"Housewife" Josephine Wiper Returns to the San Francisco Opera Stage

The Art, Music and Recreation Center presents the Exhibit "Bring The Opera to The People and The People to The Opera" from September 10, 2022 through January 12, 2023

Previous blog entries:

"Josephine Tumminia and the San Francisco Opera" (December 12, 2022)
"Josephine Tumminia's Famed Goes National, then International" (December 19, 2022)
"Armando Agnini and The San Francisco Opera Stage" (November 16, 2022)
"Merola Organizes San Franciscans To Present Outdoor Opera on The Peninsula" (October 31, 2022)
"The Big Game, North Beach and The San Francisco Opera" (October 13, 2022)
"Bring The Opera to The People and The People to The Opera" (September 12, 2022)

Returning from Europe and South America in 1940, Josephine Tumminia made brief appearances with the Cincinnati and Chicago companies before her debut with the Metropolitan Opera on February 8, 1941.  She starred in the familiar role of Gilda in Rigoletto, replacing Lily Pons in the cast and playing opposite Lawrence Tibbett.

Upon returning to America, she dropped an "m" from her last name and became Josephine Tuminia. This New York Times review of her Metropolitan Opera debut plays up her birthplace, Saint Louis, but makes no mention of her musical training in San Francisco nor that she first appeared onstage with the San Francisco Opera Company.

The review starts out praiseful - "Miss Tuminia's singing was musical, sympathetic and technically secure." The second paragraph is less so - "Despite the fine qualities of her singing, Miss Tuminia's tones proved so tenuous that they often failed to make themselves audible in ensembles." The reviewer finds some consolation in the end:

Miss Tuminia never made the mistake of forcing her tones, and they were invariably firm and clear, if rather white. Her vocalism was so sensitive and expressive that it was a pity she was handicapped by the insufficient volume of voice at her command.

We find Josephine Tumminia's Metropolitan Opera career summarized in four lines in the Annals of the Metropolitan Opera.

The abbreviation SO denotes that she performed as a soprano. 2s/2w/2r/12p means 2 seasons, 2 works, 2 roles, 12 performances. MOH were performances at the Metropolitan Opera House; E were performances elsewhere. That is followed by the inclusive dates when she performed - February 8, 1941 to March 1, 1941. It was a rather short tenure, but in every performance she was cast in a lead role. 

The life of an opera diva is itinerant, and Tumminia's career was no different. During 1942 she was a regular on the Mutual Broadcasting System's "Treasure Hour of Song" with Alfred Antonini's Orchestra broadcast from WGN, Chicago on Saturday nights.

Publicity poster for the Columbia All Star Opera Quartet performing at the Oakland Auditorium Theatre on November 12, 1943

In 1943-1944 she joined mezzo-Soprano Helen Olheim, tenor Nino Martini and baritone Igor Gorin in the touring Columbia All-Star Opera Quartet. Some of their publicity also named them as the Metropolitan Opera Quartet.  This vocal ensemble apparently brought opera to all corners of the United States. That included a November 12, 1943 concert in Oakland and a November 14, 1943 concert at San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House.

Josephine Tuminia

Coloratura Soprano

Young American coloratura, and a member of the Metropolitan, scored a sensation at the Chicago Opera this season in three leading roles; "Rigoletto," "Barber of Seville" and "Lucia."

She met her future husband, Charles Wiper, Jr., when they shared a voyage on the Chicago to New York train on December 13, 1942. A year after meeting, they wed in the middle of her tour with the Metropolitan Quartet in Beaumont, Texas on December 1, 1943.

The wedding of Lieutenant Charles Wiper and Josephine Tumminia (source: San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection)

In 1944 she joined the National Grand Opera Company in Los Angeles led by Georgio D'Andria and made a strong impression in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor.  There was even talk of her being offered a contract by MGM to perform in short operatic films.

After the war they settled down in San Mateo where she became a mother and they opened a children’s clothing store. On October 17, 1947 she was suddenly called upon by Gaetano Merola to fill in for an ailing Lily Pons in the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. The “housewife” reprised the role when the San Francisco Opera repeated the performing Los Angeles.

