]> PUBLIC "-//Stanford University::Libraries::Archive of Recorded Sound//TEXT (US::CSt::ARS-1994-01::Mario and Ruth Chamlee collection)//EN" "Chamlee.xml" Guide to the Mario and Ruth Chamlee Collection Processed by Andrea Castillo. &hdr-cst-ars; © 2004

Machine-readable finding aid created by Andrea Castillo & Michael Olson. Machine-readable finding aid derived from FileMaker Pro database. Date of source: 2005 March. English Guide to the Mario and Ruth Chamlee Collection Collection number: ARS-0002 Archive of Recorded Sound Stanford University Libraries Stanford, California &tp-cst-ars; Processed by: Andrea Castillo Date Completed: 2004 Dec Encoded by: Andrea Castillo & Michael Olson

Descriptive Summary Mario and Ruth Chamlee Collection, 1900-1994 ARS-0002 Chamlee, Mario, 1892-1966 Miller, Ruth, 1892-1983 10 linear ft. Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound. The collection consists of correspondence dealing with the Metropolitan Opera Regional Auditions; personal papers, mainly promotional documents, and biographical and/or pedagogical writings; newspaper and magazine clippings; annotated scores, programs, photos, scrapbooks and recordings. Administrative Information Access

Collection is open for research. Listening appointments may require 24 hours notice. Contact the archive Operations Manager.

Publication Rights

Property rights reside with the repository. Publication and reproduction rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Head Librarian of the Archive of Recorded Sound.

The Chamlee collection was donated to the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound in March of 1994 by Rachel Chamlee, daughter of Mario and Ruth Chamlee. Preferred Citation

Mario and Ruth Chamlee Collection, ARS-0002. Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound, Stanford, Calif.

Biography / Administrative History

Mario Chamlee (1892-1966), tenor, was born in Los Angeles, May 29, 1892. His original name was Archer Cholmondeley. He first studied voice with Achille Alberti in Los Angeles, and later with Sibella and Dellera in New York. He made his debut in his native city in 1916 as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor. A year later, Mr. Chamlee went on tour with the Aborn Opera Company where he sang with soprano Ruth Miller, who in 1919 became his wife. Engagements followed with various opera companies in the U.S., the Scotti, Metropolitan, Ravinia summer opera in Chicago, San Francisco, and in Europe. Perhaps his most acclaimed appearance was in Henri Rabaud's Mârouf at the Paris Opera. Mario Chamlee retired from the opera stage at the age of 47. He subsequently devoted himself to singing popular songs, taking part in talk shows such as Tony and Gus, and teaching voice together with his wife. He recorded exclusively for Brunswick Records.

Ruth Miller (1892-1983), soprano, was born in Portland Oregon on July 1, 1892. She studied in Paris with Lloyd d'Aubigné, Emile Bourgeois and Giovanni Sbriglia. She sang as lyrical and coloratura soprano under the name of Francesca Milena in various French and Spanish theaters starting in 1912. Her American debut was in 1917 with the Aborn Opera Company where she sang with baritone Richard Bonelli and tenor Mario Chamlee. She sang only one season with the Metropolitan Opera (1917), appearing as Musetta in La Bohème. After marrying Mario Chamlee in 1919, she gave up her operatic career and dedicated herself to teaching. Among her most successful students is the baritone Theodor Uppman. Examples of her singing appeared between 1940-54 under the IRCC label.

Scope and Content of Collection

Mario Chamlee and Ruth Miller Chamlee Correspondence 1957-1964 Practically the entire correspondence deals with the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, in particular with the 1957/58 and 1958/59 auditions in which the Chamlees acted as Area Directors for California. Included with the letters are various documents related to the auditions, such as press releases, application forms, lists of expenses, lists of candidates, and radio stations that were helping to promote the California chapter auditions. Some of the correspondents include Howard H. Hook, John Gutman, Rudolf Bing, Ruth Cowan, Richard Crook, Mrs. Victor Montgomery, J. Harold Peterson, Alfred Booth, Richard Bonelli and Eugene Fulton. Mario's and Ruth's personal papers consist mainly of promotional documents, and writings dealing with their professional life, i.e. of biographical and/or pedagogical nature.

The twelve clippings include articles on the Ravinia summer season of 1937; the Scotti opera's tour in 1921; the Detroit Opera production of Manon of 1934 in which Mario sang the role of des Grieux ; and on a quite different plane, an article entitled "Battle of the Sexes" of 1937 in which Mario gives his definitions of the "model mate". A much larger number of clippings may be found in the Chamlee scrapbooks (Series 7).

