Anna Case
Anna Case (October 29, 1887 - January 7, 1984) was an American operatic lyric soprano. She recorded with Thomas Alva Edison, who used her voice extensively in "tone tests" of whether a live audience could tell the difference between the actual singer and a recording. In addition to recordings for Edison Records on both phonograph cylinder and Diamond Disc, Case recorded for Victor and Columbia Records, and made sound film for Vitaphone. She was born in Clinton, New Jersey, on October 29, 1887. and educated by vocal trainer Augusta Öhrström-Renard in New York. She made her debut in 1909 at the New Theatre in New York as the Dutch Boy in Werther, and from 1909–1916 was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Company. In first American performances, she created the roles of Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier (1913) and Feodor in Boris Godunov (1913). She sang Olympia in Tales of Hoffmann, Mimi in La Boheme, and Micaela in Carmen. She wrote music and lyrics to several songs during the 1910s and '20s. She made her film debut in the 1919 silent drama film The Hidden Truth, and sang one of her original songs in the 1926 Vitaphone short La Fiesta. She also appeared in documentaries about sound recording. In 1930 she recorded "Just Awearyin' for You" by Frank Lebby Stanton and Carrie Jacobs-Bond. On July 18, 1931, she married ITT Corporation executive Clarence H. Mackay at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Roslyn, New York, and retired from the stage shortly afterwards. She began write songs more prolifically in 1936, penning over 50 in two years, and sang occasionally at social events. Her husband died in November, 1938, and Case died in New York City on January 7, 1984. Upon her death she bequeathed her 167.97-carat (33.59 g) Colombian emerald ring and Cartier necklace containing more than 2,000 diamonds, 35 emeralds and an oval cabochon-cut Columbian emerald of 167.97 carat to the Smithsonian Institution. |
Birth and Death Data: Born January 1, 1888 (Clinton), Died January 7, 1984 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1913 - 1930
Roles Represented in DAHR: soprano vocal, composer, lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 120 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | C-13131 | 12-in. | 4/16/1913 | Du also bist mein Braütigam? | Johanna Gadski | Soprano vocal solo, with female vocal trio and orchestra | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W147150 | 10-in. | 11/2/1928 | My pretty Jane (The bloom is on the rye) | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W147428 | 10-in. | 11/2/1928 | My laddie | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W148185 | 10-in. | 4/5/1929 | The little red lark | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W148186 | 10-in. | 4/5/1929 | Doreen | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W148501 | 10-in. | 5/10/1929 | Alleluia | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W148535 | 10-in. | 5/16/1929 | Care selve | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W148704 | 10-in. | 6/18/1929 | In quelle trine morbide | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W148705 | 10-in. | 6/18/1929 | Amor commanda | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W148706 | 10-in. | 6/18/1929 | Care selve | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W150128 | 10-in. | 3/26/1930 | Care selve | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W150129 | 10-in. | 3/26/1930 | Amor commanda | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W150130 | 10-in. | 3/26/1930 | In quelle trine morbide | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W150564 | 10-in. | 6/3/1930 | A perfect day | Anna Case ; Carroll Hollister | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W150565 | 10-in. | 6/3/1930 | Just a-wearyin' for you | Anna Case ; Carroll Hollister | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W150566 | 10-in. | 6/3/1930 | Bendemeer's stream | Anna Case ; Carroll Hollister | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W150567 | 10-in. | 6/3/1930 | Would God I were the tender apple blossom | Anna Case ; Carroll Hollister | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W150591 | 10-in. | 6/13/1930 | A song of India | Anna Case ; Carroll Hollister | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W150592 | 10-in. | 6/13/1930 | The night wind | Anna Case ; Carroll Hollister | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W150597 | 10-in. | 6/19/1930 | My mother bids me bind my hair | Anna Case ; Carroll Hollister | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W150598 | 10-in. | 6/19/1930 | The lass with the delicate air | Anna Case ; Carroll Hollister | Soprano vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W98599 | 12-in. | 11/8/1928 | Ave Maria | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W98605 | 12-in. | 11/8/1928 | Angel's serenade | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W98606 | 12-in. | 11/16/1928 | O sleep, why dost thou leave me? | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
Columbia | W98607 | 12-in. | 11/16/1928 | Connais-tu le pays | Anna Case | Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, soprano vocal |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Case, Anna," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/108838.
Case, Anna. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/108838.
"Case, Anna." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Anna Case
Discogs: Anna Case
Allmusic: Anna Case
Grove: Anna Case
IMDb: Anna Case
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Case, Anna, 1888-1984 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no89011212
Wikidata: Anna Case - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4766901
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/54356167
MusicBrainz: Anna Case - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e64728ab-504c-4e07-a8b6-81e32236ba65
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