Bidú Sayao

Four sets of recordings mysteriously arrived in my mail one day. It is a pleasure to share them with you. Sayao [whose name is misspelled here because HTML does not permit a tilde over the (second) 'a'] is an artist whose unique asset is charm. The voice is warm and lovely, free in colorature and in its great years free in range as well. But above all, she offers a sound suggesting unaffected grace and ... charm.

First Recordings

Gentile di Cuore Gomes: Il Guarany
C'era una volta Gomes: Il Guarany
Canto da saudade Costa
O luar de minha terra Costa
Cygnes Costa
Cançäo de felicidade Netto
Cantiga Netto
Casinha pequenina traditional, arranged Braga

American Debut - 19 May 1936

Debussy: La Démoiselle elue Toscanini conducts Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York and Schola Cantorum with Sayao and Rose Bampton.

Voice of America transcriptions (1944-1949)

Nina Paisiello
Plaisir d'amour Martini
Tantin, tantino Traetta
C'est mon ami Crist
La Cygne Saint-Saëns
Tristesse Chopin
Le rossignol et la rose Rimsky-Korsakov
Roving in the Dew Carnley
Go 'way from my window Niles
When I have sung my songs Charles
Complimientos traditional
Coplas de curro dulce Obradors

San Francisco broadcasts 1948-1953

Tutte le feste ... Piangi fanciulla with Valdengo (6 September 1948)
Quanto amore with Tajo (3 October 1948)
Addio del passato ... Gran dio with Peerce (31 October 1949)
Air de Lia L'Enfant Prodigue (27 March 1950)
In quelle trine morbide (26 February 1951)
Son pochi fiori (17 September 1951)
Non so più (1 September 1950)
Selva opaca
Ange adorable ... Va, je t'ai pardoné with Björling (30 September 1951)
Stridano lassù (30 September 1951)
L'altra notte (28 September 1952)
Roi de Thule ... Air des Bijoux (28 September 1952)
Connais tu le pays? (3 January 1953)

Voice of Firestone

Un bel di vedremo (4 February 1952)
O mio babbino caro (22 January 1951)
Gavotte ... Si mes vers (26 November 1951)
Chanson de