Rosa Csillag by Mahlknecht

Rosa Csillag, born Rosa Goldstein (1832-1892); Hungarian mezzo-soprano.

As an 8 year old child she already performed a dance role at the Theater von Raab in Györ. She was educated at the school of the Budapest Opera and in 1844 -at the age of 11- she made her debut at the première of Ferenc Erkel's opera "Hunyadi László". When in 1849 she was singing the role of Nancy in Von Flotow's "Martha" she was discovered by the famous soprano Anna de La Grange who sent her to Vienna, where she gave her first concert that same year. After further vocal studies she was engaged for 3 years by the Berliner Hoftheater, where she made a shiny debut as Fidès in

Meyerbeer's "Le Prophète". She made guest appearances at Moscow, St. Petersburg, Bukarest and Jassy. In 1852 she was engaged by the Wiener Theater am Kärntertor, where again she was very successful as Fidès. Until 1860 she remained at Vienna as a celebrated prima donna. Her most memorable roles were Ortrud in "Lohengrin", Rachel in "La Juive", Lucrezia in "Lucrezia Borgia", Leonora in "La Favorita", Romeo in "I Capuleti ed I Montecchi", Valentine in "Les Huguenots" and Azucena in "Il Trovatore". Again she made guest appearances at Berlin, Hamburg, Warsaw, London (Covent Garden), Florence, Genua, Naples, Madrid, Brussels and Paris. She sang at a Royal Court Concert for Queen Victoria. In 1862 she performed at La Scala Milan the role of Zayda in Donizetti's "Dom Sebastiano". At the end of the 1870s she lost her voice ad her life took a fateful turn. An attempt to settle in Vienna as a singing teacher failed. She fell to poverty and died completely destitute on a small attic room.

In 1852 she married the celebrated prestidigitator and magician Carl Herrmann, but the marriage was soon dissolved. From this marriage a daughter was born, the later singer and actrice Blanche Correlli.

On the photo she is seen as Azucena in Verdi's "Il Trovatore".