C0172. Pierre Monteux Cond. San Francisco S.O.: Symphonie Fantastique (Berlioz), recorded 1945; Monteux Cond. RCA Victor S.O., w.GLADYS SWARTHOUT: Poème de l’amour et de la mer (Chausson), recorded 9 Dec., 1952.  (Germany) Archipel 0146. - 4035122401462

CRITIC REVIEW:

“Lovely of voice and physically most attractive, mezzo contralto Gladys Swarthout was immensely popular and carried a reputation for always dressing in style. Good fortune led her to conductor Leopoldo Mugnone, who provided her with easy, fluent voice production and the courage to resist forcing, however loud conductors might permit their orchestras to play. Swarthout also credited conductor Giorgio Polacco -- a true singer's conductor -- for withholding rôles for which she was not ready. At the Chicago Opera, she made her 1924 début as the Shepherd in TOSCA. For the next season at Ravinia Park, she was engaged to sing Carmen. By the time Swarthout was signed by the Metropolitan Opera in 1929, she was thoroughly seasoned and able to cope with voice projection in large house. Although she considered herself a mezzo, she agreed to make her début as la Cieca in LA GIOCONDA and appeared before a New York opera audience for the first time on 15 November, 1929. When she moved upward to the title rôle in MIGNON, she found a character entirely congenial, one whose vocal requirements were also easily managed. Other interesting operas that came her way were Deems Taylor's PETER IBBETSON and Howard Hanson's MERRY MOUNT. Gradually, Swarthout reduced the number of her opera appearances. Concerts and recitals proved more lucrative and in concert performance, audiences could better appreciate the immediate warmth of her voice, her movie-star looks (she did have a brief film career), and the aura of elegance she brought to these events. Moreover, feeling a particular affinity for arias from the Baroque period, she was comfortable to a degree not possible for her on the operatic stage. She retired from the Metropolitan Opera in 1945 to concentrate on the concert stage, the occasional guest appearance in other opera houses, and extended periods of rest. Following a heart attack in 1954, Swarthout retired to Florence, Italy.”

- Eric Eriksson, allmusic.com