19TH CENTURY OPERA SINGERS

ERNESTINA GINDELE 1841 - ?? Austrian Mezzo Soprano She had studied at H.Proch in Vienna, debuted in 1863 at the Theater of Pressburg (Bratislava) and was engaged in the following year, 1864, the Court Theatre of Braunschweig. After a successful guest appearance at the Vienna Court Opera in 1867 she came to this opera house and remained its member until 1875 She subsequently appeared only gas tierend on, among other things, in 1876 at the Covent Garden Opera in London as Amneris 'Aida'. From their repertoire are such roles as Azucena in "Il Trovatore ', which Ulrica in Verdi's' Ballo in maschera ', the Orsini in Donizetti's' Lucrezia Borgia ', the Pierotto in' Linda di Chamounix 'by the same master and the woman in the kingdom' highlight Merry Wives of Windsor 'by Nicolai.

HANS VON ROKITANSKY (8 March 1835 – 2 November 1909) Austrian operatic bass Sang for three decades at the Vienna Hofoper (now Vienna State Opera) and in concerts and operas throughout Europe between 1856 and 1877. He performed a wide repertoire that encompassed French grand opera, Italian bel canto opera, the German operas of Richard Wagner, and the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He possessed a deep resonant voice which remained clear until the very end of his career when his intonation began to suffer somewhat. After retiring from the stage in 1893, he became a much celebrated singing teacher at the Vienna Conservatory and many of his pupils went on to have highly successful opera careers.

AUGUST EGON HABLAWETZ 1833-1892 German Bass He first learned the profession of a book printer and was beschäftugt as a typesetter in the Imperial Hofdruckerei in Vienna. He arrived in 1852 as apprentice to the Viennese theater in the Leopoldstadt and completed during this time his further education. In 1857 he began his solo career as the first bass player at the State Theatre of Linz (Danube). He then sang at the Opera House of Lwów (Lviv) and the Municipal Theatre of Basel. In the years after 1860, he took great concert tours in Germany and in Austria. 1862-64 he was engaged as a singer and as an actor at the Court Theatre of Dresden. 1870-92 he worked at the Vienna Court Opera, where he played a variety of games from the reputable as Buffo the tray. In addition to his appearance on the stage he developed, especially in Vienna, an intense concert activity

Ilma de Murska as Ophelia "Hamlet" Thomas ILMA DE MURSKA ( Ema Pukšec ) (February 6, 1834 – January 14, 1889), Croatian soprano de Murska was a coloratura soprano with a range of three octaves. Her career as Ilma de Murska started in 1862 in Florence, Italy as Lady Harriet in Friedrich von Flotow's Martha. Some sources claim she debuted as Marguerite de Valois in Les Huguenots. Her tour of Europe followed by performing in Budapest, Spain and Italy. After a string of 42 successful performances she went to Vienna as a guest artist and sang on August 16, 1864 in Verdi's Il Trovatore. Her period in Vienna closed on August 10, 1873 in a farewell performance, in which she played Ophelia in the very first performance of Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet at the Vienna Court Opera. Her most noted roles included the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute and Lucia di Lammermoor. She also sang the roles of Dinorah and Isabella in Robert le Diable London appearances were from 1865 until after 1873 and were generally in connection with James Henry Mapleson's company. She made her London debut as Lucia di Lammermoor at Her Majesty's Theatre. Her appearance as Queen of the Night in 1865 was a great success In 1866 she sang Meyerbeer's Dinorah. That autumn she played Ophelia in Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet, with Charles Santley and Karl Formes, in London and on tour. In 1871 she was Isabella for Ernesto Nicolini's English debut, in Robert le Diable She also took part in Mapleson's tours in Dublin between 1872 and 1876 . After leaving Vienna in 1873, she performed in Hamburg, Berlin and Paris. In 1873-74, she toured United States. She also toured Russia, Australia and New Zealand, and for a period of time she lectured at the music conservatory in New York City.

Marie Sasse as Selika ''L'Africane" Meyerbeer CREATOR ROLE MARIE CONSTANCE SASSE . -Belgian soprano (Ghent, 26 January 1834 - 75016.Paris, November 07, 1907).Debut on 01 October 1859, at the Théâtre-Lyrique, 03 August 1860 at the Opera ROBERT LE DIABLE by Meyerbeer (Alice). She sang LA JUIVE by Halévy (Rachel); Verdi IL TROVATORE (Leonora). VESPERS Sicilian Verdi (Helene); THE Queen of Sheba by Gounod (Queen); DON JUAN de Mozart (Elvira, Donna Anna); THE HUGUENOTS (Valentine); HAMLET (Ophelia, 1872). She participated in the first 13 March 1861 Tannhäuser (Elisabeth) Wagner. She created April 28, 1865 L'AFRICAINE (Selika) of Meyerbeer; on March 11, 1867 DON CARLOS (Elisabeth de Valois) for Verdi. She left the Opera in 1872. She has sung under the names of Sax, Saxe, Sass-Castelmary and under his own name.

