Eugene Conley
12 March 1908 Lynn, Massachusetts – 18 (17?) December 1981 Denton, Texas
Opéra-Comique, 1947
Conley studied under Ettore Verna, and made his official debut as Duca in Rigoletto, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1940
with the Popular Price Opera Company operated by Alfredo Salmaggi. It is possible that he sang at that time also in
Faust, Madama Butterfly, La bohème, Cavalleria rusticana, La traviata.
It was followed by appearances in New York (New Opera Company, San Carlo Opera), New Orleans (San Carlo Opera), Los Angeles (San
Carlo Opera), San Francisco (San Carlo Opera), Cincinnati and Chicago.
Already in 1943, he was singing outside the USA in Mexico (March 1943 in La bohème).
This was followed by appearances in New York (San Carlo Opera), Cincinnati, San Francisco, New Orleans and again Mexico.
In 1945, he first appeared with the New York City Opera, as Cavaradossi on 27 September with Dorothy Sarnoff and George Doubrovsky,
and went on to appear with that company until 1950.
Outside the USA, he sang in Paris, (12 March 1947 in La bohéme, 14 March 1947 in La traviata, Opéra-Comique),
Milan (Scala, I puritani on 12 April 1949 with Margherita Carosio, Cesare Siepi, Carlo Tagliabue and Franco Capuana; and I
vespri siciliani on 7 December 1951 with Enzo Mascherini, Boris Christoff, Maria Callas and Victor de Sabata), Covent Garden
(4 May 1949 Rigoletto), Firenze (January 1952 in Don Giovanni and I puritani), at the Colón in Buenos
Aires (20 May 1952 in
Manon), Stockholm (24 April 1948 in La bohème with Schymberg, Quensel, Hasslo, Wirén, Folke Jonsson and
Grevillius; Rigoletto on 26 April 1948 with Schymberg, Collett, Björker, Andersson-Lundberg, Folke Jonsson, and Gardelli),
Verona (29 July 1950 in La bohème with Rina Gigli, Scipio Colombo, Silvio Maionica, Maria Huder and Angelo Questa),
Havana (1–12 June 1953 in Faust, Lucia di Lammermoor, Madama Butterfly), Amsterdam (15 June 1957 in The rake's
progress) and with Giorgio D'Andria's Grand Opera in August/September 1947: Firenze, Genova, Torino, Bologna.
Conley made his Metropolitan Opera debut on January 25th, 1950 as Faust with Jerome Hines, Eleanor Steber, Frank Guarrara, Inge
Manski and Wilfred Pelletier), and appeared with the Met many times until 1956 (last perfomance on 8 May with the Met company in
Birmingham in Rigoletto with Roberta Peters, Leonard Warren, Giorgio Tozzi, Rosalind Elias, Norman Scott and Fausto Cleva).
Conley was artist-in-residence at the University of North Texas College of Music from 1960 until his retirement in 1978.
From 1960 to 1967, he directed its Opera Workshop. In his retirement year, he presented a solo recital at Alice Tully Hall
(19 September 1975), Lincoln Center with his student Maria Powell. He died in Denton, Texas, at the age of seventy-three.
Reference 1: Kutsch & Riemens
Reference 2
In RA format
In RA format
I would like to thank Daniele Godor for the recording (America the beautiful) and an addition to the discography.
I would like to thank Christian Torrent for the picture.
I would like to thank Thomas Silverbörg for the recordings (Faust, Puritani).
