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Robert Browning

Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of the dramatic monologue made him one of the foremost Victorian poets. His poems are known for their irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentary, historical settings, and challenging vocabulary and syntax.

Browning's early career began promisingly, but collapsed. The long poems Pauline and Paracelsus received some acclaim, but in 1840 the difficult Sordello, which was seen as wilfully obscure, brought his poetry into disrepute. His reputation took more than a decade to recover, during which time he moved away from the Shelleyan forms of his early period and developed a more personal style.

In 1846, Browning married the older poet Elizabeth Barrett, and went to live in Italy. By the time of her death in 1861, he had published the crucial collection Men and Women. The collection Dramatis Personae and the book-length epic poem The Ring and the Book followed, and made him a leading British poet. He continued to write prolifically, but his reputation today rests largely on the poetry he wrote in this middle period.

When Browning died in 1889, he was regarded as a sage and philosopher-poet who through his writing had made contributions to Victorian social and political discourse. Unusually for a poet, societies for the study of his work were founded while he was still alive. Such Browning Societies remained common in Britain and the United States until the early 20th century.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 7, 1812 (London), Died December 12, 1889 (Venice)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1905 - 1946

Roles Represented in DAHR: author

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor C-2314 12-in. 2/20/1905 L'Incrédule Emma Eames Soprano vocal solo, with piano author  
Victor B-5018 10-in. 1/14/1908 How much I love you Johanna Gadski Soprano vocal solo, with piano author  
Victor C-6203 12-in. 5/18/1908 Spring Emma Eames Soprano vocal solo, with piano author  
Victor B-10139 10-in. 3/31/1911 King Charles Reinald Werrenrath Male vocal solo, with orchestra author  
Victor B-10511 10-in. 6/7/1911 Ah, love, but a day Evan Williams Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra author  
Victor B-10519 10-in. 6/8/1911 Memory Evan Williams Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra author  
Victor B-11009 10-in. 9/26/1911 Crossing the bar Charles D. Von Neumayer Recitation author  
Victor B-11010 10-in. 9/26/1911 Incident at the French camp Charles D. Von Neumayer Recitation author  
Victor B-13027 10-in. 3/28/1913 Pippa passes Georgene Faulkner Recitation author  
Victor C-14467 12-in. 2/17/1914 Home thoughts from abroad Cora Mel Patten Recitation author  
Victor B-15821 10-in. 3/22/1915 The leaves and the wind Elisabeth Böhm van Endert Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra author  
Victor B-31988 10-in. 2/23/1925 Ah, love, but a day! Maria Jeritza Soprano vocal solo, with piano author  
Victor BVE-49116 10-in. 11/15/1928 The year's at the spring [from Pippa passes] Sally Hamlin Recitation, with recordings author  
Victor [Trial 1916-07-15-01] Not documented 7/15/1916 Silent as night [Still wie die Nacht] Susanna Dercum Female vocal solo, with piano author  
Victor [Trial 1917-03-19-03] Not documented 3/19/1917 Ah, love, but a day! Mrs. Frederick Gunther Female vocal solo, with piano author  
Victor [Trial 1926-12-31-01] 10-in. 12/31/1926 The state of mind Edith Sampson Craig Recitation, unaccompanied author  
Columbia 39438 10-in. 6/6/1914 Ah! Love, but a day Belle Bryant Female vocal solo, with orchestra author  
Columbia 30485 12-in. 4/29/1910 Ah love but a day Lillian Nordica Soprano vocal solo author  
Columbia 30496 12-in. 5/12/1910 The year's at the spring Lillian Nordica Soprano vocal solo author  
Columbia 37337 12-in. approximately 1915 May morning Corinne Rider-Kelsey Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra author  
Columbia 48925 12-in. 9/20/1916 The year's at the spring Maggie Teyte Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra author  
Edison 3619 10-in. 3/2/1915 Ah! Love but a day Margarete Matzenauer Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra author  
Decca L 4118 3/12/1946 The Pied Piper of Hamelin: Part 1 Ingrid Bergman author  
Decca L 4119 3/12/1946 The Pied Piper of Hamelin: Part 2 Ingrid Bergman author  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Browning, Robert," accessed June 9, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102334.

Browning, Robert. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 9, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102334.

"Browning, Robert." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 9 June 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102334

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