CROSTI Eugène Charles Antoine. — (Paris, 31 octobre 1833-1908). French Bass He completed his vocal studies at the Conservatoire National Paris and debuted after its completion in 1857 immediately at the Opéra-Comique in the title role of the opera 'La Joconde' of Isouard. He worked there including in the premieres of the operas 'Le Capitaine Henriot' of Fr A.Gevaert (12/29/1864) and 'Zilda' by F. von Flotow (05/28/1866) with. Until 1868 he remained active in this opera house and went out after a few guest appearances in 1869 at the Opera of Bordeaux, in which he appeared until 1877. He then settled in Paris and took from there guest performances; He was appointed as a teacher at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he worked until 1903 bölieb. Here he was, inter alia, the teacher of the tenors Henri Jérôme, Léon Escalaïs and Etienne Gilbert. In addition, he was also active as a translator of Italian opera libretti in French. His major roles included the Girot in 'Le Pré aux clerks' from Herold, of Mercutio in Gounod's 'Roméo et Juliette', the Alphonse in La Favorite 'by Donizetti, the Enrico in "Lucia di Lammermoor', the Rigoletto, the Lusignan in 'La Reine de Chypre' of Halévy, the Bellamy in 'Les dragons de Villars' of Maillart, the Germont père-in 'La Traviata' and Sganarelle in 'Le médecin malgré lui' by Gounod.

MARIANNE BRANDT (Marie Bischof ) (12 September 1842 – 9 July 1921) Austrian Contralto Educated at the music conservatory in that city, then studied with Pauline Viardot-García.[1] She first attracted attention on stage in 1867 as Recha in La Juive and soon afterward accepted an engagement at the Graz opera. From 1868 to 1886, she was associated with the Royal Opera in Berlin. Brandt travelled to New York during the 1880s, where she sang for several seasons (1884–1888) the principal contralto rôles at the Metropolitan Opera House under Anton Seidl's baton. Two other leading Germanic singers, the soprano Lilli Lehmann and the bass-baritone Emil Fischer, were performing at the Met at the same time as Brandt. Her associate artist for her 1887 tour was the pianist Carl Lachmund. She returned to Vienna in 1890, working as a singing teacher and in concert performances. She died in 1921, aged 78, in Vienna and was buried in the Hadersdorf-Weidlingau cemetery in Penzing. Gifted with a rich contralto/mezzo-soprano voice of extraordinary compass and possessing exceptional histrionic[2] gifts, Brandt was regarded, in her prime, as being one of the greatest German operatic vocalists of the 19th century. As an admirable interpreter of Wagnerian rôles, she contributed largely to the success of the Bayreuth music festivals in 1876 and 1882. In 1890 she took up residence in Vienna as a vocal teacher. One of her pupils was Edyth Walker

CARLOTTA PATTI ( 1840 – 27 June 1889) operatic soprano Sister to famed soprano Adelina Patti. . Born into a musical family, Patti studied the piano in her youth before following her younger sister's inclination toward singing. As a child, Carlotta developed a handicap which caused a noticeable limp in her walk. Due to this condition she mostly avoided operatic performances and preferred to sing on the concert stage. While not able to achieve her sister's level of acclaim, Carlotta nonetheless received top billing in concerts in the United States of America, Great Britain, and Australia. She was known for her extensive vocal range, reportedly being able to reach a G sharp in altissimo.[4] She often sang songs such as Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen that highlighted this extensive range. Carlotta Patti died of cancer in Paris on 27 June 1889.

