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Florence Easton

Florence Easton (25 October 1882 – 13 August 1955) was an English dramatic soprano of the early 20th century. She was one of the most versatile singers of all time, appearing in more than 100 roles, covering a wide range of styles and periods, from Mozart, Meyerbeer, Gounod, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, Strauss, Schreker and Krenek. She sang virtually every Wagnerian soprano part, large and small, from Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer onwards, including Brünnhilde in Götterdämmerung.

Easton described herself as a "lyric dramatic soprano", which seems barely adequate in relation to the range and types of roles in which she excelled. Her international reputation, founded mainly in North America and Germany, was almost unique for a British singer of her time. She could move easily through all stages from the light coloratura to the Hochdramatische, from girlish romanticism to the powerful drama of Wagner and Strauss. The voice could be light and airy, gently melancholic or intensely passionate. The involvement in the character of the role was total. John Steane has suggested that "This great strength of hers was also, in a strange way, a source of weakness. She sang so many roles very well that she never quite became identified with any of these". Despite some minor difficulty with Italian diction, she was chosen by Puccini to create Lauretta in his 1917 opera Gianni Schicchi.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 25, 1882 (Middlesbrough), Died August 13, 1955 (Montreal)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1921 - 1934

Roles Represented in DAHR: soprano vocal, vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 72 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick X5545 12-in. approximately May 1921 Ave Maria Florence Easton ; Max Rosen Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra and violin obbligato vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 5547 10-in. approximately May 1921 Air des bijoux Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 7432 10-in. approximately Feb. 1922 Song of the shepherd Lehl Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 8825 10-in. approximately Oct. 1922 Connais-tu le pays? Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 8827 10-in. approximately Oct. 1922 Le roi du Thulé Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 8830 10-in. approximately Oct. 1922 Still wie die Nacht Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 9367 10-in. approximately Dec. 1922 Preguntales a las estrellas Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 9369 10-in. approximately Dec. 1922 El cefiro Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 5502-5503 10-in. approximately May 1921 My laddie Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick X5504-X5505 12-in. approximately May 1921 Un bel di vedremo Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 5506-5507 10-in. May 1921 Vissi d'arte Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 6422-6424 10-in. approximately Sept. 1921 Silent night Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 6949-6950 10-in. approximately Dec. 1921 Addio Florence Easton Female vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 7273-7274 10-in. approximately Jan. 1922 Habanera Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick X7275-X7276 12-in. approximately Jan. 1922 Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 7466-7467 10-in. approximately Feb. 1922 Chanson indoue Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick X7651-X7652 12-in. approximately Mar. 1922 Che volo d'augelli Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick X10344-X10346 12-in. 4/11/1923 O divine redeemer Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 10347-10348 10-in. 4/11/1923 Treue Liebe Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 10379-10381 10-in. 4/13/1923 Ancora un passo Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 10713-10715 10-in. 5/22/1923 Treue liebe Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 10716-10718 10-in. 5/22/1923 Sai cos’ ebbe cuore Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick X10788-X10789 12-in. 6/1/1923 Ave Maria Florence Easton Female vocal solo, with violin, organ, and harp vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick X10819-X10821 12-in. 6/8/1923 Ave Maria Florence Easton ; Fredric Fradkin Soprano vocal solo, with violin, organ, and harp vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 11498-11500 10-in. 10/1/1923 Holy night Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
(Results 1-25 of 72 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Easton, Florence," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103628.

Easton, Florence. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103628.

"Easton, Florence." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103628

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