Repertory
Rigoletto – Brooklyn, Academy of Music (Salmaggi), 1940
La traviata – Brooklyn, Academy of Music (Salmaggi), 1940
Faust – Brooklyn, Academy of Music (Salmaggi), 1941
Cavalleria rusticana – Brooklyn, Academy of Music (Salmaggi), 1941
La bohème – Brooklyn, Academy of Music (Salmaggi), 1941
Madama Butterfly – Brooklyn, Academy of Music (Salmaggi), 1941
Cosi fan tutte – New York, Forty-Fourth Street Theatre, October 14, 1941
La traviata – New Orleans, Municipal Auditorium, February 15, 1942
Les contes d'Hoffmann – Los Angeles, ?, February or March 1942
Martha – New York, Center Theatre, May 1942
La bohème – Mexico City, Palacio de Bellas Artes, March 1943
Il barbiere di Siviglia – New York, Centre Theatre, June 7, 1943
Madama Butterfly – Mexico City, Palacio de Bellas Artes, August 1945
Tosca – New York, City Opera, September 27, 1945
Don Giovanni – Mexico City, Palcio de Bellas Artes, June 22, 1946
Carmen – Philadelphia, Academy of Music, February 1947
Werther – New York, City Opera, October 10, 1947
Lucia di Lammermoor – New Orleans, Opera, October 7, 1948
I puritani – Milano, Scala, April 12, 1949
Manon – New Orleans, Opera, March 16, 1950
Die Fledermaus – New York, MET, January 4, 1951
Der Rosenkavalier – San Francisco, War Memorial, September 25, 1951
I vespri siciliani – Milan, Scala, December 7, 1951
Cavalleria rusticana – New York, MET, March 4, 1952
Gianni Schicchi – San Francisco, War Memorial, September 26, 1952
The rake's progress – New York, MET, February 14, 1953
Les pêcheurs de perles (excerpts) – New York, Lewisohn Stadium, July 30, 1954
Reference
Discography
78 RPM
Decca 1949
DR13625-1 Beloved (Conley) F9299 London R10015
DR13616-1 Naughty Marietta: Ah! Sweet mystery of life F9299 London R10015
DR13627-1 Forgotten (Cowles) F9297 London R10015
DR13628-1 Because (d'Hardelot) F9297 London R10015
AR13645-1 La favorita: Spirto gentil X433 London LLP 26
AR13649-1 Martha: M'apparì tutt'amor X433 London LLP 26
DR13650-1 Rigoletto: Questa o quella F9298 London LLP 26
DR13652-1 Rigoletto: La donna è mobile F9298 London LLP 26
DR13670-1 Thine alone (Herbert) unpublished London R10015
DR13671-1 I'll take you home again, Kathleen unpublished London R10015
DR13672-1 I hear you calling me unpublished London R10015
DR13673-1 Danny boy unpublished London R10015
DR13691-1 Tosca: Recondita armonia M656 London LLP 26
DR13692-1 Tosca: E lucevan le stelle M656 London LLP 26
AR13693-1 La bohème: Che gelida manina X 402 London LLP 26
AR13694-1 Carmen: La fleur K 2326 London LLP 26
AR13709-1 Turandot: Non piangere, Liù X 402 London LLP 26
AR13710-1 Faust: Salut, demeure chaste et pure K 2326 London LLP 26
LP
Decca
AR15373-1 La Gioconda: Cielo e mar London LPS-280; Decca LM 4534
AR15374-1 Il trovatore: Ai nostri monti unpublished
(with Winifred Heidt)
AR15375-1 I puritani: A te o cara London LPS-280; Decca LM 4534
AR15376-1 L'africana: O paradiso London LPS-280; Decca LM 4534
AR15379-1 I puritani: Vieni fra questa braccia London LPS-280; Decca LM 4534
AR15380-1 Lucia di Lammermoor: Tombe degli avi miei London LPS-280; Decca LM 4534
AR15381-1 Lucia di Lammermoor: Fra poco a me ricovero London LPS-280; Decca LM 4534
Immortal Melodies of Love Ember EMB 3354/Request Records RLP 8035
1. My persistent guitar (Marechiare)
2. Poor man's serenata (Flegier)
3. To ev'ry breeze (Schubert)
4. Moonlit night (Beethoven)
5. There's a light in your window (Brahms)
6. Come in my boat with me
7. Haunting melody (Moszkowski)
8. My love was like a homeless bird (Schumann)
9. My melody of love (Albeniz)
10.Our love lives on (Pierné)
11.Night of joy (Raff)
12.Toreador's serenade (Rubinstein).
Eugene Conley sings in church Ember EMB 3351/Request Records RLP 8030
1. Abide with me
2. All hail the power of Jesus's name
3. Blessed assurance
4. Blest be the tie that binds
5. The church's one foundation
6. Come, thou almighty king
7. Come, we that love the Lord
8. Day is dying in the west
9. Faith of our fathers
10.I love to tell the story
11.Jesus, saviour, pilot me
12.Lead, kindly light
13.Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling
14.What a friend we have in Jesus
Birthday in Bethlehem Decca LM 4533
with Winifred Heidt (mezzo), Lionel Murton (Narrator)
George Mitchell Choir
New Symphony Orch. cond. Norman Del Mar. Music by Bone and Fenton
What is music (Conley solo)
Babies lay dreaming (Conley solo)
Let the little lambs rejoice (Conley solo)
On sun-parched hills (Conley solo)
