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| 1. |  | André Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri 1870 (ca) Les Jambes de l'opera Albumen print carte de visite 8.8 x 5.1 cm George Eastman Museum Courtesy of George Eastman House, Gift of Eastman Kodak Company: ex-collection Gabriel Cromer, (GEH NEG:26032 13371) |
| 2. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1860-1870 Fides Devriès-Adler, soprano Carte de visite Paul Frecker Fides DeVries-Adler (active 1880's) - American Soprano Fides DeVries-Adler was born in New Orleans but gained her opera fame in Paris. She is reported to have created the role of Chimene for the Paris opening of Jules Massenet's opera, "Le Cid" at Opera Comique on 30 November 1885. Appearing with her in the lead role of Rodrigue was Jean de Reszkes. It is known that she had appeared in the "Le Cid" production in Madrid at Theatre Real in 1884. Devries-Adler reportly had great international career and was especially noted for her acting abilities. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 3. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1860-1870 Carlotta Patti, soprano Carte de visite Paul Frecker Carlotta Patti (1835-1889) - Italian sprano Carlotta Patti was one of six children born to a Sicilian father and Italian mother. Her parents were involved in opera and the family moved about Europe although they were reported to be poor. Carlotta's younger sister Adelina Patti became the leading soprano of 19th century, and she is known to have been born in Madrid. Also in the talented family was sister, Amalia who sang opera and her brother Carlo who became an opera conductor in New Orleans, St. Louis and New York. Carlotta was older than her two soprano sisters and was considered less attractive in comparison to her sisters. She was born in Italy in 1835 and likely gained her training through the family's connections to opera. The Patti family moved to New York in 1847. Carlotta had a fantastic voice and abilities to reach to High G. She made her debut in 1861 in New York. Carlotta married Maurice Strakosch a Czech impresario who guided her career. Her concert tours took her across Europe and a large part of America. Richard D'Oyly Carte launched a concert agency in Charing Cross, England and negotiated engagements and concert tours for Carlotta and her younger sister, Adelina during the 1870's. Carlotta Patti died on 27 June 1889. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 4. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1860-1870 Adelina Patti, soprano Carte de visite Paul Frecker Adelina Patti (1843-1919) - Soprano Adelina Juana Maria Patti was born to a Sicilian father and Italian mother on 19 February 1843 in Madrid, Spain. She was the fourth of six chidren born into family highly involved in opera. The family moved to New York in 1847 for opera employment opportunities. Adelina as she was now known made her first appearance on the stage at age seven. At age sixteen in 1859 she made operatic debut in Donizetti's "Lucia." Her vocal range, bell-like clarity and professionalism won her critical acclaim and soon she was being offered leading soprano roles in operas by Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi and other Italian composers. The large Italian community in New York helped to elevate her to star status in short time. In 1861, at the age of eighteen, Adelina was invited to Covent Garden in London to take the role of Amina in Bellini's "La Sonnambula." She purchased a house in Clapham, south of London and later appeared in Paris and Vienna. Patti sang "Home Sweet Home" for Abraham and Mary Lincoln who were in mourning for their son, Willie in 1862. American John Howard Payne had written the song for the opera, "Clari-The Maid of Milan," and the music was composed by British composer, Henry Rowley Bishop. Adelina Patti was associated to the song and she was asked to perform it many times. She toured to Russia and South America but continued to make Europe her homebase. She married Marquis de Caux, a frenchman in 1868. Ten years later she purchased a large Victorian estate known as Craig-y-Nos in South Wales, paying 3,500 pd. sterling, a large sum for that time. She had abandoned her husband and took up residence at Craig-y-Nos with the tenor, Ernesto Nicolini with whom she had been touring. She settled divorce with her husband paying him 64,000 pd. sterling, which indicated her wealth in 1886. She married Nicolini and added additions to home in South Wales. Touring the United States between 1886 and 1890 she was paid the equivalent of $1500 for each performance, which made her among the wealthiest women living. Heads of State sought her company wherever she traveled. She was the "international super star" of the 19th century. Adelina Patti died at home in Breconshire at the age of 76 and was buried in Paris in the Pere la Chaise Cemetery. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 5. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1860-1870 Adelina Patti, soprano Carte de visite Paul Frecker Adelina Patti (1843-1919) - Soprano Adelina Juana Maria Patti was born to a Sicilian father and Italian mother on 19 February 1843 in Madrid, Spain. She was the fourth of six chidren born into family highly involved in opera. The family moved to New York in 1847 for opera employment opportunities. Adelina as she was now known made her first appearance on the stage at age seven. At age sixteen in 1859 she made operatic debut in Donizetti's "Lucia." Her vocal range, bell-like clarity and professionalism won her critical acclaim and soon she was being offered leading soprano roles in operas by Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi and other Italian composers. The large Italian community in New York helped to elevate her to star status in short time. In 1861, at the age of eighteen, Adelina was invited to Covent Garden in London to take the role of Amina in Bellini's "La Sonnambula." She purchased a house in Clapham, south of London and later appeared in Paris and Vienna. Patti sang "Home Sweet Home" for Abraham and Mary Lincoln who were in mourning for their son, Willie in 1862. American John Howard Payne had written the song for the opera, "Clari-The Maid of Milan," and the music was composed by British composer, Henry Rowley Bishop. Adelina Patti was associated to the song and she was asked to perform it many times. She toured to Russia and South America but continued to make Europe her homebase. She married Marquis de Caux, a frenchman in 1868. Ten years later she purchased a large Victorian estate known as Craig-y-Nos in South Wales, paying 3,500 pd. sterling, a large sum for that time. She had abandoned her husband and took up residence at Craig-y-Nos with the tenor, Ernesto Nicolini with whom she had been touring. She settled divorce with her husband paying him 64,000 pd. sterling, which indicated her wealth in 1886. She married Nicolini and added additions to home in South Wales. Touring the United States between 1886 and 1890 she was paid the equivalent of $1500 for each performance, which made her among the wealthiest women living. Heads of State sought her company wherever she traveled. She was the "international super star" of the 19th century. Adelina Patti died at home in Breconshire at the age of 76 and was buried in Paris in the Pere la Chaise Cemetery. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 6. |  | Herbert Rose Barraud 1880s (late) Marie Roze, soprano Woodburytype 9.7 x 7.1 in (247 mm x 180 mm) Paul Frecker Marie Roze ( Marie-Hippolyte Ponsin) (1846-1926) - French Mezzo-Soprano Marie Roze (Marie-Hippolyte Ponsin) a mezzo-soprano born 2 March 1846 in France. She debuted at the Paris Opera Comique in Herold's "Marie" in 1865, and later appeared in the roles of Anne in "La Dame Blanche," as Zerlina in "Fra Diavolo," and as Marguerite in "Le Pre aux Clercs." By 1868, she was considered the most popular operatic singer in Paris. She appeared the principal part in Auber's "Le Premier Jour du Bonheur" which was especially written for her. Her first appearance at the Grand Opera in December 1869 was in the role of Marguerite in Gounod's "Faust." She traveled to London for performance in "Faust" at Her Majesty's Theatre on May 18, 1872. Director, James Henry Mapleson, offered her a five year engagement which she accepted. She later married Mapleson's oldest son Henry and a child, Raymond Roze, later produced operas at Covent Garden. During her five years in London she sang all the great roles and gained enormous popularity with the British audiences. She was best known for her roles in "Manon" and is thought to have been Bizet's first choice for "Carmen." She once sang "Ave Maria" accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh playing the violin at Albert Hall. She joined Carl Roza traveling company to tour the U.S. Her voice was described as a "lovely soft mezzo-soprano." Marie had desired to sing the lead role in "Il Rinnegato" but the soprano part was too high for her to accomplish and it was finally sung by Emma Juch, an American born singer. Marie Roze died on 21 June 1926. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 7. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1860-1870 Marie Roze, soprano Carte de visite Paul Frecker Marie Roze ( Marie-Hippolyte Ponsin) (1846-1926) - French Mezzo-Soprano Marie Roze (Marie-Hippolyte Ponsin) a mezzo-soprano born 2 March 1846 in France. She debuted at the Paris Opera Comique in Herold's "Marie" in 1865, and later appeared in the roles of Anne in "La Dame Blanche," as Zerlina in "Fra Diavolo," and as Marguerite in "Le Pre aux Clercs." By 1868, she was considered the most popular operatic singer in Paris. She appeared the principal part in Auber's "Le Premier Jour du Bonheur" which was especially written for her. Her first appearance at the Grand Opera in December 1869 was in the role of Marguerite in Gounod's "Faust." She traveled to London for performance in "Faust" at Her Majesty's Theatre on May 18, 1872. Director, James Henry Mapleson, offered her a five year engagement which she accepted. She later married Mapleson's oldest son Henry and a child, Raymond Roze, later produced operas at Covent Garden. During her five years in London she sang all the great roles and gained enormous popularity with the British audiences. She was best known for her roles in "Manon" and is thought to have been Bizet's first choice for "Carmen." She once sang "Ave Maria" accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh playing the violin at Albert Hall. She joined Carl Roza traveling company to tour the U.S. Her voice was described as a "lovely soft mezzo-soprano." Marie had desired to sing the lead role in "Il Rinnegato" but the soprano part was too high for her to accomplish and it was finally sung by Emma Juch, an American born singer. Marie Roze died on 21 June 1926. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 8. |  | Pierre Petit 1860s Christine Nilsson, soprano, as "the Queen of the Night" in Mozart‘s The Magic Flute. Carte de visite Paul Frecker Christine Nilsson (20 August, 1843 - 20 November, 1921) She was born Kristina Jonasdotter 20 August, 1843 in the village of Sjoabol, Smalandia, Sweden to peasant family. She was discovered by a prominent civil service worker at the age of fourteen playing a violin at a market in Ljungby. He became her patron and enabled her to have vocal training. In 1860, she gave concerts in Stockholm and Uppsala. After four years operatic training in Paris, she had debut, in 1864, playing role of Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi's opera "La Traviata" at Theatre Lyrique. Success in London the same year singing roles in "La Traviata," "Hamlet," "Marriage of Figaro," and "Faust" opened doors to major opera houses in St. Petersburg, Vienna, and New York. She sang at the Metropolitan in 1883 for the opening performance as Marguerite in "Faust." Nilsson voice ranged two and a half octaves and was considered not large but pure and flexible. Her first marriage to French banker, Auguste Rouzaud ended with his death in 1882. In 1887, she married Angel Ramon Maria Vallejo y Miranda, Count de Casa Miranda. For much of her life she was known as the "Countess of Casa Miranda." There are similarities between Nilsson and the heroine, Christine Daae, in Gaston Leroux's novel, "Phantom of the Opera" and many believe Leroux based the character off the real-life opera singer. She died in Stockholm on 20 November, 1921. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler) |