ETELKA GERSTER (25 June 1855, Košice – 20 August 1920, Pontecchio) Hungarian Soprano Studied on the recommendation of the composer Hellmesberger at the Vienna Conservatory at the famous Mathilde Marchesi de Castrone. The composer Verdi heard her in 1875 in the house of her teacher at the presentation of an aria from his opera 'La Traviata' and recommended it to the Teatro Fenice Venice. There she began her great career in 1876, by Gilda in 'Rigoletto' as recited debut role. 1876-77 had her first successes in Marseille and Genoa. 1877 she was staying with an Italian opera company in Berlin, her sister, the soprano Bertha Krause-Gerster (* 1852? April 1885 Paris), was a member at the Kroll Opera .. She married the impresario Carlo Gardini (1833-1910),In 1877 she came to London and was at Her Majesty's Theatre as Amina in Bellini's 'La Sonnambula and was' very successful, so came in the following years to Her Majesty's near the end of her career in 1890 she was at the Covent Garden Opera . In the years 1878-87 she was mainly in North America, and indeed after 1878, she sang at the Mapleson Opera Company with which they undertook extensive concert tours through the United States. In 1878 she toured with this company at the Academy of Music in New York and had in her inaugural role of Amina in 'La Sonnambula', and then the Queen of the Night in the Magic Flute . In 1889 she moved to Berlin and opened a singing school, which met with general approval, and where she taught until 1917 there. She was the teacher of Lula Mysz Gmeiner, Clara Butt and Julia Culp.. In 1918 she retired to her villa in Pontecchio near Bologna .

PAULINE LUCCA (April 25, 1841-February 28, 1908) Austrian Soprano She made her debut as a soloist in 1859 at the Theatre of Olomouc (Olomouc) in the role of Elvira in Verdi's "Ernani". 1860 she sang in Prague the Valentine in the "Huguenots" by Meyerbeer and Norma by Bellini. Berlin Court Opera in the world premiere of the opera "The Star of Turan" by Richard Würst in the lead role with. In 1863 she appeared at the Covent Garden Opera London, where she worked as Valentine in the "Huguenots" ,1865 in the London premiere of Meyerbeer's "Africaine" the Selika sang. In 1865 she appeared in Hannover and Hamburg. 1868-69 she undertook a tour of Russia, 1872 in Paris. 1872-74 North American tour there on the stage and in the concert hall the same success as in Europe. Returning to Europe, she followed in 1874 a professorship at the Vienna Court Opera. She guested on the German stage, in Brussels (1876), in St. Petersburg and Moscow (1877), in Madrid (1878) and again in the 1882-84 Covent Garden London.

LILLIAN NORDICA ( Lillian Allen Norton ) (December 12, 1857 – May 10, 1914) American Soprano Education by John O'Neill at the New England Conservatory Boston. 1874, she sang the soprano solo in the "Messiah" and then gave concerts with the Handel and Haydn Society under Theodore Thomas. 1877-78 she toured with an opera troupe North America, England and other European countries. She then studied at Sangiovanni in Milan and made his debut in 1879 at the Teatro Manzoni in Milan as Donna Elvira in "Don Giovanni". At their debut in Italy it took the name Lillian Nordica. In the same year she had spectacular successes in Brescia as Traviata. 1880 she sang in St. Petersburg Philina in "Mignon" of A.Thomas, Queen Marguerite de Valois in the "Huguenots" by Meyerbeer and Amelia in Verdi's "Ballo in Maschera". Then traveled to Germany; 1882 there was a glamorous appearance at the Paris Grand Opera, where she was celebrated as Marguerite in "Faust" by Gounod and as Ophélie in "Hamlet" by A.Thomas (both games they had studied with the composer). 1883 she sang as a starting role at the New York Academy of Music (with the Mapleson Opera Company), the Marguerite in "Faust". 1883 . In 1887 she made her debut at Covent Garden Opera House London, as Traviata; In 1889 she sang her first Wagner role, the Elsa in "Lohengrin". At Covent Garden Opera she was heard as Lucia di Lammermoor, Aida, Donna Anna, as Isolde and Brünnhilde. In 1893 she created for the London Zelika in "The Veiled Prophet" by Stanford. 1887-88 she was at the Kroll Opera in Berlin as a guest, 1888-89 they traveled through the Henry Abbey Company North America. 1894 she sang the first American woman at the Festival of Bayreuth Elsa in "Lohengrin". In 1894 they made an extensive tour through Germany. In 1896 she married the Hungarian baritone Zoltan domes (1869-1933), but from which they separated again. (Likewise failed a third, in 1909 contracted marriage with the Londonmer banker George W.Young). Further appearances at the Court Opera in Munich (1901, 1903) and Berlin (1911 as Isolde) and at the Opera of Monte Carlo (1891). At the Metropolitan Opera New York, she sang in years 1891-1910 in eleven seasons 19 games in 194 performances (plus 180 performances during the annual tour across the USA). Your first role at the Metropolitan Opera was in December 1891, the Valentine in the "Huguenots" by Meyerbeer. Prior to her involvement in this house they had there 1888-89 guest appearances with the ensemble of Henry Abbey Company as Aida and as Leonora in "Il Trovatore". She sang at the Metropolitan Opera Isolde in "Tristan", Brünnhilde in the operas of the Nibelungen ring, Venus in "Tannhauser", the Elsa in "Lohengrin", Kundry in "Parsifal", the Aida, Traviata, Leonora in the "Troubadour", the Marguerite in "Faust" by Gounod, as in "La damnation de Faust" by Berlioz, the Selika in Meyerbeer's "Africaine", the Donna Anna as Donna Elvira in "Don Giovanni", the Philina in "Mignon "and the Gioconda. In 1907 she toured the Manhattan Opera House New York, 1909 in the opening performance of the Opera of Boston in the title role in "La Gioconda" by Ponchielli. In 1910 she appeared at the Paris Grand Opéra as Isolde. In 1913 she entered the last time the stage, and although at the Opera of Boston. She gave a 1913 concert at New York's Carnegie Hall, ushering in a farewell tour around the world. This led to the shipwreck of the "Taskin," on which they traveled, in New Guinea. They caught a pneumonia and was taken to a makeshift Australian Hospital. She left this in April 1914, to undergo in Batavia improved medical treatment, but died soon after their arrival.

