OperaMania's photos

Mezzo Soprano Help Required if known

Information Required any one help

Information Required any one help

LOUISE THEO ( Cécile Piccolo) (1854-1922) French Soprano After a convent schooling she married and began a theatrical career, including a tour to Vienna where she was spotted by Offenbach. The composer engaged her at the Théâtre de la Renaissance to create the title roles in Pomme d'api and La jolie parfumeuse (1873). She followed these with Cupidon in Orphée aux enfers, La Princesse de Trébizonde, La petite muette, La Timbale and Madame l'archiduc (after which she toured to London with Daubray), at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens.She went on to sing in the premiere of Fleur d'Oranger at the Théâtre des Nouveautés in 1878 and sang Cendrillon at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin in 1879, and Rataplan and Le Tour du Cadran at the Théâtre des Variétés in 1880. Other creations included Adam et Eve in 1881, Mlle Boniface in 1883, Dix jours aux Pyrénées in 1887 and Mimi in 1888. Théo visited America in 1883 to appear at the Fifth Avenue Theater, and then toured; she returned the following year, appearing in François les bas-bleus, La fille du tambour-major and Giroflé-Girofla.

VICTOR CAPOUL (27 February 1839 – 18 February 1924) French Tenor He began his studies in 1859 at the Conservatoire of Paris . He debuted in 1861 at the Opéra-Comique Paris as Daniel in 'Le chalet' of Adam. By 1870, he remained at the Opéra-Comique as principal tenor until the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war in 1870 .during which he sought asylum in England , There he joined the Mapelson Company at Drury Lane , making his debut as Faust in Gounod's "'Faust " then 1871-75 at the Italian Opera London At London he appeared at Covent Garden for the first time in 1877 , as Fra Diavolo . Lionel 'Marta" , Faust , Elvino ,and Ernesto.With Mapelson he went to the USA where he was regular visitor until 1884 , again at the New York Metropolitan Opera 1891-1892 ; He made his debut there as Gounod's Faust and sang seven roles: the Edgardo in "Lucia di Lammermoor ', in Wilhelm Meister' Mignon 'of A.Thomas, Count Almaviva in" The Barber of Sevbilla', the Alfredo in "La Traviata 'Tybalt in' Romeo et Juliette 'by Gounod, the Enzo in "La Gioconda" by Ponchielli and worked among others in 1891 in the Metropolitan premiere of Verdi's' Othello' as Cassio with. In the years 1892-97 he lived as a singing teacher in New York; then he became a director of the Grand Opera of Paris. In 1905 he gave up this activity.

ACHILLE-FELIX MONTAUBRY (12 November 1826- 2 October 1898) French Tenor At the Paris Conservatoire as a student of Panseron and Moreau-Sainti. European debut at the Salle Favart on 16 December 1858 in Les trois Nicolas by Clapisson, playing Nicolas Dalayrac In Le joaillier de Saint-James (17 February 1862) he created the role of Bernard He was also the first Bénédict in Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict, which premiered on 9 August 1862 in Baden-Baden. Eugène Gautier's Le trésor de Pierrot (5 November 1864

ERNESTO NICCOLINI (Ernest Nicolas ) (February 23, 1834 - January 19, 1898) French Tenor Born in Saint Malo, France, he studied at the Paris Conservatory and made his debut in 1857, at the Opéra-Comique in Halevy's Les mousquetaires de la reine. After further study in Italy, he made his debut at La Scala in Milan in 1859, under the name Ernesto Nicolini, as Alfredo in La traviata, other roles there included Rodrigo in Rossini's Otello, and Elvino in Bellini's La sonnambula. On his return to France he sang at the Théâtre-Italien from 1862 until 1869. He made his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in London in 1866, as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, without great success due to the pronounced vibrato that marred his singing. Five years later he returned to London to sing in Faust and Robert le diable at Drury Lane, and from 1872 appeared every season at the Royal Opera House until 1884; his roles there included Pery in Il Guarany, Radames in Aida, and the title role in Lohengrin. He created the role of Celio at the premiere of Charles Lenepveu's Velléda in 1882. During the season 1874-75, he appeared in St Petersburg and Moscow, opposite the world-famous soprano Adelina Patti, whom he would partner in almost all her appearances thereafter, accompanying her on concert tours of the major western European capitals (Vienna, Milan, Venice, Brussels, Berlin and so on), as well on tours of the United States and South America. While together in Paris in 1886, singing in Faust at the Grand Opéra, the two created something of a scandal by getting married; Patti had divorced her first husband, the Marquis de Caux, shortly before her wedding to Nicolini. Nicolini appeared on stage for the last time at Drury Lane in 1897, as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia. He died the following year in Pau, France.

