20:
108:
baritone MacDonald, while Mrs. MacDonald accompanied on the piano and an elocutionist provided complementary interludes. The company criss-crossed the
Prairie Provinces appearing in halls, churches and theatres in communities from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to places like Lethbridge, Red Deer, Crossfield, Claresholm and Frank, in Alberta.
107:
In the latter part of the decade she began to travel extensively as a performer. During the fall and winter of 1909-10 and 1910–11, Crawford joined the H. Ruthven MacDonald
Concert Party for five-month tours of the cities and small towns of western Canada. Crawford sang solos and performed duets with
71:
In the early part of the decade, Crawford performed as a solo soprano in local church concerts, benefits and entertainments in
Toronto. In 1904, aged 18, she sang at a benefit for the Willard Home for Girls at the Guild Hall and by 1905 she was the lead soprano at the Erskine Presbyterian Church. In
378:
In July 1923, Crawford was back in Warsaw for the summer, "hypnotizing" audiences with "subtility (sic) beyond expression combined with enormous dynamic". In
October 1923, she returned to North America and in November sang in Fort Gary, Manitoba before going to New York for her debut in a recital at
205:, Finland and she did not return to Petrograd until after the Bolsheviks took power in the fall of 1917. During 1917 she joined a cross-country tour which took her as far east as Vladivostok before returning to Finland. During her time in Russia she sang with such major Russian opera stars as a bass
34:
in the early 20th century in eastern Europe, performing prima donna roles with opera companies in Russia and Poland between 1914 and 1934. At her death in 1937, music critics considered her the most distinguished soprano produced in that century in Canada. She is remembered as having "a high lyric
341:
and reviewers commended her "pure light soprano voice, with an exceptionally good middle register...her florid work was finely finished..." and her "almost perfect intonations...and wonderful breath control and versatility of technique." On
January 29, 1922 she sang with the
399:, and she sang with the Philharmonic in December. In 1926, as Poland entered the age of radio, Crawford became one of the early stars of Polska Radio, singing in concerts often in the prime time 20:30 slot through into the 1930s. Her radio concerts were often directed by
103:
of
Toronto, one of the most prominent Protestant churches in the country. She also performed in other churches, for instance in October 1909 she was one of the 'professional talent' who performed at a concert at the Victoria Presbyterian Church in Toronto,.
173:
singing in both
Italian and Russian and audiences found her voice "rich, melodious and ringing" and her acting "bright and spontaneous". She returned to Warsaw briefly in the summer of 1915 where she sang in La Traviata at the summer theatre in the
320:
In 1921, 1922 and 1923, Crawford spent the fall and winter in Canada and returned each summer to Poland. She came home as a star with an international reputation and performed her first recital in Canada in ten years to a sold-out audience at
59:
in 1886, the second daughter of John
Crawford, a tailor of Scottish Presbyterian descent, and Maud Robertson. She grew up singing in trios and quartets with her parents and older sister. The Crawford family moved to
225:
After the end of the First World War, in late 1918 Crawford returned to Warsaw. She appeared with the Warsaw
Philharmonic in a concert in honor of the victorious allies at the end of January 1919 under the baton of
154:. However, her first spell in Poland was interrupted by the First World War and Crawford left Warsaw for Russia ahead of the German advance on the Eastern Front in late 1914. In February 1915 she debuted at the
358:, and "astonished her hearers by the perfection of a long sustained trill proceeding from pianissimo to forte, and the dying away almost to the vanishing point, and then renewed with fresh brilliancy."
406:
Crawford was an animal lover all her life and always traveled with her dogs. In 1927 she helped to found the Polish League of
Friends of Animals. In the early 1930s she spent two summers at the
193:. In the summer of 1916, she toured with a five-member concert party in the Caucuses, and also performed in Petrograd and traveled south to Odessa where she sang in a concert honoring
178:, before escaping back to Russia again before the Germans took Warsaw in August 1915. In the fall of 1915, she made guest appearances with the S.I. Zimin Opera Company in Moscow.
