19TH CENTURY OPERA SINGERS

MILY MEYER (Émilie Mily Meyer) (1852-1927) French Soprano Her professional début was at the Eldorado café-concert; she then went to the Théâtre de la Renaissance and appeared as the young duchess in the premiere of Le petit duc on 25 January 1878. Creations in La Camargo (1878),[2] Petite Mademoiselle (1879) and Belle-Lurette (1880) swiftly followed also appeared at the Théâtre des Nouveautés as Kate in the French premiere of Rip and at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens as Bianca in the first run of La Béarnaise in 1885. Also at Théâtre des Variétés was La Princesse de Trébizonde, while at the Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques she was in the French premiere of Millöcker's La Demoiselle de Belleville (Die Jungfrau von Belleville). Among many other operettas in which she sang were Roi de Carreau (1885) and Babolin (1884) at the Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques (November 1884); La vie mondaine (1885) at the Théâtre des Nouveautés, and at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens, La Béarnaise (1885), as Benjamine in Joséphine (1886), Gamine de Paris (1887), Le Retour d'Ulysse (1889), Le mari de la reine (1889), Cendrillonnette (1890) and revivals of Les petits mousquetaires and La Princesse de Trébizonde. Back at the Renaissance, she created La gardeuse d'oies (1888) and La petite Poucette (1891); followed by La Demoiselle du Téléphone (1891) at the Nouveautés, Fleur de Vertu (1894) at the Bouffes, and L'Élève du Conservatoire (1894) at the Théâtre des Menus-Plaisirs.

Schneider as Tata-Lili in "La Veuve des Malabar" by Herve CREATOR ,Theatere des Varieties ,Paris 26/4/1873 HORTENSE CATHERINE SCHNEIDER, La Snédèr, (30 April 1833 – 6 May 1920) was a French soprano, one of the greatest operetta stars of the 19th century, particularly associated with the works of composer Jacques Offenbach. ]Born in Bordeaux, where she studied with Schaffner, she made her debut in Agen in 1853, as Inés in La favorite. She came to Paris and was turned down by the director of the Théâtre des Variétés but was noticed by Jacques Offenbach who invited her to the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens, where she made her debut in 1855 in Le violoneux. She enjoyed immediate success and created for Offenbach the role of Boulotte in Barbe-bleue and the title roles in La belle Hélène, La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein and La Périchole, all resounding triumphs. She also appeared in London and Saint Petersburg, to great acclaim. An accomplished singer and actress, she was much admired for her brio and verve on stage, was the toast of the Second Empire and a favourite of royal visitors to Paris. La Snédèr was reputedly one of King Edward VII's mistresses (because of the favours which she liberally granted to the members of the nobility, she was known as Le Passage des Princes.). She retired in 1878, after her marriage, and died in Paris over forty years later at age 87.

EMMA ALBANI (1 November 1847 – 3 April 1930) Canadian soprano (Marie Louise Cecilia Emma Lajeunesse.) Vocal studies in Europe, and she became a student of Gilbert Louis Duprez in Paris, then by Francesco Lamperti in Milan. Debut in 1870 at the Opera House of Messina as Amina in 'La Sonnambula'. Covent Garden début 1872. First Covent Garden Senta (Der fliegende Holländer), 1877. NY Met début 1891; first Desdemona at NY Met 1894. Sang Isolde, Covent Garden 1896, retiring from stage a month later, but continuing to sing in oratorio. Retired to teach in 1911. DBE 1925.

as Faust & Marguerite in "Faust by Gounod GIOVANNI MARIO (Giovanni Matteo, marquis of CANDIA ) 17 October 1810 – 11 December 1883). -Italian tenor Husband Giulia Grisi. He debuted under the name of Mario on 02 December 1838 in ROBERT LE DIABLE de Meyerbeer (Robert). He sang LE COMTE ORY Rossini. THE Draper of Halévy; THE HUGUENOTS (Raoul, 1862). "This famous tenor of the Italians, and a moment of the Opera, was the son of the Italian general marquis of Candia." When starting at the Opera that he took the name of Mario, he was both exemplified since. After a long time living with the famous singer Giulia Grisi, who died in 1869, he eventually married her, when she became the widow of her first husband. They had six children . ADELINA PATTI (19 February 1843 – 27 September 1919) Soprano Her voice was noticed very early and she made her first tour in America at the age of seven years and was a huge success. Studied singing in New York under the direction of Maurice Strakosch, her brother-in-law, and in 1859 she sang in New York in "Lucia di Lammermoor". At Covent Garden theatre in London in 1861 where she sang "la Sonnambula", her reputation was strengthened and in 1862 she was singing in Paris at the Théâtre Italien, where she soon became the star. She remained at Paris until 1870, being heard in London during the summer season. In Paris she sang the Italian Repertory, in London the french Repertory. After a long stay in America and London, Patti returned several times to Paris at the Opera (debut in 1874) and the Théâtre de la Gaîté. Then she resumed travels and successfully created, in London, in 1882, the Charles Lenepveu's Velléda. She also created Dolores of André Pollonais in Nice on February 22, 1897. She triumphed especially in a vast Italian repertoire that suited to her beautiful light soprano voice. His career lasted for fifty-six years.