Signor Foli. (Allan James Foley ) 7 August 1837-10 October 1899. Irish Tenor Foley was originally a carpenter. He studied under Bisaccia in Naples and made his first appearance at Catania in 1862. After appearing at the Paris Opera he was engaged by Mapleson for the season of 1865, and made his London debut in Les Huguenots. In accordance with the prevailing preference for Italian artists, he changed the spelling (but not the pronunciation) of his name and was always known as 'Signor Foli.' He appeared with much success in various parts. He sang the role of Daland in the first performance of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman in England in 1870, and in the first performance of Gounod's La Rédemption in 1882. He was famous for his Sparafucile in Rigoletto and his Commendatore in Don Giovanni. He appeared in oratorio at the principal festivals and sang in opera and at concerts in America, Austria and Russia.

as Dejanie "Astarte" Leroux CREATOR 15/2/1901 Palais Garnier Paris LOUISE GRANDJEAN 1870-1934 French Soprano Trained at the Conservatoire National in Paris. In 1893 she made ​​her debut at the Opéra-Comique in Paris as Isabella in “Le Pré aux Clerks” by Hérold and remained active there until 1902. In 1894, sang in the French premiere of Verdi’s “Falstaff” at the Opéra-Comique as Alice Ford,From 1895 she was a member of the Paris Grand Opera.She performed in Paris and sang in the premieres of the operas “Angela,” by J. Massenet 1906, “La Catalane” by Fernand Le Borne 1907 and “Astarte” by Xavier Leroux 1901). In 1902 and 1907 she sang for the Opera of Monte Carlo and 1907 made guest performance at the Berlin Court Opera. She appeared at the Opera of Monte Carlo in 1902 in the premiere of the opera “Le Tasse” by Eugene d’Harcourt, in 1907 with the premiere of “Naïs Micculin” by Bruneau. Sang at the Bayreuth Festival in 1904 Venus in “Tannhauser.” Her roles included Donna Anna in “Don Giovanni” by Mozart, Valentine in “Les Huguenots” by Meyerbeer, Bertha “Le Prophet” by Meyerbeer, Chimène in “Le Cid” by Massenet and Salomé in “Hérodiade” by Massenet, Aida in "aida" Verdi, Desdemona in “Othello” by Verdi .And the opera's of Wagner Elisabeth in “Tannhäuser,” Elsa “in” Lohengrin, Eva in “Die Meistersinger” and Isolde in “Tristan und Isolde.” Brunhilde "Siegfried" , Brunhilde " Die Gotterdamerung" .She retired from stage in 1909 and became a Proffessor of singing at the Conservatoire National de Paris. + add a comment Comments

as Messaline in "Messaline" by de lara CREATOR 1899 Monte Carlo Opera Meyriane Héglon [Meyriane Willemsen] 1867 – 1942 Belgium Contralto Mezzo Studied singing with Marie Sasse ,Barthot, Tequi, and Obin and Rosine Laborde. Debut at Grand Opéra in Paris in 1890 as Maddalena in ‘’Rigoletto’. Appeared in a small part in the premiere of the opera ‘’Thaïs’’of Massenet 1894. Still in the same year she sang there in the French première of Verdi’s ‘’Otello’’ performing as Emilia and on 25. 5. 1894 in the premiere of the opera ‘’ Djelma’’ bys Lefebvre. In 1895 she created at Grand Opéra title role in the premiere of ‘’Frédégonde’’ by Guiraud. The other premieres in which she appeared in this opera house were ‘’La Montagne Noire’’ by Holmès 1895, ‘’La Cloche du Rhin’’ by Bruneau 1898, ‘’Les Barbares’’ by Saint-Saëns 1901, ‘’Astarte’’ by Leroux 1901, ‘’Le Fils de l'Étoile’’ by Erlanger 1904 and ‘’Miarka’’ by Georges 1905. 1899 she performed in the premiere of the opera ‘’ Messaline’’ by Lara at the Opera House of Monte Carlo. 1904 she sang in Monte Carlo in the premiere of the opera ‘’Hélène’’ by Saint-Saëns,. 1907 she appeared in the premiere of ‘’Théodora’’ byer Leroux at Monte Carlo. In 1902 she created at Grand Opéra Paris the role of Erda in R. Wagner’s ‘’Siegfried’’. In 1898 she made guest appearance at Covent Garden in London in the première there of the opera ‘’Henri VIII’’ by Saint Saëns; in 1899, Guested in Zurich as Dalila in ‘’Samson et Dalila’’ by Saint-Saëns. She married the composer Xavier Leroux (1863-1919) in whose operas she appeared often. Later she was active in Paris as a voice teacher.

