe Me" is the earliest composition in this set. It comes from 1914, when it was interpolated into the Broadway production of The Girl from Utah. This recording shows off MacDonald's great charm.

Eleanor Steber

Now let's return to Roberta and perhaps my own favorite Kern song, "The Touch of Your Hand," here in an exceptional 1947 performance by soprano Eleanor Steber (1914-90), who was beginning to make a mark both on the operatic stage and on the radio. The song comes from the Broadway score of Roberta; it did not make it into the film. Steber's accompaniment is led by the ubiquitous Broadway maestro Jay Blackton. The soprano has appeared here previously via the first recording of Samuel Barber's remarkable Knoxville: Summer of 1915, which she commissioned.

At long last we return to Music in the Air and a rendition of "The Song Is You" by the vocally and physically imposing Lauritz Melchior (1890-1973). In 1947, the Danish titan had left Wagner behind for a second career in Hollywood as a singing character actor. His studio, M-G-M, kept him busy recording as well, pairing him with Georgie Stoll for this production. Melchior also occupied his time endorsing products, including at least two brews, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Rheingold (below). I like to think he switched to the latter because of his Wagnerian background, but it probably had more to do with free beer. You can hear more from Melchior in these earlier posts.

Dorothy Kirsten

One of the finest crossover artists was Dorothy Kirsten (1910-92) who was equally at home on the opera stage, records or radio programs with Frank Sinatra. Her emotional involvement is evident in "Why Was I Born?" from Sweet Adeline, a 1929 Kern-Hammerstein production. This 78 dates from 1949, and has a backing by John Scott Trotter, Bing Crosby's longtime music director. Kirsten had appeared on Crosby's radio program, and was to make a guest appearance in his 1950 film Mr. Music.

William Warfield in Show Boat

I have saved the best for last. To me, one the greatest recordings of all time is William Warfield's performance of "Ol' Man River" in the 1951 film version of Show Boat. The vocal quality, emotional involvement, control, and sheer beauty of his singing are overwhelming. His tempo is slow but the concentration and tension never slacken. I've featured all his early Columbia recordings here; this single came out on M-G-M. Kern wrote the song for Paul Robeson - and his version appeared on the blog many years ago, but it was not finer than this.

Performances of Show Boat and its songs have always been sensitive, increasingly so as time goes on. Please see this 2018 Boston Globe article for an illuminating discussion of some of the issues faced by performers and their views of the subject.

Reup: Irene Dunne in Songs by Jerome Kern

Irene Dunne's 1941 album of Kern songs may not have been the most popular item I've ever posted here, but it surely is among my favorites. I have remastered my old transfer in honor of this Kern celebration; it is available here.

Unlike the artists mentioned above, Dunne never appeared in opera or operetta. She had wanted to become an opera singer when young, but was told her voice was too small. She did well, however, as a singing lead in films, then achieved her greatest successes in screwball comedies, where she excelled. She was an endearing performer.

Melchior touted beer; Dunne stuck to cola

Risë Stevens' First 'Carmen'

Opera star Risë Stevens has appeared here twice in cross-over repertoire - once in a selection of love songs, the other in a collection of Victor Herbert operetta arias. Today she makes her operatic debut in her most noted role, Carmen, from Bizet's famous work of the same name.

These 1945-46 Columbia excerpts were Stevens' first recording of Carmen. After switching to RCA Victor in 1951, that company quickly had her in the studios with Jan Peerce, Licia Albanese, Robert Merrill and Fritz Reiner for a complete recording, one that seldom if ever has been out of the catalog. There also have been bootleg issues of a Met performance with Mario Del Monaco and Dimitri Mitropoulos. But to my knowledge the Columbia material has not been reissued since a 1973 Odyssey budget pressing.

Georges Sébastian

For the Columbia recordings, originally issued in a 78 set, Stevens was partnered by Raoul Jobin as Don José, Robert Weede as Escamillo and Nadine Conner as Micaela. Leading the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus was the Hungarian-French conductor Georges Sébastian, then resident in the US. Sébastian recorded extensively, but mainly for small labels. His work here is very good, as are the vocal performances.

Beside Stevens, all the other cast members did crossover work, which was far more common back then - probably because operatic performers were more prominent in the public eye. Stevens, as one of the most famous American opera stars of the time, had many commercial endorsements (see, for example, the cigarette ad below). I also recently came across a two-page magazine ad she did for the long-vanished Henry J automobile, and have included other ads in my previous uploads of her work.

1948 ad

Jobin has appeared on this blog in a Christmas LP from his native Québec, and Conner partnered Lauritz Melchior in one of the numbers from his film Two Sisters from Boston. Weede has not previously shown up on this site, but he was perhaps one of the most notable crossover successes, becoming a Broadway star years later in Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella and Jerry Herman's Milk and Honey.

