OperaMania's photos

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

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

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

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

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

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

MARIE CABEL (31 January 1827 – 23 May 1885) was a Belgian coloratura soprano. She is probably best remembered for having created the role of Philine in Ambroise Thomas' opera Mignon. Born Marie-Josèphe Dreulette[in Liège, she was the daughter of a former cavalry officer in Napoleon's army, who after his discharge had become an accountant for various theatres in Belgium. Pauline Viardot, who at that time lived in a chateau near Brussels, happened to hear Cabel sing as a child and predicted a great future for her. Cabel first studied voice in Liège with Bouillon, and, her father having died, gave music lessons to help support her mother. Cabel's younger brother Edmond also became a singer and in 1863 created the role of Hylas in Hector Berlioz' Les Troyens. Cabel later studied voice in Brussels with Ferdinand Cabel and Louis-Joseph Cabel. In 1847 she married Georges Cabel, the brother of Louis-Joseph and also a voice teacher. As the marriage was unhappy, they soon separated and ultimately divorced. That same year she gave a concert in Paris and continued her studies at the Paris Conservatory in 1848–1849. Cabel made her operatic debut in Paris at the Théâtre Chateau des Fleurs in 1848, and in 1849 sang the roles of Georgette in Halévy's Le val d'Andorre and Athénaïs in Halévy's Les mousquetaires de la reine at the Opéra-Comique, where she went almost unnoticed. Moving back to Brussels, she sang at the Théâtre de la Monnaie from 1850 to 1853 with greater success In 1852 she also appeared in Lyon, at a salary of 3,ooo francs per month, and the following year in Strassbourg and Geneva

EMIL SCARIA (September 18, 1838 – July 23, 1886) Austrian bass-baritone. Born in Graz, he studied at the conservatory in Vienna before making his deput in Pest in 1860; he sang the role of St. Bris in Les Huguenots. He was a failure, and abandoned the stage entirely in favor of further study; he selected Manuel García as his new teacher. Though he returned to the stage in Dessau, he did not see success until he sang at the Crystal Palace in London in 1862. In 1863 he appeared with the Leipzig Opera; in 1864 he was working in Dresden. He was engaged by the Vienna State Opera in 1872. In 1882 he created the role of Gurnemanz in Parsifal for Richard Wagner at Bayreuth. Scaria died in Blasewitz, in Germany, in 1886.

GUSTAV WALTER (11 February 1834, Bílina, Bohemia - 31 January 1910, Vienna) was a Bohemian operatic tenor Debut in 1855 as Edgardo in Brunn. Sang leading roles for more than 30 years at the Vienna Staatsoper in Austria. He was a highly regarded interpreter of the vocal music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the lighter tenor roles composed by Richard Wagner. Walther also created the role of Assad in the world premiere of Karl Goldmark's Die Königin von Saba and performed in some Italian and French operas. After retiring from the stage in 1887, Walter toured Europe as a lauded recitalist of lieder, premiering numerous songs by Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvořák. He became a celebrated pedagogue, teaching voice at the Vienna Conservatory for more than two decades. Debut in 1855 as Edgardo in Brunn. Sang leading roles for more than 30 years at the Vienna Staatsoper in Austria. He was a highly regarded interpreter of the vocal music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the lighter tenor roles composed by Richard Wagner. Walther also created the role of Assad in the world premiere of Karl Goldmark's Die Königin von Saba and performed in some Italian and French operas. After retiring from the stage in 1887, Walter toured Europe as a lauded recitalist of lieder, premiering numerous songs by Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvořák. He became a celebrated pedagogue, teaching voice at the Vienna Conservatory for more than two decades.

GUSTAV WALTER Gustav Walter (11 February 1834, Bílina, Bohemia - 31 January 1910, Vienna) was a Bohemian operatic tenor Debut in 1855 as Edgardo in Brunn. Sang leading roles for more than 30 years at the Vienna Staatsoper in Austria. He was a highly regarded interpreter of the vocal music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the lighter tenor roles composed by Richard Wagner. Walther also created the role of Assad in the world premiere of Karl Goldmark's Die Königin von Saba and performed in some Italian and French operas. After retiring from the stage in 1887, Walter toured Europe as a lauded recitalist of lieder, premiering numerous songs by Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvořák. He became a celebrated pedagogue, teaching voice at the Vienna Conservatory for more than two decades.