99:
From 1908 when she was only 21, Crawford achieved the pinnacle of church singing in Canada, signing annual contracts for three years as a soprano soloist with the
530:
116:
Crawford left Canada in 1911 to pursue studies in London. There she studied under a Czech tenor, Otto Morando, who later became the senior voice teacher at the
365:
solo and with the backing of the Toronto Festival Choir. In January 1923, she accepted a last-minute invitation to Washington to play Gilda in a production of
471:
1127:
265:
in 1921 and 1922, and she sang regularly with the Opera Pomorska in 1926 and 1927, which performed in the municipal theatres of the three cities of
288:
During her career on the opera stage in Europe Crawford specialized in the classic coloratura roles, particularly roles by Verdi, such as Gilda in
165:(St. Petersburg) in a performance of Rigoletto opposite baritone Jacob Lukin. She sang in Petrograd through to April 1914, performing in Rossini's
84:
in 1905 and at a meeting of the Canadian Temperance League in 1906. In 1907 she was the "chief triumph" in a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's
1032:
McPherson, Jim. (2004). "Mr. Meek Goes to Washington: The Story of the Small-Potatoes Canadian Baritone Who Founded America's 'National' Opera"
96:
in Norfolk, Virginia, and she toured briefly with a concert party on the lyceum circuit in the southern United States in the spring of 1907.
186:
967:
Parkhurst, E.R. (1921, November 10). Music and the Drama: NY Symphony Orchestra and Bertha Crawford Score Most Brilliant Triumphs.
181:
During the First World War she represented the Allies in a number of charity concerts including one organized by the Grand Duchess
1122:
411:
372:
182:
1112:
361:
After the summer in Warsaw, in October 1922 she took to the stage of Massey Hall in Toronto again to perform arias from
475:
322:
326:
250:
65:
198:
343:
1117:
231:
120:
in Toronto. She also studied with Olga de Nevosky, and was a featured concert soloist in performances at the
30:(June 20, 1886 - May 26, 1937) was a Canadian opera singer. She built an international reputation as a lyric
88:
put on by the E.W. Schuch Opera Singers, and in November 1907 she entertained at the annual concert of the
526:
81:
73:
64:
just after the turn of the century where Bertha became a student of Edward W. Schuch, Choirmaster at the
383:, singing pieces from Italian, French and Russian operas, as well as modern French and English pieces.
245:
She also performed widely in the provinces of what was then Poland. She made occasional appearances in
128:. With the support of Signor Morando, she went on to Milan to study with Italian soprano Emilia Corsi.
100:
117:
429:
in 1935. Crawford died suddenly of pneumonia, on May 26, 1937 in Toronto General Hospital, aged 50.
425:
via New York. Her final public performance was at a Promenade Concert at the University of Toronto
262:
380:
346:
at His Majesty's Theatre in Montreal, and in an April recital at Massey Hall she sang numbers by
85:
308:. She sang opposite prominent Polish tenors and baritones, including international Polish star
230:. In addition to performing opera in Warsaw, during the 1920s Crawford sang regularly with the
214:
151:
89:
392:
143:
36:
1107:
1102:
400:
135:, in Salo, Italy under the stage name of Berta de Giovanni. She also performed as Gilda in
93:
333:
with the Toronto impresario, I.E. Suckling. On November 9, 1921, she sang selections from
239:
35:
soprano of great beauty and agility" and was best known for her performances as Rosina in
8:
753:
147:
235:
31:
201:. By March 1917 when the Russian revolution broke out, Crawford had come back west to
297:
194:
166:
155:
125:
355:
206:
56:
121:
567:
Mr. E.W. Schuch - Voice Culture and Expression in Singing. (1905, September 5).
407:
329:
in Kingston, in October 1921. In Toronto she agreed to a series of concerts at
227:
210:
1006:
Parkhurst, E.R. (1922, April 7). Music and the Drama: Crawford-Salvi Concert.
1096:
426:
347:
190:
1019:
Parkhurst, E.R. (1922, October 18). Music and the Drama: A Notable Concert.
375:. This was probably her only performance in a full opera in North America.
175:
170:
246:
139:
in Venice the same year, and toured provincial opera houses across Italy.
417:
In May 1934 Crawford came home to Canada for the last time, sailing from
330:
293:
77:
40:
309:
1083:
Warsaw Grand Opera Singer Visits Parents in Toronto. (1934, July 26).
367:
334:
289:
278:
274:
270:
162:
136:
132:
44:
254:
954:
Bertha Crawford Charms Audience in Grant Hall. (1921, October 28).
351:
202:
1057:
Miss Bertha Crawford Gives Brilliant Recital. (1923, November 6).
292:('Caro Nome' was one of her favorite recital pieces); Violetta in
19:
422:
362:
338:
282:
261:
Music Society in 1924. She was a frequent guest performer at the
61:
418:
312:
when he came to Warsaw in June 1924 and in Lodz in April 1928.
301:
258:
980:
Miss Crawford Scores Vocal Triumph Here. (1921, November 10).
511:
Canadian Girl Sings Opera in Petrograd. (1915, September 22).
