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The Mapleson Cylinders - Program Notes
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Emma Calvé
(1858-1942). French soprano from Decazeville,
was probably the most popular Carmen in history. With the Met in New York and
on tour, she performed the role more often than any other singer. Her New York
debut was as Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana on
November 29, 1893. When Mapleson captured her voice in 1901-02, she was
in the fifth of her six intermittent Met seasons, and, at $1,800 per
performance ($2,000 when on tour in California), was the highest-paid
singer on the roster. Her nearest rival was Albert Alvarez, at $1,400,
while Ernest Van Dyck made $1,100, Dippel $400, Bréval
$960, Eames $1,100, Gadski $700, Sibyl Sanderson
$480, Sembrich $1,000, and Ternina $1,250. (Caruso did not
exceed Calvé's fee until his fifth season.) During 1901-02,
Calvé sang forty-one performances of opera and, due to illness, missed
another sixteen that were scheduled. She received $74,400 for portraying
Carmen. Marguerite, Santuzza, and the title role in De Lara's Messaline.
CARMEN (Carmen): Side 4/Band 1
CAVALLERIA (Santuzza): Side 6/Bands 1, 2
FAUST (Marguerite): Side 1/Bands 3, 11