Lucien Fugure as Falstaff "Falstaff" Verdi LUCIEN FUGERE (July 22, 1848, Paris - January 15, 1935, Paris) was a French baritone, Performed mainly in France . Began his career in 1874 at Les Bouffes Parisiens . In 1877 he joined the Opera Comique appearing in "les Nocesde Jeanette" Masse . He was principal at the Opera Comique for 30 years.Specialised in buffo roles : Leporello , Paspageno , Bartoli , Comte de Grieux ,Don Pasquale , Maequis in Delibes " Le Roi la dit" Dominque in 'Paul et Virginie" , Le Philospher in Massenet's 'Cherubin. In 1897 he made a rare trip outside of France to London Covent Garden were he took part in the Jubilee season , he sang Leporello to Renaud's Don . Made his last appearance as Don Bartolo at the age of 85 in 1933.

ANNA DE BELOCCA (née de Bellokh) (4 January 1854 – unknown ), was a Russian-born operatic contralto. born in St.Petersburg, where her father was an Imperial Russian Councilor of State. After studying in St. Petersburg with Henriette Nissen-Saloman and in Paris with Nicolas Lablache and Maurice Strakosch, she made her stage debut in Paris at the Théâtre Italien as Rosina The Barber of Seville. She also appeared there in the title role of La Cenerentola and as Arsace in Semiramide. She appeared in various cities in Europe, including London, where she made her debut with Mapleson's company. She then became a member of the Strakosch Opera Company with whom she made her American debut on 17 April 1876 as Rosina at New York's Academy of Music. She also appeared in concerts in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco. With the Mapleson company, she continued to sing leading roles in New York and Philadelphia through the 1880s.

Marie Delna as Orphee 'Orphee et Euridice" Gluck MARIE DELNA (Marie Ledant) (Paris, 3 April 1875 - Paris, 24 July 1932) was a French contralto Her grandmother started her with singing lessons and she studied with Rosine Laborde. She began appearing at public auditions and various private concerts in Paris. She was spotted by Carvalho, director of Opéra-Comique, who suggested her stage name (a rough anagram of her surname). In June 1892, she made a sensational stage debut, just after her 17th birthday, as Didon in Les Troyens à Carthage. Massenet chose her as his first Charlotte in Werther in Paris, in January 1893, and later that year she created Marceline in Bruneau’s L'attaque du Moulin. The following April she sang the role of Mistress Quickly in the first French Falstaff, supervised by Verdi, and continued to play the role at the Salle Favart. She sang Marion in Godard's La Vivandière many times in her career, from its 1895 French premiere at the Opéra-Comique and subsequent revivals there to a production at the Gaîté-Lyrique. In 1896, Delna sang Orphée in the first Opéra-Comique production of the Berlioz-Viardot version of Gluck’s opera, to which she returned in 1900 and 1912 Delna took part in the first Covent Garden performance of L’attaque du moulin in 1894. Her Italian debut was in 1897 in Milan. In May 1898 she moved for a short while from the Opéra-Comique for the Paris Opéra, where she was Fidès in Le prophète and returned to Berlioz as Cassandre in the Paris premiere of La prise de Troie. She also sang La favorite and Samson et Dalila, as well as creating Ginèvra in Victorin de Joncières's Lancelot. Back at the Salle Favart in 1900 she sang first Carmen for the first time, alongside Adolphe Maréchal and Hector Dufranne. Along with Orphée, Carmen was the role which featured most promiment for the rest of her stage career. April 1901 saw her creating Marianne in Bruneau’s L’Ouragan. A revival of Falstaff in honour of Verdi’s memory featured her as Quickly and she portrayed Fée Grignotte (the witch) in Hänsel und Gretel. In 1902 she sang Margared for the first time, partnering Léon Beyle and Julie Guiraudon, in the revival of Le roi d'Ys. In 1903, while taking part as Carmen at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, she married a Belgian admirer, the Marquis Prier de Saône, an industrialist, and retired from the stage. She later resumed her career with several concerts then productions at the Théâtre-Lyrique de la Gaîté as La Vivandière, Orphée and in L'attaque du moulin. The following season she sang Fidès and Léonore (La favorite). Delna made her Metropolitan Opera début as Orfeo conducted by Toscanini, but other appearances were curtailed for various reasons. The next stage of her career included more performances of L’attaque du moulin in 1910, the creation of Tilli in La Lépreuse by Lazzari (1912), and further performances at La Monnaie. During her career Delna performed at major houses such as La Monnaie, Covent Garden, La Scala, Teatro Lirico Milan, Metropolitan New York, Opera de Monte-Carlo and the Teatro Regio (Parma). During the First World War she sang widely in concerts for troops, then in November 1925 appeared in the premiere of Maurin des Maures by Léo Puget (Miss Rabasse) at the Folies-Dramatiques. Financial problems forced her to move in 1926 to a rented house in Villemomble. She died at the Hopital de la Pitié, and was buried in Thiais cemetery, later being moved to Père Lachaise.