92:
at Massey Hall. During the summer of 1907 she appeared at the
886:
Halpern, F. (1919, March 15). Korespondencje. Łódź, w lutym.
396:
305:
266:
234:
and the Warsaw Symphonic Orchestra under conductors such as
391:
By June 1924 Crawford had returned to Warsaw to perform in
808:
Parkhurst, E.R. (1916, August). Toronto Singer In Russia.
795:
Parkhurst, E.R. (1915, July). Bertha Crawford's Success.
769:
Berta M. Crawford, Once an Opera Singer. (1937, May 28).
131:
In May 1913, aged 27, Crawford made her Italian debut in
782:
Toronto Prima Donna Makes Italian Debut. (1913, May 4).
736:
Bertha Crawford and Les Grenadiers. (1922 Janvier 21).
1070:
Bertha Crawford, Soprano, Heard. (1923, November 28).
645:
Parkhurst, E.R. (1909, October 22). Music and Drama.
1044:Opera Star's Gift to Frau Wagner. (1923, July 29).
901:
Za kurtyną lat: polskie teatry operowe i operetkowe
723:Happenings in and Around Frank. (1911, April 27).
220:
55:Crawford was born in the small rural community of
1094:
710:Ruthven MacDonald Coming. (1911, January 19).
755:Toronto, ON: Canadian Academy of Music, 1914.
750:The Canadian Academy of Music Limited Toronto
315:
253:in October 1920. She also appeared with the
142:In December 1913, Crawford debuted with the
593:Sunday at Massey Hall. (1906, November 3).
447:Canadian Prima Donna Dead. (1937, May 29).
111:
927:Gross Sangerlexikon, Band 1: Aarden-Devais
765:
763:
761:
386:
1128:20th-century Canadian women opera singers
937:
935:
619:Music and the Drama. (1907, November 6).
580:Music and the drama. (1905, January 21).
554:For the Willard Home. (1904, August 24).
249:in March 1919, 1926, and 1928 and at the
146:. She sang as a guest performer opposite
443:
441:
18:
758:
684:Local and General. (1911, January 18).
469:McPherson, James B. "Crawford, Bertha".
465:
463:
461:
459:
457:
50:
1095:
932:
697:Local and General. (1911, January 6).
414:, a Polish aristocrat and politician.
72:1906 she was appointed to sing at the
925:Kutsch, K.J. and L. Riemens. (1997).
658:Music and Drama. (1910, November 1).
632:At the Theatres. (1909, November 6).
507:
505:
438:
185:, and she received an award from the
1034:The Opera Quarterly, 20(2): 197-267.
454:
90:Loyal Orange County Lodge of Toronto
993:Les Grenadiers. (1922, février 4).
543:The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
488:The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
13:
502:
371:put on by the rather disorganized
74:Sherbourne Street Methodist Church
14:
1139:
524:Lock, William. "Schuch, Edward"
671:Theatrical. (1911, January 28).
66:Church of the Redeemer (Toronto)
1077:
1064:
1051:
1038:
1026:
1013:
1000:
987:
974:
961:
948:
919:
912:Szliegowski, T. (1927, March).
906:
899:Komorowska, Małgorzata. (2008)
893:
880:
867:
854:
841:
828:
815:
802:
789:
776:
743:
730:
717:
704:
691:
678:
665:
652:
639:
626:
613:
600:
533:from the original on 2007-08-28
221:Success on Stages Across Poland
929:. Bern und Munchen: K.G. Saur.
587:
574:
561:
548:
518:
493:
344:Canadian Grenadier Guards Band
1:
499:Ontario Census, 1901 and 1911
432:
232:Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
197:the Premier of Serbia at the
101:Metropolitan Methodist Church
1123:Musicians from Simcoe County
451:, Regina, Saskatchewan, p.2.
7:
606:An Operatic Month. (1907).
410:, which belonged to Prince
285:in early 1927 and in 1930.
76:. She sang on the stage of
10:
1144:
1113:Canadian operatic sopranos
316:A Trans-Atlantic interlude
296:; and Rosina in Rossini's
875:Gazeta Warszawska poranna
513:Christian Science Monitor
373:Washington National Opera
118:Canadian Academy of Music
23:Bertha May Crawford 1909.
