Lily Pons "Last Rose of Summer" (1940) 

The Last Rose of Summer
Words by Thomas Moore, Music by John Stevenson
Lily Pons, soprano with Victor String Orchestra
Recorded 1940
"The Last Rose of Summer" is a poem by Irish poet Thomas Moore, who was a friend of Byron and Shelley. Moore wrote it in 1805 while at Jenkinstown Park in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Sir John Stevenson set the poem to its widely-known melody, and this was published in a collection of Moore's work called "Irish Melodies."
Lily Pons, (1898 - 1976) a French-born American coloratura soprano known for her vocal range, musical skill, and warmth of expression, started out as a classically trained pianist, began studying voice in the early 1920s and also began appearing on the Paris stage. Pons made her professional operatic debut in the difficult title role of "Lakme" in 1928. She continued to sing at Paris opera houses, building up her repertoire. She debuted at the New York Metropolitan Opera 1931 and was instantly revered for her critically-lauded performance of "Lucia de Lammermoor." She exuded beauty, charm, range and glamour, making her one of the most popular prima donnas of her time. Her international success eventually crossed over into movies where plush operettas were all the rage. Pons would film three, but her popularity would never match rivals Jeanette MacDonald or Grace Moore in that realm, and she quietly retired from the movies after a couple of years. Radio, however, was a different matter and she remained an enduring favorite. In addition, she entertained troops during WWII, touring battlefields in North Africa and Asia. In 1938, she married Russian-American conductor Andre Kostelanetz and a beautiful collaboration began. For over three decades, they would appear together in concert. During this time, she became one of the highest paid performers in history. Although the couple divorced in 1958, they continued a professional relationship, appearing together from time to time. Formally retiring in 1964, she continued in concert until 1972. She died of pancreatic cancer in 1976 at age 77, and was buried in a family grave in Cannes.