u/KajiVocals

Attached my Instagram reel of her singing the piece with score and the post description:

"Thornton was one of the leading contraltos of the British operatic scene in the early 20th century and a central figure in the Beecham Opera Company. Trained in Manchester by Helen Lemmens-Sherrington and later in London by Charles Santley, she is a good example of a period when the British stage sustained a rich variety of lower female voices, quite unheard of today.

Her early career included musical comedy, but she quickly established herself in oratorio and opera, appearing at Covent Garden from 1904 onwards. Though initially singing smaller parts, her repertoire there steadily expanded to include Maddalena, Madelon (in the Covent Garden premiere of Andrea Chénier alongside Caruso and Destinn), Ulrica, La Cieca, Lola, Mary (Dutchman), Emilia (Otello), Magdalene, Giulietta (Hoffmann), Geneviève (Pelléas), Erda, Fricka, and Waltraute. She also appeared in leading roles in works by Leroux, Naylor, and Franchetti.

With Beecham she sang a considerably broader repertoire, including Ortrud, Marina, Marfa, Kontchakovna, Dalila, Brangäne, Amneris, Azucena, and the mother in Holst’s The Perfect Fool. She sang at Covent Garden until the mid-1920s.

The composer of this piece, now largely neglected, was in his time among the most frequently performed English opera composers. His works were staged all over Europe and actively championed by leading singers of the day, including Melba, Plançon, Calvé, Butt, and Tamagno. I'd love if either this opera or his Esmeralda finally got the revival they deserve.

Unlike many contralti of her generation, Edna is relatively well-represented on record, appearing in a substantial number of recordings, including complete opera recordings (these are mostly Gilbert and Sullivan). I adored her on the recording of the Gondoliers from 1919."

I do realise I have been spamming posts today - but might as well end on this one.

What you hear is an excerpt from an actual live performance from the old Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 1933. The tenor singing is Henry Wendon who did not record commercially except a few sides with HMV. And those studio recordings show him in a not particularly realistic light - coarse, rough singing with no dynamic shading or control. This live clip right here reveals the opposite.

What also fascinates me here is that the text you hear (in English) is the translation Wagner himself approved. Sara Macfarren, a contralto and translator was tasked by Wagner with adapting his works for the English stage, and it was the only way he wanted it to be done.

Here is the text of this aria in Macfarren’s translation.
“In distant land, denied to feet of mortals,
standeth a keep, and Monsalvat 'tis named.
It guards a temple with a gleaming portal;
the wide world cannot match its beauty famed.
Therein the cup of wondrous pow'r and holy,
and held in highest praise and honour stands,
long since as cleansing gift to mankind lowly
was brought to earth from heav'n by angel's hands.
And year by year a dove descends from heaven
whose holy charm renews its mystic spell.
'Tis called the Grail! And purest grace is given
to all brave knights who strive to serve it well.
That fabled knight, whose service pure elected,
the Grail doth guard with irresistible might.
From hand of evil is his sword protected,
and darkness and death are vain before his sight.
Although his way to distant lands he wendeth,
to fight for right and injured wrong atone,
yet the grail still divine protection lendeth,
if but that knight be nameless, all unknown.
Close-veiled from eye profane the grail is hidden,
and none save the elect its secrets know.
His thoughts disclose that mystery forbidden,
or learn his name, for then that knight must go.
Just ask, now shalt thou hear the words, the story:
the Grail bidding me come, I hither came!
My father Parzival reigneth in glory!
His knight am I, and Lohengrin my name!”

Very well done in my view. And here is Wagner’s own take regarding his operas being done in English from a personal letter:

“My very dear Sir,

I was delighted to receive your news, and cannot refrain from thanking you for it.

I hope you will see to it that my works are performed in English; only in this way can they be intimately understood by an English-speaking audience. We are hoping that they will be so performed in London.

We (that is, I and my family) were extremely interested to see the views of Melbourne which you sent me: since you were kind enough to offer to send us more, I can assure you that I should be only too delighted to receive them.

Please give my kind regards to Herr Lyster, and, however remote your part of the world may be, continue to be so well disposed towards

Your most grateful servant,

Richard Wagner.”

Mario Basiola in the radio broadcast of Edipo Re of Leoncavallo. I have made this reel for Instagram after I acquired the score of the opera. The broadcast is a RAI tape from 1939 which is a real rarity. Most RAI broadcasts before 1950 have not survived, so the fact this one does is outstanding.

Some have suggested the singer is not Basiola at all but I have done a lot of research into it and fact checked it with multiple archives and other broadcasts of the opera 1955 onwards, and it does not match any of them. And the other singers in the broadcasts are definitely the singers listed in the RAI listing (Rina Corsi, Ettore Parmeggiani and Luciano Neroni).

Alas, this is a thrilling final scene of this short opera. A deeply dramatic piece which requires a real singing actor. Basiola succeeds at that exactly.