| 9. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1867 (ca) Christine Nilsson, soprano (Paris Exposition) Carte de visite Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Christine Nilsson (20 August, 1843 - 20 November, 1921) She was born Kristina Jonasdotter 20 August, 1843 in the village of Sjoabol, Smalandia, Sweden to peasant family. She was discovered by a prominent civil service worker at the age of fourteen playing a violin at a market in Ljungby. He became her patron and enabled her to have vocal training. In 1860, she gave concerts in Stockholm and Uppsala. After four years operatic training in Paris, she had debut, in 1864, playing role of Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi's opera "La Traviata" at Theatre Lyrique. Success in London the same year singing roles in "La Traviata," "Hamlet," "Marriage of Figaro," and "Faust" opened doors to major opera houses in St. Petersburg, Vienna, and New York. She sang at the Metropolitan in 1883 for the opening performance as Marguerite in "Faust." Nilsson voice ranged two and a half octaves and was considered not large but pure and flexible. Her first marriage to French banker, Auguste Rouzaud ended with his death in 1882. In 1887, she married Angel Ramon Maria Vallejo y Miranda, Count de Casa Miranda. For much of her life she was known as the "Countess of Casa Miranda." There are similarities between Nilsson and the heroine, Christine Daae, in Gaston Leroux's novel, "Phantom of the Opera" and many believe Leroux based the character off the real-life opera singer. She died in Stockholm on 20 November, 1921. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 10. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1860-1870 Marie Sasse, soprano, seen here as ‘Maria Stuarda‘ Carte de visite Paul Frecker Marie Sasse (1838-1907) - Belgian soprano Marie-Constance Sasse (also known as Sax or Sass) was born at Ghent on 26 Jan 1834. The Belgian soprano studied with Ugalde. She worked as a vocalist in cafés to support her family after her father died. Making her professional debut in 1852 at Venice in the role of Gilda in Verdi's opera, "Rigoletto." She created Selika of L'Africaine singing the part for the first time on 28 Apr 1865 and Elizabeth in Don Carlos on 11 Mar 1867. Marie Sasse was the first Paris Elisabeth in "Tannhauser" production of 1861. She was well known for her temperament and it got her in trouble with Verdi who refused to let her create the role of Amneris because of it. She was married to bass Castlemary, whom she later divorced. She used the stage name of Sax for awhile until Adolphe Sax, creator of the saxophone, forced her to drop the use of that name. She died in poverty on 8 Nov 1907. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 11. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1860-1870 Marie Sasse, soprano, seen here in ‘L‘Africaine‘ Carte de visite Paul Frecker Marie Sasse (1838-1907) - Belgian soprano Marie-Constance Sasse (also known as Sax or Sass) was born at Ghent on 26 Jan 1834. The Belgian soprano studied with Ugalde. She worked as a vocalist in cafés to support her family after her father died. Making her professional debut in 1852 at Venice in the role of Gilda in Verdi's opera, "Rigoletto." She created Selika of L'Africaine singing the part for the first time on 28 Apr 1865 and Elizabeth in Don Carlos on 11 Mar 1867. Marie Sasse was the first Paris Elisabeth in "Tannhauser" production of 1861. She was well known for her temperament and it got her in trouble with Verdi who refused to let her create the role of Amneris because of it. She was married to bass Castlemary, whom she later divorced. She used the stage name of Sax for awhile until Adolphe Sax, creator of the saxophone, forced her to drop the use of that name. She died in poverty on 8 Nov 1907. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 12. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1860-1870 Anna de Belocca, soprano, seen here as "Fidelio" Carte de visite Paul Frecker Anna de Belocca (1854-?) - Soprano Anna de Belocca was a soprano whose early training and career in Europe appears hidden. In 1876 she made her U.S. debut as Rosina in "The Barber of Sevilla" at the New York Academy of Music. The newspaper "Herald" gave the vocalist an enthusiastic review but readers sent angry letters objecting to the article which threw a dark cloud on the debut. De Belocca remained steadfast and sang lead roles in New York throughout the 1880s. She was best known for singing "Aida," "Carmen," and "La Favorita." New York audiences and critics were never overly kind to her. She appeared at Her Majesty's Theatre in August 1881 and was at the Bach Festival at Eisenach, Germany in September 1884. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 13. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1860-1870 Célestine Galli-Marié, soprano, seen here as ‘Mignon‘ Carte de visite Paul Frecker Célestine Galli-Marié (1840-1905) - French mezzo-soprano Bizet's original Carmen, Galli-Marié was born in Paris into a family of musicians in November 1840. Her stage debut was at Strasbourg in 1859. She was a stalwart of the Opéra-Comique, starring there in Ambroise Thomas's "Mignon" a role she created in 1866 and continuing to sing at the theatre for ten years after the premiere of "Carmen." The role of Carmen called for a great actor and then a great singer. Galli-Marie was endowed with a superbly beautiful voice described as a "high mezzo-soprano" and ideal for Bizet's "Carmen" which premiered in Paris on 3 March, 1875. It is the opera role which gave hallmark to her career. "Carmen" was to become the best loved opera in the world, but it was not an instant success. On the evening of the thirty-third performance, Galli-Marie collapsed as she left the stage, but she would recover to perform other stage roles. Bizet was rumored to have been infatuated with the singer, but more likely it was her excellence in performing his opera. Galli-Marie also created roles in operas by Gevaart, Guiraud, Maillart, Masse, and in Massenet's "Don Cesar de Bazan." Most of her performances were in France, Belgium and Italy. She died on 22 September 1905. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 14. |  | Léopold-Emile Reutlinger n.d. Marguerite Carrthre-Xanrof, soprano Cabinet card Paul Frecker Marguerite Carrere-Xanrof (active 1890s) - French soprano The French soprano, Marguerite Carrere-Xanrof made her Paris debut 24 June 1892. She is known to have sang the lead role in "Les Huguenots" at Opera Comique in June 1897. She was married to Leon Fourneau, pseudo name Leon Xanrof (1867-1953) a trained lawyer and composer/songwriter of light comic opera. Fourneau was Vice-President of a company of Authors, Typesetters & Editors of Music and he wrote mostly cabaret songs. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 15. |  | Léopold-Emile Reutlinger 1895 (ca) Nellie Melba (taken during the same photographic session) Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Born Helen Porter Mitchell on 19 May, 1861 at Richmond-Melbourne, Australia, Nellie Melba was considered a super-star soprano. She received her vocal training from Ellen Christian and Pietro Cecchi. Following a bad marriage she devoted herself to singing after 1884. She met Mathilde Marchesi at an audition in London and trained with her in Paris, and adopted a suitable stage name, "Melba." She debut as "Gilda" in Verdi's Rigoletto at Brussels in 1887, and went on to sing with great success in London, Paris, Milan, New York, and other major cities. She was highly celebrated in her native Australia following her first homecoming tour in 1902. Melba's voice range was remarkable having an even quality over a range of three octaves. Between 1904 and 1926 she made almost 200 recordings, and became the first artist of international status to participate in live radio broadcasts. French chef,Auguste Escoffier, the legendary cook at Savoy Hotel in London concocted a thin crisp snack toast and later named it "Melba Toast" for this regular patron. He also created, "Peach Melba," "Melba Sauce (raspberries and red currant)," and "Melba Garniture (stuffed chicken and mushrooms)" in honor of her. Nellie Melba died at her estate in Australia in 1931. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 16. |  | Léopold-Emile Reutlinger n.d. Lina Cavalieri, singer Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Lina Cavalieri was born 1874 at Viterbo, Italy. Orphaned at age fifteen, she ran away from a convent orphanage and joined a touring theatrical troupe, making her way to Vienna and Paris. Her beauty at age twenty attracted many wealthy suitors. She studied with the top Italian singers and made her debut in Lisbon in 1900. Cavalieri was renowned as much for her beauty and fiery temperament as for her light, pleasant, but less than first-class voice. She was described as "the greatest beauty in the world," and she may well have been the most photographed woman of the 19th century. She posed for many of the best known photographers of Europe. Her postcards produced by Charles Reutlinger out-number all beauties in history. Cavalieri vowed she had received no less than 840 marriage proposals, but she only accepted four. After retiring from the stage she managed cosmetic salons in Paris and published "My Secrets of Beauty" in 1914. She was known for her generosity towards orphans and entertained the French troops during WWI. She became a nurse durining WWI. Lina Cavalieri died in an Allied air raid just outside Florence, Italy in 1944. