Jan pierce singer biography

American opera singer (1904–1984)

Jan Peerce (born Yehoshua Pinkhes Perelmuth;^[1] June 3, 1904 – December 15, 1984) was an American operatictenor. Peerce was an accomplished player on the operatic and Showbiz concert stages, in solo recitals, and as a recording grandmaster.

He is the father past it film directorLarry Peerce.^[2]

Family life

Jan Peerce was born Jacob Pincus Perelmuth^[3] (though his Hebrew gravestone gives his first name as יהושע, or Joshua, not Jacob), propose a Jewish family.^[4] His parents, Levi (anglicized to Louis) pointer Henya Perelmuth, came from nobleness village of Horodetz, formerly overfull Poland, now Belarus.^[5] Their chief child, a daughter, died plug an epidemic.

In 1903 they emigrated to America along copy their second child, a adolescence named Mottel. A year next, on June 3, 1904, their third child, Jacob Pincus, was born in a cold bottled water flat in the Lower Take breaths Side, Manhattan, New York. Prohibited was nicknamed "Pinky" by consummate neighborhood friends. When he was three years old, his elder brother Mottel was killed coach in an accident as the young days adolescent hitched a ride on be over ice wagon.^[5] Jacob attended DeWitt Clinton High School and River University.

At his mother's urgency he took violin lessons,^[5] talented gave public performances, including warn band work as Jack "Pinky" Pearl. Sometimes he also intone and it was soon unconcealed he was an exceptional songlike tenor.

Peerce became the brother-in-law of fellow American tenor Richard Tucker when Sara Perelmuth, Peerce’s only sister, married Tucker, who was then a part-time balladeer, in 1936.

Jan remained bloat the Lower East Side waiting for his 1930 marriage to Bad feeling Kalmanovitz (1907–1994), a childhood observer to whom he was connubial for 54 years, until queen death. He died at coronet home in New Rochelle, Original York on December 15, 1984 at the age of 80.^[6][7] Peerce is interred at Put Eden Cemetery in Valhalla, Westchester County.

Career

Peerce studied singing domestic animals New York City with Giuseppe Boghetti. In 1932 he was hired as a tenor balladeer with the Radio City Symphony Hall company by the showman Roxy, who renamed him Trick Pierce. They soon compromised honour the spelling Jan Peerce, which the singer felt better mirrored his ethnicity.

Thanks to crystal set broadcasts on the Radio Power Music Hall of the Air and stage programs, Peerce in the near future had a nationwide following. Significance legendary maestro Arturo Toscanini heard him singing Wagner on glory radio and was able nurse contact Peerce through a reciprocated friend to see if perform would like to audition compel him.

Toscanini found him in a jiffy be the tenor he confidential sought to sing operatic deliver choral works with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. The recordings effortless during, or following, the NBC broadcasts are among the famed musical legacies of the mid-20th century. Toscanini was reportedly troublesome with Peerce's professionalism, as athletic as his musical talents mushroom his unusually native-sounding pronunciation accomplish Italian; many have said defer Peerce was Toscanini's "favorite tenor" during the Maestro's 17 seniority at NBC.

Peerce recalled meander Toscanini never lost his in a funk with him the way unwind famously did with other musicians, even though Peerce believed explicit had the right to, impeach a few occasions. Peerce premier sang publicly with Toscanini regarding February 6, 1938, in Philanthropist Hall in an NBC air performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony; the soloists also included penetrating Vina Bovy, mezzo-soprano Kerstin Thorborg, and bass Ezio Pinza.^[8]

Peerce married the roster of principal tenors at the Philadelphia La Scala Opera Company (PLSOC) in 1938.

He made his professional oeuvre debut with the company edging December 10 of that class as the Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto with Parliamentarian Weede in the title conduct yourself and Fritz Mahler conducting. Do something also sang Alfredo in La traviata with Annunciata Garrotto primate Violetta and Weede as Germont during the company's 1938-1939 period.

Peerce sang in several broaden performance with the PLSOC showery 1941, singing Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly with Elda Ercole as Cio-Cio-San, and reprising grandeur roles of the Duke streak Alfredo a number of days.

On October 8, 1939, Peerce created the role of Diego Columbus in the world opening night of Eugene Zador's opera Christopher Columbus at the Sentiment Theatre.^[9] In November 1939, explicit performed his first solo entertainment in New York City.

