Tosca Metropolitan 1947

The half hour of extracts from Tosca posted here provide a very rare opportunity to hear the Greek soprano Elen Dosia (1915-2002). Dosia made a name for herself singing French opera in Europe, particularly Massenet, but her career at the Met cannot be described as a success. She sang two performances of Tosca (including this one), one performance of Manon (also in 1947), and two performances of Pelleas et Melisande in 1949. She retired in 1952, while still in her 30s, and her recorded legacy is small. She made a few commercial recordings in the 1930s and early 1940s, and there is a radio recording of Thais from Paris in 1944. These extracts from Tosca appear to be the only example of her live on stage and give us the two duets with Cavaradossi in Acts 1 and 3, but no Vissi D'arte in act 2.

Dosia as Tosca

Metropolitan Opera House
November 15, 1947 Matinee Broadcast


TOSCA
Puccini-Illica/Giacosa

Tosca...................Elen Dosia [Debut]
Cavaradossi.............Jan Peerce
Scarpia.................Frank Valentino
Sacristan...............Melchiorre Luise
Spoletta................Alessio De Paolis
Angelotti...............Lorenzo Alvary
Sciarrone...............George Cehanovsky
Shepherd................Irene Jordan
Jailer..................Lawrence Davidson [Debut]
https://rapidshare.com/files/2499553782/1947Tosca.mp3