(1) German soprano Rosa Sucher
[nee Hasselbeck] (Velburg, Bavaria: 23 Feb 1847 - Eschweiler: 16 Apr 1927).
She first appeared in small roles at the Hofopera in Munich. Her first major
role was at the Kroll Opera (Berlin: 1875) as Agathe (Der
Freischütz). After performances in Leipzig and Hamburg she made her London
debut (1882) as Elsa in Lohengrin. She was first seen in Bayreuth in 1886.
She made her New York début (1895) as Isolde with the Damrosch Opera Company
at the Metropolitan Opera.
(2) Albert Niemann,
German tenor. (Erzleben: 15 Jan 1831 - Berlin: 13 Jan 1917). He made his debut
(1849) at Dessau in a small role. He further his studies with Schneider and
Nusch and then appeared in Halle and Hannover. He was chosen by Wagner to sing
in the first (1861) Paris Tannhäuser, which was not greeted kindly by the
Paris audiences. He also appeared in Munich, Berlin, Her Majesty’s Theatre in
London, the Metropolitan Opera in NY, and Berlin. He sang Siegmund (Die
Walküre) in the first complete Ring cycle at Bayreuth (1876). He
retired in 1889. Niemann was an imposing figure and had a powerful, heroic tenor
voice to accompany his physical stature. Hanns
Hanfstaengl, Dresden, photograph.
The second
and third appearance of Herr Albert Niemann confirmed the high impression which
had been formed of him, while it made very clear that the limits of his physical
endurance are somewhat sharply defined. In “Die Walkure” the tenor has much to
do in the first act, little in the second and nothing in the third. Herr.
Niemann was superb in the first act, singing with ample power and a breadth of
dramatic expression which served him well, but in the second act it was evident
that there was a strain, which even great art could not hide…. In Herr Niemann’s
voice, however, we have a distinct refutation of the charge to the effect that
Wagner destroys the human voice, for no singer has devoted himself more
exclusively to Wagnerian roles than this wonderful man who, at the age
[55] when most singers have
retired from the stage, is still a wonder and the chief stay of an important
opera season. [Brooklyn
Eagle: 21 Nov 1886]
(3) Moritz Grill (1826 -
23 Jan 1871: Münich), tenor. He appeared in Brno, Darmstadt, Munich, among other
cities. He sang Lohengrin (seen here) in the Münich premiere (1858) of the work
of the same name. H. Holz, Munich, photograph.
(4) French baritone Victor
Maurel (17 Jun 1848 - 22 Oct 1923). Debut Paris (1868) as De Nevers (Huguenots).
Sang in St. Petersburg, Cairo and Venice. World premiere Il Guarany
(1870) at La Scala. Also created Iago (Otello: 1887) and the title role
in Verdi's Falstaff (1893). Covent Garden (first London Telramund,
Wolfram, and Dutchman). NY Academy of Music, Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera.
Was not an exceptional singer but sang with emotion and exhibited a talent in
acting. Also designed opera sets. Taught singing in NY. A. Liebert
photo.
(5) Louise Harriers-Wippern
(Hildescheim: 28 Feb 1826 - Gröbersdorf (Schlesien): 5 Oct 1878). Soprano. She
studied with Franziska Cornet in Hannover and Carl Töpfer in Hamburg. She made
her debut (1857) at the Berlin Hofoper as Agathe (Der Freischütz), where
she was especially admired. From 1863-1865 she was seen at Her Majesty's Theatre
in London as Pamina, Amelia (Un Ballo), Leonora (Trovatore) and
Zerlina (Giovanni). She also appeared in Vienna. Illness (diphtheria)
prevented her from appearing in Italy. She was married to the architect, Eduard
Harriers. H. Lehmann & Co., Berlin, photograph.
(6) Giovanni Mario
[orig. Giovanni Matteo, Cavaliere di Candia] (17 Oct 1810 - 11 Dec 1883):
Italian tenor. Debut Paris Opéra (1838) Robert le Diable. Sang in London from
1839 to 1871 at various theaters. He originally eloped with a ballerina to
Paris in 1836. Then he married Giulia Grisi in 1844. Sang in the world
premiere of Don Pasquale (1843). First London Gennaro, Ernesto, Duke of
Mantua, John of Leyden, and Roméo. He was poverty stricken after his
retirement. Considered to have had one of the finest voices of the 19th
century. Photo by Negretti
and Zambra, Crystal Palace, London.