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 17. |  | Southwell Brothers 1860s (ca) Louisa Pyne, English soprano Carte de visite Paul Frecker Louisa Pyne (1832-1904), Singer and Opera Promoter For the first 60 odd years of the 19th century, there were only four outstanding English-born singers who performed in opera in England with any regularity; they were John Braham, Sims Reeves, Charles Santley, and Louisa Pyne (b ?27 Aug. 1832; d London, 20 March 1904). She was the daughter of the alto George Pyne (1790-1877), and niece of James Kendrick Pyne (d.1857), the Bath branch of the family. Pyne's career was initially that of any brilliant soprano. She appeared in London, around England and Europe, and in America to great acclaim, mastering both new and old repertoire with what appears to have been comparative ease. Her voice - so clear, so brilliant, and so flexible, that in America she was called the 'Skylark' - ranged at least from B flat to B flat, and as the surviving music shows, she had an easy virtuosity which thrilled audiences of all kinds. The 19th-century edition of the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians recounts that her 'voice was a soprano of beautiful quality and great compass and flexibility; she sang with great taste and judgement, and excelled in the florid style, of which she was perfect mistress.' However, at a time when there were few, if any, women managers, Pyne started promoting her own opera season as early as the late 1840s, when, with the tenor William Harrison (1813-1868), she promoted a season at Drury Lane. Again with Harrison, she then ran one opera company in the United States - the Pyne-Harrison Company - followed by another in Britain - The Royal English Opera Company. Her managerial skills can be appreciated best by her 'Rules for Performance' which were glued to the back of the contracts she issued, even to someone as distinguished as Charles Santley. And the advent of The Royal English Opera Company changed the circumstances of English opera and influenced the character of the compositions. Louisa Pyne studied singing with Sir George Smart and made her début when only ten at the Queen's Concert Rooms, Hanover Square, with her sister Susannah. In 1847, she went on her first concert tour of Europe, and in 1849 made her stage début as Amina in Bellini's La sonnambula at Boulogne. In autumn of that year, she sang Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni and Amina at the Princess's Theatre, London, and created her first new role, that of Fanny in Charles Macfarren's Charles the Second on the 27th of October. Her success was such that she was dubbed the 'English Sontag.' In 1851, she appeared in an English opera season at the Haymarket, and was then called to the Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden, to replace Anna Zerr as Queen of Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute, where her performance 'in the difficult role quite eclipsed that of her predecessor'. Her voice was said to be beautiful and flexible, and the evening established a connection between Pyne and the Royal Family which led to a string of Royal engagements that lasted until her retirement. Such contacts were probably responsible for the invitation to sing at the opening of the Crystal Palace; her memoir re-counts her discussion with the Duke of Wellington on this occasion. Her American period started in 1854 when, after a series of appearances in Liverpool, she left for New York, where she first appeared as Arline in The Bohemian Girl. In the same year, she and Harrison formed the Pyne-Harrison Opera Company, which was based in New York, but also maintained a punishing touring schedule that included towns north - Boston, Providence, and up to Montreal in Canada - and towns south - Philadelphia, Washington, and down to New Orleans in Louisiana. We also know from the manuscript diary kept by the Pyne-Harrison musical director Anton Rieff, that during a paddle-steamer voyage with the Company down the Mississippi to New Orleans during the freezing winter of 1856, Louisa gambled with the best of them, encountered a murder in the lawless Ohio river town of Cairo, and helped to defuse a fight between Rieff and another passenger; a disagreement over a seat that the unfortunate musical director had claimed in the dining room, had escalated to a challenge to duel. Returning to England for appearances at the Lyceum and Drury Lane in 1857, she and Harrison then took a lease from Frederick Gye on the new Covent Garden Theatre; the Company appeared at Covent Garden each winter from 1859, until its closure in 1864. During this period she sang the leading soprano roles in the first performances of Balfe's Rose of Castille, Satanella, Bianca; or The Bravo's Bride, The Puritan's Daughter and The Armourer of Nantes, Wallace's Lurline, Benedict's Lily of Killarney and Glover's Ruy Blas. She was also a noted singer of oratorio. Throughout this period, Pyne and Harrison were encouraged in their plans for an National opera company; her Royal connections ensured that she had the attention of both the Queen and the Prince Consort (they had been present at her debut in The Magic Flute) and Victoria saw her three times in Balfe's Satanella, once in Maritana, twice in Lurline, and once each in Bianca, the Bravo's Bride, Robin Hood, and The Amber Witch. It appears that the Prince Consort was in favour of a National Opera, and was prepared to support an approach to the Government for a subsidy. Sadly, as the conductor Luigi Arditti, commented, with the death of the Prince Consort, 'the web of powerful interest which inevitably folded itself round the opera nights' was no longer there. In 1864 she dissolved her partnership with Harrison and in 1868 married the baritone Frank Bodda (c1823-92), thereafter devoting herself to teaching. However, Pyne had purchased the rights to many of the operas she and Harrison had commissioned, and she was at the centre of a sale of the rights which took place at Puttick and Simpson's auction house on 12 February 1878; her earlier attempts to enforce the copyright of these were largely responsible for the 1882 Copyright (Musical Compositions) Act. She was granted a pension from the civil list in 1896. It should be emphasised that the notion of the Royal English Opera Company differed from any other enterprise in the 19th century. Louisa Pyne set out to do two things. One was to present English versions of European works, such as Maritana, and Auber's The Black Diamond. The second, more importantly, was to establish a school of National opera, and in pursuit of this, she commissioned new operas from a number of composers, including Balfe. Other opera companies throughout this period, tried to give seasons of Continental operas in Continental languages; Louisa Pyne's activities meant that the number of new operas premiered at Covent Garden, instead of standing in single figures for the entire 19th century, is in double figures, and included 15 new English operas. This type of approach had characterised her American venture as well, where she showed that interest in new works; it was her Company that first produced Geogre F. Bristow's Rip Van Winkle, a work widely regarded as the first 'American' opera; she created the role of Alice in those performances. Contemporary admiration for Louisa Pyne was widespread. While in America, she was honoured by the Louisa Pyne Polka, and her nickname 'The Skylark' came from a song written for her there, and which she became obliged to sing in many of her appearances. In company with the late Prince Consort, Abraham Lincoln, the Archbishop of York, Charles Kingsley, she appeared in The Drawing-Room Portrait Gallery of Eminent Persons for July to December 1861, one of only three women to do so. And most importantly, she was only the second woman to be awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society's Beethoven Gold Medal. (Kindly contributed by: Dr Michael Burden Dean; Reader in Music; Director, New Chamber Opera http://newchamberopera.com New College, Oxford OX1 3BN, UK) |
| 18. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1868-1880 (ca) Miolan Carvalho, soprano Carte de visite Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Miolan Carvalho (31 December, 1827 - 10 July, 1895) Marie Caroline (nee Felix Miolan) Carvalho was born in Marseilles on 31 December, 1827. She was a soprano who studied with Duprez and made her debut, in 1849, playing the role of Isabella in the opera, "Robert le Diable." She was with the Paris Opera Company from 1849 until 1855, before joining the company of Theatre-Lyrique in 1856. Mme. Carvalho introduced the role of Gretchen from "Faust" at Theatre-Lyrique in 1859. She married Leon Carvalho the manager of Theatre-Lyrique who held the production rights to Gounod's "Faust." Her soprano voice was considered "shrill" but was well-suited to the difficult performance of The Jewel Song from "Faust." Composer, Choudens, reworked Gounod's "Faust" and the opera became highly popular in Paris beginning in 1862. Carvalho was cast in the role of Marguerite. She also sang the roles of Carlotta in "Phantom of the Opera," and Juliette in "Romeo." She appeared at Convent-Garden, London between the years 1859-1864 and also appeared in the role of Dinorah in Berlin and St. Petersburg. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 19. |  | Sarony 1884 (ca) Etelka Gerster, opera soprano Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Etelka Gerster (25 June, 1855 - 1920) Etelka Gerster was born in Hungary. She studied voice in the Paris studio of Mathilde Marchesi. In 1876, she made debut at La Fenice in Venice as Gilda from the opera, "Rigoletto." She first appeared as Her Majesty's Theatre in London in 1877 in the role of Amina in Bellini's opera, "La Sonnaambula," where she also performed in "Lucia di Lammermoor," "Rigeletto," and "The Magic Flute." Her first American tour in 1873 was with the cast of Her Majesty's Opera Company under the direction of James Henry Mapleson. She also appeared in San Francisco, where it was reported she became ill. In 1884, she again appeared in New York working with Mapleson at the Academy of Music. Adelina Patti and Christine Nilsson, and Gerster were considered the leading singers of their time. Gerster opened a voice school in Berlin where she trained many famous singers from 1896 until 1917. Records indicate that the noted singer Lotte Lehmann was dismissed from the school for not adapting to the requirements of voice instruction. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 20. |  | Sarony 1874 (ca) Pauline Lucca, opera soprano Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Pauline Lucca (25 April, 1841 - 28 February, 1908) Pauline Lucca was highly acclaimed opera soprano mentioned along with the great Adelina Patti, Etelka Gerster, and Clara Kellogg. Lucca was born in Austria and made her debut in 1859 at Olomouc as Elvira from the opera, "Emani." She joined the Berlin Opera Company and performed the roles under the tutelage of Meyerbeer. Lucca replaced Jenny Lind as Vielka in Meyerbeer's opera, "Feldlanger." She later appeared in London at Covent Garden. Along with Clara Louise Kellogg in 1872 she formed a traveling opera company which toured America from 1872 until 1874. Opera diva, Lilli Lehmann stated her favorite Carmen was Pauline Lucca. She most likely saw Lucca in one of her performances at the Metropolitan in New York during the American tour. Lucca returned to her home city, Vienna, and maintained a busy performance schedule until 1889. She often gave solo concerts with pianists and violinists after 1879 in Austria and Germany. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler) |