Mrs. Wiper had been up since before dawn with her little girl Clarene [Charlene], also home with the flu. Then just before noon yesterday [Gaetano] Merola phoned.

"He said to drop everything and come right up to San Francisco. He wanted to see if I could still sing 'Lucia'."

She and her husband, an ex-army major, drove to San Francisco in "nothing flat."

She had no chance to rehearse with the cast. A two-hour workout with piano accompaniment was her only rush-hp for the role, famed as one of the most gruelling and difficult in all opera. ("S.M. Wife Win Ovation in Opera")

Josephine Tumminia's name hand-written and tipped into the program for Lucia di Lammermoor 

POSTSCRIPT

Herb Caen's column often printed notices of San Franciscans of past celebrity.

WHERE THEY are now dept.: Josephine Tumminia, the S.F. barber's daughter who was discovered by Gaetano Merola and went on to stardom at the Met (she was a coloratura), is now working as a salesgirl at Dixson's, a ladies' shop in Hillsdale Mall. She is divorced, has a grown daughter, and sounds not at all unhappy to be far from the spotlight... Josephine's biggest hit, oddly enough, was a recording of a coloratura tour de force called "The Wren," with the late Jimmy Dorsey's band wailing in the background--one of the first jazz-classical efforts and a million-seller. A collector's item, as is Josephine, selling dresses down there in Hillsdale. (San Francisco Examiner February 1, 1970)

CAENICLE WANT ADS get results: A few months ago, while doodling around in one of those "Where Are They Now?" space-fillers, I noted that Josephine Tumminia, the S.F. barber's daughter who rose to stardom as a Metropolitan Opera coloratura, is now working as a saleslady in a Hillsdale women's store. Well! This column may be crummy but it gets around--and the afore-mentioned item came to the attention of Jack Sharpe of Hollywood, who wrote (with Jerry Herst) the 1937 hit song, "So Rare." Flash: It turns out that Jack wrote that song for Josephine, who first love he was! Superflash: "It Happened in Monterey" a short time ago that Jack married Josephine, and they are now living in San Mateo. "So rare" murmurs Josephine happily. (San Francisco Chronicle January 13, 1971)

Josephine Tumminia passed away on January 19, 1997 in La Selva Beach, California.

Bibliography:

Annals of The Metropolitan Opera: The Complete Chronicle of Performances and Artists (Metropolitan Opera Guild; G.K. Hall, 1989).

Dunning, John. On The Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Oxford University Press, 1998).

Dutton, June, "Sketch of Opera Star," San Mateo Times November 3, 1948.

Frankenstein, Alfred, "Operatic Sensation," San Francisco Chronicle October 19, 1947

Fried, Alexander, "New Career Won by Soprano," San Francisco Examiner January 10, 1943.

Fried, Alexander, "Show Talk," San Francisco Examiner July 3, 1944.

Fried, Alexander, "Show Talk," San Francisco Examiner February 16, 1945.

"Guide to This Week's Fine Music Programs," Movie-Radio Guide March 14-20, 1942.

"Josephine Tumminia Makes Debut in N.Y. This Week," San Francisco Chronicle December 26, 1940.

"Opera Star Weds  Flyer in Texas," San Francisco Examiner December 2, 1943.

"S.F. Soprano Will Sing at Opera House," San Francisco Chronicle November 13, 1943.

San Francisco Opera Association. Annual Season. (The Association, 1947).

"Tuminia in Debut in 'Rigoletto' Here," New York Times February 9, 1941.

"S.M. Wife Wins Ovation in Opera," San Mateo Times October 18, 1947.

"Tuminia 'Lucia" Star," Los Angeles Times July 26, 1944.

