Louise Kirkby Lunn

Louise Kirkby Lunn (b. Manchester, 8 November 1873, d. London 17 February 1930) was an English contralto singer (sometimes called a mezzo-soprano), one of the leading English-born singers of the period 1900–1920, admired in concert, oratorio and opera.

Training

Kirkby Lunn (pronounced "Kirby") had her early singing training in Manchester at All Saints Church, where she sang in the choir under Dr J. H. Greenwood, the organist, and later sang at concerts in the city. [G. Davidson, "Opera Biographies" (Werner Laurie, London 1955), 172-173.] In 1890, she obtained a place at the Royal College of Music in London and studied for three years with Albert Vissetti, also training for opera. [M. Scott, "The Record of Singing I" (Duckworth, London 1977), 45.] Winning a scholarship in her second year, she took the role of Margaret in Schumann's "Genoveva" in a College production at Drury Lane in December 1893, and then as the Marquise de Montcontour in Delibes' "Le Roi l'a dit" at the Prince of Wales Theatre a year later. [Davidson 1955, 173.] She also studied for some time with Jacques Bouhy in Paris. [Scott 1977.]

Early career

In 1895, she appeared in the first season of Promenade concerts for Henry J. Wood. [H.J. Wood, "My Life of Music" (Gollancz, London 1946 edn), 77-78.] Augustus Harris gave her a five-year contract almost upon first hearing. In 1896 she appeared as Nora in Stanford's "Shamus O'Brien" at the Theatre Comique, again under Wood, with Joseph O'Mara, Maggie Davies, W.H. Stevens and Denis O'Sullivan, a production which ran for 100 nights from March 2. [Wood 1946, 85.] This was followed by a number of small roles at Covent Garden. However the contract expired with Harris's death in June 1896, whereupon she joined the Carl Rosa opera company, performing as principal mezzo in London and on tour in the provinces in "Carmen", "Lohengrin", "Rigoletto", "Mignon" and other works. In 1898 at Queen's Hall she sang as a Rhinemaiden in excepts from "Das Rheingold" with Lillian Blauvelt and Helen Jaxon, with David Bispham as Alberich. [ Wood 1946, 121.] She remained with the Carl Rosa until 1899, the year in which she was married to W.J. Pearson.

She was particularly active in the 1900-1901 Queen's Hall season with Wood, appearing with Blauvelt, Lloyd Chandos and Daniel Price, and the Wolverhampton Festival Choral Society, in Beethoven's last symphony on 16 March, and in Gilbert and Sullivan excerpts (with Lloyd Chandos and Florence Schmidt). [Wood 1946, 149-151.] In the midst of a series of Wagner concerts with Marie Brema, Philip Brozel, David Ffrangçon-Davies and Olga Wood, on 22 November 1901 (first anniversary of the death of Arthur Sullivan) she sang in a special performance of "The Golden Legend", with Blauvelt, John Coates and Ffrangçon-Davies. [Wood 1946, 155.]

Operatic career

From 1901 to 1914, Louise Kirkby Lunn appeared regularly at Covent Garden, and for several of those years also in the United States (especially the Met, 1902–03, 1906–08 and 1912–14. [Eaglefield-Hull 1924; M. Scott, "The Record of Singing I" (Duckworth, London 1977), 45-46] She was particularly successful in Wagnerian opera, especially as Fricka, Brangane, Ortrud and Erda, and in 1904 gave the first English language performance of the role of Kundry ("Parsifal") in America, at Boston. Her American 1902 debut, however, was as Amneris in "Aida", a role in which she formed a long and famous partnership with Emmy Destinn as Aida. [G. Davidson, "Opera Biographies" (Werner Laurie, London 1955), 172-174.] (This partnership is preserved on record, in a 1911 'Ebben qual nuovo fremito', and also in 'L'amo come il fulgor' from Ponchielli's "Gioconda". [HMV Italian, 2-054020 and 2-054023 (both 1911); Bennett 1967, 76-77.] ) Both in England and America she was also a famous Dalila. She sang in the Covent Garden premieres of Massenet's "Helene" and "Herodiade", Gluck's "Armide" and Tchaikowsky's "Eugene Onegin". [See also H. Rosenthal and J. Warrack, "Concise Dictionary of Opera" (London 1974 edn).] Gluck's "Orfeo", which she first delivered in 1905, was considered one of her best parts, and her 'Che faro?' was committed to disc. [ HMV Italian 2-053121, c1915; Bennett 1967.]