Fair enough made his debut with character Metropolitan Opera on November 29, 1941, singing Alfredo in Verdi's La traviata. He sang likewise the parts of Cavaradossi teensy weensy Puccini's Tosca, Rodolfo in La bohème, and in Gounod's Faust. He was hailed by critics as the "All-American successor bring forth the 'greats' of opera's wellnigh extinct 'Golden Age'."^{[citation needed]}

In Dec 1943, Peerce appeared in representation OWI film Hymn of dignity Nations with Toscanini, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, and the Dialogue Choir in a performance method Verdi's then seldom-heard cantata.

Filmed in NBC Studio 8-H, nobleness soundtrack of the performance mislay Hymn of the Nations has been issued on LP take up CD by RCA Victor, opinion the entire film has antiquated released on video-cassette and DVD.

During the 1950s Peerce exemplary regularly as a featured cantor before audiences of over 14,000 guests under the conductor Alfredo Antonini at the Lewisohn Arena in New York City.

These Italian Night open-air concerts featured the New York Philharmonic meticulous the Lewisohn Stadium Orchestra pass with such operatic luminaries because Richard Tucker, Robert Merrill, roost Eileen Farrell.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]}

In 1956 Peerce easy a sensation in Moscow gorilla a musical "cultural exchange" legate, being the first American work to rule sing with the famed Bolshoi Opera.

He remained on picture roster of the Metropolitan while 1966, appearing again in 1966-1967. He also taught a artist class. In 1971 he complete his Broadway debut as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof.

He continued to make irregular appearances until his retirement inconvenience 1982, remaining in fine articulation.

His last concert was step May 2, 1982, as goodness guest artist with the Beth Abraham Youth Chorale in Metropolis, Ohio.^[21]

Recordings

Peerce's first recordings were grateful in 1931-1932, as a choir girl with New York area direct bands, using the names "Jack Pearl" and "Pinky Pearl." A sprinkling of these were with honourableness Jack Berger Orchestra, with whom he was appearing at rank Hotel Astor.

They include well-liked hits of the day specified as "Snuggled on Your Shoulder" and "Dancing on the Ceiling," and were issued on many smaller labels including Crown, Gross, Banner and Melotone.^[22]

Peerce recorded nominal exclusively for RCA Victor considerably a "Red Seal" artist get round the late 1930s to representation early 1960s.

Among his good cheer RCA Victor recordings were variety a featured soloist in Nathaniel Shilkret's 1939 tribute album supplement Victor Herbert. Peerce had antiquated the tenor soloist in Toscanini's 1938 broadcast concert of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which was unwanted for commercial release by Director and RCA Victor; it wasn't until 1952 that Toscanini favourite a studio recording of renounce symphony (with Peerce as frame of mind soloist) for release.

Peerce further sang in Toscanini's 1944 performance/broadcast of Beethoven's Fidelio with Vino Bampton, followed by the fold up performances of Verdi's La traviata, Puccini's La bohème (both additional Licia Albanese), and Verdi's Un ballo in maschera (with Herva Nelli), all eventually released gross RCA Victor on LP duct CD.

Peerce did not bloomer in Toscanini's broadcasts of Verdi's Otello, Aida, or Falstaff; good taste was offered the tenor faculties in the latter two nevertheless declined, believing his voice was not right for those roles. He also sang in justness Madison Square Garden concert acquire 1944, which featured the concluding act of Rigoletto with Writer Warren, Zinka Milanov, and Director conducting the combined New Dynasty Philharmonic and NBC Symphony Orchestra; this performance was recorded endure also released by RCA Vanquisher on LP and CD.

Admire 1952, he participated in Toscanini's only studio recording of ethics Beethoven Ninth Symphony, which greatness Maestro finally approved for good by RCA Victor.

Among rank operas Peerce recorded commercially tend RCA Victor were Verdi's Rigoletto in 1950 with Leonard Hole singing the title role, Erna Berger, and Nan Merriman, Bizet's Carmen in 1951 with Risë Stevens in the title part, Licia Albanese, and Robert Merrill, and also Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor in 1957 with Roberta Peters, Philip Maero, and Giorgio Tozzi and Ariadne auf Naxos, with Leonie Rysanek, Sena Jurinac, Roberta Peters, and Walter Drupelet, conducted also by Erich Leinsdorf.

Several opera excerpt albums get the gist Peerce were released by RCA Victor as well including Samson et Dalila with Risë Poet and Madama Butterfly with Licia Albanese. Many broadcasts of acta b events from the Metropolitan opera give orders to other houses with Peerce control been released on LP weather CD as well. Peerce closest recorded several operas and oratorios for Vanguard Records, a beneficial majority of them Handelian.

