Joseph Hislop

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Joseph Hislop (b. Edinburgh, 5 April 1887; d. Sweden, 6 May 1977) was a Scottish tenor singer notable both in opera and oratorio, who had an international career and was one of the fine and really outstanding British singers of his generation.[1]

[edit] Career

Joseph Hislop studied at the Edinburgh Cathedral School and at the School of Arts. His early employment was in photo-press work. He was aware of his vocal ability, but only began to consider a career in voice after many visits to the opera in Stockholm during a stay there in 1907 for business purposes. He was taught by Dr Gillis Waldemar Bratt, and went in for a course of study at the Stockholm School of Opera. He made very rapid progress, and appeared in a performance of Faust at the Royal Swedish Opera in 1914.[2] He then went to Milan to further his training, and within a fairly short time he was singing leads in various Italian opera houses.

Hislop made his London debut at Covent Garden, as Rodolpho in La boheme, in 1920. He was a great success, and also scored hits in Rigoletto, La traviata and Tristan und Isolde. He continued singing at Covent Garden until 1928. In 1924 he appeared with Nellie Melba. In 1928 he sang (Gounod's) Faust opposite Fyodor Chaliapin as Mephistopheles. This was a particularly memorable performance,[3] and was immortalised in extensive highlights (13 sides) by one of the early 'live' recording endeavours of the Gramophone Company (HMV).[4] In the 1926 season he sang Handel's Messiah and was greatly admired in it.

Hislop made a very successful career in America, and first appeared (again in Faust) in Chicago in 1920. He toured in North and South America: he was warmly received in Buenos Aires. In addition to his Verdi and Puccini roles he was also a distinguished Roméo and Des Grieux in Manon. He made extended tours in Australia and South Africa. In Stockholm he received Royal honours, including the Literio et Artibus (1922) and the Order of Vasa in 1929. In Denmark he received the Order of Dannebrog in 1926. He was appointed Director of the Stockholm School of Opera in 1936, and also became Professor of Singing at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, Stockholm, remaining there until 1948.[5] He also taught in London. His students included Birgit Nilsson and Jussi Björling. Late in his long life he acted as adviser on singing at Sadlers Wells.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ G. Davidson, Opera Biographies (Werner Laurie, London 1955), 132-134.
  2. ^ 1914, Swedish Wikipedia, and Davidson 1955. Rosenthal and Warrack (1974) have Stockholm debut as 1916.
  3. ^ Davidson 1955, 133.
  4. ^ J. Steane and K. Hardwick, 1979, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Historic Recordings of Actual Performances Album insert, (EMI Records, London 1979), pp 7, 10.
  5. ^ Davidson 1955, 134.
  6. ^ H. Rosenthal and J. Warrack (Eds.), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera (OUP, London 1974 printing).
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