(1) Adelina Patti:
Spanish soprano (Madrid: 19 Feb 1843 - 27 Sep 1919): Was singing concerts at the age
of eight. Stage debut at 16 years old as Lucia at the New York Academy of
Music. Married three times:
Marquis de Caux (who gambled away a fortune), tenor Nicolini (Ernst Nicholas), and Swedish baron Cederström
(an instructor in a health gymnasium).
An A.
Alonso Martinez y Hermano photograph.
(2) Adelina Patti in a
Beniczky photo.
"In the
year 1843 my parents, the Italian singers, Signor Patti and Signora Patti-Barili,
came to Madrid in order to give a series of performances. My mother, who had
retained the name of her first husband, was a native of Rome, and counted among
the most famous singers of her time. On the 18th of February they both made
their debut in the opera of 'Norman,' which was considered as one of the most
brilliant performances of my mother. They had scarcely returned from the theater
to their hotel, when Signora Patti-Barilli whispered into the ear of her
overjoyed husband, 'I am a mother' --- which only a few hours before was the
last confession of Norma to her father, Orovist. The child that the first
morning's ray of the 19th of February greeted was I. Three weeks later my
parents traveled with my sisters, Amalia and Carlotta, and my brother Carlo and
myself, back to Italy, where we lived for three years. My father thereupon put
my two elder sisters into an institute at Milan, and went then with my mother
and the youngest children to New York, where I remained until my sixteenth
year." Fourteen Years with Adelina Patti - Reminiscences of
Louisa Lauw, page 14.
(3) German composer and
conductor, Richard Strauss (Munich: 11 Jun 1864 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen:
8 Sep 1949) in an E. Bieber (Berlin and Hamburg) photograph.
(4) English singer, John
Sims Reeves (Woolwich, England: 26 Sep 1818 - Worthing: 25 Oct 1900). He
received his musical education from his father. At the age of fourteen he had
progressed so far as to be appointed organist of North Cray church, and could
play the oboe, bassoon, violin, and violoncello. He made his earliest
appearance as a vocalist at Newcastle in 1939, and made several minor
appearances at Drury Lane in Purcell's King Arthur, and Der
Freischütz, and others. He continued he vocal studies with Bordogni in
Paris and Mazzucato in Milan. He made his Italian debut at La Scala as Edgardo
in Lucia di Lammermoor, a role he repeated at Drury Lane in 1847. In
1848 he went to Her Majesty's Theatre, singing in Linda di Chamounix.
He announced that his retirement would take place in 1882, but unfortunate
financial difficulties forced him to sing on to 1891. This is a H.N. King
(Photographer to the Queen) photo.
(5) Adelina Patti.
(6) Adam Didur (24 Dec
1874 - 7 Jan 1946): Polish bass. Stage debut in Rio as Méphistophélès. Sang in
London CG, Buenos Aires, Manhattan Opera, Metropolitan Opera. He created Ashby
in the world premiere of La fanciulla del West, and the Woodcutter in
Königskinder. He was the first U.S. Boris (1913). He was appointed
Director of the Warsaw Opera in 1939 but he could not assume the position due
to the outbreak of WW II and the bombing of Warsaw. Published by Varaghi in
Milan.
(7) One of the finest operatic
performers and interpreters of Russian opera was the bass Feodor Chaliapin
(1874 - 1938). His ability to alter his physical appearance, combined with his
powerful singing and skillful acting, brought his characterizations to life.
His formal debut (1890) occurred in Ufa with the Semyonov-Smarsky Company. He
was Stolnik in Stanislaw Moniuszko's Halka.
(8)
Italian mezzo-soprano/soprano
Medea Mei-Figner
(1858-1952) made her debut in Sinaluga, Italy as Azucena in Il Trovatore.
She had a successful career in Europe and South America. During her
appearances in Milan she met her future husband, Russian tenor Nicolai Figner
(1856-1919). They both joined the Imperial Opera in St. Petersburg, where they
had highly regarded careers. Tchaikovsky, a friend of the Figners, wrote part
of his opera The Queen of Spades at their residence. The couple
appeared in the 1890 world premiere of that work, Medea as Lisa and Nicolai as
Hermann. At the Imperial Opera she and her husband also created roles in
Iolanthe (1892), and Napravnik's Doubrovsky (1895) and Francesca
da Rimini (1902). The Figners were divorced in 1904; and after the
Revolution (1919) she left Russia and lived permanently in Paris.
Russian
tenor Nicolai Figner
(1856-1919) studied at the Conservatory in St Petersburg and in Italy. He made
his debut (1882) in Gounod's Philémon et Baucis in Naples. In 1884 and
1886 he gained some stage experience in South America with Claudio Rossi's
company. In Milan (La Scala) he appeared in the world premiere of Catalani's
Edmea, which was conducted by the then unknown Arturo Toscanini. He
made many successful appearances throughout Europe with his future wife, Medea
Mei, before returning to St. Petersburg and the Imperial Opera, where both had
enviable careers. From 1910 to 1915 he directed and sang at the Narodnïy Dom
opera house. He lost most of his possessions during the Russian Revolution and
died shortly thereafter.
Photographer unknown.
