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(1) Geraldine Farrar: American soprano (28 Feb
1882 - 11 Mar 1967): Debut Berlin (Hofoper) 1901 as Marguerite. Created Amica (Mascagni),
Goosegirl in Königskinder, Madame Sans-Gêne, Suor Angelica. Huge
Metropolitan Opera career. "Jerry-flappers." Seen here as Cherubino.
(2)
Edmée Favart: French soprano (1884-1940): A huge
operetta star throughout France. However, that didn't prevent her from singing
grand opera as well, appearing as Cherubino (Le Nozze), Rosenn (Le Roi
d'Ys), Macaela (Carmen), Mimi (La Boheme), and others such as
the first Opéra-Comique Despina (Cosi Fan Tutte) in 1920. She took refuse
in Marseilles during the war and died there.
(3)
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.
(4)
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.
(5) Swedish-American soprano
Olive Fremstad (1871-1951). She sang the title role in Salome in the
scandalous U.S. premiere of that work at the Metropolitan Opera in 1907. It was
subsequently banned from the repertory and did not reappear at that house until
1934.
(6) German baritone Fritz
Feinhals (11 Dec 1869 - 30 Aug 1940): Debut (1895) in Essen as
Silvio in Pagliacci. He continued to sing there until 1897. After one
season in Mainz he joined the Munich Royal Opera, where he remained until 1927.
He sang at the Paris Opera, Covent Garden, Vienna, Zurich, Brussels, Budapest,
Metropolitan Opera. In 1917 he sang in the world premiere of Palestrina
in Munich. Seen here as Don Giovanni.
(7)
German bass-baritone
Emil Fischer
(1838-1914) as
Hans Sachs in Meistersinger, his most famous role. He made his debut
(1857) in Graz as the Seneschal in Jean de Paris by Boieldieu. Fischer
broke his contract in Dresden (1885) in order to join the Metropolitan Opera
where he performed for seven seasons. His numerous U.S. premiere roles included,
Bombardon (Das Goldene Kreuz), Demon (Merlin), High Priest (Fernand
Cortez), Pedro (L'Africaine), Hans Sachs (Meistersinger), King
Mark (Tristan und Isolde), Wotan (Rheingold), Abul Hassan (Der
Barbier von Bagdad), Baron (Der Trompeter von Säkkingen),
Lysiart (Euryanythe), the Wanderer (Siegfried), and Hagen (Götterdämmerung).
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(8)
Belgian mezzo-soprano Marianne Flahaut (1876-?) studied piano and
singing at the Conservatoire in Liège. She then became the pupil of Désirée
Padilla in Paris. Flahaut made her debut (1898) at the Paris Opéra as Amneris
in Aida. Her other significant roles there were Fricka, Dalila, Erda
(Siegfried), and Azucena (Trovatore). She participated in the first
Paris Opéra performance (1899) of La Prise de Troie, which was a part
of Berlioz's massive five-act opera, Les Troyens. Because of its
length, the composer presented this massive five-act opera as two separate
works, La Prise de Troie and Les Troyens a Carthage. Flahaut
sang at the Metropolitan Opera from 1908-1911. Her Amneris was sung with a
stellar cast consisting of Emma Eames, Antonio Scotti, and Enrico Caruso. She
was also seen there as Lola (Cavalleria Rusticana), Maddalena (Rigoletto),
Azucena, Fricka and Waltraute (Die Walküre), and First Norn (Götterdämmerung).
(9) Czech soprano Bertha Foerster-Lauterer
(Prague: 11 Jan 1869 - Prague: 9 Apr 1936) as Carmen. She studied with Antonia
Pladková and Tauwitz in Prague. Debut at the National Theater (1888) as Agathe
in Der Freischütz. Married composer Joseph Bohuslav Foerster (1859 -
1951) in 1890. Appearances in Prague, Vienna (under the baton of Mahler),
Berlin, Hamburg, Munich. Gave up her career in 1914, living and teaching in Prague
thereafter.
(10) Bertha Foerster-Lauterer.
(11) Tenor Ejner Forchhammer as Siegfried.
(12) Tenor M. Forgeur in La Fiancée de
la Mer.
(13) French tenor Fernand Francell (Paris:
1880 - Paris: 1966). He studied at the National Conservatory in Paris and made
his operatic debut at the Opéra-Comique as Vincent in Mireille (1906).
He appeared at the Théâtre Gaîté Lyrique in Mignon (seen here) with
Jean Marié de l'Isle. His Paris Opéra debut came on 1 Apr 1919 in a gala
singing an except as Monsieur Balandard from Offenbach's Monsieur
Choufleuri. There too he sang Paco in the Paris premiere of La Vida
Breve (1913). After his retirement from stage he became a professor at the
Conservatory in Paris.
(14)
Claire Friché
as Carmen.
(15)
Claire Friché
(1875-1968) of the Opéra-Comique. She had a lyric voice with enough range to
encompass both the mezzo and soprano roles. She was in several premieres at
the Théâtre de la Monnaie and the Opéra-Comique, including the world premiere
of Toinette du Chemineau.
(16)
Czechoslovakian soprano
Zdenka Mottl-Fassbender
(1879-1954). She studied with Sophie Loewe-Destinn (as did her
compatriot Emmy Destinn). She made her debut (1899) in Karsruhe. She went on
to become a leading soprano in Munich. She married conductor and composer
Felix Mottl at his deathbed after he collapsed in Munich while conducting a
performance of Tristan und Isolde in 1911. Postcard published by Joseph
Paul Böhm, Munich, 1907. Seen here
as Venus.
(17)
San Francisco-born
Maude Fay (1878-1964)
was quite popular in Munich. On the recommendation of Johanna Gadski she went
to Dresden for study. Like many sopranos, she made her debut (1906) as
Marguerite in Faust (Munich Royal Opera). Her credentials included the
Munich premieres of Tosca (1908), Feuersnot, and Ariadne auf
Naxos. At the outbreak of World War I she remained in Germany doing Red
Cross work but returned to America in 1916 to make her Metropolitan Opera
debut as Sieglinde (Die Walküre). She also appeared in Chicago and San
Francisco. Seen here in Le Nozze
di Figaro.
(18) American soprano Rita Fornia [orig.
Regina Newman] (1878-1922). She studied with Sofia Scalchi, Emil Fischer, and
Jean de Reszke, among others. She made her debut (1901) at the Hamburg Opera
as Eudoxia in La Juive. She spent fifteen seasons (1907-22) at the
Metropolitan Opera, where she sang both soprano and contralto roles. Fornia
sang secondary roles in the world premieres of Madame Sans-Gêne (1915)
and Suor Angelica (1918). She died in Paris while visiting her sister.
Seen here as Leonora (Il Trovatore).
(19)
Swedish baritone
John Forsell
(1868-1941) in
his celebrated role of Don Giovanni. He made his debut (1896) in Stockholm as
Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. During the 1909-1910 season he was
seen at the Metropolitan Opera. From 1923 through 1939 he held an
administrative position at the Stockholm Opera.
(20) Austrian
coloratura soprano, Hedwig [Hedi] Francillo-Kaufmann (Vienna: 20 [30]
Sep 1878 - Rio de Janeiro: 5 Apr 1948). She made her debut (1898) in Stettin.
She sang successfully at the Munich Royal Opera, Berlin Imperial Opera,
Komische Oper, Vienna Imperial Opera, Hamburg Opera, and in Wiesbaden.
After World War II she married a Brazilian and emigrated to South America.
Seen here as Lakmé.
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