The first two LP covers

The Carmen excerpts featured today come from one of Columbia's first classical LPs, encased in the strange "tombstone" cover that the company applied to its early rush releases in the new format. Columbia later marketed the record with a cover photo of Stevens in costume. (Covers are at right.) My guess is that the second cover was issued to combat the RCA Victor release, which had a smoldering photo of the artist-as-gypsy.

The sound has come up very well, although Columbia's LP transfer, perhaps rushed to meet the deadline for the new format's release, was none too good, being pitched flat and with a peculiar frequency response, which I have done my best to rectify.

I transferred this record as the result of a request on another site, but thought some of you might enjoy it. By the way, the Victor Herbert set mentioned in the first paragraph has been newly remastered and is entirely charming, as is the love songs album.

Love Songs from Risë Stevens, Plus Reups

Risë Stevens was a popular mezzo-soprano at New York's Metropolitan Opera for many years, but she also did well crossing over into the popular repertory, particularly in the 1940s.

Previously on this blog I've uploaded her 10-inch LP of Victor Herbert melodies. Today we have a 78 set of familiar love songs, recorded for Columbia in 1946. The album was one of several she produced with the assistance of the Shulman brothers - Alan provided the charts and Sylvan conducted the orchestra.

Like Stevens, the Shulmans were active crossover artists. Cellist Alan and violinist Sylvan were one half of the Stuyvesant Quartet, one of the finest such ensembles then active. They both were members of Toscanini's NBC Symphony. Alan wrote both pop and classical compositions. And they were members of the New Friends of Rhythm, a jazz group that made a number of records for Victor.

The Stuyvesant Quartet in 1947 - Sylvan Shulman,
Bernard Robbins, Alan Shulman and Ralph Hersh

Stevens does well by these familiar tunes, ranging from Rodgers and Hart, Porter and Gershwin to the Mercer-Kern "Dearly Beloved," one of my favorite songs. She also includes Victor Herbert's "I'm Falling in Love with Someone," which she remade for the Herbert LP mentioned above.

Good sound on this one. In addition to the colorful Columbia ad below, the download includes a 1950 Life magazine article on the singer.

Please scroll past the ad for some reups.

Life magazine, 1946 (click to enlarge)

Reups

As usual, the links below take you to the original posts. All of these have been remastered and are now in tip-top shape - better than me, in fact.

Josef Marais - Songs of the South African Veld. If he is remembered at all today, folk singer Josef Marais is known for the records he made with Rosa de Miranda as Marais and Miranda. But before forming that duo he made captivating discs with his Bushveld Band. This was his first album, dating from 1939 and 1940. The original transfer was courtesy of reader JohnnyUSA.

Josef Marais - Songs of the Veld Vol. 2. This follow-up album collects the records Marais made in 1941. It includes his best-known song - at least among people of my generation - "Marching to Pretoria."

The Glasgow Orpheus Choir. My post on this group - dating from 10 years ago - was not what you call a rave. I now realize I was reacting to the overwhelming self-importance of the choir's director, Sir Hugh Roberton. The group itself is excellent and the program is enjoyable.

Eddie Fisher - Eddie Fisher Sings & A Girl, a Girl. Fisher is not one of my favorite singers, but he was skillful and popular. He also married (and divorced) the delightful Debbie Reynolds and sired the equally delightful Carrie Fisher. This post includes the 10-inch LP Eddie Fisher Sings and adds the EP A Girl, A Girl as a bonus.

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Risë Stevens Sings Victor Herbert

Mezzo-soprano Risë Stevens, still with us today, managed to be popular not only on the operatic stage, but also in the more popular arts, appearing in films and on radio relatively soon after her 1938 Metropolitan Opera debut. She was often on television during its early years as well.

Stevens was a fine artist, but she also had a great manager. She appears in all types of ads, especially in the 1940s - for two different brands of cigarettes, for hand cream, for an airline, and even for a motor oil. She was a Columbia Records contractee during that time, and Columbia gave her a strong promotional push through full-page color ads in the popular magazines. Columbia at that time was running major ad campaigns for classical records in such periodicals as Life. (An example of one of these ads is at the bottom of this post.)

Billboard ad from 1950

In 1950, Stevens left Columbia to join RCA Victor. The attraction was producer Manie Sachs, who had left Columbia to join Victor, taking several artists with him, also including Ezio Pinza. To mark the occasion, RCA took out the peculiar ad at left, showing Stevens looking disconsolate at the move to RCA, and not nearly as glamorous as she appeared in her Columbia ads.

Fortunately, the artistic results were much brighter than the advertising. The first fruits of the RCA contract were contained in this 1950 LP of "Victor Herbert favorites". Stevens was in prime voice, sounding secure throughout her range and fully involved in these choice operetta items from the 1890s and early years of the 20th century.

Frank Black, long-time music director for NBC radio, conducts the anonymous orchestra. The sound is quite good.

Detail from a 1940s Columbia Records ad