784:The Toronto Sunday World
112:European career launched
80:at a fundraiser for the
673:Lethbridge Daily Herald
387:European career resumed
281:. She held recitals in
86:The Pirates of Penzance
1085:The Toronto Daily Star
982:The Toronto Daily Star
257:Opera in 1920 and the
24:
393:the Barber of Seville
277:, in the province of
187:Grand Duchess Tatiana
150:, Romano Charini and
144:Polish National Opera
37:The Barber of Seville
22:
16:Canadian opera singer
1118:Singers from Ontario
725:Blairmore Enterprise
699:Crossfield Chronicle
94:Jamestown Exposition
51:Early days in Canada
1059:Manitoba Free Press
660:Manitoba Free Press
148:Riccardo Stracciari
28:Bertha May Crawford
1046:The New York Times
1021:The Globe, Toronto
1008:The Globe, Toronto
969:The Globe, Toronto
956:The Globe, Toronto
890:No. 6(146), p. 10.
771:The New York Times
647:The Globe, Toronto
621:The Globe, Toronto
595:The Globe, Toronto
582:The Globe, Toronto
569:Toronto Daily Star
556:The Globe, Toronto
472:"Crawford, Bertha"
327:Queen's University
300:and Marguerite in
251:Lviv Grand Theatre
236:Grzegorz Fitelberg
32:coloratura soprano
25:
995:Le Canada Musical
943:Kurier Warszawski
903:. Kraków: Impuls.
888:Przegląd Muzyczny
862:Gazeta Warszawska
849:Gazeta Warszawska
836:Kurier Warszawski
823:Kurier Warszawski
738:Le Canada Musical
712:Claresholm Review
634:Brandon Daily Sun
298:Barber of Seville
240:Zdzisław Birnbaum
167:Barber of Seville
126:Royal Albert Hall
1135:
1088:
1081:
1075:
1068:
1062:
1055:
1049:
1042:
1036:
1030:
1024:
1017:
1011:
1004:
998:
991:
985:
978:
972:
965:
959:
952:
946:
939:
930:
923:
917:
910:
904:
897:
891:
884:
878:
871:
865:
858:
852:
845:
839:
832:
826:
819:
813:
806:
800:
793:
787:
780:
774:
767:
756:
747:
741:
734:
728:
721:
715:
708:
702:
695:
689:
682:
676:
669:
663:
656:
650:
643:
637:
630:
624:
617:
611:
604:
598:
591:
585:
578:
572:
565:
559:
552:
546:
541:
539:
538:
527:"Schuch, Edward"
522:
516:
509:
500:
497:
491:
486:
484:
483:
474:. Archived from
467:
452:
445:
421:, Poland on the
412:Janusz Radziwill
356:Rimsky-Korsakoff
207:Feodor Chaliapin
159:(People's House)
57:Elmvale, Ontario
1143:
1142:
1138:
1137:
1136:
1134:
1133:
1132:
1093:
1092:
1091:
1082:
1078:
1069:
1065:
1056:
1052:
1043:
1039:
1031:
1027:
1018:
1014:
1005:
1001:
992:
988:
979:
975:
966:
962:
953:
949:
945:No. 169, p.6-7.
940:
933:
924:
920:
911:
907:
898:
894:
885:
881:
877:, No. 272, p.4.
872:
868:
864:, No. 442, p.2.
859:
855:
846:
842:
833:
829:
820:
816:
807:
803:
794:
790:
781:
777:
768:
759:
748:
744:
735:
731:
722:
718:
709:
705:
696:
692:
683:
679:
670:
666:
657:
653:
644:
640:
631:
627:
618:
614:
605:
601:
592:
588:
579:
575:
566:
562:
553:
549:
536:
534:
525:
523:
519:
510:
503:
498:
494:
481:
479:
470:
468:
455:
449:The Leader Post
446:
439:
435:
401:Józef Ozimiński
389:
318:
223:
114:
53:
43:, and Gilda in
17:
12:
11:
5:
1141:
1131:
1130:
1125:
1120:
1115:
1110:
1105:
1090:
1089:
1076:
1072:New York Times
1063:
1050:
1037:
1025:
1012:
999:
986:
973:
960:
947:
931:
918:
905:
892:
879:
866:
853:
851:, No 273, p.2.
840:
838:No. 282, P. 5.
827:
825:No. 26, p. 10.
