Berthe Erza

Liebestod Rec.:

28.Oct.1926 Dir. (Inghelbrecht?) (Orchestral Accompaniment) 78rpm: Disque "Gramophone" P.693

Erza, Bertha * ?Tunis (Algerian) † ? - Wanted!!

Critics:

New York Herald
MISS BERTHE ERZA, denominated a French dramatic soprano, but in reality an Algerian and born in Tunis, gave a song recital last evening in Aeolian Hall. It was not her first appearance in this city, however, as she sang at a Stadium concert under Henry Hadley's direction last summer. She undertook some very exacting tasks last evening in opening her programme with Bach's "Mein glaubiches Herze," a short air of Gluck, and also his "Divinites du Styx." Afterward she sang songs by a variety of composers, including Saint-Saens, Rhene-Baton, Debussy and Rachmaninoff. Miss Erza is the possessor of a voice of excellent natural quality. It has warmth, tenderness and power, as well as a range sufficient for recital purposes. With such a voice Miss Erza may hope to accomplish much. She was happiest last evening in the shorter numbers on her list. Two "Chants d'Orient," by Davico she sang with understanding and beauty of tone. Her audience was remarkably large and liberal in applause.

New York Evening Mail
BERTHE ERZA is a singer who has overcome a tremendous physical handicap to prove to the world that she possesses a God-given voice. She is a dramatic soprano who belongs among the elect, a company that today includes in addition only Raisa, and perhaps Destinn and Ponselle. Even in lighter songs the dramatic quality of Erza's voice is apparent. At Aeolian Hall last night she had the audience breathless, no matter what she sang. Even the hypercritical had to admit after the recital that they had heard a voice that is almost unique in concert circles. When Erza sings, one forgets everything but her singing. And that is as it should be.

New York Evening Post
MLLE. BERTHE ERZA, the French dramatic soprano, gave a most pleasing programme of dramatic airs before an unusually appreciative audience at a recital in Aeolian Hall last night. She has a beautiful natural voice, with a broad range and sufficient power and tenderness to enable her to offer a variety of selections for concert work. Although Mile. Erza sang her first rather difficult numbers, including the "Divinites du Styx," commendably she was far more at ease with the shorter selections which followed, including those of Cecil Burleigh, Rachmaninoff, Van Cleff, and Le Baron, which gave her more opportunity for a simplicity in interpretation.

New York Tribune
An audience largely of the kind ordinarily to be found at the concerts of debutantes in New York, heard Mlle. Berthe Erza, at a recital in Aeolian Hall last night. Miss Erza was born in Algiers, and though it may be literally true, as her manager reports, that she "passed the early years of her life on the edge of the desert," she obviously did not acquire her musical training in the Garden of Allah, but under good masters. To excellent teaching she brought a serviceable voice of fine quality and volume and nice instinct, at least for the song style. For the dramatic manner, which she essayed in airs from Gluck's "Iphigenie en Aulide" and "Al-ceste," as well as the florid air "Mein glaubiches Herze," from one of Bach's church cantatas, the singer seemed a trifle scant of breath and careless of her phrasing, because of a desire to show the power of her dramatic soprano in the broad and sweeping lines of "Divinites du Styx." French, Russian and English songs filled the later portion of her program, in which she made a decidedly favorable impression.