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 |
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
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Easton, Florence - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82063640
Wikidata: Florence Easton - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5460606
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/10036256
MusicBrainz: Florence Easton - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/695f37e5-683b-48b3-af9c-beba94cae5c5
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