Resource id #75
Image Source: Wikipedia

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 26-50 of 72 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick 11501-11503 10-in. 10/1/1923 Silent night Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 12303-12304 10-in. 1/16/1924 Cradle song Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 12305-12306 10-in. 1/16/1924 Songs my mother taught me Florence Easton ; Fredric Fradkin Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra and violin obbligato vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 12307-12308 10-in. 1/16/1924 Home, sweet home Florence Easton Female vocal solo, with male vocal trio and orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 13308-13309 10-in. 6/12/1924 Over the hills Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 13310-13311 10-in. 6/12/1924 Heart o’ mine Florence Easton ; Fredric Fradkin Female vocal solo, with orchestra and violin obbligato vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 13323-13325 10-in. 6/13/1924 Sing me to sleep Florence Easton ; Fredric Fradkin Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra and violin obbligato vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 13326-13327 10-in. 6/13/1924 Mighty lak’ a rose Florence Easton ; Fredric Fradkin Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra and violin obbligato vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 14503-14505 10-in. 12/16/1924 Hard times, come again no more Florence Easton Female vocal solo and mixed vocal trio, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 14506-14508 10-in. 12/16/1924 Old folks at home Florence Easton ; Fredric Fradkin Female vocal solo, with orchestra and violin obbligato vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E28412 10-in. 9/21/1928 Indian love call Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E28413 10-in. 9/21/1928 Kiss me again Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E28422 10-in. 9/26/1928 In quelle trine morbide Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E28423 10-in. 9/26/1928 Addio del passato Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E28424 10-in. 9/26/1928 My laddie Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E28425 10-in. 9/26/1928 Comin’ thro’ the rye Florence Easton Female vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E28433 10-in. 9/28/1928 Solvejg’s song Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E28434 10-in. 9/28/1928 A song of India Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E28435 10-in. 9/28/1928 Nightingale song Florence Easton ; Margaret McKee Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra and bird effects vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick XE28459 12-in. 10/8/1928 Far from the busy throng Mario Chamlee ; Florence Easton Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick XE28460 12-in. 10/8/1928 Let me gaze Mario Chamlee ; Florence Easton Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E16752-E16754 10-in. 10/24/1925 By the waters of Minnetonka Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E16754-E16755 10-in. 10/24/1925 A banjo song Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E16757-E16759 10-in. 10/24/1925 Nightingale song Florence Easton Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E16764-E16766 10-in. 10/26/1925 Croon, croon, underneat' de moon Florence Easton Female vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
(Results 26-50 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

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.