"One by one the old landmarks in Washington are
passing away. Recently the historical photograph gallery
[352 Pennsylvania Ave], run
for years by Matthew B. Brady, the man who daguerreotyped Mrs. Alexander
Hamilton, Miss Madison, General Jackson, Edgar Allen Poe … was converted into a
billiard parlor. Business has been bad for Brady for some time. Younger and more
enterprising photographers have practically driven him out of the field, and now
his famous gallery is a thing of the past. Brady was born 1823 in Warren County,
NY. When a young man William page, the artist who painted Page’s ‘Venus,’ took
an interest in him and gave him some crayons to copy…. In 1842 Brady had a
studio on the corner of Broadway and Fulton Street. Here he remained for fifteen
years until the verge of the civil war when he opened a gallery in Washington.
The old man tells me that from the first he regarded himself as under
obligations to his country to preserve the faces of its historic men and women….
Brady delights to talk of his experiences and is to-day one of the most
interesting characters of the capital. His series of war pictures brought him
into contact with military men from all over the country and made him famous." 19 March 1894
(1) Twin sister
act Bessie and Jessie Pickens. In 1894 the sisters sang duets in
vaudeville houses and small theaters. They had their first hit when they
appeared in 1492 with Edward Rice’s company. They also accompanied
themselves on the mandolin and guitar. In 1897 Bessie, now Bessie Abott
[Abbott]
(9 Dec 1878: Riverside, NY - 9 Feb 1919: New York, NY), struck out on her own
and became an operetta singer. She was heard by Jean de Reszke, who encouraged
her to pursue opera. After studies with Capoul, Bouhy, and Mathilde Marchesi she
made her debut (1901) as Juliette at the Paris Opéra. She spoke about that first
performance to reporters in December of 1901:
“I sang in the
hall for the authorities of the Opéra in July [1901], and after that I did not
think I would ever get a chance to sing there. A few weeks after, however, M.
Capoul wrote me that M. Gailhard wanted to see me. Upon entering the directorial
room M. Gailhard told me to study the part of Juliet with M. Koenig. Mme. Ackte
fell ill and suddenly I took her place. I took a lesson of M. Gailhard every day
for three weeks. He went over and over the difficult parts with me. He was a
great lyric artist himself before he took the direction of the Opera. He took
such an interest in me that the day before the debut he had me take my hair down
to see if it was becoming, and directed the making up of my face for the evening
of the debut.
“I was
surprised when the waltz was encored. I did not know what to do. I looked in the
directorial box and M. Gailhard, nodding a consent, I did it over again.”
A reviewer
said, “Her voice easily and finely carried the high notes of the role, but it is
rather weak in the middle register. Miss Abbott wisely makes no use of trills,
for which her teachers should receive a vote of thanks. The young American acted
well, but the critics say she displayed no ‘sacred fire.’ Her French
pronunciation received much commendation."
In 1906 Abott
made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimi in La Bohème. This is a Schloss
of New York photograph.
(2) Italian tenor Pasquale Brignoli
(Naples: 1824 - New York: 30 Oct 1884) in a Brady, NY photo. He came to the United States (1855) with
the Czech impresario, Maurice Strakosch (who was married to Carlotta Patti), who
brought over a number of fine singers. Brignoli made three trips back to Europe;
but this country became his adopted home. Many American newspapers wrote that he
was the finest tenor on stage during his tenure.
In 1879 Brignoli was engaged by
Colonel Mapleson and set sail for England but not before a divorce decree from
Sallie J. Brignoli, his wife, was delivered to him. His public indifference to
his marriage did not affect his social and professional popularity. His singing
won great praise from audiences:
"He is, even at his present
age, a singularly light hearted, easy going personage, who takes nothing very
seriously and is content with almost everything that fate has in store for him.
His voice, in his prime, would, as somebody said ... 'charm a bird from a tree,'
and though time has affected it somewhat, it has, after all, dealt very kindly
with him and it.... His method of singing is of the purest Italian school, and
that school has not in modern times had a more complete justification than in
the power of this eminent tenor over the emotions of an audience. His
gracefulness of style and perfect control of his voice have always been in the
most striking contrast with the clumsiness and awkwardness of his appearance. He
swaggers and lounges on to a stage with all the impetus and swing of a lame
elephant, and takes his stand before the footlights with the most refreshing
indifference to pose, but when he opens his mouth to sing, all this is
forgotten, and becomes a mere mannerism."
Brignoli had been ailing for
some time and he died in relative poverty even though rumors swirled that he had
considerable wealth tucked away. He died alone but his funeral and mass were
well-attended. The mass for Brignoli was held at St. Agnes' Church in New York,
where Clara Louise Kellogg sang, "The Last Greeting" during the service.
