Opera's Golden Age In Postcards

as Brunhilde "Die Walkure" Wagner Marie Wittich 1868-1931 German Soprano Studied singing in Würzburg with Frau Ober-Ubrich, debut in 1882 in Magdeburg as Azucena in Il trovatore and went on to sing in Basle, Düsseldorf, Dresden,In 1889, she became a permanent member of the Dresden Royal Opera (Hofoper) Her Roles included Lenore in Fidelio and Senta in The Flying Dutchman. While at Dresden, she also sang in several world premieres, including Penelope in August Bungert's Odysseus' Heimkehr (Odysseus' Return) (1896), Ulana in Paderewski's Manru (1901), and most famously the title role of Richard Strauss' Salome (1905).

Andrew Black 1859-1920 Scottish Baritone Studied in London with Randeggar . Debut at the Crystal Palace 1887. Concert Singer .Sang at the Leeds Festival at Birmingham he took part of Judas in "The Apostles" Elgar

as Brunehilde " Sigurd" Reyer AGNES BORGO (Agnès BIANCONI ). - Soprano 20.April 1879 - 07 January, 1958. Married César Vezzani. Debut 05 August 1917 in Tosca (Tosca).

Louis Lestelly 1877-1936 French Baritone Debut 1901 and appeared for some years thereafter in the France and Belguim provinces. In 1908 he joined the Monnaie , He sang at covent Garden , roles included Valentin , Amonasro, De Nevers , Wolfram , rance and Guillaume Tell

as Walter von Stolzing "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg " Wagner Richard Schubert 1885-1959 German Tenor He studied singing under Rudolf von Milde in Dessau and made his debut as baritone in 1909 at the Stadttheater in Strasbourg. After renewed education with Rudolf von Milde, Hans Nietan in Dresden and Vittorio Vanzo in Milan, he was engaged in the 1911-1913 seasons as tenor by the Stadttheater in Nuremberg.

Maria Kurenko 1890-1980 Russian Soprano She studied singing at the Moscow Conservatory with Umberto Masetti. In 1914 debut at the Kharkov Opera House as Antonida in ‘’The life for the Tsar’’. Later she sang at the S. Zimin’s Opera House in Moscow. From 1918 to 1922 she was a soloist of the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre, from 1922 to 1923 she performed at the National Opera of Ukraine, Kiev. She made guest appearances in Nijni Novgorod (1917), Saratov (1923), Latvian National Opera (1924-1926). Since 1926 she performed in Latvia, Poland, Czech, Germany and France. Appeared at the opera houses of USA (Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston).

ALEKSANDER SMIRNOFF 1870-1942 Russian Baritone

as Rhinemaiden "Die Götterdämmerung" Wagner Ketty Lapeyrette 1884-1960 Mezzo Soprano Debut Paris Opera 1908 as Dalilah "Samson & Dalilah" roles RIGOLETTO (Madeleine), AÏDA (Amnéris) ; en 1909, SIGURD (Uta), LA WALKYRIE (Fricka, Schwertleite), HENRY VIII (Anne) ; en 1911, HAMLET (la Reine) ; en 1912, LE PROPHÈTE (Fides), .

Eugenia Mravina as Antonida and Maria Dolina as Vanya in Glinka's "A life for the Tsar" MARIA DOLINA GORLENKO (Maria Ivanovna Sajuschkina Gorlenko) Russian Contralto 1868-1919 Studied with Kondratiev. Final studies were carried out with Carelli in Naples, with Mastriani in Milan and finally in Paris. In 1886 she made her debut at the Marienskij Theatre in St. Petersburg as Vanya in Glinka's "A life for the Tsar" (Ivan Susanin).Creator of Borodin's "Prince Igor" (Kontschakowna) & Tchaikowsky's "Pique Dame" Old Countess. She toured the great opera centers of Europe unlike many of her contemporaries. In 1886. she made her debut at the Mariinsky Theater in the "Life for the Tsar", which later became her crown role. Roles included (The Snow Maiden ") and Grunya (Jц¦chymov force"). introduced in concerts around Europe Russian folk music and art. EUGENIA MRAVINA ( Yevgeniya Konstantinova Mravinskaya) (10 February 1864-24 October 1914) Russian Soprano Born St Petersburg studied at Conservatory St Petersburg with Pryanishnikov and in Berlin with Desiree Artot went to Paris to study with Mathilde Marchesi . Debut 1885 as Gilda in 'Rigoletto" at Vittorio Veneto , Was a principal at the Marinsky St Petersburg from 1886-1887 . Toured extensively throughout Russia . Farewell concert in 1906 at St Petersburg. roles included Lydmila in " Russlan & Lydmilla" , Tatyana in "Eugene Onegin" ,