PAULINE LUCCA (April 25, 1841-February 28, 1908) Austrian Soprano She made her debut as a soloist in 1859 at the Theatre of Olomouc (Olomouc) in the role of Elvira in Verdi's "Ernani". 1860 she sang in Prague the Valentine in the "Huguenots" by Meyerbeer and Norma by Bellini. Berlin Court Opera in the world premiere of the opera "The Star of Turan" by Richard Würst in the lead role with. In 1863 she appeared at the Covent Garden Opera London, where she worked as Valentine in the "Huguenots" ,1865 in the London premiere of Meyerbeer's "Africaine" the Selika sang. In 1865 she appeared in Hannover and Hamburg. 1868-69 she undertook a tour of Russia, 1872 in Paris. 1872-74 North American tour there on the stage and in the concert hall the same success as in Europe. Returning to Europe, she followed in 1874 a professorship at the Vienna Court Opera. She guested on the German stage, in Brussels (1876), in St. Petersburg and Moscow (1877), in Madrid (1878) and again in the 1882-84 Covent Garden London.

Melba as a child Dame NELLIE MELBA GBE (Helen Porter Mitchell) (19 May 1861 – 23 February 1931), Australian Soprano Melba was taught to play the piano and first sang in public around age six.She was educated at a local boarding school and then at the Presbyterian Ladies' College. She studied singing with Mary Ellen Christian (a former pupil of Manuel García) and Pietro Cecchi, an Italian tenor, who was a respected teacher in Melbourne. In her teens, Melba continued to perform in amateur concerts in and around Melbourne, and she played the organ at church. Making her professional debut in Melbourne concerts in 1884. On the strength of local success, she travelled to London in search of an opportunity.Her debut at the Princes' Hall in 1886 made little impression, and she sought work unsuccessfully from Sir Arthur Sullivan, Carl Rosa and Augustus Harris.She then went to Paris to study with the leading teacher Mathilde Marchesi, who instantly recognised the young singer's potential: Melba made such rapid progress that she was allowed to sing the "Mad Scene" from Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet at a matinée musicale in Marchesi's house in December the same year, in the presence of the composer.Her talent was so evident that, after less than a year with Marchesi, the impresario Maurice Strakosch gave her a ten-year contract at 1000 francs annually. After she had signed, she received a far better offer of 3000 francs per month from the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels, but Strakosch would not release her and obtained an injunction preventing her from performing .The matter was resolved by Strakosch's sudden death.She made her operatic debut four days later as Gilda in Rigoletto at La Monnaie on 12 October 1887.. It was at this time, on Marchesi's advice, that she adopted the stage name of "Melba", a contraction of the name of her home city.Her Covent Garden début in May 1888, in the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor. She received a friendly but not excited reception The following year, she performed at the Opéra in Paris, in the role of Ophélie in Hamlet; She travelled across Europe to St Petersburg to sing for Tsar Nicholas II: and sang in Paris, Brussels, Vienna , Milan, and Berlin Melba sang the role of Nedda in Pagliacci at Covent Garden in 1893, soon after its Italian premiere. The composer was present, and said that the role had never been so well played before.[19] In December of that year, Melba sang at the Metropolitan Opera in New York for the first time. As at her Covent Garden debut, she appeared as Lucia di Lammermoor, Her Roles included mostly in the lyric soprano repertoire, but with some heavier roles also. She sang the title roles in Herman Bemberg's Elaine and Arthur Goring Thomas's Esmeralda. Her Italian parts included Gilda in Rigoletto, the title role in Aida Desdemona in Otello, Luisa in Mascagni's I Rantzau, Nedda in Pagliacci, Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Violetta in La traviata, and Mimi in La bohème. In the French repertoire, she sang Juliette in Roméo et Juliette, Marguerite in Faust, Marguerite de Valois in Les Huguenots, the title role in Saint-Saëns's Hélène, which was written for her, and Micaëla in Carmen.

