Identifier: grandoperasinger02lahe (find matches)
Title: The grand opera singers of to-day : an account of the leading operatic stars who have sung during recent years, together with a sketch of the chief operatic enterprises
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Lahee, Henry Charles, 1856-1953
Subjects: Singers Opera
Publisher: Boston : L. C. Page
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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that this at the New Theatrewas a revival. In addition to M. Clement twoother good singers made their first appearanceon the same occasion, Alma Gluck, and DinhGilly, — soprano and baritone, and both metwith good success. Madame Alma Gluck is one of the most re-cent and most successful of the youngersingers. She made her debut in New York atthe New Theatre in 1909, as Sophie in<l Werther. The story of her rise to celeb-rity is most interesting. Madame Gluck was born at Bucharest, Rou-mania, and came with her parents to New Yorkwhen a small child. Her maiden name wasReba Fierson, and she is said to have beenemployed as a stenographer in the office of ayoung lawyer in New York, previous to hermarriage to Mr. Gluck, which took place whenshe was still quite young. It is said that one summer when she was inthe Adirondacks her singing (as an amateur)attracted the attention of a gentleman, who ad-vised her to go to Signor Buzzi-Peccia, andtake lessons. This she did, but with no idea of
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ALMA GLUCK The Metropolitan Opera-House 299 an operatic career. She merely wanted tolearn to sing well, and with that idea sheworked hard, and in three years had a reper-toire of ten operas. In 1909 her teacher sug-gested that she should sing for Mr. Gatti-Casazza, and to her surprise he offered her acontract for five years, which she accepted. During the following summer she went withher teacher to Europe and heard operas. Oneof these was M Werther, which she heard inParis, and liked so much that she learned it.On her return to New York ii Werther wasbeing rehearsed and she was told to sing it atrehearsals, as the soprano who had been en-gaged for that part had not arrived. When theartist did arrive Mr. Dippel did not like herinterpretation of the part, so Madame Glucksang it at the performance, and stepped at onceinto fame. During the season she sang eleven differentroles in Boheme, Pique Dame, Stra-della, Orfeo, Maestro di Capella, The Bartered Bride, Faust, u Rhein-gold, and of th

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