(9) Marianne Brandt
[nee, Marie Bischoff] (Vienna: 12 Sep 1842 - Vienna: 9 Jul 1921), Austrian
mezzo-soprano. She studied with Viardot and Marschner. She made her debut in
Olomouc (1867). She appeared in Bayreuth and London before arriving in New
York to appear at the Metropolitan Opera from 1884-1888. After 1880 she went
back to her town of birth and became a singing instructor.
Brandt superstition:
"Marianne Brandt, of the German Opera, never under
undertakes to sing without a crust of dry bread in her pocket."
Brooklyn Eagle 8 Jul 1888.
(10)
Leonid Sobinov
(1872-1934) was an attorney before embarking on a singing career. While he was
studying at the Moscow Conservatory he sang small roles with an Italian opera
troupe which appeared in Moscow. His official debut (1897) was at the Imperial
Opera in Moscow as Prince Sinodal in Rubinstein's Demon. He immediately
became an idol, admired for his handsome stage presence and fine legato
singing which, on occasion, could be overly saccharine. Sobinov was a humble
man whose only sign of an ego was the unfulfilled demand to be paid the same
wages as Chaliapin. He was generally well-liked by the press and his
colleagues, which made it easier to overlook the vocal flaws that appeared to
intensify proportionally with the amount of weight he gained over his
thirty-five-year career. Sobinov was equally successful with his appearances
outside of Russia, including visits to Monte Carlo, Covent Garden, Paris, La Scala, Madrid, and Berlin. Sobinov
seen here with kitten in a "Cabinet
Portrait."
(11) Ernest Nicolini
(23 Feb 1834 - 19 Jan 1898): French tenor. Debut Paris (Opéra-Comique) in
Halévy's Mousquetaires de la Reine. First London Lohengrin, Pery
(Gomes's Il Guarany), and Radamès. He performed frequently with and was
married to Adelina Patti (1886).
(12) Gemma Bellincioni
[orig.Cesira Matilda] (1864-1950) made her debut (1879?) in Naples in
Orefice's Il Segreto della Duchessa. She had mixed vocal success in the
standard opera repertory of the time. Her stage presence, acting, and
interpretation, however, drew considerable attention and were ideally suited
for the newer operas developed in the verismo style. She was selected,
along with her husband, Roberto Stagno as Turiddu, to create the role of
Santuzza in the premiere of Cavalleria Rusticana (17 May 1890). She was
very popular in South America, but a disappointment at Covent Garden (1895),
where she had to vie with sopranos such as Emma Albani, Emma Eames, Adelina
Patti, Nellie Melba, and Marcella Sembrich for an audience's attention.
Bellincioni also created the title role in Giordano's Fedora (17 Nov
1898). Bellincioni was chosen to be the first Italian Salome (1906).
Photograph: Giocomo
Brogi, Firenze.
(13) Spanish tenor Julián
Gayarre [orig. Gayarre Sebástian] (9 Jan 1844 - 2 Jan 1890) in a
Photograpfia Artistica photograph. His debut was in Varese (1867) as Nemorino.
At London's Covent Garden he was the first London Sobinin (Life for the
Tsar). He created title role in Duca d'Alba, and Enzo in La
gioconda. His voice failed him during a Madrid performance of Les
Pecheurs de Perles: (8 Dec 1889). It was reported that he said, "Esto se
acabo" ('It's all over'). He died shortly thereafter. Fotografia
Artistica.
(14) Milka Ternina:
Croatian soprano (Doljnji, Moslavina: 19 Dec 1863 - Zagreb: 18 May 1941). First English Tosca (Covent
Garden: 1900), first NY Tosca (Met: 1900). Kundry in the first American
performance of Parsifal (against the wishes of the Wagner family). She
developed a "paralysis of the nerves of the eyes," which ended her career.
Zinka Milanov was a pupil of hers. Seen here as Brünnhilde in an unknown
photograph.
(15) Adelina Patti.
This multi-image CDV was published by Southwell.
(16) Jenny Lind [orig.
Johanna] (Stockholm: 6 Oct 1820 - Malvern: 2 Nov 1887): Swedish soprano. Debut
Stockholm (1838), Agathe. Her first engagement in Paris met with failure.
Studied further with Garcia. Created leading role in Feldlager in Schlesien
(Berlin). First London Amalia (I masnadieri). Married Otto Goldschmidt
(1852). Tour of America with PT Barnum. Known as the 'Swedish Nightingale'. Unknown
photographer.
(17)
(18) Opéra-Comique singer
Constance Caroline Lefèbvre. Married to Jean-Baptiste Faure.
(19) Adelina Patti -
Published by Siedle Bros.
(20)
Lola Beeth:
Soprano:
(1864-1940) Born in Cracow. She studied with, among others, the great Pauline
Viardot-Garcia in Paris. She made a successful debut (1882) at the age of
eighteen at the Berlin Imperial Opera as Elsa in Lohengrin. She sang
for six seasons in Berlin and another ten in Vienna. Her Metropolitan Opera
debut (2 Dec 1895) was again as Elsa. In her one season there she was seen as
Nedda, Elisabeth, Marguerite, Micaëla, Sieglinde, Eva, and Nannetta
(Falstaff). An Adele (Vienna) image.
