[78-L] Nat'l Music Lovers Pseudonyms/Sources

[Mike Richter]

J.F. Bennett wrote:
> Folks,
> 
> Just heard an interesting recording of *La Donna e Mobile* on Nat'l Music
> Lovers performed by one Mario Brefelli. I don't have a catalogue or matrix
> number. I found a reference on-line attributing this to a Max Bloch a lesser
> tenor at the Met? This may be from an Emerson master? Does this sound right
> to anyone? Thank you in advance.

Indeed, Brefelli was a pseudonym assumed by Bloch. Here's what I put 
onto the CD-ROM "Stars of David":

Bloch, Max
1882-1943 Tenor Germany

Max Bloch was born about 1882 in Germany and studied with an American 
teacher, Keva Pokal, in Berlin. He obtained his first engagement with 
the Komische Oper there in 1910, and then went on to the Kürfürstinoper 
in the same city (1911-12); he also sang at the Berlin Municipal Opera 
(1912-14). He was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in 1914, and 
remained there until 1930. During that time, he sang 435 performances of 
43 roles, mainly as a buffo and comprimario singer, although he was 
highly regarded as David in Die Meistersinger and Mime in Siegfried. At 
the Met, he appeared in the World Premieres of Giordano's Mme. Sans-Gene 
(1915), Goyescas by Granados (1916), and The Canterbury Pilgrims by De 
Koven (1917). He was also highly successful as a concert singer. 
Listening to his recordings, one would think that he was a major tenor 
of his time. Indeed, he had a major voice in a minor body. He was rather 
diminutive in stature, and his appearance would have belied his voice in 
leading roles. Bloch, however, did make a number of extremely fine 
recordings, and even made some recordings of Italian and French arias 
under the name of Martino Brefelli. Bloch died in New York in 1943.
Hummel: Hallelujah
Leoncavallo: I Pagliacci Vesti la giubba
Lortzing: Undine Vater, Mutter, Schwestern, Brüder
Schubert Ständchen
Wagner: Lohengrin In fernem Land
Wagner: Rienzi Gebet
Weber: Freischütz Durch die Wälder

Mike
-- 
mrichter at cpl.net
http://www.mrichter.com/