Come on, ye weary wanderers (duet with Heidt)
Two strangers met (Heidt solo)
Complete works (commercial)
Faust (Gounod) as Faust
w. Eleanor Steber (Marguerite), Cesare Siepi (Méphistophélès),
Frank Guarrera (Valentin), Margaret Roggero (Siebel),
Thelma Votipka (Marthe), Lawrence Davidson (Wagner)
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, cond. Fausto Cleva
recorded in May 1951
LPs: Columbia SL-112, Philips ABL 3096/8, Columbia/Odyssey Y3 32103
The rake's progress (Stravinsky) as Tom Rakewell
w. Hilde Gueden (Anne), Mack Harrell (Nick Shadow),
Blanche Thebom (Baba the Turk), Martha Lipton (Mother Goose),
Norman Scott (Trulove), Paul Franke (Sellem),
Lawrence Davidson (Keeper of the Madhouse)
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, cond. Igor Stravinsky
recorded 1, 2 & 10 March, 1953
LPS: Columbia SL-125, Philips ABL 3055/7 A 0181/3L
Missa solemnis in D, Op. 123 (Beethoven)
w. Eugene Conley, Lois Marshall, Nan Merriman, Jerome Hines;
conducted by Arturo Toscanini
with Robert Shaw Chorale and N.B.C Symphony Orchestra,
recorded in Carnegie Hall, New York City, 30/31 March & 2 April 1953
LPs: RCA Victor LM 60123; French Victor A 630207/8, Italian Victor B 12 R 0056/7,
RCA Victor AT 200/1, 26 35006, HMV ALP 1182/3; EP ERG (excerpts)
Complete works (non commercial)
Symphony no. 8 (Mahler) w. Frances Yeend, Camilla Williams, Martha
Lipton, Uta Graf, Carlos Alexander, George London; Schola Cantorum;
Westminster Choir; Boys' Chorus from Public School No, 12, Manhattan;
Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York, cond. Leopold Stokowski
broadcast on 6 or 7 April 1950 Carnegie Hall, New York City
Don Giovanni (Mozart) as Don Ottavio
w. Paolo Silveri (Don Giovanni), Salvatore Baccaloni (Leporello),
Regina Resnik (Donna Elvira), Ljuba Welitsch (Donna Anna),
Nadine Conner (Zerlina), Lorenzo Alvary (Masetto),
Nicola Moscona (Commendatore)
broadcast on 6 January 1951
Rigoletto (Verdi) as Duca di Mantova
w. Leonard Warren (Rigoletto), Hilde Güden (Gilda), Marietta
Muhs (Maddalena), Norman Treigle (Monterone), William
Wilderman (Sparafucile), John Patterson (Borsa), Warren
Gadpaille (Marullo), Ernest Barnum (Count Ceprano), Elaine
Weber (Countess Ceprano), Frances Vella (Page)
Orchestra and chorus of the New Orleans Opera, cond. Walter Herbert
broadcast on 5 April 1952
Madama Butterfly (Puccini) as Pinkerton
w. Licia Albanese (Cio-Cio-San), Margaret Roggero (Suzuki),
Frank Valentino (Sharpless), Alessio De Paolis (Goro), Osie Hawkins (Bonze)
Orchestra and chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, cond. Fausto Cleva
broadcast on 17 January 1953
Rigoletto (Verdi) as Duca di Mantova
w. Leonard Warren (Rigoletto), Hilde Güden (Gilda), Jean Madeira (Maddalena),
Norman Scott (Monterone), Nicola Moscona (Sparafucile), Gabor Carelli (Borsa),
Clifford Harvuot (Marullo), Lawrence Davidson (Count Ceprano), Paula Lenchner
(Countess Ceprano), Margaret Roggero (Page)
Orchestra and chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, cond. Alberto Erede
broadcast on 7 March 1953
Faust (Gounod) as Faust
w. Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Méphistophélès), Victoria
de los Angeles (Marguerite), Robert Merrill (Valentin), Mildred Miller
(Siébel), Thelma Votipka (Marthe), Lawrence Davidson (Wagner)
Orchestra and chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, New York, cond. Pierre Monteux
broadcast on 5 December 1953
La bohème (Puccini) as Rodolfo
w. Hilde Güden (Mimi), Jean Fenn (Musetta), Robert Merrill (Marcello),
Clifford Harvuot (Schaunard), Norman Scott (Colline), Lawrence Davidson
(Benoit), Alessio De Paolis (Alcindoro)
Orchestra and chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, New York, cond. Alberto Erede
broadcast on 19 December 1953
Don Giovanni (Mozart) as Don Ottavio
w. Margaret Harshaw (Donna Anna), Eleanor Steber (Donna Elvira),
George London (Don Giovanni), Fernando Corena (Leporello), Lorenzo
Alvary (Masetto), Nadine Conner (Zerlina), Luben Vichey (Commendatore)
Orchestra and chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, cond. Max Rudolf
broadcast on 13 March 1954
Messa da Requiem (Verdi)
w. Herva Nelli, Claramae Turner and Nicola Moscona
New England Conservatory Chorus, Boston Symphony Orchestra, cond. Guido Cantelli
recorded 16–21 December 1954 live at Symphony Hall, Boston
Many broadcast recordings exist.
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