ALEKSANDER SMIRNOFF 1870-1942 Russian Baritone

Lily Post as Juliette 'Romeo et Juliette" Gounod LILY POST 1857-1899 American Soprano San Francisco Call 3 April 1899 LILY POST NEAR TO DEATH. The Popular Opera Singer Is Not Expected to Live. Lily Post, the well-known and popular opera singer, who was taken to the Receiving Hospital a few days ago by her friends to be examined for insanity, has steadily grown worse, notwithstanding the excellent care she has received. When it was declared that her mind was shattered her husband undertook to remove her to a private asylum, but her condition was such as to prevent him from so doing, and she has since remained at the city Institution. Late last night It was reported that the unfortunate young woman was failing rapidly and that her malady had progressed to such a stage that there Is little hope of her recovery. ] Her husband and mother have been at her bedside since the day of her misfortune and all that good nursing and medical skill could do has been done to save her life. The passing of this jolly, sweet-voiced footllgnt favorite would be sincerely regretted by her many friends, not only here, but throughout the country, and the crisis In her case will be awaited with genuine concern.

Clara Louise Kellogg as Aida in 'Aida" Verdi CLARA LOUISE KELLOGG (July 9, 1842 – May 13, 1916) was an American soprano She completed her studies in New York and was there in 1861 at the Academy of Music with her debut as Gilda in "Rigoletto" already their first success. She sang at the same opera house on 11/26/1863 then the Marguerite in the New York premiere of Gounod's "Faust". In 1863 she appeared as a guest on Her Majesty's Theatre in London. She attracted here as Traviata, Linda di Chamounix as in the opera of the same name by Donizetti, as Zerlina in "Don Giovanni" and Martha as large in the famous opera by Flotow sensation. The composer Luigi Arditi wrote for them the "Kellogg-Waltz", a coloratura bravura aria she lectured in the finale of the opera "Linda di Chamounix" as a deposit. 1868-72 she undertook extensive tours in the United States. 1872 was then played again in London as a guest. 1872 she founded along with great Prima Donna Pauline Lucca Lucca the Kellogg Opera Company, but only temporarily had stock. 1873-76 she was Director of the English Opera Company, with which she took great guest tours through the North American continent. These troops deployed such activity, that they hosted 125 performances during a Stagione, in which Clara Louis Kellogg occurred again and again as a singer. 1877 she joined the opera troupe Tre Grazie, which the impresario Carl Rosa undertook a tour through the United States. 1879, she appeared again at the Her Majesty's Theatre in London, now admired above all as Aida and as Philina in the opera "Mignon" of A.Thomas. In 1880 she appeared in Vienna in 1881 at the Court Opera of St. Petersburg. In 1887 she took the stage farewell, when she married her manager Carl Strakosch