Walt Whitman, who was a fan of the tenor (and Italian singing in general) wrote
a poem, "The Dead Tenor" (1884) in his honor.
His former wife (Isabella
McCullough), incidentally,
predeceased him by four years in spite of being considerably younger. There were
alleged wrongdoing on the part of both and she lived quite unhappily following
the very public divorce. She had great potential as a singer but Brignoli
thought that only one person in the marriage should pursue an operatic career.
After the divorce she was resolved to sustain herself by singing in churches
with all hopes of a fine career of her own --- dashed.
(3) Charles
R. Adams (9 Feb 1834: Charlestown, MA
- 4 Jul 1900: West Harwich, MA).
Americantenor. He studied
singing in Boston. He studied in Vienna with Carlo Barbieri. He was engaged by
the Berlin Royal Opera and the Vienna Imperial Opera. He also sang at La Scala
and Covent Garden. In 1877 he returned to the USA and during the 1877–8 season
sang the title role in the first American production of Wagner's Rienzi.
He was well known for his Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Manrico and Rienzi. From 1879
he lived in Boston as a successful singing teacher; Melba, Eames and
Madame Charles Cahier
were among his pupils. A Rocher (Chicago) photograph.
(4) Constance
Nantier-Didiée [orig. Constance Betsy Rosabella] (16 Nov 1831 - 4 Dec
1867): French mezzo-soprano. Studied in Paris with Duprez. Debut Turin (1849
or 50) as Giulia in Mercadante's La vestale. First Covent Garden Maddalena (Rigoletto), Ascanio (Cellini), Ulri, and Siebel.
Paris, St. Petersburg (where she created Preziosilla), Madrid (where she
died). Silssee, Case & Co. Boston, photo.
(5) Annie Louise Cary
(22 Oct 1841 - 3 Apr 1921): American mezzo. Debut Copenhagen 1868, Azucena.
Stockholm, Hamburg, St. Petersburg, London (as Louise Cari). Sang Amneris in
first USA Aida. Also the first American-born woman to sing a Wagner role
(Ortrud: 1877). Serious vocal trouble resulted in her retirement in 1881. H. Rocher, Chicago.
(6)
Tennessee-born soprano Alice Nielsen
(1876-1943) had success in both grand opera and operetta. She began in
operetta, singing with the Tivoli Opera Company in San Francisco, and with the
Bostonians. Her grand opera debut (1903) took place at the Bellini Theatre in
Naples as Marguerite in Faust. She also appeared at the Teatro San
Carlo in that same city. At Covent Garden in London she was seen opposite
Caruso and Scotti in La Bohème (Mimi). Once back in American she toured
with Russell's San Carlo Company. She arrived in New York in 1909 and made her
Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimi. Her one appearance as Rosina (Barbiere
di Siviglia) was as Frieda Hempel's
replacement in 1915. Seen here in My Favorite. A Rose and
Sands photograph.
A divorce was granted in Kansas City, Mo., to Benjamin
Nentwig from his wife, who is known on the stage as Alice Nielsen, the prima
donna of the Bostonians, upon the ground of desertion. Brooklyn
Eagle, 1 Feb 1898.
(7)
Zélie De Lussan: American (Brooklyn) mezzo-soprano (1861 - 18 Dec
1949):Concert debut at 16 in the Academy of Music (NY). Stage debut 1884 in
Boston with the Boston Ideal Opera Company, 1885. Great success at Covent Garden
(1895 - 1902). She sang Anne in the first American performance of Falstaff
(Met Opera: 4 Feb 1895). Married pianist Angelo Fronani. She made rare Victor
records. This is a Conly (Boston) image.
(8) Clara Louise Kellogg
(Sumterville, SC: 12 Jul 1842 - New Haven, CT: 13 May 1916). American soprano
and impresario. She made her debut at the NY Academy of Music (27 Feb 1861) as
Gilda (Rigoletto). She was the first New York Marguerite (Faust)
(25 Nov 1863). London debut (2 Nov 1867) as Marguerite at Her Majesty's
Theatre. In 1872 she formed an opera company with Pauline Lucca and then
formed her own, the English Opera Company. She retired in 1887. A Case and
Getchell, Boston, photograph.
(9) Clara Louise Kellogg. Photograph
published by Charles D. Fredricks & Co., New York.
(10) Clara Louise Kellogg,
a Murray (New York and Boston) photograph.
