EMMY DESTINN (EMA DESTINNOVÁ) (PRAGUE, CZECH
REPUBLIC, 26 FEBRUARY, 1878 – CESKE BUDEJOVICE, CZECH REPUBLIC, 28 JANUARY,
1930)
Her real name was Ema Pavlína Kittlová. Initially, she
aspired to become a violinist, studying under Ferdinand Lachner in Prague and
giving concerts by the age of eight. At 14, she shifted her focus to singing,
studying between 1892 and 1896 with Marie Loewe-Destinn in Prague. She adopted
her teacher’s surname as a tribute.
On July 19, 1898, she made her stage debut as Santuzza in
Cavalleria Rusticana at the Berlin Kroll Opera. In September of the same year,
she debuted at the Berlin Court Opera, again as Santuzza, and remained a member
until 1908. During her tenure, she participated in several significant
premieres, including Mudarra by Fernand le Borne (1899), Roland von Berlin by
R. Leoncavallo (1904), and Heirat wider Willen by E. Humperdinck (1905). In
1906, she created the role of Salome in Richard Strauss’s opera for Berlin
audiences. In 1903, she appeared as Milada in the Berlin premiere of B.
Smetana’s Dalibor at the Theater of the West.
During the 1901-1902 season, she performed as Senta in Der
fliegende Holländer at the Bayreuth Festival. In 1905, she made history at
London’s Covent Garden by originating the title role in Puccini’s Madama
Butterfly, opposite Enrico Caruso and Antonio Scotti. She debuted at Covent
Garden in 1904 as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and sang there until 1914,
returning in 1919. Other notable performances include her appearances in the
premieres of Tess by Frédéric d’Erlanger (1909) and Eugene Onegin by P.
Tchaikovsky (1906), where she portrayed Tatiana alongside Mattia Battistini.
Her international engagements were extensive, including
performances in Vienna, Paris, Prague, Hamburg, Leipzig, Dresden, and
Wiesbaden. In 1908, she joined the New York Metropolitan Opera, debuting as
Aida in the season’s opening performance. While at the Met, she sang roles such
as Marie in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride (1909), Lisa in Tchaikovsky’s The
Queen of Spades (1910), Martha in the American premiere of d’Albert’s Tiefland
(1908), and the title role in Catalani’s La Wally (1909). On December 10, 1910,
she created the role of Minnie in the world premiere of Puccini’s La Fanciulla
del West, with Enrico Caruso and Pasquale Amato. She reprised the role in the
opera’s London premiere in 1911.
During World War I, she left North America in 1916 and
returned to the Czech Republic. A fervent patriot, she advocated for Czechoslovakia’s
independence, which led to her temporary imprisonment by Austrian authorities,
despite her having acquired American citizenship. In 1919, performing as Ema
Destinnová, she returned to the Metropolitan Opera for two seasons and also
guested in London as Aida. In 1923, she sang at the Oslo Opera. She retired
from the stage in 1926.
In 1927, she gave concerts in Berlin and Breslau, but her
success was moderate. She also enjoyed an illustrious career as a concert
singer and appeared in several silent films. Destinn lived in her castle at
Stráž in Bohemia, which she had purchased in 1914, and became a celebrated
national heroine in Czechoslovakia. After her death, the state honored her with
a state funeral. She is buried in Vyšehrad Cemetery in Prague.
