(1) French tenor Lucien Muratore (1878-1954) had designs on being an actor. However, on the advice of Emma Calvé, his talents were redirected toward opera. In 1902 he made his operatic debut opposite Calvé in the world premiere of Reynaldo Hahn's La Carmélite at the Opéra-Comique. His career quickly grew, and soon he mastered most of the principal tenor roles. Ultimately, however, his acting would be more frequently commended than his somewhat inconsistent voice. One friend noted, after hearing a recording of his voice, "He sounds like a Munchkin." Muratore was married for a time to the Italian soprano, Lina Cavalieri, as well as another prima donna, Marguerite Beriza. Seen here with Jean-François Delmas.
(2) Lucien Muratore.
(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), 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) Suzanne Mérentie: French mezzo-soprano. During the outbreak of WW I she appeared at the Théâtre Royal Francais d'Anvers.
(5) German soprano Ottilie Metzger-Lattermann (1878-1943) whose life ended tragically in the Auschwitz concentration camp, was an important German singer, graduating from early Rhine-maiden roles into the major Wagnerian parts.
(6) Maxim Mikhailov (25 Aug 1893 - 30 Mar 1971): Russian bass. Studied in Kazan. Concert tours during the 1920s. Debut (1932) as Zaretsky in Eugene Onegin. His roles included Gremin, Chub, Pimen, Khonchak, and Varlaam.
(7) Austrian soprano Anna von Mildenburg (1872-1947) made her debut (1897) in Hamburg. In that same year she made her first of many appearances at the Bayreuth Festivals. Her first contract (1897) with the Vienna Court Opera stipulated that her salary be 14,000 guilders per year. With that she was required to fulfill ten performances per month with no leave of absence other than theater vacations and a summer break. Although von Mildenburg was married to the poet and playwright Hermann Bahr, she was romantically linked to the married conductor Gustav Mahler with whom she often worked and who was largely responsible for building her career.
(8) Australian coloratura soprano Lalla Miranda (1874-1944) as Marguerite in Faust. She sang principally in France, Belgium, and Great Britain. She appeared at the Manhattan Opera where she opened the 1910 season as Lucia, a role for which she was noted, along with Gilda (Rigoletto), Olympia (Les Contes d'Hoffmann), and Lakmé. Photo by Henri Manuel, circa 1900.
(9) José Mojica: Mexican tenor (14 Apr 1896 - ?) seen here as Don José in Carmen: Debut (1919) at the Chicago Opera. Started out in small roles. Sang in the world premiere (1921) of The Love of Three Oranges. Often was partnered with Mary Garden. Remained at Chicago Opera until 1930. Never sang opera abroad. After 1930 he was seen in American and Spanish films. He came back to the Chicago Opera in 1940. When his mother died in 1943 he made a deathbed promise to join the priesthood. He entered a religious order and took his vows. He joined a mission in Peru. He made concert appearances after that for the benefit of his religious order. Later in life he went completely deaf.
(10) Fanny Moody (23 Nov 1866 - 21 Jul 1945): English soprano. Debut Liverpool (1887)as Arline in Bohemian Girl. Leading soprano with the Carl Rosa Company. She married Charles Manners in 1890 and they formed the Moody-Manners Company. She was the frst Tatyana in England (1892). She created the title role in Pizzi's Rosalba (1902) and Militza in McAlpin's The Cross and the Crescent (1903).
(11) Tennessee-born soprano Grace Moore (1901-1947) sang in concerts, musicals, and night clubs before making her opera debut (1928) at the Metropolitan Opera as Mimi. Although there were many who questioned her skills as an opera singer she nevertheless appeared for sixteen seasons at the Metropolitan with a fair number of performances as Tosca, Mimi, Louise, and Manon. No one questioned her ability to draw in audiences. Her charm and beauty led to a number of successful movies including One Night of Love. She died at the height of her career in an airplane crash.
(12) German soprano Berta Morena (1878-1952). As the story goes, the famous painter, von Lenbach, who was attracted to Morena's Rubensesque figure, helped launch her career. She made her debut (1898) as Agathe in Der Freischütz. She was regarded as a "fascinating" actress and an "intelligent" singer. She spent the majority of her career at the Munich Opera. She did appear at Covent Garden during the German Opera Season in 1914.
(13) Alexandr Mosin: Russian tenor.
(14) Soprano Evgeniya Mravina (1864-1914) studied with Pryanishnikov in Russia, Artôt in Berlin, and Mathilde Marchesi in Paris. She made her debut (1885) at Vittorio Veneto as Gilda (Rigoletto). This intelligent and highly regarded singer was a mainstay at the Mariinsky Theatre from 1886 to 1897. She created the roles of Oxana in Rimsky-Korsakov's Christmas Eve and Fornarina in Arensky's Rafael.
