Clara Butt

Clara Butt

Dame Clara Ellen Butt (1 February 1872 – 23 January 1936) was an English dramatic contralto and one of the most popular singers from the 1890s through to the 1920s. She had an exceptionally fine contralto voice and an agile singing technique, and impressed contemporary composers such as Saint-Saëns and Elgar; the latter composed his Sea Pictures, Op. 37 with her voice in mind. Her main career was as a recitalist and concert singer. She appeared in only two operatic productions, both of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. Later in her career she frequently appeared in recitals together with her husband, the baritone Kennerley Rumford. She made numerous recordings for the gramophone.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 1, 1872 (Brighton), Died January 23, 1936 (Oxfordshire)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1910 - 1933

Roles Represented in DAHR: contralto

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 109 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Columbia	6540	12-in.	approximately 1915	The lover's curse	Clara Butt	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6541	12-in.	approximately 1915	Husheen	Clara Butt	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6542	12-in.	approximately 1915	The promise of life	Clara Butt	Female vocal solo, with organ and piano	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6543	12-in.	approximately 1915	Abide with me	Clara Butt	Contralto vocal solo, with piano	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6544	12-in.	approximately 1915	The lost chord	Clara Butt	Female vocal solo, with organ and piano	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6555	12-in.	approximately 1915	God shall wipe away all tears	Clara Butt	Female vocal solo, with organ and piano	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6557	12-in.	approximately 1915	O don fatale	Clara Butt	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6574	12-in.	approximately 1915	The keys of heaven	Clara Butt ; Kennerley Rumford	Female-male vocal duet, with piano	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6605	12-in.	approximately 1915	When all was young	Clara Butt ; C. Warwick Evans ; Henry J. Wood	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6606	12-in.	approximately 1915	O mio Fernando	Clara Butt ; Henry J. Wood	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6607	12-in.	approximately 1915	O rest in the Lord	Clara Butt ; Henry J. Wood	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6655	12-in.	approximately 1915	Ombra mai fu	Clara Butt	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6656	12-in.	approximately 1915	Mon cœur s'ouvre a ta voix	Clara Butt ; Henry J. Wood	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6657	12-in.	approximately 1915	The enchantress	Clara Butt	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6662	12-in.	approximately 1915	Birth of the flowers	Clara Butt ; Ethel Hook ; Hazel Hook ; Pauline Hook	Female vocal quartet, with piano	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6668	12-in.	approximately 1915	The three fishers	Clara Butt	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6690	12-in.	7/2/1925	The keys of heaven	Clara Butt ; Kennerley Rumford	Female-male vocal duet, with piano	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6767	12-in.	approximately 1916	Che faro	Clara Butt ; Henry J. Wood	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6768	12-in.	approximately 1916	O divine redeemer	Clara Butt ; Henry J. Wood	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6771	12-in.	1916	The dream of Gerontius	Clara Butt ; Maurice D'Oisly ; Henry J. Wood	Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6772	12-in.	1916	The dream of Gerontius	Clara Butt ; Maurice D'Oisly ; Henry J. Wood	Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6773	12-in.	1916	The dream of Gerontius	Clara Butt ; Maurice D'Oisly ; Henry J. Wood	Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6774	12-in.	1916	The dream of Gerontius	Clara Butt ; Maurice D'Oisly ; Henry J. Wood	Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6775	12-in.	approximately 1916	Rend' il sereno	Clara Butt	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist, contralto
Columbia	6887	12-in.	approximately 1916	A summer night	Clara Butt ; W. H. Squire	Female vocal solo, with piano and 'cello obbligato	vocalist, contralto

(Results 1-25 of 109 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Butt, Clara," accessed November 24, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103657.

Butt, Clara. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 24, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103657.

"Butt, Clara." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 November 2024.