JOHN SIMS REEVES (21 October 1821 – 25 October 1900), ( Sims Reeves) English operatic, oratorio and ballad tenor Reeves began his singing career in 1838 but continued his vocal studies until 1847 In summer 1843 Reeves studied in Paris under the tenor and pedagogue Marco Bordogni of the Paris Conservatoire From October 1843 to January 1844 Reeves appeared in a very varied programme of musical drama, including the roles of Elvino in "La Sonnambula" and Tom Tug in Charles Dibdin's "The Waterman", at the Manchester theatre, and over the next two years performed in Dublin, Liverpool and elsewhere in the provinces .In oratorio, Reeves first sang "The Messiah" in Glasgow, Scotland, during 1844 . His debut in Italian opera was made on 29 October 1846 at La Scala in Milan as Edgardo in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor", partnered by Catherine HayesHis first principal role on the English operatic stage was with Louis Jullien's English Opera company at Drury Lane Theatre in December 1847 in "Lucia", in English text, with Mme Doras Gras and Willoughby Weiss, winning winning immediate and near-universal acclaim, not least from Hector Berlioz, who conducted the performance 1848In February 1848 he sang Handel's "Judas Maccabaeus", at Exeter Hall for John Hullah, "Acis and Galatea" in March and "Jephtha" in April and May. He was, meanwhile establishing himself as the leading ballad-singer in England . In May 1848 he joined Benjamin Lumley's company at Her Majesty's Theatre and sang "Linda di Chamounix" with Eugenia Tadolini, but he severed the connection when Italo Gardoni was brought in to sing Edgardo in "Lucia" opposite Jenny Lind . In September 1848 at the Worcester festival he took a solo in "Elijah", and sang in Beethoven's "Christ on the Mount of Olives", and packed the hall in a recital of "Oberon" His London Covent Garden Italian debut was in 1849, as "Elvino" in Bellini's "La sonnambula", opposite Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani : he made a great effect of full lyrical declamation in "Tutto e sciolto In the winter of 1849 he returned to English opera, and in 1850 at Her Majesty's he made a further great success in Verdi's "Ernani", opposite the "Elvira" of Mdlle Parodi and "Carlo" of Giovanni Belletti, who was about to embark on an American tour at the invitation of Jenny Lind Reeves toured in Dublin at Theatre Royal in 1849, for Mr Calcraft .During the 1850s, Reeves's career moved away from the stage and increasingly focused upon concert work 1851In 1851 Reeves sang Florestan in "Fidelio" to Sophie Cruvelli's Leonore, and some thought he outshone her.In February 1851 they returned to Dublin, where Reeves was to have performed with the soprano Giulia Grisi: she, however, was indisposed, .

FIDES DEVRIES American Soprano Fidès was born in New Orleans on 22 April 1852, and died in 1941, and was a soprano who studied under Duprez. She made her debut as Rose-de-Mai in Le val d'Andorre at the Théâtre Lyrique in October 1868. After a couple of seasons at La Monnaie in Brussels, she joined the Paris Opera in 1871, where her repertoire included Marguerite in Faust, Ophélie in Hamlet, Isabelle in Robert le diable, Agathe in Le Freischutz, Inès and Sélika in L’Africaine, Elvira in Don Juan, Mathilde in Guillaume Tell and Eudoxie in La Juive. In February 1873 Devriès took the solo soprano part in Beethoven’s Choral Symphony with the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, along with an aria from Don Giovanni She interrupted her career from April 1874 to 1883, after which she appeared at the Théâtre-Italien directed by Victor Maurel, singing in Simon Boccanegra and Hérodiade. Back at the Opéra, after touring to Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Lisbon and Holland, she created the role of Chimène in the premiere of Le Cid on 30 November 1885. Her final major appearance was as Elsa in the French premiere of Lohengrin on 3 May 1887, before retiring from the stage in 1889