(11)
Alwina Valleria [orig. Schoening] (Baltimre: 12 Oct 1848 - Nice: 17 Feb 1925). American
soprano. Debut St. Petersburg (1891) in Linda di Chamounix. The first
London Micaëla, and the first to sing Elisabeth (Tannhäuser) in English
in London. Created the title role in Goring Thomas's Nadeshda (1885). She
was on the London marriage registry in 1879 under the name, Alwina Valleria
Schoening. Her married name was Lohman. She was seen (and heard) in Brooklyn
between 1879 and 1881 where she performed with Galassi and Anna Louise Cary. This is a Scholl (Philadelphia) photograph.
(12) Emma [Cecelia] Thursby:
Noted American (Brooklyn: 1845 - 1931) concert artist. Studied with Erminia
Rudersdorff and Maurice Strakosch. Her first concert appearance was at the
Old Bushwick Reformed Winter Church, to which her family belonged. Teacher of
Geraldine Farrar. In 1924 she suffered what was likely a stoke that left her
paralyzed on her left side. An A Bogardus, NY photograph.
(13) Giuseppe Del Puente
(Naples: 30 Jan 1841 - Philadelphia: 25 May 1900), Italian baritone. He first
studied with the cello at the Naples Conservatory. He made his debut at Iasi,
Romania. Early in his career he appeared in Naples (at the Teatro San Carlo),
Spain (1870), Rome (1873: Teatro Argentina), London (1873: Drury Lane), Parma (Teatro
Regio) and La Scala (1875). In 1878 he appeared at the New York Academy of Music
(another source has him making an appearance there in 1874). In 1883 he sang
Valentin in Faust in the first ever performance at the Metropolitan
Opera. Del Puente had a son, Joseph, who was also a baritone but his career
was brief. Photographer: Rocher, Chicago.
(14) A rare signed Morrison
(Chicago) cabinet card of New York-born soprano Ellen Beach Yaw
(1869-1947) who was practically booed off the stage of the Metropolitan Opera
after she failed to live up to the highly touted billing, "[Yaw] can sing them
[the notes] better than any living soprano now before the public." Yaw managed
only one dismal Lucia at the Metropolitan (21 Mar 1908). However, despite her
failures on the big stage, Yaw had a legitimate following:
"London is
discussing the musical attainments of Ellen Beach Yaw, the American soprano….
A throat specialist, who has examined Miss Yaw’s larynx, said her vocal chords
were the finest he had ever seen or heard of and were capable of twenty-seven
full notes. A scientist explained this extraordinary altitude by stating that
the unusual length of neck allowed for it, and that Miss Yaw’s
something-with-a-long-name―which means the true vocal chord―made 2,048
vibrations per second. This information was all very delightful, but it did
not settle the moot question whether Miss Yaw’s top note was the highest on
record. At length a happy thought struck one man. He would solve the problem
by consulting the Encyclopedia Britannica and we bound ourselves to abide by
his decision. From this authority we found that the greatest vocal compass in
history is that once possessed by an eighteen century soprano, Lucrezia
Ajugari, whose range was from A below the staff to D in altissimo―two notes
less than the Buffalo girl. Miss Yaw’s champions were naturally hugely
delighted that the victory remained with the new star."25 Mar 1900.
(15) Felicita
Vestvali (1824 - 1880)From 1855 through 1867, Felicita Vestvali was a familiar New
York opera star who specialized in singing contralto "trouser roles." She
debuted in New York as Romeo in Bellini's I Capuleti ed i Montecchi, played Maffeo Orsini in
Lucrezia Borgia, and in 1864 sang Orfeo in the first New York
performance of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. After her return to Europe, Vestvali left opera for a stage career, and often appeared as Hamlet. New York
photographers C. D. Fredricks and Jeremiah Gurney both photographed her in
elaborate costumes. Brady's portrait, a double-sided ambrotype made around the
time of her New York debut, portrays Vestvali as she appeared offstage.
Vestvali was well known as a lesbian. Here, her severe
hairstyle creates a distinctively androgynous image. Photograph by Charles D. Fredricks & Co.
(16) Emma Abbott:
American soprano (9 Dec 1850 - 5 Jan 1891): Debut London CG (1876) as Marie (La
Fille du régiment). Married Eugene Wetherell (1875) and co-founded with him
the Emma Abbott English Grand Opera Company. A cabinet card out of San
Francisco.
(17) Emma Abbott. Seen here as Linda. Tomlinson,
Detroit.
(18) Clotilde Bressler-Gianoli (Geneva: 3 Jun
1875 0 Geneva: 12 May 1912): Swiss mezzo, pianist. Manhattan Opera Company. A
Mishkin Studio photograph. Seen here as Carmen.
(19) Annie Louise Cary.
Thomas Houseworth image, San Francisco.
(20) Annie Louise Cary.
Thomas Houseworth image, San Francisco.