Oratorio and concert work

Herny Wood first conducted the "Prelude and Angel's farewell" from "The Dream of Gerontius" with Kirkby Lunn in February 1901. [Lewis Foreman, "Elgar's Interpreters on Record IV insert" (Elgar Society 2000).] In March 1904, Kirkby Lunn was a principal soloist in the Elgar Festival concerts given at Covent Garden, appearing on the first night with John Coates and Ffrangcon-Davies in "Gerontius", and on the second with them and with Agnes Nicholls, Kennerley Rumford and Andrew Black in "The Apostles". [Percy M. Young, "Letters of Edward Elgar" (Geoffrey Bles, London 1955), 131-132.] In this way she effectively replaced Marie Brema, the original choice for the "Gerontius" angel. Two years later she performed it with the same colleagues (but for Henry Wood) in Leeds. [Wood 1946, 205.] She sang it under Hans Richter at Birmingham in 1909 with John Coates and Frederic Austin; "The Athenaeum" remarked, 'each, in turn, brought to it an accession of glory.' [M. Lee-Browne, "Nothing so charming as Musick!" (Thames, London 1999), 38.] Wood greatly admired her, and employed her frequently, choosing her for a Sheffield Festival presentation of a suite from Rimsky-Korsakov's opera "Christmas Eve", with Francis Hurford, in 1908. [Wood 1946, 213.]

In 1909, Kirkby Lunn performed the "Sea Pictures" under Elgar's baton at the Royal Philharmonic Society concerts. On that occasion she was awarded the Gold Medal of the Society, when the Hon Secretary, composer and pianist Francesco Berger, referred to her 'rare combination of personal artistic achievement added to a richly endowed nature.' [R. Elkin, "Royal Philharmonic" (Rider, London 1946), 103, 135.] She made two further appearances before the Society before the war, on the opening nights (November) of the 1913 and 1914 seasons. At the former she sang the "scena" from Wagner's "Rienzi", 'Gerechter Gott!', for Willem Mengelberg, and on the second occasion the Ballade "La Fiancee du Timbalier" by Saint-Saëns, for Thomas Beecham. [Elkin 1946, 139, 140.] She performed the Brahms "Alto Rhapsody" at Queen's Hall under Henri Verbrugghen in the Festival of April 1915, and she also sang in the Festival of British Music there in the following month [R. Elkin, "Queen's Hall 1893-1941" (Rider, London 1944), 77-78.] . In November 1916 she reappeared with the RPO to sing Mozart's 'Non piu di fiori' ("La clemenza di Tito"). [Elkin 1946, 144.] She also made gramophone records of the "Rienzi" and "Clemenza" items. [O righteous God, HMV 03440. (J. R. Bennett, "Voices of the Past: Vol I" (Oakwood Press 1955)); Non piu dei fiori, HMV 2-053001. (J.R. Bennett, "Voices of the Past: Vol II" (Oakwood Press, 1965)).]

Recordings

Before the War Kirkby Lunn was in great demand for oratorio appearances on the Continent, and sang frequently in Budapest and in New York. [Eaglefield-Hull, 1924.] In 1912 she made a tour of Australia with William Murdoch, the celebrated pianist who had made his London debut two years earlier. In that year she recorded two duets with John McCormack from operas of Wolf-Ferrari. ['T'ieri un giorno ammalato' ("I gioielli della Madonna"), 2-054040, and 'Il dolce idillio' ("Il segreto di Susanna"), 2-054041. (Bennett 1967, 77).] Her Gramophone Company recordings were made mostly between 1909 and 1916: there are also Pathe records made earlier, including duets with the tenor Ben Davies. The gramophone was not particularly kind to her 'warm rich notes of true contralto quality' (as Herman Klein spoke of her voice), [Herman Klein, "Thirty Years of Musical Life in London, 1870-1900" (Century Co., New York, 1903), 467.] though in recordings such as the Gounod 'Entreat me not to leave thee' or the Arthur Goring Thomas 'A Summer night' [HMV 03395 (1915) and HMV 03259 (1911); Bennett 1955).] her famed control of the broad compass, and the poise and grandeur of her delivery are apparent.

Farewells

In 1919–1922, she reappeared at Covent Garden, choosing her famous role as Kundry for her last appearances there with the British National Opera Company in 1921. [Scott 1977, 45.] After this she remained before the public for several years more in concert and recital. (At much the same time Marie Brema was making her reappearances in "Orfeo".)

Despite the fact that she could speak and sing easily in four different languages, Kirkby Lunn always retained her distinctive Manchester accent in conversation. [Davidson 1955.]

Notes

Sources

*J R Bennett, "Voices of the Past: Vol I, A Catalogue of Vocal recordings from the English Catalogue of the Gramophone Company" (1955).
*J.R. Bennett, "Voices of the Past: Vol II, A Catalogue of Vocal recordings from the Italian Catalogues of the Gramophone Company" (Oakwood Press, 1965).
*G. Davidson, "Opera Biographies" (Werner Laurie, London 1955).
*A. Eaglefield-Hull, "A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians" (Dent, London 1924).
*R. Elkin, "Royal Philharmonic - The Annals of the Royal Philharmonic Society" (London 1946).
*H. Klein, "Thirty Years of Musical Life in London 1870-1900" (Century Co, New York 1903).
*M. Lee-Browne, "Nothing so charming as Musick! The Life and Times of Frederic Austin" (Thames 1999).
*H. Rosenthal and J Warrack, "Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera" (OUP, London 1974 reprint).
*M. Scott, "The Record of Singing to 1914" (Duckworth 1977).
*H. Wood, "My Life of Music" (Gollancz, London 1938).
*P.M. Young, "Letters of Edward Elgar" (Geoffrey Bles, London 1956).