Rosalia Chalia - Selected Recordings of a Forgotten Soprano
See end of review for full track listing
18 April 1912; (C-11895-1) 12-inch Victor 68400-B
Accompaniments: Tracks [1-24] accompanied by piano; Tracks [25-29] accompanied
by orchestra; Languages: Italian [1-7, 9-13, 16, 27-29]; French [8]; English
[14-15]; Spanish [17-25]; and Gallega [26]
rec. 1898-1912
MARSTON 51007 [76:48]
Rosalia Chalia was born in Havana in 1863 and grew up in Santiago de Cuba.
A gifted musician she could play the piano and violin, but details of her
early training are sketchy. It’s claimed she studied in Spain, married, then
moved to America, making her professional debut as Aida in Philadelphia in
1894. By 1897 she was touring with various established companies and also
making some prestigious engagements – one such was singing with Ysaÿe and
Pugno in a work specially composed for soprano, violin and piano by Bruno
Oscar Klein. She formed her own opera company in 1900 and toured Latin America
for almost a decade. Carmen was her most popular role, though she excelled
in Aida, Tosca and the like. She toured North America as well, but her career
had wound down by 1916 and the following year she began to teach. She died
in 1948 but lived long enough to see herself honoured by Cuban admirers.
We have here a selection of her recordings. She recorded Bettini cylinders
between 1897 and 1899 – most of which have been lost – and subsequently made
records for Zonophone and Victor. We can gauge the strong and impressive coloratura,
a strong chest register when required, considerable flair allied to technical
security throughout most of the repertoire. There are indications that she
was less secure with then contemporary repertoire – Mascagni, for instance,
in which she is somewhat less comprehensively in command. Nevertheless the
ledger is strongly in her favour and the restoration of her recordings a real
boon. It’s certainly an injustice that her name has been so effaced from recording
history.
A few thoughts on the recordings will suggest both the specialist nature of
the undertaking and also the persuasive and selective care with which the
disc has been compiled. Her Rossini Bel raggio is a seven inch Zonophone
from 1900 and is an impressively scaled opener and whilst there’s a touch
of blasting on the copy of Io sono docile it too reveals the voice
nicely forward – a distinguishing feature indeed of Marston’s transfer philosophy.
The obverse of this Zono is that the piano is all but inaudible. We next hear
one of those ultra-rare Bettinis – where she joins forces with Alberto de
Bassini in more Rossini, this time from the Barber of Seville; he’s a most
presentable, personable partner. Rather selfishly I wish Marston had managed
to work his pitch-stabilising magic on a number of these tracks, such as the
Rossini Stabat Mater extract with contralto Jane Frankel. Another disc partner
was Emilio de Gogorza, sounding bullish in Mozart and lugubrious in Bizet.
Her Faust has requisite liveliness though, and the Carmen and La Traviata
extracts show her temperament and technique in the round. There’s also an
early example of Balfe on disc – I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls,
inevitably, from The Bohemian Girl. Her English language singing is endearing
– she sings of ‘The Loss Ross Off Sumear’ - and takes the high option at the
end. More idiomatic of course is the sequence of Spanish folk songs, all of
which impress but I will select my two favourites; Tú [Habanera]
and Zortzico vizcaíno with its powerful rhythmic piano underpin. Maybe
her Secchi Lungi dal caro bene is a touch erratic – but if it is, we
can enjoy her voyage into verismo via Voi lo sapete, o mamma.
Once again a forgotten figure from the dawn of recording makes a reappearance
in this consistently valuable series. The notes are very helpful and outstanding
booklet production values are matched by transfer skill.
Jonathan Woolf
Track listing:
1. Semiramide: Bel raggio (ROSSINI) [2:17]
July 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone T9139
2. Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Io sono docile (ROSSINI) [2:37]
November 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone Q9204
3. Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Dunque io son (ROSSINI) [2:34]
with Alberto de Bassini, baritone Ca. 1898; Bettini cylinder
4. Stabat Mater: Quis est homo (ROSSINI) [2:04]
with Jane Frankel, contralto 4 December 1900; Seven-inch Victor 554 Take 2
5. Don Giovanni: La ci darem la mano (MOZART) [2:58]
with Emilio de Gogorza, baritone 24 May 1901; Ten-inch Victor 3401
6. L’étoile Du Nord: Barcarolle (MEYERBEER) [2:09]
July 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone 9136 Take 3
7. Faust: Ah! je ris de me voir [Jewel song] (GOUNOD) [2:26]
3 June 1901; Ten-inch Victor 3431
8. Carmen: Si tu m’aimes (BIZET) [2:49]
with Emilio de Gogorza, baritone 24 May 1901; Ten-inch Victor 3406
9. Carmen: Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante (BIZET) [2:15]
July 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone Q9134
10. La Traviata: Ah, fors’ è lui (VERDI) [2:32]
November 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone Q9208 Take 2
11. La Traviata: Addio del passato (VERDI) [2:16]
November 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone Q9207 Take 2
12. Un Ballo In Maschera: Ma dall’arido stelo divulso (VERDI)
[2:14]
November 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone Q9199 Take 2
13. Aida: O patria mia (VERDI) [2:01]
November 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone Q9203 Take 2
14. Bohemian Girl: I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls (BALFE)
[3:00]
3 June 1901; Ten-inch Victor 3434
15. ’Tis the last rose of summer (OLD IRISH AIR; words by Moore)
[2:18]
November 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone 9200 Take 5
16. Il Bacio (ARDITI) [2:28]
November 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone 9206 Take 2
17. La Calasera (YRADIER) [2:21]
July 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone T9137 Take 4
18. Tú [Habanera] (Sánchez de FUENTES; words by Sánchez)
[2:12]
November 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone T9448
19. Zortzico vizcaíno (SPANISH FOLK SONG) [2:13]
July, 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone T9135 Take 2
20. Polo (SPANISH FOLK SONG) [2:30]
November 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone T9457
21. Fandango (SPANISH FOLK SONG) [2:23]
November 1900; Seven-inch Zonophone T9453
22. La Borinqueña (Attributed to RAMIREZ; Puerto Rican National
Anthem) [2:32]
24 May 1901; Ten-inch Victor 3407
23. Aires criollos (CAMORA) [2:41]
3 June 1901; Ten-inch Victor 3428 Take 2
24. La Partida (ÁLVAREZ) [2:43]
3 June 1901; Ten-inch Victor 3432
25. Los Ojos Negros (ÁLVAREZ) [3:20]
18 April 1912; (B-11892-1) Ten-inch Victor 63681-A
26. Una Noite (Curros ENRÍQUES; Canción Gallega) [4:28]
9 February 1912; (C-11578) 12-inch Victor 68400-A
27. Lungi dal caro bene (SECCHI) [3:14]
9 February 1912; (B-11581) Ten-inch Victor 63674-A
28. Pietà, signore [Preghiera] (Attributed to NIEDERMEYER)
[3:30]
5 March 1912; (B-11669) Ten-inch Victor 63674-B
29. Cavalleria Rusticana: Voi lo sapete, o mamma (MASCAGNI)
[3:29]