ADELINA PATTI (19 February 1843 – 27 September 1919) Soprano Her voice was noticed very early and she nade her first tour in America at the age of seven years and was a huge success. Studied singing in New York under the direction of Maurice Strakosch, her brother-in-law, and in 1859 she sang in New York in Lucia di Lammermoor. At Covent Garden theatre in London in 1861 where she sang la Sonnambula, her reputation was strengthened and in 1862 she was singing in Paris at the Théâtre Italien, where she soon became the star. She remained at Paris until 1870, being heard in London during the summer season. In Paris she sang the Italian Repertory, in London the french Repertory. After a long stay in America and London, Patti returned several times to Paris at the Opera (debut in 1874) and the Théâtre de la Gaîté. Then she resumed travels and successfully created, in London, in 1882, the Charles Lenepveu's Velléda. She also created Dolores of André Pollonais in Nice on February 22, 1897. She triumphed especially in a vast Italian repertoire that suited to her beautiful light soprano voice. His career lasted for fifty-six years.

as Ophélie in Hamlet by Ambrose Thomas, a role she CREATED in Premier Performance 9 March 1865 in Paris CHRISTINE NILSSON (Sjöabol near Växjö, Sweden, August 20, 1843 - Stockholm, 22 November 1921). Swedish Soprano Debut October 27, 1864, Théâtre-Lyrique. Debuted at l'Opéra de la salle Le Peletier on 09 March 1868 by creating Opehlia in HAMLET ,Sang in the premiere on 03 March 1869 Marguerite in Faust at the Palais Garnier. She sang LA LEGENDE DE SAINTE CECILE , oratorio by Benedict; ROBERT LE DIABLE (Alice). Meyerbeer

as Maria Struada in "Maria Struada" by Donizetti 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.

MARIE HEILBRONN ( 1851- 31 March 1886). Belgian soprano. She studied in Paris and made her début in 1867 at the Opéra-Comique, as Alice in the first performance of Jules Massenet's "La grand’tante". In 1870 she appeared at La Monnaie as Violetta, the role of her début at Covent Garden in 1874, and in 1878 at the Théâtre Ventadour as Juliet in Victor Capoul's "Les amants". She returned in 1879 as Ophelia (Hamlet). The same year she appeared at the Paris Opéra as Marguerite and in 1880 she sang Zerlina and Ophelia there. At Monte Carlo in 1883 she sang Susanna, Philine (Mignon), Marguerite, Victor Massé's Galatea and Rose in Aimé Maillart's Dragons de Villars. In 1884 she created the title role of Massenet's "Manon" at the Opéra-Comique.

LINA BELL (Marie Berthe Euphrasie BRUNEL) 16 January 1846 -???? French Mezzo Soprano Her father was a music teacher at the school of Angers. Began in Variety in March 1874 and then sang at the Opera Comique in August 1874 . Debut at Paris Opera as Kaled in “Le Roi de Lahore” by Massenet in 1877 , She sang Siebel in “Faust” by Gounod and Berginella in “La Perichole” by Offenbach

ALICE DUCASSE (Anne-Elisa Alice Ducasse) 1841-19?? Chillian Soprano At the Théâtre Lyrique under Pasdeloup and Vizentini she sang various roles at that theatre, creating Mab in Bizet's La jolie fille de Perth, as well as Nérine in L'irato by Méhul (November 1868), Formosa in En Prison by Guiraud (March 1869), and Thérèse in Don Quichotte by Boulanger (May 1869) .At the Opéra Comique she created Léna in the 1872 premiere of La princesse jaune, and Frasquita in the 1875 premiere of Carmen, as well as singing in the first Opéra Comique performances of works premiered elsewhere: Jacqueline in Le médecin malgré lui in 1872, Stefano in Roméo et Juliette in 1873, a shepherd in the 1874 revival of Le pardon de Ploërmel, Nicette in the 1871 revival of Le Pré aux clercs Mirza in the 1876 production of Lalla-Roukh, Rita in the 1877 revival of Zampa and Papagena in the 1879 production of The Magic Flute. After appearing as Marceline in The Marriage of Figaro in May 1882, Ducasse left the stage to take up teaching

