Arthur Carron
His real name was Arthur Cox; he still used it when – after studies with Florence Easton – he
made his debut at the Old Vic Theatre in 1929 (as Tannhäuser). Also his very first records were issued under Arthur Cox.
With the relocation of the Old Vic troupe to Sadler's Wells,
he became Arthur Carron; he stayed at that theater until 1936, singing heroic parts: a lot of Wagner, but also Radames, Manrico,
Otello or Fra Diavolo. In 1931, he made his first guest appearance at Covent Garden.
In 1936, he won the Met Auditions of the Air competition, which made him a member of the Met (until 1946). He sang Canio there,
Radames, Manrico, Philip Nolan (in The man without a country by Walter Damrosch, world premiere, 12 May 1937), Otello,
Midas (in Phoebus and Pan, a staged version of Bach's cantata Geschwinde, ihr wirbelnden Winde), Tannhäuser,
Siegmund, Herodes, Florestan, Tristan – and an unusually high number of gala concerts, actually his primary occupation at
the Met. Many guest appearances all over North and South America.
Back home to England, he sang at Covent Garden for the remaining six years of his career (until 1952).
Reference 1; reference 2: Kutsch &
Riemens; reference 3: Met archives
I wish to thank Ross Halper for the recordings (Tristan). I wish to thank Tom Silverbörg for the recording (Aida). |