TRACKLIST
Aida (Verdi) Als Sieger kehre heim 2-43090 12652u Gramophone, Berlin
1908-03
Aida (Verdi) O Vaterland 043095 0800v Gramophone, Berlin 1908-03
Carmen (Bizet) Draussen am Wall von Sevilla (Seguidilla) 43116 1193B
G&T, Berlin 1901-10
Carmen (Bizet) Was ist Zigeuners höchste Lust (Zigeunerlied) 43835 4702h
G&T, Berlin 1906-09
Carmen (Bizet) Wenn dir die Karten (Kartenlied) 43851 4703h G&T, Berlin
1906-09
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Als Euer Sohn 3756 12502u Gramophone,
Berlin 1908-03
Dalibor (Smetana) Jak je mi (Milada aria) 73309 12719u Gramophone, Berlin
1908-04
Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) Jo-ho-ho-hoe (Ballade) 043064 514i G&T,
Berlin 1906-02
Hubicka (Smetana) Ukolébavka 073007 0805v Gramophone, Berlin 1908-04
Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Dieses Wort deiner Liebe (w. Jörn) 044080 0817v
Gramophone, Berlin 1908-04
Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Zur Rettung aller bin ich erkoren (w. Jörn) 044079,
0816v Gramophone, Berlin 1908-04
Lohengrin (Wagner) Das süsse Lied verhallt (w. Kraus) 044057 542i G&T,
Berlin 1906-09
Lohengrin (Wagner) Du Ärmste 43862 4701h G&T, Berlin 1906-09
Lohengrin (Wagner) Einsam in trüben Tagen 2-43316 4700h G&T, Berlin
1906-09
Lohengrin (Wagner) Einsam in trüben Tagen 043070 538i G&T, Berlin 1906-09
Lohengrin (Wagner) Euch Lüften 43730 4141h G&T, Berlin 1906-02
Lohengrin (Wagner) Wenn ich im Kampfe (w. Kraus) 044056 543i G&T,
Berlin 1906-09
Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Che tua madre 53532 12654u Gramophone, Berlin
1908-03
Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Tu, tu picciol iddio 53533 12753u Gramophone,
Berlin 1908-04
Mignon (Thomas) Kam ein armes Kind (Styrienne) 2-43080 12499u Gramophone,
Berlin 1908-03
Mignon (Thomas) Kennst du das Land 2-43079 12498½u Gramophone, Berlin
1908-03
Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) Nur zu flüchtig 043096 0802v Gramophone, Berlin
1908-03
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Sieh, wie Vögel fliegen (Vogellied) 2-43092 12798u
Gramophone, Berlin 1908-04
Prodana Nevesta (Smetana) Ach jaky zal 073006 0804v Gramophone, Berlin
1908-04
Prodaná Nevěsta (Smetana) Věrné milováni... Nuž tedy jdi (w. Marák)
074004, 074005, 285ac, 286ac Gramophone, Berlin 1909-10-21
Psohlavci (Kovarovic) Pisen Kateriny 73310 12720u Gramophone, Berlin
1908-04
Salome (Strauss) Dein Haar ist grässlich! 43875 4871h G&T, Berlin 1907
Salome (Strauss) Jochanaan, ich bin verliebt in deinen Leib 43874 4870h
G&T, Berlin 1907
Tannhäuser (Wagner) Allmächt'ge Jungfrau 43767 4140h G&T, Berlin
1906-02
Tannhäuser (Wagner) Dich teure Halle 43771 4131h G&T, Berlin 1906-02
Tosca (Puccini) Vissi d'arte 2-053053 5134f HMV, London 1911-07-03
Zauberflöte (Mozart) Ach, ich fühls 043097 0820v Gramophone, Berlin
1908-04
Aida
(Verdi) Als Sieger kehre heim 39417 XPh1011 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12 (or -02)
Aida
(Verdi) O Vater, Geliebter 39418, XPh1012 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12 (or -02)
Aida
(Verdi) O Vaterland (O Patria mia) XX76917 xxB5296 Odeon, Berlin 1911
Ave
Maria (Gounod) X99430 xB4746 Odeon, Berlin 1909
Ave
Maria (Gounod) XX76914 xxB5301 Odeon, Berlin 1911
Faust
(Gounod) Der König von Thulé X99387 xB4693 Odeon, Berlin 1909
Fliegende