| 21. |  | Unidentified photographer / artist n.d. Medea Mei-Figner (1858-1952), Italian soprano and mezzo-soprano Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Medea Mei-Figner was born in Florence in 1858. She had voice training with Bianchi, Carozzi-Zucchi and Panofka and at the age of sixteen sang the mezzo part in Verdi's "Requiem." Soon afterward she made her stage debut as Azucena in "II Trovatore." From 1875 until 1883 she appeared at a number of Italian theatres, and visited Russia, South America, and London. Her repertory included roles as Amneris, Ulrica, Leonora in "Favorita," and "Carmen." She shifted into soprano roles singing Valentine in "Les Huguenots, Charlotte in "Werther," and Margherita in "Mefistofele." While in Milan she met and later married, in 1889, the famous Russian tenor, Nicola Figner, a second marriage for her. With her husband she created leading roles in Tchaikovsky's operas, "Queen of Spades" and "Iolanthe" and in Napravnik's operas, "Dubrovsky" and "Francesca da Rimini." They both joined the Imperial Opera Company. Most of her career was spent in Russia where she was a favorite of the Tsar's family, appearing mostly at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. Her voice was described as "warm and attractive" and she possessed the range to interpret Lisa from Tchaikovsky's "Queen of Spades" to his liking. Tchaikovsky was close friend and often was house guest of the Figners. Her husband left her in 1904, and she made a last tour of South America. She continued to appear at the Mariinsky Theatre making her farewell performance as Carmen in 1912. Medea left Russia in 1930 and settled in Paris and continued to live there until her death in 1952. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 22. |  | I. Calzolari n.d. Antonietta Fricci Cabinet card Manskopf Collection / Sammlung Manskopf Courtesy of the Manskopf Collection / Sammlung Manskopf, Universitõtsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main (F00474) Antonietta Fricci Neri-Baraldi (1840 - 1912), Austrian/Italian mezzo-soprano Antonietta Fricci was born in Vienna, Austria on 8 January 1840. She studied voice with Mathilde Marchesi in Italy and made debut at age 18 as Violetta in Verdi's "Traviatta" in 1858 at Bologna. She sang lead roles in Bellini's "Norma," Verdi's "Rigoletto," and often appeared as Lucrezia in Verdi's "Lucrezia Borgia." She performance history includes opera theatres in Turin, Bologna, Pisa, Parma, and in Lisbon, Madrid and London. Appearing most often in Italy and Portugal. In London in Verdi operas, The Musical Times, September 1, 1867 reports: "… of Madlle Fricci who made her first appearance this season as Amelia in Verdi's opera, "Un Ballo in Manchero," we must speak in the highest terms of commendation, not only for her performance of Amelia (already well-known to the audiences of this establishment) but for her excellent singing and acting as the princess, Eboli, in Verdi's opera Don Carlos, the declamatory music of which is well-suited to her voice and style." Antonietta Fricci married the tenor, Pietro Neri-Baraldi (1828 - 1902) and the opera programs began to reflect her married name, Antonietta Fricci Neri-Baraldi. She later taught voice and her most famous students were Cesira Ferrani and Cesira Zanazzio. She died 7 September, 1912 in Turin, Italy (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 23. |  | I. Calzolari n.d. Antonietta Fricci Cabinet card Manskopf Collection / Sammlung Manskopf Courtesy of the Manskopf Collection / Sammlung Manskopf, Universitõtsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main (F08594) Antonietta Fricci Neri-Baraldi (1840 - 1912), Austrian/Italian mezzo-soprano Antonietta Fricci was born in Vienna, Austria on 8 January 1840. She studied voice with Mathilde Marchesi in Italy and made debut at age 18 as Violetta in Verdi's "Traviatta" in 1858 at Bologna. She sang lead roles in Bellini's "Norma," Verdi's "Rigoletto," and often appeared as Lucrezia in Verdi's "Lucrezia Borgia." She performance history includes opera theatres in Turin, Bologna, Pisa, Parma, and in Lisbon, Madrid and London. Appearing most often in Italy and Portugal. In London in Verdi operas, The Musical Times, September 1, 1867 reports: "… of Madlle Fricci who made her first appearance this season as Amelia in Verdi's opera, "Un Ballo in Manchero," we must speak in the highest terms of commendation, not only for her performance of Amelia (already well-known to the audiences of this establishment) but for her excellent singing and acting as the princess, Eboli, in Verdi's opera Don Carlos, the declamatory music of which is well-suited to her voice and style." Antonietta Fricci married the tenor, Pietro Neri-Baraldi (1828 - 1902) and the opera programs began to reflect her married name, Antonietta Fricci Neri-Baraldi. She later taught voice and her most famous students were Cesira Ferrani and Cesira Zanazzio. She died 7 September, 1912 in Turin, Italy (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 24. |  | Varischi & Artico n.d. Luisa Tetrazzini Cabinet card Manskopf Collection / Sammlung Manskopf Courtesy of the Manskopf Collection / Sammlung Manskopf, Universitõtsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main (F10058) Luisa Tetrazzini (1871-1941), Italian soprano The Luisa Tetrazzini, younger sister of soprano Eva Tetrazzini, was born 29 June 1871 in Florence. She studied voice with her sister, and the singers Contrucci and Ceccherini before making her debut as Ines in Meyerbeer's opera, "L'Africana," in 1890. She toured extensively from 1891 thorough 1906 in Italy, Eastern Europe, South America, Spain and Mexico. Her first appearance at Covent Garden, London was in 1907 as Violetta and she came back each season till 1912 appearing as Gilda, Lucia, Amina, and as Marguerite in "Les Huguenots." Oscar Hammerstein made contract with Tetrazzini to sing at the Manhattan Opera beginning in 1908 and she won the audiences at his theatre in the roles of Lakme, Dinorah, and Elvira from the opera, "I Puritani." She finally did sing at the Metropolitan, but only made eight appearances there during the 1911-12 season. She also sang at the opera stages of Chicago and Boston between 1911 and 1914. After the end of World War I, she was seen primarily in recitals and concert. She continued to do concerts until her last appearance in London in 1934. Luisa Tetrazzini had exceptional well-trained voice that could accomplish the most difficult roles which helped her to gain "international fame." She made many recordings which comfirm her vocal expertise. She was described as witty and good-natured with a flair for the comic stage roles. To her misfortune she was considered the heftiest of her compatriots, "a woman of Rubenesque proportions" who was also short in stature. This detracted from her acting, but her vocal abilities excelled offering her audience and peer acclaim. Tetrazzini was married three times and her husbands helped to deplete her fortunes. The recital and concert schedule which followed her opera stage years provided necessary income for the aging singer. By the time of her death on 28 April 1941, in Milan, her money was gone and the state provided for her funeral. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 25. |  | Varischi & Artico n.d. Luisa Tetrazzini Cabinet card Manskopf Collection / Sammlung Manskopf Courtesy of the Manskopf Collection / Sammlung Manskopf, Universitõtsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main (F10060) Luisa Tetrazzini (1871-1941), Italian soprano The Luisa Tetrazzini, younger sister of soprano Eva Tetrazzini, was born 29 June 1871 in Florence. She studied voice with her sister, and the singers Contrucci and Ceccherini before making her debut as Ines in Meyerbeer's opera, "L'Africana," in 1890. She toured extensively from 1891 thorough 1906 in Italy, Eastern Europe, South America, Spain and Mexico. Her first appearance at Covent Garden, London was in 1907 as Violetta and she came back each season till 1912 appearing as Gilda, Lucia, Amina, and as Marguerite in "Les Huguenots." Oscar Hammerstein made contract with Tetrazzini to sing at the Manhattan Opera beginning in 1908 and she won the audiences at his theatre in the roles of Lakme, Dinorah, and Elvira from the opera, "I Puritani." She finally did sing at the Metropolitan, but only made eight appearances there during the 1911-12 season. She also sang at the opera stages of Chicago and Boston between 1911 and 1914. After the end of World War I, she was seen primarily in recitals and concert. She continued to do concerts until her last appearance in London in 1934. Luisa Tetrazzini had exceptional well-trained voice that could accomplish the most difficult roles which helped her to gain "international fame." She made many recordings which comfirm her vocal expertise. She was described as witty and good-natured with a flair for the comic stage roles. To her misfortune she was considered the heftiest of her compatriots, "a woman of Rubenesque proportions" who was also short in stature. This detracted from her acting, but her vocal abilities excelled offering her audience and peer acclaim. Tetrazzini was married three times and her husbands helped to deplete her fortunes. The recital and concert schedule which followed her opera stage years provided necessary income for the aging singer. By the time of her death on 28 April 1941, in Milan, her money was gone and the state provided for her funeral. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 26. |  | Jose Mora n.d. Theresa Tietjens, German soprano (1831-1877) Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Theresa Tietjens was born in Hamburg in 1831 to Hungarian parents. She made her debut in 1849 at Altona in the character of Lucrezia Borgia and soon gained following as the foremost singer on the German lyric stage. She made her London debut in 1858, and after that date made London her home and associated herself with the director James Henry Mapleson. Her first tour to America came in 1875. She was among the most highly acclaimed sopranos of her time, but died before her voice could be recorded and compared to her fellow sopranos. Critics considered her voice far superior to her performance skills. Emily Soldene in her book, Musical Recollections, Downey & Co., London 1897 says, "I could not help seeing, and hating myself for doing so, that Mme. Tietjen's corsets were dreadfully stiff, laced dreadfully tight, and audibly cranked." Tietjens was an overweight performer which tasked her stage abilities playing dramatic roles such as "Carmen" and "Medea." She collapsed on stage during a performance of "Lucrezia Borgia" and died two months later of cancer. She was forty-six years old at death in 1877. She was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery in west London. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 27. |  | André Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri 1860 Barbara and Carlotta Marchisio in Semiramis Carte de visite Paul Frecker Barbara Marchisio (1833-1919), Italian contralto Carlotta Marchisio (1835-1872), Italian soprano Sisters Carlotta and Barbara Marchisio often appeared together throughout their careers. According to one contemporary source, Rossini's Sémiramis, first performed by the sisters at the Opéra on 10 July 1860, was their Paris début. Carlotta is seen here dressed as the villainous Queen of Babylon, who at the start of the opera has already murdered her husband. Barbara is dressed as her son, Arsace, the commander of the Assyrian army. (Paul Frecker) Additional biographical material Barbara Marchisio (1833-1919), Italian contralto Along with her younger sister, Carlotta, they were considered the favorite singers of the composer, Rossini. Born 6 December 1833, probably in Turin, Italy, Barbara Marchisio made her debut as Adalgisa in Bellini's opera, "Norma" (1856 in Madrid?). She came from a musical family having a brother Antonio Marchisio who was singer, and her sister Carlotta with whom she often appeared on the stage. Her vocal teacher was Gioacchino Rossini. She is known to have appeared at major opera houses in Italy, Spain, Russia, Britain and France with her sister Carlotta. Barbara taught voice and among her students were Toti Dal Monte and Rosa Raisa, who became the primary singer for the Chicago Opera for twenty years beginning in 1913. The Paris Opéra revived Rossini's "Semiramide" in 1860 for a performance in French by the Marchisio sisters, and Rossini composed his 1863 Mass, "Petite Messe solennelle" for the sisters. The Mass debuted in Paris in 1864. Barbara Marchisio died 19 April 1919. Carlotta Marchisio (1835-1872), Italian soprano Italian soprano, Carlotta Marchisio, was born in Turin, Italy 6 December 1835 into a musical family. She was a student of Luigi Fabbrica in Turin and is thought to have made her debut as Norma. There is debate about in which city she made her debut, some argue it was Venice while others say it was Madrid in 1856. She often appeared with her older sister, Barbara, and they made "international career" on stages throughout Europe and in St. Petersburg, Russia. There is a story that she once sang her sisters part from back stage when Barbara voice was frail from illness without the audience being aware that it happened. Carlotta Marchisio died 28 June 1872. (Kindly controbuted by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 28. |  | André Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri 1859 Pauline Viardot-Garcia in Orphée Carte de visite Paul Frecker Pauline Viardot-Garcia (1821-1910), French soprano Mezzo-soprano Pauline Garcia was born in Paris on 18 July 1821, to a Spanish family of musicians. Originally trained as a pianist, her father, Manuel Garcia, also gave her singing lessons, although her elder sister Maria Malibran was the singer of the family until her untimely death in 1836. In 1837, at the age of sixteen, Pauline Garcia gave her first concert performance in Brussels. Her opera début was made at Her Majesty's Theatre, London in May 1839, as Desdemona in Rossini's Otello. In 1849 she created FidÞs in Le ProphÞte and later, the title role in Gounod's Sapho. In 1840, she married Louis Viardot, director of the Théatre Italien in Paris. Her husband later managed her career. Renowned for her wide range and her dramatic roles on stage, Garcia's performances inspired several composers, including Frederic Chopin, Hector Berlioz and Camille Saint-SaÙns. Extremely intelligent, she spoke fluent French, Italian, Spanish, English, German and Russian, and composed songs in a variety of national techniques. Her career took her to all the best musical venues of Europe, and from 1843 to 1846 she was permanently attached to the Opera in St. Petersburg. In 1863 Pauline Viardot-Garcia retired from the stage. Due to her husband's public opposition to Napoléon III, she and her family left France and settled in Baden-Baden. After the fall of the Second Empire, the family returned to France where Pauline taught at the Paris Conservatory. She died in Paris on 18 May 1910 and was buried in the cemetery at Montmartre. She is seen here as she appeared in 1859 when she sang Orpheus at the ThéÔtre-Lyrique in the historic revival of Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice, in Berlioz's version, with Marie Sax as Eurydice. (Paul Frecker) |
| 29. |  | André Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri 1859-1863 Caroline Vandenheuvel-Duprez Carte de visite Paul Frecker Caroline Vanderheuvel-Duprez (1832 - 1875), French soprano Madame Vandenheuvel was born Caroline Duprez in Florence on 10 April 1832. Her father was the famous tenor Gilbert Duprez, with whom she sometimes appeared.. A soprano, she made her Paris début in 1850 at the ThéÔtre Italien in La Somnambula. The following year she helped to produce the world Première of her father's opera Joanita in Brussels. In 1852 she created the r¶le of Angela in Marco Spada. She also appeared in Lyon (1856-1858), the Garnier Palace (1860), Bordeaux, London, St. Petersburg, and at the ThéÔtre-Lyrique in Paris. She died on 17 April 1875 (her father outlived her by twenty-one years.) (Paul Frecker) Additional biographical material The daughter of celebrated tenor Gilbert Louis Duprez (1806-1875), the principal tenor of Opera Paris from 1839-49. Caroline Duprez was born in Florence in 1832. She was a soprano who studied with her father who had founded his own school in Paris in 1853, after he had served as professor of voice at Paris Conservatoire from 1842-50. Her voice was described as "light with high range." Meyerbeer chose her to create the role of Catherine in his opera, "L' Etoile du Nord," which debuted in Paris in 1854. Caroline Duprez is shown at Theatre-Lyrique in Paris, in May 1858, as lead in Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro," which had been translated into French by Jules Barbier and Michael Carre. She was married to the musician, Vanderheuvel in 1856. Her early career was as a dramatic singer (1850), and then she was connected to comique opera (1852) and did not appear in large opera until after 1858. She died 17 April 1875 in Pau. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 30. |  | Bieber Family 1879-1880 (embossed) Max Alvary, German Wagnerian opera tenor Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler © Klaus Niermann - studioniermann.de/html/bieber.html Max Alvary (1856 - 1898) - Wagnerian tenor Max Alvary was born in Dusseldorf, Prussia (Germany) on 3 May 1856. He was the son of noted painter, Andreas Achenbach, and was given the birth name, Maximillian Achenbach. Alvary a tenor was acclaimed among Wagnerian opera singers in Germany, America and Britain. He made debut in Weimar in 1879 in role of Alessandro Saradella. His debut in New York's Metropolitan Opera was as Don Carlos opposite Lilli Lehmann, who was also making her American debut. At the Met Alvary was the first to perform the roles of Siegfried and Adolar. Under the direction of conductor Gustav Mahler at Convent Garden in London he gave the debut performance in "Ring of Nibelung, " Wagner's opera. His wife was named Thekla, but there is little available information about her and his private life. Max Alvary retired from the stage in 1897 due to illness, following nearly two decades of heavy performance calendars. He died 7 November 1898 and is buried at Ohlsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg, Germany. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 31. |  | Sarony n.d. Max Alvary, German tenor Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Max Alvary (1856 - 1898) - Wagnerian tenor Max Alvary was born in Dusseldorf, Prussia (Germany) on 3 May 1856. He was the son of noted painter, Andreas Achenbach, and was given the birth name, Maximillian Achenbach. Alvary a tenor was acclaimed among Wagnerian opera singers in Germany, America and Britain. He made debut in Weimar in 1879 in role of Alessandro Saradella. His debut in New York's Metropolitan Opera was as Don Carlos opposite Lilli Lehmann, who was also making her American debut. At the Met Alvary was the first to perform the roles of Siegfried and Adolar. Under the direction of conductor Gustav Mahler at Convent Garden in London he gave the debut performance in "Ring of Nibelung, " Wagner's opera. His wife was named Thekla, but there is little available information about her and his private life. Max Alvary retired from the stage in 1897 due to illness, following nearly two decades of heavy performance calendars. He died 7 November 1898 and is buried at Ohlsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg, Germany. (Kindly contributed by Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 32. |  | Bieber Family 1879-1880 (embossed) Theodor Wachtel, German opera tenor. In role of "Chapelou" the lead part in Adolphe Adam's opera, "Le Coachman of Lonjumeau." Carte de visite Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler © Klaus Niermann - studioniermann.de/html/bieber.html Theodor Wachtel (1823-1893), German tenor Theodor Wachtel was born in Hamburg on 10 March 1823. He was the son of a stable keeper and as a young man drove horse cabs. He was to excel as the leading tenor in Europe. He gained his first operatic engagements in 1854 singing in several German cities. His first London appearance was in 1862 where he sang the part of Edgardo in "Lucia." His high C was his chief attribute and it is said that he produced it with tremendous volume. Wachtel also toured America for several seasons. His wife was named Johanette. In the role of Chapelou from Adolphe Adam's opera "Le Postillon de Chapelou" ("The Coachman of Lonjumeau"), a part he performed more than one thousand times, it is reported that he developed skills for rhythmic whip cracking to further entertain his audiences. He dedicated most of his performances while in Germany to Kaiser Friedrich William III. Wachtel's primary career was made at the Hamburg Opera, although he had appearances at Hanover, Cassel, Schwerin, Dresden, Berlin, Paris, Vienna, and London. A noted opera writer praised Wachtel saying, " he was one of the first vocal artists whose voice was superbly trained and preserved to the end of his life. I have had to pay tribute to Wachtel, the tribute of the most complete admiration and recognition in contrast to many others who thought themselves greater than he, and yet were not worthy to unloose the latchet of his shoes." Wachtel's tour of the United States took him from New York to San Francisco and his voice continued to hold its strength until he retired from the stage. He died in Berlin on 14 November 1893. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 33. |  | Bieber Family 1880-1881 (embossed) Bernhard Baruch Pollini, German tenor and director of Hamburg Opera theatre (Hamburg Stadt Opera Theatre) Carte de visite Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler © Klaus Niermann - studioniermann.de/html/bieber.html Bernhard Baruch Pollini (1836 - 1897), German singer & Director Bernhard Pollini was born in Cologne on 12 December 1836. He began his opera career as tenor singing the role of Arturo in "Puritani" at Berlin. He was student of Georg Weikl. Pollini is best known as the director of the Hamburg Stadt Opera Theatre a post he assumed in 1873. The Stadt-Theatre had fallen on hard times having been built in 1826 and was in dire need of renovation. Pollini leased the building and rebuilt it to its original splendor doing both interior and exterior renovations. A second renovation in 1891 would see the introduction of electric lights for the theatre. Pollini was attracted to the music of Richard Wagner, without neglecting Verdi. In 1879, he produced Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung, and in 1883 the year of Wagner's death he produced a cycle of nine of his operas. Nearly one thousand performances were calendared prior to the masters death. Pollini was able to attract the elite performers of the day and was not afraid to debut new operas. He brought the best musical directors to Hamburg engaging Hans von Bulow (1887-1890) and Gustav Mahler (1891-1897) which contributed greatly to the fame of the Hamburg Opera. Pollini died 27 November 1897 in Hamburg. His successor in 1891 as director of the Hamburg Opera was Gustav Mahler. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 34. |  | Bieber Family 1881 (embossed) Albert Niemann, German opera tenor as "Lohengrin" Carte de visite Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler © Klaus Niermann - studioniermann.de/html/bieber.html Albert Niemann (1831 - 1917), German tenor Born in Magdeburg, Prussia in January 1831, the son of an innkeeper. At age seventeen he was apprenticed to an engine maker, but after a few months he vanished from the workshop and went to Dresden. Niemann began his career on the dramatic stage gaining small speaking parts which ultimately led to a post in the chorus of Hoftheatre. He first studied voice with Fritz Schneider who was the director of the Ducal Hofkappell. At age twenty-four, Von Huelson of the Royal Theatre of Prussia heard him sing and summoned him to Berlin. There he gained further vocal instruction before he was dispatched to Paris to study with Duprez. In 1866, Niemann became a permanent member of the Royal Opera Company in Berlin, where he was to have long career. He was married to the actress Seebach, but the marriage ended in divorce. A story reports that he lifted her and heaved her through a first-story window. His second marriage was to Frau Raab. A son from that marriage became famous doctor and chemist. Niemann had tremendous stage presence having splendid physique and he was skilled actor beyond his well-trained voice. Some critics said his voice contained a "gravel sound," but many thought it was well-suited to Wagner's operas. Niemann was the first to fill the role of Tannhauser in Paris in 1861. He created the role of Siegmund in "The Ring of Nibelung," a role which he also debuted at the Royal Theatre in London. Between 1886-88 he sang at the Metropolitan Opera playing parts in "Die Walkure," "Tristan and Isolde," "Fidelio," "Tannhauser," "Lohengrin," and "Leprophete." (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 35. |  | Camille Silvy 1860 Antonio Giuglini, tenor Carte de visite Paul Frecker The series of theatrical portraits that Silvy made at the onset of his London career do not appear in the first volume of the daybooks, as all the sittings between numbers 100 and 300 were removed, along with, from the other volumes, almost all the portraits with a theatrical connection. This was done some time before the daybooks were acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in 1904. Many of these portraits subsequently reappeared, floated off their original mounts, and are today held at the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden. One of Silvy's printed catalogues from 1861 has survived, and in this, the sitting numbers are given next to the names of the sitters, so it is possible to reconstruct, partially, the missing pages of volume one. No dates are given in volume one, but since volume two begins at the start of September 1860, anything in volume one can be dated earlier in that year. Actually, the series of theatrical portraits can be dated a little more specifically, since many of the sitters appeared in productions or concerts that were advertised in the classified columns of the Times. For example, Marietta Piccolomini's first appearance of the year was at Brighton on 16 February, while Signor Belleti's was at the Saint James's Hall on 22 February. Signor Giuglini, however, didn't appear in London until the start of the season at Her Majesty's Theatre on 10 April, also the date that the season at Covent Garden began that year, and therefore the approximate date of Signor Gardoni's arrival in London. (Paul Frecker) Antonio Giuglini (1827-1865) - Italian tenor Antonio Giuglini was born at Fano in 1827. Giuglini had training in Italy and is known to have performed at Bologna in 1849, Venice and Genoa in 1856, and at Madrid, Spain in 1858-59. although His teachers voice teachers are not known. Giuglini first appeared in London in 1857 at Her Majesty's Theatre and performed Riccardo in "Balla en Manchera," Rudulfo in "Luisa Miller," and Arrigo in "Les Vepres Sililiennes." Among the divas whom he appeared with were Therese Tietjens, Marietta Piccolomini, and Jean de Reszke. He also appeared in Verdi's opera Il Trovatore with the infamous Adelina Patti. He was highly popular in Dublin. Giuglini had a short career as his sanity failed and he died at age thirty-eight in the asylum at Pesaro, Italy on 12 October 1865. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 36. |  | Alphonse J. Liébert n.d. Victor Capoul, French tenor Carte de visite Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Victor Capoul (27 February, 1839 - 18 February, 1924) French tenor, Joseph-Amedee Victor Capoul was born in Toulouse on 27 February, 1839. In 1861, he made his debut at the Opera-Comique in "Le Chalet." His career was spent mostly in London, Paris and New York and he was best known for roles from Italian operas. In the first Italian production of "Otello" at the Metropolitan Opera Company on 11 January, 1892 he sang the role of Cassio. New York audiences were not overly fond of Italian operas in 1892 and it would take a few more years to gain audience enthusiasm. In 1904, Victor Capoul was serving as manager of L'Opera Paris when a company headquartered in Italy was formed to record operatic music on cylinder disks in Paris and Milan. He was one of the tenors whose voice appears on these rare disks (Societa Italiana Fonotipia) that exist in libraries today. Victor Capoul lost his entire fortune in speculation. His bitterness at losing his fortune led him to burn most of the mementos he had collected over his career. He died on 18 February, 1924. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 37. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1860-1870 Victor Capoul, French tenor Carte de visite Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Victor Capoul (27 February, 1839 - 18 February, 1924) French tenor, Joseph-Amedee Victor Capoul was born in Toulouse on 27 February, 1839. In 1861, he made his debut at the Opera-Comique in "Le Chalet." His career was spent mostly in London, Paris and New York and he was best known for roles from Italian operas. In the first Italian production of "Otello" at the Metropolitan Opera Company on 11 January, 1892 he sang the role of Cassio. New York audiences were not overly fond of Italian operas in 1892 and it would take a few more years to gain audience enthusiasm. In 1904, Victor Capoul was serving as manager of L'Opera Paris when a company headquartered in Italy was formed to record operatic music on cylinder disks in Paris and Milan. He was one of the tenors whose voice appears on these rare disks (Societa Italiana Fonotipia) that exist in libraries today. Victor Capoul lost his entire fortune in speculation. His bitterness at losing his fortune led him to burn most of the mementos he had collected over his career. He died on 18 February, 1924. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 38. |  | André Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri 1860-1870 Giovanni Mateo Mario (1810-1883), Tenor Carte de visite Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Giovanni Mateo Mario "Cavaliere di Candia" (1810-1883), Italian opera tenor Born into an aristocratic family the son of General di Candia on 18 October 1810. His career as a singer was the result of accidental circumstances. Mario gained officer rank in the Sardinian army until he was imprisoned at Cagliari for a trifling offence. When his sentence ended he attempted to resign his commission but was denied leading him to desert the army and flee to Paris. There he gained some success as amateur vocalist which led to an opera engagement. He studied two years in Paris with Bordogni and Ponchard, and had debut at the Paris Opera in 1838, in the title role of Meyerbeer's "Robert le Diable." During his career he appeared to great acclaim at all the major opera houses of the world, including St. Petersburg, New York, and Madrid. Elegantly handsome, with a winning stage presence, he had an extraordinarily sweet-toned tenor voice. Mario made his London debut at Her Majesty's Theatre as Gennaro in Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia" on 6 June 1839 and was seen in that role by Queen Victoria two days later. The Queen found his voice "very fine and full of feeling" and noted in her Journal that he was "tall, quite young and very handsome." During the next 28 years the Royal family heard Mario on many occasions, sometimes he sang at Covent Garden where he sang from 1847, and sometimes in concerts performed at Buckingham Palace. The last time the Queen heard him sing was at the ceremony to mark the laying of the foundation stone of