Rose Ader (1890-1955)

The following biographic information is largely from her son Antonio, whom we also must thank for all of the recordings.

Born 28 April, 1890 in Oderberg (Austria), she debuted in 1915 in Hamburg. She remained there until 1918 when she sang for one season in Vienna (Staatsoper) then in Hamburg until 1931. She was the first Suor Angelica in Germany (Hamburg 1921) then was invited by Puccini to Italy, where she sang - among other theaters - at the Massimo in Palermo. There a scion of an ancient aristocratic family, Francesco Trigona di Calvaruso, fell in love with Rose; they married in November of 1922. I [Antonio] was born in October 1923. My mother sang only sporadically - mostly concerts - until 1927, when we moved to Berlin and she resumed her regular career. In 1933, with the advent of Hitler, all her contracts were cancelled, and the family decided to move to Vienna. There my mother sang at the Opera and gave concerts, mostly for benefit. In 1936 we moved to Italy and so we lived in Palermo through the war, until 1948, when I decided to go to Argentina. My mother, being separated from my father, followed me there some months later and concertized and taught until 1955.

With a voice of exceptional beauty, one would have hoped for more than two sides to have been released. Those two arias from La Bohème are supplemented with unissued Parlophone titles, test pressings and a few late broadcast recordings. The discography is taken with permission from The Record Collector, Volume 52 No. 1, March 2007. Our thanks to Larry Lustig for identifying the four missing titles (five takes). Anyone who has information which might lead to copies of any of them is urged to contact us at operas@mrichter.com.

Test pressings (with piano), Berlin (?), all in Italian

• Turandot Tu che di gel sei cinta W-17-P - 14 January 1928
• La bohèmeSi, mi chiamano Mimi
• Tosca Vissi d'arte

Parlophone, Electric, Berlin, all in Italian

conducted by Selmar Meyrowitz

• La bohème Si, mi chiamano Mimi - P 9257 Mx. 20627 - 17 February 1928
• La bohème Addio ... donde lieta usci - P 9257 Mx 20628 - 17 February 1928
• Turandot Tu che di gel sei cinta (w.piano) - Unpublished Mx 20629 - 17 February 1928
• Madama Butterfly Un bel di vedremo -Unpublished Mx 20634 - 21 February 1928
• Tosca Vissi d 'arte - Unpublished Mx 20635 - 21 February 1928
• La Wally Ebben, ne andrò lontana - Unpublished Mx 20636 - 21 February 1928

conducted by Frieder Weissmann

• Tosca Vissi d 'arte - Unissued Parlophon Mx 20635-2
• Manon Nützet die schönen, junge Tage Unpublished Mx. 21085 - 19 November 1928
• Manon Nützet die schönen, junge Tage Unpublished Mx. 21085-2 - 19 November 1928

Funk-Stunde A.-G. Berlin (off-air) conducted by Otto Klemperer

• Otello Ave Maria (In German) Mx. Bln 400 - 1 January 1931

Radio Excelsior, Buenos Aires - 5 July 1952 - Ricardo Linares (piano)

• D. Cimarosa: Bel nome che adoro
• Schumann: Widmung, op. 25 No. 1
• Schumann: Die Lotosblume, op. 25 No. 7
• Schubert: Du bist die Ruh', D. 776

It is a tiny collection, but a precious one.

E-mail me at operas@mrichter.com