(7) Therese Tietjens [also Tietiens] (1831-
1877): German soprano (of Hungarian parents). She made her
debut (1848) as Erma in Le Macon in Hamburg. She was London's first
Amelia (un Ballo in Maschera), Marguerite (Faust), Leonora
(La Forza del Destino), Elena (Vêpres Siciliennes), Mireille, and
Medea. On 13 Apr 1858 Tietjens opened the season at Her Majesty's Theatre in
London as Valentin in Huguenots. The Queen, who was in attendance, said
"It was beautiful." Tietjen's appearances were a great success. By the late
1870s Tietjens, who in her later years often performed in pain, died of cancer
and was buried in London's Kensal Green Cemetery. Photographer unknown.
(8) Charles Caron
(baritone) made his debut at Le Peletier (22 Sep 1862) as the Count di Luna in
Trouvère(Il Trovatore). He was seen at the Palais Garnier in
many major baritone roles, and was the creator of Enguerrand (La Reine
Berthe), Thomas (La Vierge) and Maître Jean (Jeanne d'Arc).
He retired in 1886.
(9) William Muller (Hannover:
4 Feb 1845 - Hannover: 21 Jul 1905), German heldentenor. His father was a
shoemaker, and William initially made his trade as a roofer. He made his
operatic debut (1868) in Hannover in Méhul's Joseph. He spent the bulk of
his career in Hannover and Berlin. A Jul. Giere, Hannover, photograph.
(10) Marie Roze. Photographer: Elliot and Fry, London.
(11) Zélia Trebelli
[Gloria Caroline Gillebert or Le Bert] (Paris: 1834 - Etretat: 18 Aug 1892),
French mezzo-soprano. She studied with Wartel, and made her debut in Madrid
(1859) as Azucena. She was the first Metropolitan Opera Carmen (1884). She
married the tenor Alessandro Bettini. Note: The name Trebelli is nearly her
original name backwards. Photographer: Elliot and Fry, London.
(12) Pietro Mongini.
Italian tenor, first Radames. Mayall Photo, London. (bRome, 29 Oct 1839; dMilan,
27 April 1874).Italian
tenor. He started his career as a bass, but by 1853 was singing tenor
roles at Genoa. In 1855 he made his Paris début at the Théâtre Italien as
Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), and in 1857 sang at Reggio Emilia in the
first performance of Achille Peri’s Vittor Pisani and in Anna Bolena.
He first appeared at La Scala in 1858 as Arnold (Guillaume Tell), and
made his London début in 1859 as Elvino (La sonnambula) at Drury Lane,
where he also sang Henri in the first London performance of Les vêpres
siciliennes. In 1860 he sang Manrico at La Scala and Huon (Oberon)
at Her Majesty’s Theatre. He returned to London every year from 1862 to 1873,
singing either at Her Majesty’s, where his roles included Don Alvaro in the
first London performance of La forza del destino (1867), or at Covent
Garden, where he made his début as Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia (1868).
In 1871 he created Radames in Aida, at the Cairo Opera House. His
heroic voice was not used with much subtlety, but in such roles as Arnold,
Manrico and Don Alvaro the sheer brilliance of sound compensated for any lack
of artistry.
(13) Adelina Patti:
Spanish soprano (19 Feb 1843 - 27 Sep 1919): Was singing concerts at the age
of eight. Stage debut at 16 years old as Lucia in NY. Married three times:
Marquis de Caux, tenor Nicolini (Ernst Nicholas), and Swedish baron Cederström.
A Mayall Photo, London.
(14) Erminia Frezzolini.
Unknown. (bOrvieto,
27 March 1818; dParis, 5 Nov 1884).Italiansoprano. She studied
with her father, the bass Giuseppe Frezzolini, and made her début in 1837 in
Florence as Beatrice di Tenda. She appeared widely in Italy, notably at La
Scala, where she sang Lucrezia Borgia (1840) and created two Verdi roles:
Giselda in I Lombardi (1843) and the title role of Giovanna d’Arco
(1845), in which her husband, the tenor Antonio Poggi, sang Charles VII (she
had earlier had a stormy engagement to Otto Nicolai). She made her London
début at Her Majesty’s Theatre in 1842 and sang in North America in 1848, St
Petersburg in 1849 and Madrid in 1852–3. She then went to Paris, where in 1857
she sang Gilda and Leonora (Il trovatore) at the Théâtre Italien, both
first performances in France. In the 1860s she again sang in the USA.