Etelka Gerster as Margeurite 'Faust" Gonoud ETELKA GERSTER (25 June 1855, Košice – 20 August 1920, Pontecchio) Hungarian Soprano Studied on the recommendation of the composer Hellmesberger at the Vienna Conservatory at the famous Mathilde Marchesi de Castrone. The composer Verdi heard her in 1875 in the house of her teacher at the presentation of an aria from his opera 'La Traviata' and recommended it to the Teatro Fenice Venice. There she began her great career in 1876, by Gilda in 'Rigoletto' as recited debut role. 1876-77 had her first successes in Marseille and Genoa. 1877 she was staying with an Italian opera company in Berlin, her sister, the soprano Bertha Krause-Gerster (* 1852? April 1885 Paris), was a member at the Kroll Opera .. She married the impresario Carlo Gardini (1833-1910),In 1877 she came to London and was at Her Majesty's Theatre as Amina in Bellini's 'La Sonnambula and was' very successful, so came in the following years to Her Majesty's near the end of her career in 1890 she was at the Covent Garden Opera . In the years 1878-87 she was mainly in North America, and indeed after 1878, she sang at the Mapleson Opera Company with which they undertook extensive concert tours through the United States. In 1878 she toured with this company at the Academy of Music in New York and had in her inaugural role of Amina in 'La Sonnambula', and then the Queen of the Night in the Magic Flute . In 1889 she moved to Berlin and opened a singing school, which met with general approval, and where she taught until 1917 there. She was the teacher of Lula Mysz Gmeiner, Clara Butt and Julia Culp.. In 1918 she retired to her villa in Pontecchio near Bologna .

JEAN-LOUIS LASALLE -Baritone (.Lyon, December 10, 1845 or 14 February 1847 - September 07, 1909). Father of Robert Lassalle tenor. Student at Paris Concervatoire and later a pupil of Novelli.He made his first appearance on stage as St Bris in "Les Huguenot's" at Liege in 1868. During the next 4 years he sang at Lille , Toulouse , Brussels and the Hague . Debuted at the Opera on 09 June 1872 , as Nelusko "L'Africane". There he took part in many world premieres as Scindia in Massenet's "La Roi De Lahore" 1877 , Severe in Gounod's "Polyeucte" 1878 ,Ben Said in Gounod's "Le Tribute de Zamora ' 1880 ,Malatesta in Thomas's 'Francoise de Rimini" 1880 , and in 1183 the title role of Saint Saens "Henry VIII". He sang at Covent Garden 1879 , 1880 and 1881 and again between 1883-1891.In 1891 he made his Metropolitan Debut as Nelusko in Meyerbeer's "L'Africane". He sang Carmen (Escamillo) at the Opéra-Comique on December 11, 1890, for the erection of the monument to the memory of Bizet.

MILA RODANI 1851-1888 German Soprano She was the adopted daughter of the actor and later theatre director Ferdinand Röder (1808-1880). Her real name was Mila Mielke; later in her career as an opera singer she used the stage name Mila Rodani. She received her vocal training in Paris from the famous tenor Gustave Roger. There she turned already to operetta, especially the works of Jacques Offenbach. Then she came to Vienna and with her first appearance at the "Wiener Carltheater" in the Offenbach operetta "Der Schneeball" she had a sensational success. Then she went to Berlin, where she performed at the Wallner-theater. In Berlin she started singing (mainly Italian) opera roles under the name of Rodani, but her actual domain remained the operetta under the name of Röder. She died in Cologne, where she was recently engaged, during a hospital operation.

JENNY LIND Johanna Maria Lind (6 October 1820 – 2 November 1887), a Swedish Soprano OTTO MORITZ DAVID GOLDSCHMIDT (21 August 1829 – 24 February 1907) German composer, conductor and pianist Often known as the "Swedish Nightingale In 1838 she made her debut in Stockholm as Agathe in "Der Freischütz". Then they sang in Stockholm roles such as Pamina in "The Magic Flute", the Donna Anna in "Don Giovanni", the Giulia in "La vestale" of Spontini, the Norma by Bellini, Lucia di Lammermoor and the Euryanthe in the eponymous opera of Weber. Went to Paris and studied with Manuel Garcia jr. In 1844 she went to the Royal Court Opera, Berlin. and debuted as as Norma This was followed by triumphant guest performances in Hamburg, Cologne, Koblenz and Leipzig. One of her great creations was the Marie in Donizetti's "La fille du régiment " ". In 1847 she was engaged by the impresario Lumley at the Her Majesty's Theatre in London. She made her debut there as Alice in "Robert le Diable" by Meyerbeer and sang on 06/22/1847 in this house in the world premiere of Verdi's opera "I Masnadieri" she sang Alice in Meyerbeer's" Robert le Diable "Agathe in "Der Freischütz", in Meyerbeer's "Huguenots" , Concert tour through North America in the years 1850-52, After her retirement from the stage she appeared, apart from their concert tours, especially in the great English music festivals and similar celebrations in Germany. The last time she appeared in 1870 on the Lower Rhine Music Festival in Dusseldorf, where she recited the soprano solo in the oratorio "Ruth",