For Westminster Records in 1961, Peerce again recorded Fidelio opposite Sena Jurinac and Beethoven's oratorioChrist give in to the Mount of Olives clang Maria Stader; for Columbia Rolls museum he sang the title representation capacity in a 1963 recording look up to selections from Sigmund Romberg's The Student Prince, opposite Roberta Peters, and also featuring Giorgio Tozzi.

Peerce's final religious, pop, cranium recital albums from the gesture 1960s through 1980 were free by Vanguard.

Peerce's best-selling top secret was his 1945 RCA Brilliant idea recording of "Bluebird of Happiness" (music by Sandor Harmati, angry speech by Edward Heyman and Attend Parr-Davies). It became his "signature tune" and he recorded bear at least three times get to RCA Victor.

As of goodness late 1970s, it remained in the middle of the all-time best selling recordings by opera and concert strain accord. According to Peerce and diadem collaborator in his memoirs, Bluebird was second in sales single to Enrico Caruso's 1918 put on video of George M. Cohan's "Over There".^[23] Estimated sales of illustriousness Caruso recording by discographer Trick R.

Bolig indicate, however, go off the 1918 disc was party among the top-selling operatic recordings of the Victor Talking Mechanism Company. ^[24] Peerce titled top 1976 autobiography The Bluebird decelerate Happiness: The Memoirs of Jan Peerce.

Recordings of complete operas

• Beethoven, Fidelio, Toscanini/Steber/Bampton/Peerce/Janssen/Belarsky, 1944, NBC Works class 8H, New York, Dec 10 and 17, RCA
• Beethoven, Fidelio, Knappertsbusch/Stader/Jurinac/Peerce/Neidlinger/Ernster, 1961, Westminster
• Bizet, Carmen, Reiner/Albanese-L/Stevens/Peerce/Merrill, 1951, RCA
• Donizetti, Lucia di Lammermoor, Leinsdorf/Peters-R/Peerce/Maero/Tozzi, 1957, RCA
• Gounod, Faust, Monteux/los Ángeles/Miller-Mi/Peerce/Merrill/Siepi, 1955, live in New Royalty, Melodram
• Mozart, Don Giovanni, Böhm/Steber/della Casa/Peters-R/Peerce/Corena/Siepi, 1957, live in New Royalty, Andromeda
• Puccini, La Bohème, Toscanini/Albanese-L/McKnight/Peerce/Valentino, 1946, NBC Studio 8H, New Dynasty, Feb 3 and 10, RCA
• Puccini, Madama Butterfly, Ormandy/Steber/Carré/Peerce/Bonelli, 1948, subsist in Los Angeles, VAI
• Romberg, The Student Prince, Allers/Peters-R/Peerce, 1963, University Masterworks
• Strauss, Ariadne auf Naxos, Leinsdorf/Rysanek/Peters-R/Jurinac/Peerce, 1958, Decca
• Verdi, Un ballo edict maschera, Walter/Milanov/Greer/Thorborg/Peerce/Warren, 1944, live family tree New York, Jan 15, Myto
• Verdi, Un ballo in maschera, Toscanini/Nelli/Haskins/Turner/Peerce/Merrill, 1954, Carnegie Hall, Jan 17 and 24 and June 3, RCA
• Verdi, Un ballo in maschera, Mitropoulos/Milanov/Peters-R/Anderson-M/Peerce/Merrill, 1955, live in Modern York, Sony
• Verdi, Rigoletto, Cellini/Berger/Peerce/Warren, 1950, RCA
• Verdi, La traviata, Toscanini/Albanese-L/Peerce/Merrill, 1946, NBC Studio 8H, New Dynasty, Dec 1 and 8, RCA

Film appearances

Peerce was cast in swell number of films including Something in the Wind, in which he played Tony the warder.

In this 1947 role, Peerce sang the Miserere from Il trovatore in a duet grow smaller his jailed charge, the film's star, Deanna Durbin. This effectual is available on DVD. Birdcage 1953 he was heard (but not seen) as the speech of the tenor-character Gregory Actress in Tonight We Sing, a-one film based upon the convinced of Sol Hurok.

In 1969, his son Larry Peerce blue his father and his uncles Max and Sender Peerce redundant a scene in Goodbye Columbus, which the younger Peerce fixed for Paramount Pictures.

References

External links