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Divas
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| Born in Florence, Luisa Tetrazzini made her début in 1892.
In 1907 she had sensational success as Violetta in La Traviata at Covent Garden.
From then on she had an enormous career throughout the opera world and retired from the stage in 1934.
Born in Australia, Nellie Melba made her début in Brussels in 1887. The following season she sang her first role at Covent Garden, Lucia di Lammermoor, and sang in every season until 1914. Her roles included Gilda, Lucia, Violetta and Mimi. She sang throughout America to great acclaim. Her operatic farewell took place at Covent Garden in 1926. Adelina Patti's stage début was as Lucia di Lammermoor at the age of 16 in 1860. Two years later she made her Covent Garden début and remained as the Queen of Song for the next twenty-five years. Initially she sang high coloratura soprano, later developing into the more dramatic roles. She retired in 1906. Another of the great German sopranos Frieda Hempel was particularly admired in Berlin where she was their first Marschallin. She was invited by Beecham to repeat this role for the 1914 London season. Her Covent Garden début had been in 1907. She joined the Metropolitan Opera in 1912 where her roles included Eva, Rosina, Queen of the Night, Violetta and the Marschallin. She appeared in concerts until 1953. Born in Milan, Amelita Galli-Curci studied piano but was persuaded by the composer Mascagni to take up singing. After her début as Gilda in 1909, she soon appeared all over Europe with great success. Her American début was with the Chicago Opera in 1916 where she remained until 1924. Her roles included Violetta, Lucia, Lakmé and Manon. From 1921 until 1930 she was a member of the Metropolitan Opera until a throat operation put an end to her acclaimed career. Rosa Ponselle made her fairytale début at the Metropolitan in Verdi's La Forza del Destino alongside Caruso, in 1918. She was one of the finest dramatic sopranos, remembered for her performances of Norma, Violetta and Vestale. She retired at the age of forty in 1937 and died in 1981. Lotte Lehmann was one of those rare sopranos equally at home on the concert platform, performing Lieder, and the operatic stage. From her début in 1910 until her last recital in 1951 she was unrivalled in the German repertoire. Born in Oldham, Eva Turner studied in London and in 1913 joined the chorus of the Carl Rosa Opera Company. By 1920 she was singing major roles. After her début at La Scala in 1924, she was engaged by all the major European opera houses. From 1927 she sang frequently in South America and Chicago, and sang at Covent Garden from 1928 until her retirement in 1947. She was one of the greatest ever Turandots. Born in Kiev, Nina Koshetz studied at the Moscow Conservatory, and her début in St Petersburg was in 1913. She left Russia in 1920 for America where she sang in the world première of Prokofiev's Love of Three Oranges. In 1926 she gave a number of recitals in New York when her pianists would be either Rachmaninov, Glazunov or Grechaninov. Towards the end of her career, she frequently sang in Los Angeles and appeared in the film Algiers with Charles Boyer. The Norwegian soprano Eidé Norena made her début as a concert singer in 1904. Her stage début followed in 1907 at the Oslo Opera. Her La Scala début in 1924 was followed by débuts at Covent Garden and Chicago. She made her home in Paris from 1928, where she appeared with great success in both opera houses. A member of the Metropolitan Opera from 1933-1938, she retired in 1939. Born in Hungary, Maria Nemeth made her début in Budapest in 1923, being engaged the next season by the Vienna State Opera. She made guest appearances in all the principal European cities and retired from the stage in 1945. Her repertoire covered all the major Italian and German soprano roles. She died in 1967. Born in Paris in 1889, Claudia Muzio made her début in Pavia in 1912 as Puccini's Manon Lescaut. Her Covent Garden début in 1914, was followed two years later by her Metropolitan début. She remained with the Met. until 1922 when she joined the Chicago Opera, returning to the Met. in 1933 for one of her greatest roles, Violetta in La Traviata. Muzio was a great favourite in South America, Milan and Rome. She died in 1936. |
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