ABSTRACT
Swedish contralto, born in Stockholm as Elizabeth Elfriede Emile Sigrid Onegin. She studied in Frankfurt, Munich, and Milan, and made her debut in recital (using the name Lily Hoffmann) in Wiesbaden on 10 Sep 1911. Her first operatic role was Carmen, in Stuttgart on 4 Oct 1912. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amneris on 22 Nov 1922. In 1931 she retired to Switzerland, and died there on 16 June 1943, in Magliaso. Onegin recorded for Polydor in Germany in 1921-1925, singing Carmen, Delilah, and several Verdi and Wagner roles, all in German. She was also recording a similar repertoire in English for Brunswick, in the U.S. During the electric era she was with Brunswick, Victor, and HMV. Among her outstanding discs are three Carmen numbers on Brunswick (#15128 and #50077; 1927), “Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix” in German (HMV DB #1420; 1929), and “Ah! mon fils” from Prophète (HMV DB #1190; 1929). These and several other arias are included on the Harmonia Mundi CD (#89027; 1991). In a review of this disc, John B. Steane observed that “there is probably no more beautiful contralto voice on record than Onegin’s” [Gramophone, February 1991]. [Dennis 1950/10.]
American record industry executive, one of the founders of the O’Neill-James Co. of Chicago in 1904. He gained a U.S. patent (#874,985) for a talking machine with a threeinch diameter turntable spindle (filed 11 Apr 1907, granted 31 Dec 1907), and developed discs with large center holes to play on them. He also started another firm, Aretino Co., Inc., then merged the two companies in 1910. He continued in the business until 1915, then became the first Pathé representative in Chicago, trading under the name of State Street Pathéphone Co. He died in Chicago. [Fabrizio 1979; Koenigsberg 1990.]
A Chicago firm, established on 22 Apr 1904 by Arthur J. O’Neill, Winifred B. James, and Sherwin N. Bisbee. It dealt in various products, but soon came to specialize in talking machines and discs. Its record label was Busy Bee, the name taken from Bisbee’s surname. A partner firm was set up in 1907, Aretino Co., Inc., to trade in talking machines of a sort invented by Arthur O’Neill, with a large spindle, manufactured by Columbia and by Hawthorne & Sheble. Indeed the spindle was large enough (three
inches) to accommodate the various large-holed discs on sale (Standard and Diamond, 9/16 inch; Harmony, 3/4 inch; United, 1 1/2 inch), and even normal discs (with an adaptor ring). Thus, the firm had a universal talking machine, and it was that product upon which attention became concentrated. But Victor forced Hawthorne & Sheble out of business in 1909, requiring Aretino to turn to Columbia for its machines and adding to the cost of operations. O’Neill merged his two firms, but was unable to stay in business beyond 1915. [Fabrizio 1979, 1980.]
The name given to a record wholesaler who handles all labels.