814:
810:Musical Canada
801:
797:Musical Canada
788:
775:
757:
742:
729:
716:
703:
690:
677:
664:
651:
638:
625:
612:
608:Musical Canada
599:
586:
573:
560:
547:
517:
501:
492:
453:
436:
434:
431:
408:Nesvizh Castle
388:
385:
317:
314:
228:Emil Mlynarski
222:
219:
215:Dmitri Smirnov
211:Leonid Sobinov
183:Maria Pavlovna
152:Dmitri Smirnov
113:
110:
82:Grace Hospital
52:
49:
39:, Violetta in
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1140:
1129:
1126:
1124:
1121:
1119:
1116:
1114:
1111:
1109:
1106:
1104:
1101:
1100:
1098:
1086:
1080:
1073:
1067:
1060:
1054:
1047:
1041:
1035:
1029:
1022:
1016:
1009:
1003:
996:
990:
983:
977:
970:
964:
957:
951:
944:
938:
936:
928:
922:
915:
909:
902:
896:
889:
883:
876:
870:
863:
857:
850:
844:
837:
831:
824:
818:
811:
805:
798:
792:
785:
779:
772:
766:
764:
762:
754:
751:
746:
739:
733:
726:
720:
713:
707:
700:
694:
687:
686:Red Deer News
681:
674:
668:
661:
655:
648:
642:
635:
629:
622:
616:
610:, 2(1), p.33.
609:
603:
596:
590:
583:
577:
570:
564:
557:
551:
544:
532:
528:
521:
514:
508:
506:
496:
489:
478:on 2010-02-13
477:
473:
466:
464:
462:
460:
458:
450:
444:
442:
437:
430:
428:
427:Varsity Arena
424:
420:
415:
413:
409:
404:
402:
398:
394:
384:
382:
376:
374:
370:
369:
364:
359:
357:
353:
349:
348:Antonio Lotti
345:
340:
336:
332:
328:
324:
313:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
286:
284:
280:
276:
272:
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
248:
243:
241:
237:
233:
229:
218:
216:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
191:Winter Palace
188:
184:
179:
177:
172:
168:
164:
160:
158:
153:
149:
145:
140:
138:
134:
129:
127:
123:
119:
109:
105:
102:
97:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
75:
69:
67:
63:
58:
48:
46:
42:
38:
33:
29:
21:
1084:
1079:
1071:
1066:
1058:
1053:
1045:
1040:
1033:
1028:
1020:
1015:
1007:
1002:
994:
989:
981:
976:
968:
963:
955:
950:
942:
926:
921:
913:
908:
900:
895:
887:
882:
874:
869:
861:
856:
848:
843:
835:
830:
822:
817:
809:
804:
796:
791:
783:
778:
770:
749:
745:
737:
732:
724:
719:
711:
706:
698:
693:
685:
680:
672:
667:
659:
654:
646:
641:
633:
628:
620:
615:
607:
602:
594:
589:
581:
576:
568:
563:
555:
550:
542:
535:. Retrieved
520:
512:
495:
487:
480:. Retrieved
476:the original
448:
423:S.S. Pulaski
416:
405:
390:
381:Aeloian Hall
377:
366:
360:
319:
287:
263:Poznan Opera
244:
224:
213:, and tenor
199:Odessa Opera
195:Nikola Pašić
180:
176:Saxon Garden
171:La Traviatta
156:
141:
130:
122:Queen's Hall
115:
106:
98:
70:
54:
27:
26:
1108:1937 deaths
1103:1886 births
331:Massey Hall
294:La Traviata
157:Narodny Dom
78:Massey Hall
41:La traviata
1097:Categories
812:11(4), 59.
799:10(3), 64.
537:2011-02-19
482:2011-02-20
433:References
323:Grant Hall
310:Adam Didur
1010:, p. x15.
368:Rigoletto
335:Rigoletto
290:Rigoletto
279:Pomerania
275:Grudziadz
271:Bydgoszcz
169:, and in
163:Petrograd
137:Rigoletto
133:Pagliacci
45:Rigoletto
1087:, p. 28.
1023:, p.x15.
997:, p. 13.
984:, p. 13.
941:(1924).
873:(1927).
860:(1922).
847:(1920).
834:(1920).
821:(1919).
623:, p. 12.
597:, p. 13.
584:, p. 10.
531:Archived
352:Veracini
209:, tenor
203:Helsinki
124:and the
1061:, p. 3.
958:, p. 3.
786:, p. 5.
649:, p.14.
558:, p.12.
363:Rossini
339:Dinorah
283:Vilnius
189:at the
62:Toronto
971:, p.9.
914:Muzyka
740:, p.15
675:, p.8.
662:, p.9.
571:, p.19
419:Gdynia
354:, and
302:Gounod
259:Lublin
255:Kraków
636:, p.4
397:Faust
325:, at
306:Faust
267:Torun
515:p.4.
395:and
379:the
350:and
337:and
273:and
247:Łódź
238:and
304:'s
161:in
1099::
934:^
760:^
529:.
504:^
456:^
440:^
403:.
269:,
242:.
217:.
68:.
47:.
1074:.
1048:.
916:.
773:.
752:.
727:.
714:.
701:.
688:.
545:.
540:.
490:.
485:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