DAVID SCULL BISPHAM (January 5, 1857 – October 2, 1921) American Baritone Studied singing in Florence with Luigi Vannuccini and in Milan with Francesco Lamperti. He also studied in Bayreuth. Royal Opera at Covent Garden to sing the part of Beckmesser in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in June 1892 , Kurwenal in Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. American debut, once again in Wagner, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on November 18, 1896; that night he sang the role of Sixtus Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.In 1901 he gave a recital exclusively featuring songs of of Carrie Jacobs-Bond in Chicago's Studebaker Theatre, After 1903 Bispham's operatic appearances were few, and he devoted most of his time to recitals, with which he had much success

Edoardo Garbin 1865-1943 Italian Tenor Studied with Alberto Selva and Vittorio Orefice. Debut as Don Alvaro in "Forza del Destino" at Vincenza . Sang in Naples , Genoa, Warsaw, Madrid , Lisbon Buenos Aires , Covent Garden and Paris Roles created Don Fernando Guevara in Cristoforo Colombo (Alberto Franchetti), Genoa's Teatro Carlo Felice October 6, 1892 Fenton in Falstaff (Giuseppe Verdi), La Scala, 9 February 1893 Milio Dufresne in Zazà (Ruggero Leoncavallo), Teatro Lirico Di Milano, 10 November 1900

Amelita Galli-Curci 1882-1963 Italian Soprano Studied piano at the Milan Conservatory, winning a gold medal and at the age of 16 was offered a professorship. She was inspired to sing by her grandmother. Operatic composer Pietro Mascagni also encouraged Galli-Curci's singing ambitions. By her own choice, Galli-Curci's voice was largely self-trained.Debut in 1906 at Trani, as Gilda in Verdi's "Rigoletto", Toured widely in Europe, Russia and South America. United States in the autumn of 1916 American debut as Gilda in Rigoletto in Chicago, Illinois on 18 November 1916 (her 34th birthday) was so wildly enthusiastic that she accepted an offer to extend her association with the Chicago Opera Association, where she appeared until the end of the 1924 season. Debut 1921 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Violetta in " La Traviata". Toured in 1924 Great Britain concert tour (She never sang in an opera there), where she appeared in 20 cities and a tour of Australia a year later.

as Schubert in "Das Dreimaderyhous" by Schubert CREATOR at Vienna 1916 Fritz Schrödter 1855-1924 German Tenor He studied in Cologne and after appearances in Hamburg and Bremen , he came to Berlin at the Friedrich Wilhelm Theater , where his voice was discovered. At the suggestion of Johann Strauss , he came to the Deutsches Theater in Budapest as an operetta singer , from where he was finally engaged at the Theater an der Wien . After becoming a member of the Ringtheater in 1877 , he accepted a call to the German State Theater in Prague . Here he made his debut as Morasquin in Giroflé-Girofla and initially sang only in operettas, but his voice fell to the director of the house, which made him singing more and more important operatic roles in the sequence. In 1885 Schrödter appeared as a guest at the Vienna Court Opera and in the same year became a member of the Hofoper, to which he belonged until 1915. For his achievements he received the title Kammersänger , 1910 he was appointed an honorary member of the Vienna Court Opera . At the turn of the century he was in possession of a beautiful villa in Prein an der Rax, the later "Villa Hermannswörth". Roles included Morasquin – Giroflé-Girofla ( Lecocq) ,Max – Der Freischütz (Carl Maria von Weber),Loge – Das Rheingold ( Wagner),Turridu – Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni) Canio – Pagliacci ( eoncavallo).Pinkerton – Madama Butterfly ( Puccini)' David – Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg ( Wagner),Don Ottavio – Don Giovanni ( Mozart),Herzog – Rigoletto (e Verdi)