Holländer (Wagner) Ballade der Senta X50166 Bx1663-2 Odeon, Berlin 1906-0910
Freischütz
(Weber) All meine Pulse schlagen 64843, xB3593 Odeon, Berlin 1907-1011
Freischütz
(Weber) Und ob die Wolke sie verhülle XX76012 xxB3594 Odeon, Berlin 1907-1011
Freischütz
(Weber) Wie nahte mir der Schlummer 64842 xB3592 Odeon, Berlin 1907-1011
Hallelujah
(Hummel) XX76913 xxB5291 Odeon, Berlin 1911
Lohengrin
(Wagner) Ach könnt' ich deiner Wert erschienen (w. Berger) X50650 xB4685 Odeon,
Berlin 1909
Lohengrin
(Wagner) Ach, dich an mich zu binden (w. Berger) XX80042 xxB4686 Odeon, Berlin
1909
Lohengrin
(Wagner) Das süsse Lied verhallt (w, Berger) XX80041 xxB4683 Odeon, Berlin 1909
Lohengrin
(Wagner) Du Ärmste, kannst wohl nie ermessen XX76915 xxB5292 Odeon, Berlin 1911
Lohengrin
(Wagner) Einsam in trüben Tagen X99385 xB4687 Odeon, Berlin 1909
Lohengrin
(Wagner) Euch Lüften, die mein Klagen X99911 xB5288 Odeon, Berlin 1911
Lohengrin
(Wagner) Wie hehr erkenn' ich uns'rer Liebe Wesen (w Berger) X50649 xB4684 Odeon,
Berlin 1909
Madama
Butterfly (Puccini) Che tua madre X99388 xB4694 Odeon, Berlin 1909
Madama
Butterfly (Puccini) Un bel d`vedremo X99431 xB4744 Odeon, Berlin 1909
Mela
jsem chlape (trad) 29072 XPh1013 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12 (or -02)
Mignon
(Thomas) Dort bei ihm ist sie jetzt XX76912 xxB5294 Odeon, Berlin 1911
Mignon
(Thomas) Gebet X50232, Bx2089 Odeon, Berlin 1906-12
Mignon
(Thomas) Kam ein armes Kind (Styrienne) 39422 XPh1016 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12 (or
-02)
Mignon
(Thomas) Kam ein armes Kind (Styrienne) X50025 XPh1016 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12
(or -02)
Mignon
(Thomas) Kennst du das Land 39420 XPh1014 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12 (or -02)
Mignon
(Thomas) Kennst du das Land X50023 XPh1014 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12 (or -02)
Mignon
(Thomas) Kennst du das Land XX76911 xxB5289 Odeon, Berlin 1911
Nekamenujte
proroky (Smetana) 51013 xB2093 Odeon, Berlin 1906-12
Robert
le diable (Meyerbeer) Eh' ich die Normandie verlassen 64837 xB3613 Odeon,
Berlin 1907-1011
Robert
le diable (Meyerbeer) Geh' sprach sie zu mir 64855 xB3612 Odeon, Berlin
1907-1011
Samson
et Dalila (Saint-Saëns) Sieh', mein Herz X99912 xB5290 Odeon, Berlin 1911
Tannhäuser
(Wagner) Dich teure Halle X50159 Bx1661 Odeon, Berlin 1906-0910
Tannhäuser
(Wagner) Gebet der Elisabeth X50171, Bx1708 Odeon, Berlin 1906-0910
Tristan
und Isolde (Wagner) Liebestod XX76919 xxB5300 Odeon, Berlin 1911
Uz
mou milou (trad) 29071 XPh1010 Odeon, Berlin 1905-12 (or -02)
Aida (Verdi) I sacri nomi A5387 30972-2 Columbia, New York 1912-03
Aida (Verdi) O cieli azzurri (O Patria mia) A5587 30973-2 Columbia, New
York 1912-03
Aida (Verdi) O terra addio (w. Zenatello) A5399 36360-2 Columbia, New York
1912-04-09
Aida (Verdi) Ritorna vincitor A5387 30971-2 Columbia, New York 1912-03
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Voi lo sapete A5398 30970-3 Columbia, New
York 1912-03
Forza del destino (Verdi) La vergine A5398 36365-2 Columbia, New York
1912-04-11
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Stridono lassu (Ballatella) A5397 30977-3
Columbia, New York 1912-03
Tosca (Puccini) Vissi d'arte A5587 30998-3 Columbia, New York 1912-03
Trovatore (Verdi) Miserere (w. Zenatello) A5399 36361-1 Columbia, New York
1912-04-09
No comments:
Post a Comment