The score collection contains 14 items belonging to Mario and 8 belonging to Ruth. While Ruth's scores consist mainly of art songs from the standard repertoire, Mario's contains mainly popular songs which Mario sang in radio broadcasts. Among his scores is a bound volume of Verdi's Requiem, in which Ruth noted that all interpretation markings had been specified by Toscanini for a performance on January 15, 1931.

The program collection is made up of 7 items ranging from 1925 to 1976. Some are of performances of their students, such as that of Richard Kendall Buchwitz.

The photograph collection consists of approximately 350 photos. The majority are professional photographs of Mario Chamlee in various opera roles. Photos of individuals, other than the Chamlees, are mostly unidentified.

The collection of 12 scrapbooks offers a extensive research tool that spans approximately the first 7 decades of the 20th century. Items in the scrapbooks don't necessarily follow a linear chronology and consist almost exclusively of newspaper clippings.

The collection of recordings includes 285 transcription discs, 3 test pressings, 49 commercial discs, 19 reel to reel tapes and 1 cassette. The vast majority of the discs (i.e.234 discs) are transcription discs of the Tony and Gus radio talk-show. The 50 commercial discs recorded for the Brunswick label contain Mario Chamlee's operatic singing as well as some popular songs. Among the tapes are recordings of popular songs, and various interviews with the Chamlees.

Four items which, with the exception of the Brunswick record sleeve, it is unclear how or if they relate to the Chamlees.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects Chamlee, Mario, 1892-1966. Miller, Ruth, 1892-1983 Operas--Excerpts. Songs (High voice). Live sound recordings. Container List Correspondence Metropolitan Opera Regional Auditions 111958/59 Various, mainly Christmas cards 1 Personal papers Mario Chamlee's papers 11Promotional pamphlets Mario and and Ruth Chamlee's Collaborative Material 11Promotional leaf Newspaper and Magazine Clippings 2

The Chamlees gathered the vast majority of their clippings in scrapbooks; therefore, their collection of loose newspaper and magazine clippings is rather small. Among the twelve clippings are articles on the Ravinia summer season of 1937; the Scotti opera's tour in 1921; the Detroit opera production of Manon of 1934 in which Mario sang the role of des Grieux ; and on a quite different plane, an article entitled "Battle of the Sexes" of 1937 in which Mario gives his definitions of the "model mate."

Scores Ruth Chamlee's annotated scores 2Annotated scores collected by Ruth Miller Chamlee

Canteloube, Joseph, 1879-1957. Chants d'Auvergne -- Chausson, Ernest, 1855-1899. Chanson perpèetuelle -- Hart, Fritz Bennicke, 1874-1949. Grass -- Marx, Joseph, 1882-1964. Lieder und Gesänge. Valse de Chopin -- Poulenc Francis, 1899-1963. Airs chantès ; Rachmaninoff, Sergei, 1873-1943. Romansy, op. 4. V molchan'i nochi taĭnoĭ. English ; Romansy, op. 14. Ne ver' mne, drug -- Ravel, Maurice, 1875-1937. Shèhèrazade (Song cycle) -- Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay, 1844-1908. Snegurochka. Pesen' Lelia. English -- Schaffer, Laura. Songs -- Strauss, Richard, 1864-1949. Lieder, op. 41. Wiegenlied -- Debussy, Claude, 1862-1918. Ariettes oublièes. Chevaux de bois -- Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883. Wesendonck-Lieder -- Photocopies of unidentified cavatina.

Mario Chamlee's annotated scores 3Annotated scores collected by Mario Chamlee

Auber, D. F. E. (Daniel François Esprit), 1782-1871. Fra Diavolo -- Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901. Messa da Requiem (with an inscription by Ruth M. Chamlee: "The phrasing in this book is all that of Toscanini in preparation for this performance of January 15, 1931.") -- Buzzi-Peccia, Arturo, 1854-1943. Italian songs -- De Crescenzo, Vincenzo, 1875-1964. Blanquita -- Falvo, R. Bolero d'amore -- Gambardella, S. (Salvatore). Canzoni napolitane. O surdato napolitano! -- Tagliaferri, Ernesto, 1889-1937. Tarantella internazionale -- Tanara, Fernando. Venetian dialect songs

Programs 2

The program collection is made up of 7 items ranging from 1925 to 1976. Some are of performances of their students, such as that of Richard Kendall Buchwitz.

Photos Mario Chamlee Photographs 41In unidentified opera roles Ruth Chamlee Photographs 5 Chamlee family Photographs 51With dedications Photographs of colleagues, students, friends, family members and various 51With dedications Scrapbooks 61Scrapbook11.5" x 9.5" Blue covers with metal spiral. Title: Photo Album. First entry: French Visa entry document. "Laissez-Passer" Dated January 3, 1911.