as Zina in Le Viel Aigle" by Gunsbourg Andrée Vally (Josephine Vial De Montaine FONTANIER) Born in Nice started as a cafe singer and was heard by Andre Messager who introduced her to Mr Farconett director of the Casino Opera . Debut Paris opera in the premiere of "la Joyaux de la Madone" by Wolf-Ferrari as Maliella in 1913. Sang from 1915 at the Opera Comique . Created Beatrice in "Beatrice " by Messager at Monte Carlo in 1914 . Roles included Thais , Juliette , tosca and sang the tenor role of Fortinio

as Zina in Le Viel Aigle" by Gunsbourg Andrée Vally (Josephine Vial De Montaine FONTANIER) Born in Nice started as a cafe singer and was heard by Andre Messager who introduced her to Mr Farconett director of the Casino Opera . Debut Paris opera in the premiere of "la Joyaux de la Madone" by Wolf-Ferrari as Maliella in 1913. Sang from 1915 at the Opera Comique . Created Beatrice in "Beatrice " by Messager at Monte Carlo in 1914 . Roles included Thais , Juliette , tosca and sang the tenor role of Fortinio

Maurice Farkoa (Maurice Georges Marie Farkoa) 1864?-1916), Anglo-French actor and singer (The New York Clipper, New York, 8 April 1916, p. 25b) ‘Maurice Farkoa, musical comedy actor and singer, died March 21 [1916], in his apartment at 42 West 72d Street [Manhattan], following an attack of apoplexy. ‘He was born in 1867 [sic], in Smyrna, his father being French and his mother English. His first important success was in An Artist’s Model, at Daly’s, London, in 1895, and some of his best roles in London were in Kitty Grey, Three Little Maids, Lady Madcap, The Little Cherub, Miss Hook of Holland, My Mimosa Maid, Mitislow, or the Love Match, and Nightbirds. ‘His first American appearance was in 1903, when the London company appearing in Three Little Maids came to Daly’s Theatre [New York], on Sept. 1. Two years alater he again came to this country, and was seen in Dream City, The Magic Night and The Merry Countess, known in London as Nightbirds. Last Sping he had the leading role in To-Night’s the Night, and his last stage appearance was with Elsie Janis, in Miss Information. Mr. Farkoa also appeared in vaudeville. ‘Several months ago he became associated with an after theatre restaurant [Cabaret Mondain (of the Avenue de l’Opera, Paris), at 121] West Forty-fifth Street [Manhattan], which A.N. Fysher [the actor/singer and composer A Nilson Fysher, otherwise A. Nylson Fyscher], his cousin, opened.

as Venus "Tannhauser" by Wagner Odette Carlyle 1880- French Soprano Débute in TANNHÄUSER (Vénus) 28 September 1908. Sang ARMIDE (Phénice), LA WALKYRIE (Sieglinde) "LE CRÉPUSCULE DES DIEUX "(Norne) 1909,Created LA FORÊT (le Chêne).

Evgeny Dolinin (Evgeny Ivanovich Shein) 1873-1918 Russian Tenor Studied St Petersburg Conservatory 1895-99 with Kotonyi . Sang at Marinsky until 1901 then sang in St Petersburg . Married to soprano Teresa Leshetitskaya (1876-1956) . Sang at St Petersburg , Moscow ,Kharkov , Kiev Kazan , Odessa , Prague , Budapest and vienna .Taught at the Kharkov Musical College , Roles included Lennsky "Eugene Onegin" . Alfredo "la Traviata" Gerald "Lakme", Bogdin "Life of the Tsar" "and Romeo "Romeo et Juliette".