Dame NELLIE MELBA GBE (Helen Porter Mitchell) (19 May 1861 – 23 February 1931), Australian Soprano Melba was taught to play the piano and first sang in public around age six.She was educated at a local boarding school and then at the Presbyterian Ladies' College. She studied singing with Mary Ellen Christian (a former pupil of Manuel García) and Pietro Cecchi, an Italian tenor, who was a respected teacher in Melbourne. In her teens, Melba continued to perform in amateur concerts in and around Melbourne, and she played the organ at church. Making her professional debut in Melbourne concerts in 1884. On the strength of local success, she travelled to London in search of an opportunity.Her debut at the Princes' Hall in 1886 made little impression, and she sought work unsuccessfully from Sir Arthur Sullivan, Carl Rosa and Augustus Harris.She then went to Paris to study with the leading teacher Mathilde Marchesi, who instantly recognised the young singer's potential: Melba made such rapid progress that she was allowed to sing the "Mad Scene" from Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet at a matinée musicale in Marchesi's house in December the same year, in the presence of the composer.Her talent was so evident that, after less than a year with Marchesi, the impresario Maurice Strakosch gave her a ten-year contract at 1000 francs annually. After she had signed, she received a far better offer of 3000 francs per month from the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels, but Strakosch would not release her and obtained an injunction preventing her from performing .The matter was resolved by Strakosch's sudden death.She made her operatic debut four days later as Gilda in Rigoletto at La Monnaie on 12 October 1887.. It was at this time, on Marchesi's advice, that she adopted the stage name of "Melba", a contraction of the name of her home city.Her Covent Garden début in May 1888, in the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor. She received a friendly but not excited reception The following year, she performed at the Opéra in Paris, in the role of Ophélie in Hamlet; She travelled across Europe to St Petersburg to sing for Tsar Nicholas II: and sang in Paris, Brussels, Vienna , Milan, and Berlin Melba sang the role of Nedda in Pagliacci at Covent Garden in 1893, soon after its Italian premiere. The composer was present, and said that the role had never been so well played before.[19] In December of that year, Melba sang at the Metropolitan Opera in New York for the first time. As at her Covent Garden debut, she appeared as Lucia di Lammermoor, Her Roles included mostly in the lyric soprano repertoire, but with some heavier roles also. She sang the title roles in Herman Bemberg's Elaine and Arthur Goring Thomas's Esmeralda. Her Italian parts included Gilda in Rigoletto, the title role in Aida Desdemona in Otello, Luisa in Mascagni's I Rantzau, Nedda in Pagliacci, Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Violetta in La traviata, and Mimi in La bohème. In the French repertoire, she sang Juliette in Roméo et Juliette, Marguerite in Faust, Marguerite de Valois in Les Huguenots, the title role in Saint-Saëns's Hélène, which was written for her, and Micaëla in Carmen.

ZOE BELIA (Victorine-Zoe Delau). 1836-???? Debut December 31, 1852 in Madelon (Madelon). Sang at the Opéra-Comique until 1870. She sang at the première of Auber's "Manon Lescaut" the rôle of the slave-girl Zaby (1856) and at the première of Auber's "La fiancée du Roi de Garbe" the rôle of the king's page Raphael (1864).

Hisson as Selika in "L'Africaine" by Meyerbeer Julia Hisson March 16, 1849 - 26 November 1876 French Soprano She was a member of the Opera Paris from 1867 to 1873. She sang Marguerite in "Faust" by Gounod ;Valentine in "les Huguenots" by Meyerbeeer ; Agathe in " Der Freischütz " by Weber; Dona Anna in "Don Juan" by Mozart; Selika in "l'Africaine" by Meyerbeer; Leonora in 'Il Trovatore" by Verdi. She created Athénaïs in " Erostratus" by Reyer in the Paris Premiere 16the October 1871 (Athénaïs) Ernest Reyer.