Uploaded November 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Mezzo-Soprano Eleonora de Cisneros (1878-1934) as "Isabelle Cannon"
How Can I Leave Thee ("Ach, wie ist's möglich dann")
Recorded: November 1917 in New York --
NOTE: Experimented with various styli... great difficulty in tracking, often the case with vertically cut 80 RPM Pathé discs. Problem solved by playing in reverse at 33 RPM, again reversing and speeding up in software.
Ach, wie ist's möglich dann also known as Treue Liebe (True/Loyal Love), is a German now-traditional song. Friedrich Wilhelm Kücken (1810 - 1882), a German composer and conductor, claimed to have composed the tune, and that it was later modified "probably by Silcher" ("wahrscheinlich von Silcher her") and given the general name Thüringer Volkslied ("Thuringian folksong"). Its popularity helped Küchen get chosen for the court of Grand Duke Paul Friedrich von Mecklenburg-Schwerin.[1] The tune is used at West Point, Lincoln University (Missouri) (Lincoln, O, Lincoln) and Wake Forest University. Marlene Dietrich sang the song and it has been used in a couple of movies.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ach,_wie_w%C3%A4rs_m%C3%B6glich_dann
Originally Eleanor Broadfoot (b. Nov. 1, 1878, New York; d. Feb. 3, 1934, New York), she studied with Mme. Murio-Celli in New York. During her studies she was discovered by Jean De Reszke, who brought her to the attention of the Metropolitan Opera; she made her debut there (1900) as Rossweisse in Die Walkure. In 1901 she married the Cuban count Francesco de Cisneros, and from that time on she appeared under that name. In 1901 she went to Europe for further study with Jean De Reszke and Victor Maurel in Paris and with Trabadello and Lombardi in Milan. In 1902 she appeared in Turin and had a starring career for the next twelve years at the largest Italian theaters. She sang at La Scala in 1906 in the world premiere of La Figlia di Jorio, and in 1908 in the first performance of Elektra and Queen of Spades. She was a guest in Lisbon, Paris, Vienna, Madrid, Barcelona, Antwerp, St. Petersburg, and regularly in London (1903-08). From 1906-11 she was the principal contralto at the Manhattan Opera; she then sang with the Philadelphia-Chicago Company and until 1916 with the Chicago Opera. In 1914 she sang Brangane in Tristan und Isolde at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees. In 1915 she toured Cuba, Australia, and New Zealand. In 1925 she appeared occasionally at La Scala as Herodias in Salome and lived until 1929 in Paris. Thereafter she became a singIng teacher in New York. She had a large-dimensioned contralto voice of great expressiveness. (Kutsch & Riemens Biographical Dictionary of Singers - Chilton Book Company - 1969)
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Mezzo-Soprano Eleonora de Cisneros (1878-1934) as "Isabelle Cannon"
How Can I Leave Thee ("Ach, wie ist's möglich dann")
Recorded: November 1917 in New York --
NOTE: Experimented with various styli... great difficulty in tracking, often the case with vertically cut 80 RPM Pathé discs. Problem solved by playing in reverse at 33 RPM, again reversing and speeding up in software.
Ach, wie ist's möglich dann also known as Treue Liebe (True/Loyal Love), is a German now-traditional song. Friedrich Wilhelm Kücken (1810 - 1882), a German composer and conductor, claimed to have composed the tune, and that it was later modified "probably by Silcher" ("wahrscheinlich von Silcher her") and given the general name Thüringer Volkslied ("Thuringian folksong"). Its popularity helped Küchen get chosen for the court of Grand Duke Paul Friedrich von Mecklenburg-Schwerin.[1] The tune is used at West Point, Lincoln University (Missouri) (Lincoln, O, Lincoln) and Wake Forest University. Marlene Dietrich sang the song and it has been used in a couple of movies.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ach,_wie_w%C3%A4rs_m%C3%B6glich_dann
Originally Eleanor Broadfoot (b. Nov. 1, 1878, New York; d. Feb. 3, 1934, New York), she studied with Mme. Murio-Celli in New York. During her studies she was discovered by Jean De Reszke, who brought her to the attention of the Metropolitan Opera; she made her debut there (1900) as Rossweisse in Die Walkure. In 1901 she married the Cuban count Francesco de Cisneros, and from that time on she appeared under that name. In 1901 she went to Europe for further study with Jean De Reszke and Victor Maurel in Paris and with Trabadello and Lombardi in Milan. In 1902 she appeared in Turin and had a starring career for the next twelve years at the largest Italian theaters. She sang at La Scala in 1906 in the world premiere of La Figlia di Jorio, and in 1908 in the first performance of Elektra and Queen of Spades. She was a guest in Lisbon, Paris, Vienna, Madrid, Barcelona, Antwerp, St. Petersburg, and regularly in London (1903-08). From 1906-11 she was the principal contralto at the Manhattan Opera; she then sang with the Philadelphia-Chicago Company and until 1916 with the Chicago Opera. In 1914 she sang Brangane in Tristan und Isolde at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees. In 1915 she toured Cuba, Australia, and New Zealand. In 1925 she appeared occasionally at La Scala as Herodias in Salome and lived until 1929 in Paris. Thereafter she became a singIng teacher in New York. She had a large-dimensioned contralto voice of great expressiveness. (Kutsch & Riemens Biographical Dictionary of Singers - Chilton Book Company - 1969)
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