SYMPOSIUM RECORDS CD 1185

The Harold Wayne Collection – Volume 24

TADEUSZ LELIWA was born of Polish parents in Teplik in the Ukraine in 1875 or 1876; a Polish book of biographies gives both years, according to different authorities. He studied medicine and law at Kiev University and at the same time took singing lessons with Signora Massini. It soon became apparent that he had a tenor voice of exceptional promise and he made his operatic début in Saratov in 1902. A famous violinist, Stanislaw Barcewicz, heard him in Kiev and engaged him for his opera house in Warsaw. There he first role was that of Radames in Aida on the 29th April 1902. For the next two years he appeared in many parts including Jontka in Halka, Hermann in Pique Dame, Alfredo in La Traviata, Enzo in La Gioconda, Canio in I Pagliacci, Fernando in La Favorita and the title role of Orefice's Chopin. He was heard by Leoncavallo who was so impressed that he persuaded the young tenor to go to Italy, and arranged for him to sing in 1904 at the Teatro Lirico in Milan in his Zaza. In Italy he appeared as Enzo Leliva and during the course of the next two years appeared in Naples, Turin and Palermo as well as returning to Warsaw.

At some time during this period, the exact dates are uncertain, he went to Paris and studied with the great Polish tenor Jean de Reszke. He reached La Scala, Milan in 1907, taking over the role of Radames in Aïda from Zenatello, a role which he had already sung in Genoa on the 5th January. The year 1908 was a very important one for Leliva, notably in February when he appeared in La Favorita, Un Ballo in Maschera and Rigoletto with the great baritone Battistini in the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw. There followed engagements in Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon before he returned to Genoa in October. He made his début at Covent Garden in 1909 in Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci, both with the soprano Emmy Destinn.

He was engaged to sing in Boston, U.S.A. for the seasons of 1909 - 1910 in Aïda, Cavalleria Rusticana, I Pagliacci, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly and Carmen, making his final appearance there on the 22nd January 1910.

The following two years appear to have been spent in Poland and Eastern Europe where he sang in Tiflis as well as Warsaw and then in 1913, after a concert tour, he appeared in Italy in Bologna and again in Genoa.

The outbreak of war naturally limited his work abroad, but he continued to sing in Poland. However, increasing deafness eventually compelled him to retire. He made his final appearance in Kiev in the Opera Halka in 1919. He then settled in Warsaw where he was much in demand as a teacher. Among his pupils was the famous tenor Jan Kiepura. He died in Warsaw in 1929 as the result of a heart attack.

Taking note of the roles in which he appeared and listening to the records, it is clear that Leliva had a lirico spinto tenor voice of sufficient stamina to allow him to undertake roles such as Radames and Canio, but he was also excellent in some of the lighter operas. The lower register was adequate though not especially beautiful, but he shows in all his recordings that he had an extended upper range with powerful and resonant high notes. The control of the voice is quite outstanding and many of his records reveal an artist well schooled in the best bel canto tradition.

ELISA PETRI was born in Fabriano in 1869 and made her début in Rome in 1889. She sang regularly at the principal opera houses of Italy and particularly at La Scala, Milan. She made her début at the Colón, Buenos Aires in 1909. Her voice was a well-schooled mezzo-soprano of wide range and she occasionally ventured into soprano territory; she actually recorded the Love Duet from Otello with the tenor Angelo Angioletti for Fonotipia. She died in Milan in 1929. IRENE DE BOHUSS was born in the late 1870s in Jaroslav and was a pupil in Lwów of the famous teacher Walery Wysocki. She made her début in Lwów in 1895 and in 1900 she sang in Prague. She then went to Italy where she continued her studies with Teresa Arkel in Milan. She sang in Lisbon, Naples, St. Petersburg and London, but principally in Warsaw and Lwów. She made a number of records in 1902 for the Gramophone & Typewriter Company in Lwów, which were not generally available outside Poland, and a few for Fonotipia in Milan. All are very rare. She died in 1926. JANINA KOROLEWICZ-WAYDOWA was born in Warsaw in 1875 and she, too, studied with Walery Wysocki, leading to a brilliant début in Warsaw in 1893 as Hanna in The Haunted Castle by Moniuszko. She sang at Covent Garden in 1904 and toured Australia in a company organized by Melba in 1911. Although she originally sang coloratura roles such as Gilda and Violetta, her voice developed sufficiently to enable her to undertake the dramatic soprano Wagnerian roles in later life. She died in Warsaw in 1955, having twice undertaken the management of the Warsaw Opera House, in 1917-1919 and in 1934-1936. VERA DE LUTZE is known to have had a considerable career in Russia at the turn of the century, but reliable details of this artist are hard to come by. Her voice was a high soprano and she specialised in coloratura roles. Bauer lists a solitary title, the Proch Variations, recorded in St. Petersburg in 1906. 1 Les Huguenots-Bianca al par This is Raoul's romance from Act I. He is at a banquet and in response to a request he sings a toast to an unknown lady whom he rescued that morning from the unwelcome attentions of a band of revellers. Leliva sings just one verse and finishes with a well sung cadenza. His phrasing throughout is easy and eloquent. 2 La Juive-Rachele, allor che Iddio This sounds as well in Italian as in the original French. Eleazar sings a moving farewell to his beloved adopted daughter and invests it with fine tone and deeply felt emotion. 3 Lohengrin-Di non t'incatan This is part of the love duet between Elsa and Lohengrin (Athmest du nicht). Leliva sings it well with good legato phrasing. It is a pleasant souvenir of the artist if you can tolerate Wagner in Italian. 4 Die Meistersinger-Dall'alba tito This version of the famous Prize Song is heavily cut and although Leliva sings with good ringing high notes and manages the cruel tessitura easily, it is little more than a curiosity. 5 Un Ballo in Maschera-Ma se m'è forza perderti A fine aria in which Riccardo sings

