Merle Alcock
Merle Alcock (February 6, 1884 - March 1, 1975) was an American contralto who sang with the Metropolitan Opera in 236 performances from 1919 to 1929, officially signing in with them in 1924. Alcock's concert debut was in London in 1914. She also sang with the Boston and New York Symphony Orchestras. She found a patron in Mrs. Charles Schwab in 1916. Mrs. Schwab was herself a singer as a young woman. Alcock first sang at the Met in a performance of Verdi’s Requiem Mass on Dec. 14, 1919. Her opera debut was on Nov. 15, 1923, when she sang the role of the fiddler Beppe in L’amico Fritz. Alcock trained other singers in her retirement such as Eileen Farrell. Alcock was born Merle Tillotson in Andover, Missouri, to Zula and the Reverend Elijah Tillotson. She graduated from Drake University’s Conservatory of Music in 1906. She married Bechtel Alcock, a tenor, in 1914. The two would often perform together. She died on March 1, 1975, and is buried in Wooster Cemetery in Wooster, Ohio. |
Birth and Death Data: Born 1890 (Andover, Missouri), Died January 3, 1975 (Phoenix)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1909 - 1928
Roles Represented in DAHR: contralto
Notes: Born Merle Tillotson; wife of tenor Bechtel Alcock. Victor ledgers give her address as 42 West 12th Street, New York City.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-50 of 87 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | B-30237 | 10-in. | 6/2/1924 | I'm wearin' awa', Jean | Merle Alcock | Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Victor | CVE-41651 | 12-in. | 1/26/1928 | Chanson bohême (Les tringles de sistres) | Maria Jeritza | Soprano vocal solo, with contralto vocal solo and orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Victor | [Trial 1916-03-13-07] | Not documented | 3/13/1916 | Turn ye to me | Merle Alcock | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
Victor | [Trial 1916-06-12-04] | Not documented | 6/12/1916 | Oh, that we two were maying | Bechtel Alcock ; Merle Alcock | Female-male vocal duet, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
Victor | [Trial 1916-06-12-05] | Not documented | 6/12/1916 | O dry those tears | Merle Alcock | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
Victor | [Trial 1918-06-26-02] | Not documented | 6/26/1918 | His lullaby | Merle Alcock | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 4213 | 10-in. | approximately 1909 | Bonnie sweet Bessie | Merle Tillotson | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 4214 | 10-in. | approximately 1909 | Sweet Genevieve | Merle Tillotson | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 4314 | 10-in. | ca. 1909-Feb. 1910 | The rosary | Merle Alcock | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 4326 | 10-in. | ca. Jan.-Apr. 1910 | Song of the soul | Merle Alcock | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 4341 | 10-in. | ca. Jan.-Aug. 1910 | That sweet story of old | Merle Alcock | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 4364 | 10-in. | ca. Jan.-Apr. 1910 | Last night | Merle Alcock | Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 4421 | 10-in. | between January and June 1910 | Looking this way | Merle Alcock ; John Young | Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 4553 | 10-in. | ca. Jan.-Sept. 1910 | Good bye sweet day | Merle Alcock | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 4773 | 10-in. | ca. Jan.-Oct. 1910 | Daddy | Merle Tillotson | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 19105 | 10-in. | 11/11/1910 | Katisha's song | Merle Alcock | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 81492 | 10-in. | 1/18/1924 | Oh baby (Don't say no, say maybe) | Elsie White | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 81493 | 10-in. | 1/18/1924 | A man never knows when a woman's gonna change her mind | Elsie White | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 30366 | 12-in. | between January and July 1910 | Ai nostri monti | Merle Tillotson ; John Young | Vocal duet (contralto and tenor), with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 30384 | 12-in. | ca. Jan.-May 1910 | Meet me where the lanterns glow | Henry Burr ; Merle Tillotson | Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | 30578 | 12-in. | ca. 1910-Feb. 1911 | 'Neath the southern moon | Merle Tillotson | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Edison | 2965 | 10-in. | Apr. 1914 | I'm wearing awa' | Merle Tillotson | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Edison | 2986 | 10-in. | Apr.-May 1914 | Auld Robin Gray | Merle Tillotson | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Edison | 2998 | 10-in. | May 1931 | Bes' ob all | Merle Tillotson | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
Edison | 3027 | 10-in. | May 1914 | Blow, blow, thou winter wind | Merle Alcock | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Alcock, Merle," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/113828.
Alcock, Merle. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/113828.
"Alcock, Merle." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Merle Alcock
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Alcock, Merle, 1890-1975 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2007149584
Wikidata: Merle Alcock - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q42064563
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/68724828
MusicBrainz: Merle Alcock - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/a79d82d5-d202-405a-b5e6-22d2f73d3530
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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