EDWARD LLOYD (7 March 1845 – 31 March 1927) was a British tenor singer who excelled in concert and oratorio in 1852-60 he was as Choirboy in the choir of Westminster Abbey in London and graduated with no actual vocal studies. In 1866 he was a chorister at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1867 in the choir of St. Andrew's, London, . In 1871 he sang for the first time as a soloist, and although at the Festival of Gloucester, the tenor solo in the St. Matthew Passion by JS Bach. Here he created many solo parts in first performances of oratorios, so 1880 in Leeds "The Martyr of Antioch" by Gounod, 1882 in Birmingham "The Redemption", also by Gounod, 1884 in Norwich "The Rose of Sharon" by Mackenzie, 1885 in Birmingham "Mors et vita" by Gounod, 1886 in Leeds "The Golden Legend" by Sullivan and "St. Ludmilla" by A.Dvor | VAK, 1888 in Birmingham "Judith" by Sir Charles Hastings Parry, 1894 in Birmingham "Saul" from same composer, 1898 in Leeds "Cataractus" by Edward Elgar. On stage he has never occurred, but he sang in his concerts of opera arias.The highlight of his career he achieved when he sang on 10.03.1900 in the world premiere of the oratorio "The Dream of Gerontius" by E.Elgar Birmingham at the Festival of the tenor solo. In the same year he was in London his farewell concert, but sang at the coronation of King George V in 1911 a solo in a Coronation Anthem and entered the First World War in 1915 again in London in a charity concert

CHARLES SANTLEY British Baritone (28 February 1834 – 22 September 1922) was an English-born opera and oratorio . He was a Choirboy and then appeared as an amateur singer, but finally decided to train his voice. He graduated in 1855, first at Gaetano Nava in Milan, then in Manuel Garcia in London. In 1857 he was heard in London for the first time as a soloist in the "creation" of J.Haydn. He debuted on stage in 1857 at the Municipal Theatre of Pavia as Dr. Grenvil in "La Traviata". Guest performances at leading theaters in Italy, England and France brachtem his first successes. He appeared especially at the Grand Opera of Paris and London at the Covent Garden Opera. He appeared in 1859 as Hoël in the English premiere of the opera "Dinorah" by Meyerbeer (with Mme Miolan-Carvalho as a partner), on 23.02.1860 in the world premiere of the opera "Lurline" by Vincent Wallace, on 11/30/1861 in the of "The Puritan's Daughter" by Michael Balfe, on 08/02/1862 in "The Lily of Killarney" by Julius Benedict (in the role of Danny Man). In 1863 he sang at Her Majesty's Theatre in London in the British premiere of Gounod's "Faust" in the presence of the composer Valentin. After this performance, Gounod composed for him the prayer of Valentin "Avant de quitter ces lieux" that is not found in the original score of the opera and is still not sung in Paris. In 1864 he participated in the British premieres of the operas "Mireille" by Gounod and "The Merry Weibner of Windsor" by Nicolai (in Italian) at the same theater. In 1870 he sang at Drury Lane Theatre in London, the title character in the British premiere of Wagner's "Flying Dutchman" (also still in Italian). In the years 1871 and 1891 he undertook glorious North American tours. In the 1875-76 season he was heard at the Carl Rosa Opera Company. He also made guest appearances at La Scala and the Teatro Liceo Barcelona. Until 1900, he regularly appeared on the stage, but gave up after that concert. He was considered the most significant English oratorio singers of his generation; his interpretation of the title role in "Elijah" by Mendelssohn was classified as completely incomparable. Since 1858 he sang at the Leeds Festival, since 1861 the Birmingham Festival, from 1863 to 1906 at each Three Choirs Festival, since 1862 also in the Handel Festival in London. In 1890 he toured Australia and New Zealand, 1893 and 1903, South Africa. In 1907, he was (to his 50th jubilee singers) knighted by King Edward VII. Than "Sir Charles Santley". In 1911 he was at the Covent Garden Opera London his farewell performance in "The Waterman" of Dibdin. He has some autobiographical writings written (Student and Singer, London 1892; Reminiscence of My Life, London, 1909) .Other Lit .: J.Mewburn Levien: "Sir Charles Santley" (London, 1930) .His daughter Edith Santley (* 1860) began a very successful career as a concert singer (soprano), but they completely aufgab.Sowohl was in opera as in concert singing his voice awarded after her marriage in 1884 by their consummate vocal technique as their high musicality; his best roles on the stage were the Don Giovanni and Valentin in "Faust