Josephine Tumminia's Fame Goes National, Then International

Four years ago a little girl from North Beach, who had never set foot on a stage or a concert platform sang an audition for Maestro Gaetano Merola of the San Francisco Opera Company. This week that same little girl, whose name is Josephine Tumminia, will make her debut in New York as the latest star to be added to the roster of the Metropolitan Opera Company. (San Francisco Chronicle 1940)

Opera to Symphony: Josephine Tumminia, colorature soprano of the San Francisco Opera, who will be soloist with the San Francisco Symphony at the Civic Auditorium Tuesday night (source: San Francisco Chronicle February 2, 1936

After her San Francisco Opera debut, Josephine Tumminia became a local celebrity. On February 6, 1936 she sang as a soloist at Municipal Concert of the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Pierre Monteux. She was soon thrust further into the limelight appearing on operetta composer Sigmund Romberg's nationally syndicated radio program on the NBC's Red Network on March 16, 1936 along side the famed star of the stage and screen, Lionel Barrymore. This led to rumors that Paramount film studios was considering her for a long term contract.

JOSEPHINE TUMMINIA, San Francisco girl, who was at Galileo High School not so long ago, has since found fame via radio and now sings as famed Sigmund Romberg wields the baton. They will be on KPO tonight, with the child film star, Cora Sue Collins, acting as master of ceremonies. The times is 5:30 (San Francisco Chronicle May 25, 1936)

She continued with Romberg through the early summer when she appear on Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hour broadcast from Los Angeles on August 13, 1936, sharing the program with Louis Armstrong.  In the fall of 1936 she returned to the San Francisco Opera Company where she shined in the role of Gilda in Rigoletto. The Chronicle's music critic, Alfred Frankenstein, singled her out for praise:

Miss Tumminia made the big hit of her brief career as Gilda. This for a lovely and fragile impersonation, and for a "Caro Nome" of unique and special quality... Miss Tumminia was Gilda. As she sang, the florid song took on such warmth of dramatic meaning as it is possible for it take on and, without losing any of its brilliance, remained and essential link in a lyric tragedy. The purity of her small, light voice has been remarked before. Likewise he unfailing musicianship. Her lyric Gilda is in its own way no less and achievement than her comic Rosina.

Josephine Tumminia and Bing Crosby (image source: San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection)

The following summer she was back on the airwaves, singing on Bing Crosby's program. She remained an occasional guest on Crosby's Kraft Music Hall even as she reprised her role of Gilda in San Francisco in the Fall. 

Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra were the house band on Crosby's show which lead to a unique crossover recording. On February 27, 1937 she went into Decca Records Los Angeles recording studio with Dorsey's orchestra to record a swing arrangement of "La capinera" (The Wren), a late 19th century light-classical showpiece for soprano voice composed by Julius Benedict.  Robert L. Stockdale remarked that this was "one of the most unusual recordings ever produced by Jimmy [Dorsey]."

On March 17, 1937 she rejoined the orchestra to sing her unique version of the "Blue Danube Waltz" by Johann Strauss. One interesting sidelight - Tumminia shared her recording session with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra's recording of songs from the Fred Astaire / Ginger Roger movie Shall We Dance where they appeared on the soundtrack. Her recordings were released as both sides of the 12" double-faced 78 rpm recording Decca 29009.

Reviewers of that time were not sure what to make of this recording. Irving Kolodin found no fault with the "straight job" that Tumminia achieved in her performance but found fault with the arrangement. "What results is some of the aptest satire on coloratura that has yet to appear." Richard Gilbert also faulted the "screwy arrangement." The New Yorker noted that "Miss Tumminia retains her intonation and her bright, somewhat determined vocalizing through the goings-on," but goes on to dismissed the result as "a slick stunt and goes on the list of the best curios." Only Billboard magazine put in the good word: "a collector's classic for those who take their conservatory music toasted with jam... prima donna pipes according to Hoyle while the gang goes bucketing."

In 1947, John Ball, Jr. published this appreciation:

This unique record is strictly a novelty, but an exceptionally good one. Miss Tumminia, who has been heard at the Metropolitan Opera, sings the Blue Danube, not too well, but acceptably. Jimmy Dorsey and his lively crew provide the accompaniment. Strangely enough it all fits together. What comes out of the loudspeaker is a little hard to define, but we find it quite entertaining listening just the same.

Corinne Koshland (Mrs. Marcus Koshland) presented Josephine Tumminia in a recital on February 3, 1938 at her Presidio Heights mansion to help raise money support her studies in Europe. For many years Mr. and Mrs. Koshland were important patrons of the arts in San Francisco who also helped fund Yehudi Menuhin's studies abroad. Gary Gidden's biography of Bing Crosby also notes the crooner's "investment" in Josephine Tumminia.  