of his love for Amelia, the wife of Renato, and of his determination to put aside his infatuation. Here Leliva is at his best, singing with easy resonant tone and dramatic conviction. 6 Aïda-Gia i sacerdoti adunansi Amneris pleads with Radames, whom she will save if he agrees to forget Aïda and marry her. Both Petri and Leliva sing splendidly to provide a very convincing version of the scene. Why on earth it was unpublished must remain a mystery. 7 Pique Dame-Perdona a me In an impassioned aria, part of the closing scene of Act 1, Hermann pleads with Lisa. Smirnoff also recorded it, on HMV DA569. The English translation is usually given as "Forgive me bright celestial vision". Leliva sings it splendidly and with deep involvement. 8 Pique Dame-Mistero e il nome suo In the arioso from the beginning of Act 1 Hermann confesses to Tomsky that he is in love with an unknown woman. Leliva sings excellently in true bel canto style, including a high A in the final phrase taken mezza-voce, increasing to a forte and followed by a beautiful diminuendo finishing pianissimo. This is certainly one of the tenor's finest records. 9-10 Pique Dame-Me se il tuo core...Perdona a me This includes the passage immediately preceding 'Perdona a me' and is also part of Hermann's passionate plea to Lisa. The two records give a fine account of the scene in Act 1 and this re-recording of 'Perdona a me' benefits from the orchestral accompaniment in place of the piano of the earlier version. 11 Pique Dame-Cos'e la vita Here we have part of the final scene of the opera in where a desperate Hermann reflects that in life only death is certain. As in all his recordings from this opera, Leliva infuses his singing with deep dramatic intensity. 12 Der Roland von Berlin-Ballata di Henning Leoncavallo's rather uninspired ballad is well sung and with good rhythmic movement, but really the music is too commonplace to make this record outstanding. 13 La Figlia di Jorio-Rinverdisca per noi Without a score to help me I can only say that Leliva sings throughout with good tone and immaculate phrasing. 14 Manru-Come al sol cocente The first words of the aria can be translated "Like the burning sun" and it appears to be a love song, presumably to Manru's wife, as I can make out the Italian phrase "Vien mia dolce sposa (Come my sweet wife)". Leliva sings tenderly and again very much in his best bel canto style. 15 Chopin-Si, date fiori 16 Chopin-Tak, gloscie chwale

17 Chopin-Kolysanka 18 Chopin-Io sono un fior 19 Chopin-Sera ineffabile 20 Chopin-Duo (Nocturne) In the absence of a score, I have never seen one, I cannot comment on the plot of the opera except to say that it is presumably based on some incidents in the life of Chopin. Leliva sings with elegance throughout and his partners are all three, excellent sopranos. My favourite bands are 'Kolysanka', in which Leliva is joined by Vera de Lutze, and 'Sera ineffabile' with Irene de Bohuss where the composer has used a theme from Chopin's Étude Opus 10 No. 2. 21 L'Elisir d'amore-Una furtiva lagrima As it is sung in Polish it is presumably an early recording intended for the home market. Possibly due to the language it lacks a smooth legato and is certainly not one of the singer's best efforts. He sings easily but does not caress the phrases as in many of his Fonotipia records. 22 Tosca-E lucevan le stelle Like the previous band this, too, is given in Polish, but it is quite well sung. The music of Puccini comes off much better in translation than that of Donizetti. 23 Stelle cadenti (Shooting stars) A charming little Italian canzonetta, sung delightfully, the singer pours his soul into the performance. 24 Fiori di campo (Meadow flowers) As for the previous track, a love song given with deep feeling. 25 Krakowiaczek-Canzone polacca 'What a fine fellow I am upon my splendid horse, all the lovely girls come out to see me charge around, but only one of them is in my heart.' I imagine this was one of Leliva's party pieces which would have been given as an encore at the end of recitals. He dashes it off with great verve. The high notes are brilliantly taken and ring out splendidly; an exciting performance. I am most grateful to Vivian Liff, George Stuart and Larry Lustig for help with the biography of Leliva. John Freestone

Dr. Wayne writes: It should be mentioned that Bauer's references to Enzo Leliva and Tadeusz Leliwa are to the same singer and that he also made eight or ten Pathé records, none of which ever came my way. Nor did I ever see any of the Black and Silver Columbia records made in St. Petersburg in 1904. During the time of his success in Italy, from 1904 to 1906, he made the titles which I found in the 39000 series. The Chopin excerpts and the songs by de Leva are the only ones which I have seen more than once. All of his records are very rare and the Fonotipias were issued for only a short time and only in Italy. We have to thank his appearances at La Scala in 1907 and 1908 for his recall to the Fonotipia studio to make the very rare records in the 92000 series. Most of these I found in the virtually forgotten and unknown collection of Comm. Martinez in Rome, amongst them the unpublished duet with Petri, which must surely be unique. Two or three records were on the "Discor" list in the early '60s, their presence due, no doubt, to the singer's appearances at the Colón in Buenos Aires during the 1908/9 season. The rarest from this source is undoubtedly the Les Huguenots/Figlia di Jorio coupling. Acknowledgements: Symposium Records is grateful to Dr. Paul Lewis for assistance with this production. Copyright Notice: This digitally transferred compilation with its notes is copyright, it may not be broadcast, copied, hired out, publicly performed or stored in a retrieval system without written permission.