Frezzolini was admired for her smooth and expressive legato singing (exploited
by Verdi in her preghiera in I Lombardi); but she was noted too
for her power and brilliance, in the modern manner, and she excelled in
dramatic roles.
(15) Regina Pacini. A Camacho
photograph, Lisbon. (bLisbon,
6 Jan 1871; dBuenos Aires, 18 Sept 1965).
Portuguesesoprano. She came
from a family of musicians, her father, José Pacini (who was also her first
teacher), being a well-known baritone and director of the S Carlos at Lisbon,
where Regina made her début in 1888 as the heroine of La sonnambula.
The following year she appeared in Milan and Palermo and in James Mapleson’s
last season at Her Majesty’s in London. She quickly became a favourite in
Spain, singing also in the 1890s in Russia, Poland and South America. In 1902
she reappeared in London, singing at Covent Garden with Caruso in L’elisir
d’amore and Lucia, and was praised by the Musical Times for
‘vocal agility such as this generation seldom hears’. She was again Caruso’s
partner at Monte Carlo in 1904, and in 1905 sang there in I puritani
and Il barbiere with Bonci. At the height of her career in 1907 she
retired and married Marcelo de Alvear (later president of Argentina), which
enabled her to exercise an influence on the musical life of the country. Her
recordings are rarely without some flaw of voice or style but she is
impressively fluent; the upper part of her voice is particularly lovely.
(16) Mathilde
Bauermeister. A W & D Downey photograph. (bHamburg, 1849; dHerne Bay,
Kent, 15 Oct 1926).German,
later British, mezzo-soprano.
She studied in London at the RAM and made her début in Dublin in 1866. She
first sang at Covent Garden in 1868, as Siébel in Faust, and returned
there every year until 1905. From 1891 to 1906 she was engaged at the
Metropolitan, making her début as Gertrude (Roméo et Juliette). Her
repertory of more than a hundred roles included Aennchen (Der Freischütz),
Magdalene (Die Meistersinger) and Mamma Lucia (Cavalleria rusticana).
She also sang many soprano roles and was capable of taking over major parts
such as Zerlina, Donna Elvira, Inès (L’Africaine) and Marguerite de
Valois (Les Huguenots) at short notice.
(17) Barbara (contralto)
and Carlotta (soprano) Marchisio in Semiramide.
Mile. Carlotta
Marchisio has spoken for herself in the concert-room. She appeared this year
in England for the first time. The sensation created by herself and her sister
in singing Rossini's duets cannot be soon effaced. Their worth, however, as
dramatic singers has yet to be established with us. It must not be forgotten
that Rossini's Semiramide was brought out expressly at the Grand Opéra of
Paris for the "Sisters," and was performed for many nights, according to the
press, with immense success. We English critics, nevertheless, are somewhat
chary of endorsing the opinions of continental scribes, for reasons not
necessary to be stated in this place. They are announced to make their first
appearance on Thursday, May 1st, in Semiramide, Mile. Carlotta as Semiramis,
and Mile. Barbara as Arsace. The
Musical World, 5 April 1862.
(18) German soprano, Therese
Vogl (nee Thoma) (Tutzing:
12 Nov 1845 - Munich: 29 Sept 1921).She made her debut (as Therese Thoma) (1865) at
Karlsruhe as Casilda in Auber’s La part du diable. Shortly thereafter
she was engaged at the Munich Hofoper, where she remained for 25 years. She
was married to the tenor Heinrich Vogl and in 1869 sang Isolde to her
husband’s Tristan. In 1870 she again sang with her husband in the world
premiere of Die Walküre. She was the first London Brünnhilde in the
complete Ring cycle. Friedrich Müller photograph, Munich.
(19) Colonel Mapelson.
(20) Franz Neidl
(Vienna: 17 Dec 1855 - Vienna: 17 Apr 1926). Bass-baritone. Studied with
Schmidt and Feistenberger in Vienna. Created the role of Albert in Werther
(1892).