First item: 1911

Recordings Reel to Reel 111Mario Chamlee singing songs and arias1 sound tape reel : analog, 3 3/4 ips, half-track, mono. ; 7 in.

Side 1. Sometimes between long shadows (absent) -- When you came to the end of a perfect day -- Massenet, Jules, 1842-1912. Elègie -- Who knows -- Mascagni, Pietro, 1863-1945. Cavalleria rusticana. O Lola! -- Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901. Rigoletto. Questa o quella per me pari sono -- Flotow, Friedrich von, 1812-1883. Martha -- Your eyes have told me -- Puccini, Giacomo, 1858-1924. Tosca. Recondita armonia ; E lucevan le stelle -- Thank God for a garden -- Dreams of long ago -- Oh holy night -- Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901. Rigoletto. Donna è mobile -- Marcheta -- Memory Lane -- Geehl, Henry Ernest, 1881-1961. For you alone -- Dreams of long ago -- I dream of the day I met you -- Tosti, F. Paolo (Francesco Paolo), 1846-1916. Parted -- Buzzi-Peccia, Arturo, 1854-1943. Lolita -- Tosti, F. Paolo (Francesco Paolo), 1846-1916. Mattinata -- Come where the moon -- Old refrain -- Berceuse -- Paquita -- Indian lullaby ; Mi niña -- Where are you -- Mother, oh my mother -- I look into your garden. Side 2. Give me a rose to remember -- Only a rose -- Here in my arms -- O lovely night -- There is a place in my heart ; Come onto him (duet with John Thomas) -- Sullivan, Arthur, Sir, 1842-1900. Lost chord -- Forgotten -- Last night I was dreaming -- Even as the flower -- Dearest, do not chide me -- On yonder [?] -- Then you'll remember -- I dream of the day I met you -- Tosti, F. Paolo (Francesco Paolo), 1846-1916. Parted -- Di Capua, Eduardo, 1864-1917. O sole mio -- Santa Lucia -- Meyerbeer, Giacomo, 1791-1864. Africaine. O paradis sorti de l'onde. Italian -- Massenet, Jules, 1842-1912. Manon. En fermant les yeux je vois -- Your voice [?] -- Call me no more -- Dreams dimly lying -- Out of the dusk -- Moon dream shore -- Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901. Trovatore. Sì, la stanchezza ; Mal reggendo all'aspro assalto -- Puccini, Giacomo, 1858-1924. Tosca. E lucevan le stelle -- Dreams of long ago.

Cassettes 121KUSC Opera Box with Jim Sveda1 sound tape cassette ; stereo, 90 minutes

Radio program on Mario Chamlee. Includes The Dream from Massenet's Manon and three popular songs recorded in the early 1920s: Paquita ; For you alone ; Santa Lucia.

Discs Radio Programs W.A.B.C. Atwater Kent3 sound discs., mono, 12 in.

Aluminium transcription discs. An x on the sleeve means disc was copied to tape by W.R.D.

Mario Chamlee's Opera Recordings Smetana, Bedrich, 1824-1884. Prodaná nevesta. (Golden age of opera) 5 sound discs, 33 1/3 rpm, mono. , 12 in.

Performers: Pelletier, Wilfrid, 1896-1982, conductor ; Burke, Hilda (Marie) ; Chamlee, Mario, 1892-1966 (Hans) ; Engelman, Wilfred (Kruschina) ; Browning, Lucielle (Kathinka) ; Gurney, John, 1902-1997 (Micha) ; Rasely, George (Wenzel) ; D'Angelo, Louis, 1888-1958 (Kezal) ; Cordon, Norman (Springer) ; Bodanya, Natalie (Esmeralda) ; Burgstaller, Ludwig (Muff).

Mario Chamlee's Various Recordings Wandering Minstrel1 sound disc : 78 rpm, acetate ; 12 in.

Union Oil. 11/9/39. Movie-Editor of Hollywood.

Ruth Chamlee's Various Recordings Various songs1 sound disc : 33 1/3 rpm, acetate ; 12 in.

Recording: Hollywood : Audio Arts

Side 1: Molloy, James L., 1837-1909. Love's old sweet song -- Schubert, Franz, 1797-1828. Vollendung. English -- Great peace -- Recompense -- Side 2: Vieille chanson espagnole ; Debussy, Claude, 1862-1918. Chansons de Bilitis (Songs). Chevelure ; Fauré, Gabriel, 1845-1924. Clair de lune ; Hageman, Richard, 1882-1966. Miranda ; Oh, to be in England.

Miscellaneous 2Art work 2Children's book "Keep on singing" 2Mario Chamlee's Brunswick disc sleeve 2Cleopatra booklet