Eleonora de Cisneros
Eleonora de Cisneros | |
---|---|
Manhattan, New York City | |
Occupation | Opera singer |
Parent(s) | John C. Broadfoot, Ellen Small |
Signature | |
Eleonora de Cisneros (October 31, 1878 – February 3, 1934) was an American opera singer. She was a singer for the Metropolitan Opera company and became one of their principal singers. She was the first American-trained opera singer hired by the Metropolitan Opera company. During the early twentieth century, she performed at major opera houses in the United States, Cuba, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South America and Russia.
Cisneros toured the United States during
De Cisneros was known for her wide vocal range and the high volume of her contralto voice. At 6 feet 2 inches, she also was perfectly cast for the stage heroine roles that she portrayed. She retired from the stage around 1929, moved back to New York and became a voice teacher.
Early life
Cisneros was born Eleanor Broadfoot in
Mid life
The opera singer Jean de Reszke introduced Cisneros, then known as Eleanor Broadfoot, to the manager of the Metropolitan Opera company in 1899 and she was hired.[6] Cisneros was the first American trained opera singer the Metropolitan Opera company hired.[4][5] Previous to this, the company would only hire singers formally trained in Europe.[7][8] She gave her first performance with the Metropolitan Opera company in Chicago on November 24, 1899.[2] Her role was as Rossweise in Die Walküre by Richard Wagner.[9] She performed the same role in New York City on January 5, 1900[8] – being her debut in that city.[9] After performing in New York City she then went to Philadelphia in a hurry and filled in as a contralto, with no rehearsal, in Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi at the Metropolitan Opera.[10] The manager of the company complimented Cisneros on her successful performance.[10] She became their principal contralto singer from 1906–1911.[1]
Cisneros married Count Francois de Cisneros, a Cuban journalist, in 1901, becoming Countess Eleonora de Cisneros. She then went to Turin, Italy, in 1902 to perform. The Italians were not receptive to the "American" Eleanor Broadfoot from the Metropolitan Opera unless she paid a fee.[10] She had her business cards reprinted with her married name Countess Eleonora de Cisneros and she was well received then.[11] Cisneros made her début at Turin as Amneris in Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida.[11] Cisneros debuted in 1906 at La Scala in Milan, Italy.[5] At this theatre in this year she established the part of Candia della Leonessa in La figlia di Iorio by Alberto Franchetti.[12] She sang also the same year in the theatre the first performances of The Queen of Spades by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Salome by Richard Strauss.[6] She also sang in the same theatre the first performance of Elektra by Strauss, performed in 1909.[12]
Cisneros performed in Australia, Europe, Cuba, New Zealand and the United States. She was a performer at the
Later life
She was chairperson of the Artist and Musical Committee of the New York Catholic War Fund's Women's Committee during World War I.[9] Her career was hurt after making opera singing tours for the benefit of the war endeavors.[6][13] In the 1920s Cisneros performed mostly in Europe. Cisneros appeared occasionally at La Scala as Herodias in Salome in the mid 1920s. While in Europe she lived in Paris until 1929.[15] After that she became a singing teacher in New York City until she retired.[15]
Death
She died of an epithelioma in Manhattan, New York City on February 3, 1934.[8][9] The Roman Catholic Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City conducted funeral services for her. She is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Long Island City, New York.[9]
Legacy
Listeners of Cisneros remember her wide vocal range and high volume contralto voice.[16] Cisneros had a large physical statuesque stage presentation.[6][12] She stood at 6 feet 2 inches and presented a queenly majestic appearance, which was ideal for her performances representing heroes.[12] With her mezzo-soprano opera voice she sang difficult roles like that of Santuzza, Gioconda, Kundry, Carmen, Laura, Urbain, and Azucena.[6][12] Cisneros spelled her stage name "Eleonora" instead of "Eleanora".[9]
Cisneros is credited for more marketing promotion of Liberty bonds during World War I than any other person - $30,000,000 worth.[17] She participated free of charge in "an all star cast" of the renown war play Out There as it toured major cities throughout the United States raising funds in World War I for the Red Cross.[18]
Recordings
Cisneros recorded various opera songs under the labels of Edison's Blue Amberol Records, Gramophone and Typewriter, Pathé Records, and American Columbia.[15] One such song is Thomas Dunn English's poem Ben Bolt, recorded on an Edison Blue Amberol cylinder in 1912.[19]
Footnotes
- ^ a b Kutsch & Riemens 1969, p. 82.
- ^ a b James & Boyer 1971, p. 450.
- .
- ^ a b Read & Witlieb 1992, p. 116.
- ^ a b c Commire 1999, p. 771.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Eleonora de Cisneros". Oxford University Press. 2014. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- ^ Commire 2007, p. 391.
- ^ .
- ^ a b c d e f James & Boyer 1971, p. 451.
- ^ a b c Lahee 1912, p. 146.
- ^ a b c d Lahee 1912, p. 147.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Macy 2008, p. 89.
- ^ a b Read & Witlieb 1992, p. 117.
- ^ Saerchinger 1918, p. 118.
- ^ a b c d Kutsch & Riemens 1969, p. 83.
- ^ "Cisneros, Eleonora De (1878-1934)". Encyclopedia.com. 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ James & Boyer 1971, p. 451 "She is also said to have sold $30,000,000 worth of Liberty bonds, the largest amount credited to any individual.".
- ^ Carson 1919, p. 45.
- YouTube
Bibliography
- Carson, Lionel (1919). The Stage Year Book. Stage Offices.
- Commire, Anne (1999). Women in World History. Gale. ISBN 0-7876-4062-X.
- Commire, Anne (2007). Dictionary of Women Worldwide. Gale. ISBN 978-0-7876-7676-6.
- James, Edward & Janet; Boyer, Paul S. (1971). Notable American Women, 1607–1950: A Biographical Dictionary. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-62734-5.
- Chilton Book Co.
- Lahee, Henry Charles (1912). The grand opera singers of today: an account of the leading operatic stars who have sung during recent years, together with a sketch of the chief operatic enterprises. L.C. Page and Company. p. 146.
- Macy, Laura Williams (2008). The Grove Book of Opera Singers. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-533765-5.
- Read, Phyllis J.; Witlieb, Bernard L. (1992). The Book of Women's Firsts: Breakthrough Achievements of Almost 1,000 American Women. Random House Information Group. ISBN 978-0-679-40975-5.
- Saerchinger, César (1918). International Who's who in Music and Musical Gazetteer. Current Literature Publishing Co. p. 60.
External links
- Four-minute Explanatory Talk by speaker Harry Humphrey (1873-1947) on the history of the opera, composer Rossini, and De Cisneros, leading to the actual aria
- Eleonora de Cisneros singing Ben Bolt