LUCILLE TOSTEE abt 1839- French Soprano Tostée's first role at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens was as Scipionne in Les vivandières de la grande-armée in 1859, swiftly followed by a revival of La rose de Saint-Flour, and she remained a star in the Paris opéra-bouffe from the early 1860s to her death. She created roles in Offenbachs’s Le pont des soupirs (Amoroso, 1861), Les bavards (Béatrix, 1862), and Il signor Fagotto (Fabricio, 1863). She toured with the Bouffes company to Vienna in 1861 and 1862, appearing at the Theater am Franz-Josefs-Kai. In 1867 she travelled to New York to appear at the Théâtre Français, starring in Geneviève de Brabant, La belle Hélène, Lischen et Fritzchen and Orphée aux Enfers. Later the emergence of Zulma Bouffar diminished her opportunities. Other creations included Gotte in the collaborative work Les musiciens de l’orchestre, Léonore in Le roman comique, and Théâtre-Bouffe in La tradition by Delibes.

MARIE ROZE (born Maria Hippolyte Ponsin), (2 March 1846, Paris – 2 June 1926, Paris), was a French operatic soprano. Debut at the Opéra-Comique 1865 . Her success there led to engagements with the Paris Opéra, and later in London. From 1876 she worked with the Carl Rosa Opera Company during their UK tours and in Scotland over a ten-year period sang roles ranging from Carmen and Manon to Marguerite] In 1877, she was engaged by the Max Strakosch Opera Company and made her American debut on 8 January 1878 in Philadelphia as Leonora in Donizetti's La favorita. She later toured the United States with the Carl Rosa Opera Company from 1883 to 1889 and was particularly noted for her interpretation of the title role Bizet's Carmen. In 1890, she taught singing in Paris and made her farewell tour in 1894.

as Manon in "Manon" MINNIE HAUK (Amalia Mignon Hauck) (November 16, 1851 – February 6, 1929), American Soprano. In 1862, Hauk began vocal studies with Achille Errani, who secured her a spot with the operatic company of Max Maretzek. At age fourteen she made her debut in Brooklyn as Amina in La sonnambula, and a month later, in November, 1866, her New York City debut as Prascovia in L'étoile du nord. In the American premiere of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette (1867) she sang Juliette. Hauk sang at Covent Garden, London, on 26 October 1868, and debuted in Paris in 1869. The soprano then appeared in Italian and German opera at the Grand Opera in Vienna and other venues throughout Europe. Hauk was the first American Carmen (1878) and Manon (1885). Her voice became a mezzo-soprano of great strength and depth. Hauk's enormous repertory included approximately one hundred roles, and she sang Carmen in four languages.

ANNA SACHSE-HOFMEISTER 26. July 1850 - 15. November 1904 Austrian Soprano Studied at Vienna Conservatory with Adele Passy-Cornet and Heinrich Proch .Debut in Olomouc as Leonore inTrovatore by Giuseppe Verdi in 1871 . Was a member of the City Theater Würzburg where she took lead roles. 1872 she moved to the Municipal Theatre in Frankfurt (debut: Amelia in Masked Ball ) and remained there until 1876. Then Berlin Court Opera (debut: Valentine in Huguenot ) and declined the invitation to Bayreuth by Richard Wagner as Sieglinde (in Die Walküre ). 1878-1880 she was engaged at the Court Opera in Dresden From 1880 to 1882, she was supported by Angelo Neumann and was engaged at Leipzig . From there, she returned to Berlin, She remained there permanently now and worked mainly as a Wagner Interpreteurin, Guest appearances 1880 in Vienna and 1884 in London. withdrawal from the stage in 1889, then permanently in 1891. She was active as a singing teacher .

LEONID SOBINOV (June 7 1872 – October 14, 1934) Russian Tenor Studied singing in Moscow with professors Alexander Dodonov and Alexandra Santagano Gorchakova,Sobinov would go on to appear in Moscow and St Petersburg in operas such as Ruslan and Ludmila, Faust, Manon, Prince Igor, Eugene Onegin, Halka, Rigoletto, Lohengrin, Tannhäuser (as Walter von der Vogelweide) and Mikhail Ivanov's Zabava Putyatishna (as Solovey Budimirovich).