She travelled to Milan to study with Mario Cordona. During these two and a half years she performed in Bologna, Lugano and in Palermo, her father's hometown. A 1938 article in the Examiner rumored that she was being filmed in her role of Gilda at Cinema City in Rome. She also sang at the Royal Opera in Belgrade where she was awarded Yugoslavia's Order of San Caba.  Leaving Italy in 1940 she continued performing in Caracas and then Puerto Rico before returning the United States.

She was on her way to the Metropolitan Opera...

Previous Entry: "Josephine Tumminia and the San Francisco Opera," December 12, 2022.

Bibliography:

Ball, John, Jr., Records for Pleasure. (Rutgers University Press, 1947).

Caen, Herb, "Four Guests with Bings; Jepson on 'Showboat'; Hamilton's Talk Aired," San Francisco Chronicle August 13, 1936.

Caen, Herb, "Odds and Ends in Radio; Vallee's London Finale; Four Guests With Bing," San Francisco Chronicle May 13, 1937.

Donnell, Darrell, "Josephine Tumminia to Be on Crosby Program," San Francisco Examiner May 13, 1937.

Doyle, J.E. (Dinty), "Joan Bennett, Cary Grant Many Other Celebrities in Loud Speaker Tonight," San Francisco Chronicle April 24, 1936.

Frankenstein, Alfred, "Tibbett, Fine Cast Score in 'Rigoletto'," San Francisco Chronicle November 7, 1936.

Frankenstein, Alfred, "Young Singer Praised for Rosina Aria," San Francisco Chronicle February 5, 1936.

Gidden, Gary. Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams, The Early Years 1903-1940. (Little Brown & Co., 2001).

Gilbert, Richard, "Music and Records," Scribner's Magazine July 1937.

"Josephine Tumminia Makes Debut in N.Y. This Week," San Francisco Chronicle December 26, 1940

Kolodin, Irving, "Recorded Music," American Mercury July 1937.

Needham, Howard, "Lionel Barrymore Will Be Star in New Romberg Series Starting Tonight," San Francisco Chronicle March 16, 1936.

"A New Gilda Rises from The West," Opera News February 3, 1941.

Orodenker, M. H., "Reviews of Records," Billboard April 24, 1937.

Pakenham, Compton, "Alexander Kipnis and Marian Anderson in Song Releases--Other Items," New York Times May 23, 1937.

"Popular Records: Instrumental Singing," The New Yorker May 29, 1937.

Ruppli, Michael. Decca Labels: A Discography, Volume 1: The California Sessions. (Greenwood Press, 1996).

"A Schedule of Music for The Coming Week," San Francisco Chronicle January 30, 1938.

Stockdale, Robert L. Jimmy Dorsey: A Study in Contrasts. (Scarecrow Press, 1999).

Josephine Tumminia and the San Francisco Opera

Autographed portrait  inscribed "To Jessica Fredricks, in sincere appreciation of your interest in my career, Josephine Tumminia." Fredricks was head of the Music Department at the San Francisco Public Library (image source: San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection)

Each season General Director Gaetano Merola found places for resident artists in important roles. Several have come up from the chorus. Others have been drawn from the ranks of professional singers. A few have reached the rank of principal artist without previous experience. Some have gone on to stardom.

 
This season will find one among the few who have reached principal place without operatic or other professional experience. She is Josephine Tumminia youthful coloratura soprano, for whom Merola predicts quick and brilliant ascension to operatic heights (San Francisco Chronicle 1935).

Josephine Tumminia was a San Francisco Cinderella story. Her father Salvatore Tumminia had immigrated from Palermo, Sicily in 1906 and moved to Saint Louis, Missouri where she was born on July 9, 1913. Her family moved to San Francisco in 1923 where he worked as a barber and she attended Yerba Buena School. Always longing to be singer, she dropped out of Galileo High School to study opera during very hard economic times. In a 1935 interview she recounted:

Father was out of work and this depression—well, you know,” said Miss Tumminia, rolling her enormous eyes in a gesture of dismay. “But my teachers insisted that I study with them for nothing at all. We had no money. Now I sing before Maestro Merola every day.