the Royal Albert Hall on 20 May 1867, when he "sang his solo beautifully." His stage partnership with the soprano, Giulia Grisi, from 1839 was one of the most successful in operatic history. They were married in London. Their daughter, Mrs. Godfrey Pearce, later wrote her father's biography, "The Romance of A Great Singer: A Memoir of Mario," published 1910. Mario retired from the stage in 1871, although he returned to tour the U.S. with Adelina Patti 1872-1873. From then until his death he lived in dire poverty, having spent all the earnings of a long career. Mario died in Rome 11 December 1883. Queen Victoria was much grieved to hear of Mario's death, and wrote, "he was the greatest tenor that ever existed and had a most heavenly voice … with such feeling." (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 39. |  | Guigoni & Bossi n.d. Enrico Caruso Cabinet card Manskopf Collection / Sammlung Manskopf Courtesy of the Manskopf Collection / Sammlung Manskopf, Universitõtsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main (F08363) Enrico Caruso (1873-1921), Italian tenor One would be tasked to think of a more popular or more publicized tenor at the turn of the 20th century than Enrico Caruso. Enrico Caruso was born on 25 February 1873, in Naples, Italy. He was the third child of seven in a family led by an alcoholic father. He had little education before studying voice with music conductor Vicenzo Lombardini. Caruso gained some early income was from singing serenades in Naples, before gaining a role on the opera stage in March, 1895. The composer, Puccini, was in search of a tenor for his new opera, "La Boheme" in Livorno when he discovered Caruso. When the opera debuted in Naples the audience reception for it and Caruso was unfriendly, and Caruso vowed never to sing for the people of Naples again. Caruso made his operatic debut on March 15, 1895 at a back street theatre in Naples. After a two-year stint on the South Italian circuit he auditioned for Giocomo Puccini in the summer of 1897. Puccini was looking for a leading tenor for a performance of 'La Boheme' in Livorno. Puccini was so impressed with the range and tone of the young Caruso's voice, that he reportedly mumbled in awe, "Who sent you to me? God himself?" After an unfriendly reception of his performance in Naples, Caruso vowed to never sing in Naples again, and he never did. By 1897, he was gaining major roles in operas by Giordano, Ciliaon in the city of Milano. He continued to sing Italian operas in Milano in 1898. Caruso signed a recording contract in London with the Gramophone and Typewriter Company in 1902, and appeared at Covent Garden in Verdi's "Rigoletto." Pasquale Simonelli a banker assisted in making arrangements for Caruso to make his Metropolitan Opera debut in November 1903. Caruso charmed his audiences and the press and went on to appear at the Met for the next eighteen seasons, making six hundred and seven stage appearances in thirty-seven different operas. He was frequently cast opposite singer/actress Geraldine Farrar at the Met. They became the biggest box-office combination the Metropolitan had through the 1920's. Caruso sang in four languages and was reported to be conversant in seven. He was the first singer in history to sell more than one million records. His most popular recording was Canio's song "Vesti le gubba" from Leoncavllo opera "Pagliacci." His voice is described as one possessing brilliant tenor qualities with the full baritone-like character. He never sang the high "C" and often altered the original music to avoid it. He was considered a master at musical phrasing giving distinct clarity to words which suited his recordings perfectly. He married Dorothy Benjamin in 1918 and they had one child, Gloria Caruso Murray. His two sons, Rodolfo and Enrico Jr., were from an earlier relationship with soprano, Ada Giachetti. Caruso often did skillful caricature sketches of fellow performers in costume a talent which he enjoyed. He was considered fun-loving with audience and friends, and was known to give away tickets which he had to pay for those he met who could not afford the admission price. He contracted pneumonia and developed into further lung complications in 1921. He underwent a series of lung operations which proved unsuccessful and died on 2 August 1921 at his home in Naples. The funeral afforded to him was suited to royalty and he was laid to rest in a chapel at Del Pianto Cemetery, Naples. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 40. |  | Charles Reutlinger 1860-1870 Jean-Baptiste Faure, baritone Carte de visite Paul Frecker Jean-Baptiste Faure (15 January, 1830 - 9 November, 1914) French baritone, Jean-Baptiste Faure was born 15 January, 1830. Considered a gifted stage baritone, he excelled in dramatic presentation wth rich resonant and stylish voice. He made his debut at Paris Opera-Comique in 1852 in the Masse opera, "Galathee." He was comfortable in French and Italian operas singing lead roles in "L'Africaine," "Don Carlos," "Hamlet," "La favorite," and "Don Giovanni." Faure married Opera-Comique singer, Constance Caroline Lefebvre. Edouard Manet painted Faure's portrait twice in 1882-3. One of those portraits is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, New York. He was a major patron and collector of Manet and at one time owned sixty-eight paintings by the artist before selling them to Paris dealer, Durand Ruel. Faure's career ended at Paris in 1876 with his final appearance as Hamlet. Manet entered the Salon of 1877 with a portrait depicting Faure as Hamlet. It was reported that Faure was not fond of the painting and considered the pose awkward. He died 9 November, 1914. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 41. |  | Bieber Family 1894 (embossed) Francisco d'Andrade, opera baritone as Don Giovanni Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler © Klaus Niermann - studioniermann.de/html/bieber.html Francisco D' Andrade (1859-?), Portugese baritone Francisco d' Andrade was born 11 January 1859 in Lisbon, Portugal. He studied voice in Lisbon and Milan; making his first professional stage appearance, in 1882, singing a role from Aida at San Remo, Italy. D' Andrade continued his career in Italian theatres for the next four years. During 1886-87 he sang frequently in Moscow and at Covent Garden, London. He returned often to perform in these two cities throughout his career. He appeared in operas at Lisbon, San Carlos, and Berlin in 1887. After 1890, he lended his voice almost exclusively to German opera theatres. His broad vocal repertoire included Italian, French, and German music. He gave solo concerts from 1910 until start of World War I. Toward the end of his singing career he concentrated on a small number of operas; including "Rigoletto" and "Don Giovanni." D' Andrade is reported to have gained special celebrity status in the role as Don Giovanni. German painter, Max Sievogt's painting completed in 1902 depicts Francisco d' Andrade as Don Giovanni. The canvas hangs in the collection at Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, Germany. (Kindly contributed by Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 42. |  | J.C. Schaarwächter 1891 Francisco d' Andrade as Don Juan Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Francisco D' Andrade (1859-?), Portugese baritone Francisco d' Andrade was born 11 January 1859 in Lisbon, Portugal. He studied voice in Lisbon and Milan; making his first professional stage appearance, in 1882, singing a role from Aida at San Remo, Italy. D' Andrade continued his career in Italian theatres for the next four years. During 1886-87 he sang frequently in Moscow and at Covent Garden, London. He returned often to perform in these two cities throughout his career. He appeared in operas at Lisbon, San Carlos, and Berlin in 1887. After 1890, he lended his voice almost exclusively to German opera theatres. His broad vocal repertoire included Italian, French, and German music. He gave solo concerts from 1910 until start of World War I. Toward the end of his singing career he concentrated on a small number of operas; including "Rigoletto" and "Don Giovanni." D' Andrade is reported to have gained special celebrity status in the role as Don Giovanni. German painter, Max Sievogt's painting completed in 1902 depicts Francisco d' Andrade as Don Giovanni. The canvas hangs in the collection at Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, Germany. (Kindly contributed by Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 43. |  | Camille Silvy 1860 Giovanni Belleti, baritone Carte de visite Paul Frecker Giovanni Battista Belleti (1813-1890) - Italian baritone Belleti was born at Sarzana, Italy on 17 February 1813. His early history in his native country was not found, but he was in England appearing at Her Majesty's Theatre by 1849. James Henry Mapleson formed an opera tour company in that year and recruited Belleti for the opera troupe. Mapleson took over the management of Her Majesty's Theatre in 1862 and continued to include Belleti the operas performed there. Phineas T. Barnum was great admirer of the singer Jenny Lind who was well known at Her Majesty's Theatre and Giovanni Belleti often appeared with her. Barnum persuaded Jenny Lind to come to America for tour in 1885-86, offering her a lucrative contract of 15,000 pd. sterling plus full expenses for transportation, room & board for her, a friend, and domestic aides. The tour contract was for 150 concerts or oratorios to be given in America and Havanna, and once Barnum broke even on the 15,000 pd. sterling she was to receive one-fifth of the profits. Giovanni Belleti was a part of the contract and he was to be paid 2500 pd. sterling plus all traveling expenses and hotel bills. In addition, Lind brought musical director and pianist, Julius Benedict who was paid 5,000 pd. sterling plus all expenses. Barnum was required prepay all the money before the party left for America. Giovanni Belleti was known to have appeared as soloist at the Handel Festival held at The Crystal Palace in July 1862. The huge iron and glass architectural facility built for the London Exposition of 1850-51 was fitted with enormous sound boards mounted to the glass walls and ceiling to accomodate a huge orchestra, an enormous chorus, and the soloists. Giovanni Belleti died at his home in Sarzana on 27 December 1890. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 44. |  | Benjamin J. Falk 1889-1890 (ca) Theodor Reichmann, German baritone Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Theodor Reichmann (15 March, 1849 - 22 May, 1903) Theodor Reichman made is debut at Magdeburg, Germany in 1869. The noted baritone studied in Berlin, Milan, and Prague. He kept a busy schedule of stage engagements in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich between 1883 and 1889, and was on stages in Strasburg (1893) and Vienna (1903). Reichmann is best known for his roles in Wagner operas. He introduced the character of Amfortas in the opera, "Parsifal" at Bayreuth in 1882. He also sang Wagner roles at Covent Garden. During the Metropolitan Opera season of 1889/90 he performed the lead role in Wagner's opera, "Der Fliegende Hollander" ("The Flying Dutchman"), and this photograph dates to those performances in New York. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 45. |  | Wilhelm Höffert 1886 (ca) Karl Scheidemantel, German baritone Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Karl Scheidemantel (21 January, 1859 - 26 June, 1923) Scheidemantel was born in Weimar and also died in that city. At age 19 he made debut as Wolfram at the Weimar Opera Theatre, in 1878, and was a part of that opera company through 1886. He next joined the opera company at Bayreuth singing there until 1892. He was quite popular on the opera stages at Munich, Dresden and Vienna, but also performed at Convent Garden, London and Lascala in Milan. He created the role of Urok from Paderewski's opera, "Manru," and the role of Kunrad from the Strauss opera, "Feuersnot." He also did much to interpret the role of Faninal in the Strauss opera, "Rosenkavalier." Scheidemantel translated two Italian operas, "Don Giovanni," and "Cosi fan tutte" into German for the audiences of his native country. He appeared at the Dresden Opera Theatre with Marcella Sembrich, Marie Wittich, Eva von der Osten, Anton Erl, Karl Perron, and Friedrich Plaschke. He also was a vocal teacher and his most famous student was Oskar Reinhold. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 46. |  | Unidentified photographer / artist n.d. Leonid Georgievich Yakovlev (1858-1919), Russian baritone as Romeo Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Leonid Georgievich Yakovlev was born 31 March, 1858 and died April, 1919. A baritone, Yakovlev had an active stage career which spanned the years 1887 until 1906. He joined the Mariinski Theatre company in St. Petersburg. He also served as the director at Mariinski for a part of his career. Yakovlev was an extremely popular singer of opera. Critics described his stage performances as "possessing showiness and a great voice." His best role was as Eugenie Onegin in the Tschaikovsky opera of the same title. Tshchaikovsky's "Eugenie Onegin" is based on the novel by Alexander Puskkin. In this cabinet card, Yakovlev is shown in the costume of Romeo from the opera, "Romeo & Juliet" by French composer, Charles Francois Gounod. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 47. |  | Unidentified photographer / artist n.d. Leonid Georgievich Yakovlev (1858-1919), Russian baritone as Romeo Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Leonid Georgievich Yakovlev was born 31 March, 1858 and died April, 1919. A baritone, Yakovlev had an active stage career which spanned the years 1887 until 1906. He joined the Mariinski Theatre company in St. Petersburg. He also served as the director at Mariinski for a part of his career. Yakovlev was an extremely popular singer of opera. Critics described his stage performances as "possessing showiness and a great voice." His best role was as Eugenie Onegin in the Tschaikovsky opera of the same title. Tshchaikovsky's "Eugenie Onegin" is based on the novel by Alexander Puskkin. In this cabinet card, Yakovlev is shown in the costume of Romeo from the opera, "Romeo & Juliet" by French composer, Charles Francois Gounod. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 48. |  | Bieber Family n.d. Mariano de Padilla Carte de visite Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler © Klaus Niermann - studioniermann.de/html/bieber.html Mariano de Padilla Y'Ramos (1842-1906), Spanish baritone Baritone, Mariano de Padilla, was born in Spain but studied voice in Italy. He toured extensively in Europe where he met and later married Desiree Artot, a Belgian mezzo-soprano. They were married in Warsaw in February 1869. Desiree Artot was known to be a much desired woman of composer, Peter Tchaikovsky. It is reported that Tchaikovsky had already announced to his father that he would marry Desiree, but apparently Desiree Artot had other plans and married de Padilla. The couple appeared on stages in Italy, Germany, Russia and Britain. Toward the end of their stage careers they opened a voice school in Berlin. Among the students were the opera singers, Max Dawison, Anna Bartels, Sigrid Amoldson, and their own daughter, Lola Artot de Padilla. Mariano de Padilla and his wife Desiree Artot de Padilla both died and are buried in Berlin. Their daughter Lola Artot de Padilla born in 1876 sang with the Imperial Opera of Berlin from 1909 until 1927. She was to follow her parents as a voice teacher in Berlin. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler) Photographed after Leonard Berlin-Bieber joined atelier of his aunt Emilie. |
| 49. |  | Rudolf Herrmann n.d. Otto Schelper, German bass-baritone (1844-1906), shown in costume from "the Hermits Bell" opera by Aim'e Maillart Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Otto Schelper was a renowned bass-baritone who had a long history with the Leipzig opera. He was born 10 April, 1844 at Rostock. His career on the Leipzig stage began in 1876, where he sang the role of Wotan in Wagner's "The Ring of the Nibelungen." In the bust profile portrait made by Rudolf Herrmann he is shown in costume from Aim'e Maillart's opera, "The Hermit's Bell" ("Das Glockchen des Eremiten"). Schelper had large baritone repertoire singing in Mahler's "The Three Pintos," "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" and "Trumpeters von Sackingen," two opera by Nessler, and as Telarmund in Wagner's opera "Lohengrin," and as Agamemnon in Weingartner's opera, "Orestes." Otto Schelper has "helden baritone voice" that allowed him to sing both baritone and bass roles when called upon. Beyond Leipzig he is known to have performed in Wagner opera at London (1882) and sang the baritone parts in Brahm's "Requiem" at the Cathedral of Bremen in April 1888. Schelper died in Leipzig on 10 January, 1906 and is buried there. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 50. |  | Rudolf Herrmann n.d. Otto Schelper, German bass-baritone (1844-1906) Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Otto Schelper was a renowned bass-baritone who had a long history with the Leipzig opera. He was born 10 April, 1844 at Rostock. His career on the Leipzig stage began in 1876, where he sang the role of Wotan in Wagner's "The Ring of the Nibelungen." In the bust profile portrait made by Rudolf Herrmann he is shown in costume from Aim'e Maillart's opera, "The Hermit's Bell" ("Das Glockchen des Eremiten"). Schelper had large baritone repertoire singing in Mahler's "The Three Pintos," "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" and "Trumpeters von Sackingen," two opera by Nessler, and as Telarmund in Wagner's opera "Lohengrin," and as Agamemnon in Weingartner's opera, "Orestes." Otto Schelper has "helden baritone voice" that allowed him to sing both baritone and bass roles when called upon. Beyond Leipzig he is known to have performed in Wagner opera at London (1882) and sang the baritone parts in Brahm's "Requiem" at the Cathedral of Bremen in April 1888. Schelper died in Leipzig on 10 January, 1906 and is buried there. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 51. |  | Léopold-Emile Reutlinger n.d. Jeanne Bourdon, opera singer Carte de visite Paul Frecker Jeanne Bourdon (career dates ca. 1909-1930) - French soprano Jeanne Bourdon made her Paris Opera debut as Brunehilde in Ernest Reyer's opera "Sigurd" on 6 December 1909. The attractive French soprano continued to sing the part of Brunehilde as she is shown at Theatre de l'Opera, Palais Garnier in August, 1925 and in that same role at Opera de Monte Carlo from 4 to 8 February, 1930. In concert at Theatre de L'Exposition des Arts Decoratif with Andre Pascal she sang "Air de Fidelio" by Beethoven, fragments of "Daphnis & Chloe" by Ravel, and "Le Crepuscule des diex" by Wagner in November, 1925. Boudon's voice is available on recordings singing arias from Halery's "LaJuive: Il Va Venir and Gounod's "Faust." (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 52. |  | Miron Ambramovich Sherling 1913 Fedor Chaliapin as the Miller (in the opera "Rusalka" by Dargomyzhsky) Moscow House of Photography Moscow House Of Photography (¦. Golosovsky collection) |
| 53. |  | Wilhelm Höffert n.d. Georg Anthes as "Lohengrin" Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Georg Anthes (1863-1923 ), German tenor Georg Anthes was noted German tenor who was born 12 March 1863 at Bad Homburg. He made his debut in Freiburg in 1888. He became a leading tenor at the Dresden Opera Theatre and was later connected to the Budapest Opera. Anthes made is debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1902. He totaled forty-two appearances at the Met between 1902 and 1909. His final stage appearance was in Chicago on 24 April, 1909. Anthes died 23 February 1923. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 54. |  | Wilhelm Höffert n.d. Georg Anthes as "the Dutchman" (The Flying Dutchman) Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Georg Anthes (1863-1923 ), German tenor Georg Anthes was noted German tenor who was born 12 March 1863 at Bad Homburg. He made his debut in Freiburg in 1888. He became a leading tenor at the Dresden Opera Theatre and was later connected to the Budapest Opera. Anthes made is debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1902. He totaled forty-two appearances at the Met between 1902 and 1909. His final stage appearance was in Chicago on 24 April, 1909. Anthes died 23 February 1923. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 55. |  | Wilhelm Höffert n.d. Heinrich Vogl Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Heinrich Vogl (1845-1900), German tenor Heinrich Vogl was originally a teacher in Ebersberg who turned his interests to music. He studied with Debuettierte at the Munich Opera. Vogl was a tenor whose operatic stage career began in 1865 and continued until shortly before his death. His notable roles included "Loge" in Wagner's "The Ring of Nibelungen" performed in Bayreuth and Munich, "Tristan," and "Siegmund" in "Die Walkure." He was married to opera singer, Therese Vogl. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |
| 56. |  | Georg Stüffler n.d. Heinrich Vogl as "Tristan" Cabinet card Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler Heinrich Vogl (1845-1900), German tenor Heinrich Vogl was originally a teacher in Ebersberg who turned his interests to music. He studied with Debuettierte at the Munich Opera. Vogl was a tenor whose operatic stage career began in 1865 and continued until shortly before his death. His notable roles included "Loge" in Wagner's "The Ring of Nibelungen" performed in Bayreuth and Munich, "Tristan," and "Siegmund" in "Die Walkure." He was married to opera singer, Therese Vogl. (Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007) |