Sir Charles Santley
Sir Charles Santley (28 February 1834 – 22 September 1922) was an English opera and oratorio baritone with a bravura technique who became the most eminent English baritone and male concert singer of the Victorian era. His has been called 'the longest, most distinguished and most versatile vocal career which history records.' Santley appeared in many major opera and oratorio productions in Great Britain and North America, giving numerous recitals as well. Having made his debut in Italy in 1857 after undertaking vocal studies in that country, he elected to base himself in England for the remainder of his life, apart from occasional trips overseas. One of the highlights of his stage career occurred in 1870 when he led the cast in the first Wagner opera to be performed in London, The Flying Dutchman, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Santley retired from opera during the 1870s in order to concentrate on the lucrative concert circuit. Santley also wrote books on vocal technique and two sets of memoirs. |
Birth and Death Data: Born February 28, 1834 (Liverpool (city in Merseyside, England, United Kingdom)), Died September 22, 1922 (London (capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1911 - 1912
Roles Represented in DAHR: baritone vocal
= 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 6113 | 12-in. | approximately 1911 | Simon the cellarer | Sir Charles Santley | Male vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, baritone vocal | |
| Columbia | 6114 | 12-in. | approximately February 1911 | The rosary | Sir Charles Santley | Male vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, baritone vocal | |
| Columbia | 6115 | 12-in. | approximately 1911 | Father O'Flynn | Sir Charles Santley | Male vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, baritone vocal | |
| Columbia | 6283 | 12-in. | approximately 1912 | To Anthea | Sir Charles Santley | Male vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, baritone vocal |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Santley, Charles, Sir," accessed January 21, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/357054.
Santley, Charles, Sir. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 21, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/357054.
"Santley, Charles, Sir." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 21 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Santley, Charles, Sir, 1834-1922 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82225779
Wikidata: Sir Charles Santley - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q521746
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/34646961
MusicBrainz: Sir Charles Santley - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ed0453ab-65b2-4400-a270-209bfb7bee21
ISNI: 0000 0001 1291 9186 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000112919186
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/105342 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/105342
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