Emma Calve as Marguerite "Faust" Gounod taken at the time of her debut at la Monnaie Brussel's 1881 EMMA CALVE (Rosa Emma Calvet de Noëmie Roquer) (August 15, 1858 – January 6, 1942), French Soprano Her operatic debut occurred on September 23, 1881, in Gounod's Faust at Brussels' La Monnaie. Later she sang at La Scala in Milan, and also at the principal theatres of Naples, Rome, and Florence. Returning to Paris in 1891, she created the part of Suzel in L'amico Fritz by Pietro Mascagni, playing and singing the role later at Rome. Because of her great success in it, she was chosen to appear as Santuzza in the French premiere of Cavalleria rusticana, which was viewed as one of her greatest parts. She repeated her success in it in London. Her next triumph was Bizet's Carmen. Before beginning the study of this part, she went to Spain, learned the Spanish dances, mingled with the people and patterned her characterization after the cigarette girls whom she watched at their work and at play. In 1894, she made her appearance in the role at the Opéra-Comique, Paris. The city's opera-goers immediately hailed her as the greatest Carmen that had ever appeared, a verdict other cities would later echo. She had had many famous predecessors in the role, including Adelina Patti, Minnie Hauk and Célestine Galli-Marié, but critics and musicians agreed that in Calvé they had found their ideal of Bizet's cigarette girl of Seville. Calvé first appeared in America in the season of 1893–1894 as Mignon. She would make regular visits to the country, both in grand opera and in concert tours. After making her Metropolitan Opera debut as Santuzza, she went on to appear a total of 261 times with the company between 1893 and 1904. She created the part of Anita, which was written for her, in Massenet's La Navarraise in London in 1894 and sang Sapho in an opera written by the same composer. She sang Ophélie in Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet in Paris in 1899, but the part was not suited to her and she dropped it. She appeared with success in many roles, among them, as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, the title role in Félicien David's Lalla-Rookh, as Pamina in The Magic Flute, and as Camille in Hérold's Zampa, but she is best known as Carmen .

as Ourrias in "Mireille" by Gounod GABRIEL VALENTIN SOULACROIX (11 December 1853 – 16 August 1905,) French baritone. Studied at Toulouse, debut as Ourrias in "Mireille" by Gounod 5 September 1878, Soulacroix appeared regularly at La Monnaie, Brussels, including in some local operatic premieres. His repertoire in Brussels included Le timbre d'argent by Camille Saint-Saëns (10 February 1879, playing the doctor), L'orage, an opéra-comique by Jean Urich (2 May 1879, Julien), The magic flute in French, (January to April 1880, Papageno), La Bernoise, an opéra comique by Emile Mathieu (1 April 1880, André), Le capitaine Raymond, an opéra comique by Jean-Baptiste Colyns (8 April 1881, Le comte de Guitaut), Jean de Nivelle by Léo Delibes (28 November 1882, Le comte de Charolais), Le panache blanc, an opéra comique by Philippe Flon (15 February 1884), Manon (15 March 1884, Lescaut), Le trésor, an opéra-comique by Charles Edouard Lefebvre (15 December 1884, Le duc Jean), Joli Gilles by Ferdinand Poise (7 February 1885, title role), and The Mastersingers of Nuremberg in French (7 March 1885, Sixtus Beckmesser). Soulacroix joined the Opéra-Comique company in 1885, his first appearance being as Bellamy in Les dragons de Villars on 25 September 1885. He sang Ford in the 1894 production of Falstaff, as well as Alfio (Cavalleria rusticana), Ourrias (Mireille), Schaunard (La Boheme) and Figaro (The Barber of Seville). He was on-stage singing Laerte in Mignon the night of the fire at the Salle Favart on 25 May 1887, and later received a médaille de sauvetage. In December 1899 he added Oreste to his repertoire, in a production of Iphigénie en Tauride at the Théâtre de la Renaissance. At the Covent Garden in London he sang the roles of Pedrillo, Escamillo, Figaro (Rossini), Alfio, Mercutio and Beckmesser. In addition, he was seen in a wide range of parts regularly at Monte Carlo from 1889 to 1904, including the title role in Zampa and Iago in Otello. His career was ended prematurely by his sudden death in middle-age.

as Raoul in “Les Huguenots” by Meyerbeer EDMOND VERGNET 4 July 1850-15 February 1904 French tenor Studied in Paris ,Opera début at the Paris Opéra 1874 as Raimbaut in “ Robert le diable.” by Meyerbeer, At the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, he portrayed John the Baptist in the world premiere of Massenet’s “Hérodiade” (1881) and Shahabarim in Reyer’s “Salammbô” (1890).Admetis in Catalini’s “Dejanie” (1883) at opera Comique he sang Zarastra in the world premiere of Massenet’s “Le mage” (1891) and Dominique in the world premiere of Alfred Bruneau’s “L'attaque du moulin” ,He also sang at Covent Garden London ,Monte Carlo His roles included Faust in Gounod's “Faus”t, Léopold in Halévy's “La Juive,” Ruodi in Rossini's “Guillaume Tell”, Laertes in Thomas's “Hamlet”, Don Ottavio in Mozart's “Don Giovanni”, Fernand in Donizetti's “La favorite”, Max in “ Der Freischütz”, Alim in Massenet’s “Le roi de Lahore,” John of Leyden in Meyerbeer's “Le prophète”, Vasco da Gama in Meyerbeer's” L'Africaine”, Samson in Saint-Saëns's “Samson et Dalila “ and Lohengrin in Wagner's “Lohengrin”.