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The French soprano Germaine Martinelli (1887-1964) is not very well known in
operatic circles because she was mostly a concert and lieder singer. With exception of her well-earned entry in EMI’s Record of Singing, her voice is mostly known from the magnificent Wagnerian duets with the great French tenor Georges Thill and from some rare and interesting Polydor recordings she made in 1931.
HAFG’s choice for this CD is to cover most of her Polydor recordings plus the Wagner recordings with Thill.
The Polydor recordings included on the HAFG CD constitute a lesson in the art of singing. Martinelli, a mezzo
who turned to
soprano later in career, possesses a good vocal instrument and that extra something in the delivery of words that sets apart all the great French singers. She shines in the two sections of Marquerite’s haunting music from the Damnation
of Faust, in Charlotte’s two set pieces from Werther and two lesser known excerpts from Massenet’s Marie-Magdalene. As for the
Wagner recordings, others have already raved before me. The Eva-Stolzing duet from Act 2 of the Meistersinger is an undisputed desert island disc.
This recording is warmly recommended to all those who listen to opera.
Georg Polyzoides
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