Josephine Tumminia as Rosina in the Barber of Seville (image source: San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection)

The road to the top was more difficult than she would tell.  Josephine Tumminia was listed in the City Directories of 1930 and 1935 as being employed as a clerk. In 1931 and 1932 she was listed as a musician. At this time she began studying with Alberto Terrasi, a well-travelled baritone who took up residence in the Bay Area from 1929-1931 and who sang locally with the California Opera Company. She joined him in recitals and opera performances.

Her operatic debut came at age 18 in the role of Gilda in a production of Rigoletto staged by the California Opera Company at the Scottish Rite Hall. A review in the San Francisco Examiner described her performance as a "great success." She also performed for San Francisco's Italian-American community with organizations like the Vittoria Colonna Club and Il Cenacolo.

Her financial relationship with Terrasi was rather severe.  It required her to give half of her salary to her teacher in exchange for three lessons a week for six years. Since Terrasi left San Francisco by 1932, well short of six years, perhaps this agreement was rendered moot. Tumminia benefitted from further instruction from Nino Cormel and Elsie Bachrach.

Josephine Tumminia debuted with the San Francisco Opera Company on November 25, 1935 playing the lead role of Rosina in The Barber of Seville opposite Tito Schipa. The aptness of a Sicilian barber’s daughter ascending into this role brought her into the national spotlight with an article in Time Magazine. 

Alfred Frankenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle described her as "a part, pretty, youthful Rosina with a pert, agile coloratura." He was impressed with her stage poise and mastery of the difficulties of Rossini's music. He only lamented "a certain nasal twang from her tone" that he predicted would disappear with more training.

In his San Francisco Examiner review, Alexander Fried remarked:

A debutante, Josephine Tumminia, deserves first comment, both because she is news and because she is an exception talent.

He went on to note how well cast she was for the role; she brought a youthfulness to a youthful character. While he also had reservations about her tone he was impressed with the "agility" of her voice and predicted great success.

Salvatore Tumminia, Tito Schipa & Josephine Tumminia

For her, a successful début; for her father, a business pickup.

(source: Time)

She repeated this role in 1936 and later played Micaëla in their 1936 production of Carmen. She also reprised her role of Gilda in the 1936 and 1937 San Francisco Opera productions of Rigoletto.

Her auspicious start with the San Francisco Opera propelled her into even greater adventures that will be recounted in a later entry.

Bibliography

"Alberto Terrasi," San Francisco Examiner May 25, 1930.

"Barber of San Francisco," Time December 9, 1935.

"Barber of Seville Sings for Fun; Daughter Sings the Barber of Seville," Newsweek February 14, 1938.

"California Company to Stage 'Rigoletto'," San Francisco Chronicle June 14, 1931.

"California Opera Group Will Repeat Rigoletto," San Francisco Chronicle October 11, 1931.

Frankenstein, Alfred, "Ezio Pinza 'Barber of Seville' Star," San Francisco Chronicle November 26, 1935

Fried, Alexander, "Local 'Rosina' Win Applause in Opera Debut," San Francisco Examiner November 26, 1935

"Girl Singer to Sign Away Half of Salary," San Francisco Chronicle May 6, 1930.

"Italian Groups Lists Saturday Musical," San Francisco Chronicle December 7, 1930.

"Musicale Held by Italian Club" San Francisco Chronicle October 1, 1933

"A New Gilda Rises from The West," Opera News February 3, 1941.

"Public Recital Given by Alberto Terrasi," Berkeley Daily Gazette October 29, 1930.

"Rigoletto," San Francisco Examiner October 18, 1931.

"S.F. Girl Will Make Debut in Opera Here," San Francisco Chronicle September 30, 1935.

"San Franciscans to Be Heard in Operas," San Francisco Examiner October 6, 1935.

"Seeks Operatic Fame," Colusa Herald May 27, 1930.

Weick, Louise, "San Francisco Girl Reaches Opera Stardom Without Spending Cent on Music Education," San Francisco News August 28, 1935.