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Gerhardt, Elena

(Encyclopedia)Gerhardt, Elena ālāˈnä gĕrˈhärt [key], 1883–1961, German mezzo-soprano and teacher of singing, studied at the Leipzig Conservatory. She made her debut in 1903. After a concert career in both ...

Alamoth

(Encyclopedia)Alamoth ălˈəmōth [key], in the Bible, musical term, unknown in meaning, although some have guessed “soprano,” connecting it with a word for “maidens.” It occurs in First Chronicles and in ...

Adès, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Adès, Thomas ădˈĭs [key], 1971–, British composer, conductor, and pianist, b. London, studied Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, and King's College, Cambridge. An accomplished composer...

Gluck, Alma

(Encyclopedia)Gluck, Alma glo͝ok [key], 1884–1938, American soprano, b. Bucharest, Romania. Her real name was Reba Fiersohn. She sang (1909–12) at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City, and was one of the firs...

Destinn, Emmy

(Encyclopedia)Destinn, Emmy (Ema Kittl) dĕsˈtĭn [key], 1878–1930, Czechoslovakian soprano. She debuted in Berlin in 1898 before singing the title role in the London production of Madame Butterfly in 1905. She ...

Farrar, Geraldine

(Encyclopedia)Farrar, Geraldine fərärˈ [key], 1882–1967, American operatic soprano, b. Melrose, Mass.; pupil of Lilli Lehmann. She made her debut in Europe (1901) and sang at the Metropolitan Opera, New York C...

Garden, Mary

(Encyclopedia)Garden, Mary, 1874–1967, Scottish-American operatic soprano, b. Aberdeen, Scotland, studied in Paris. Her debut (1900) occurred when she replaced, without rehearsal, the star of Charpentier's Louise...

Pons, Lily

(Encyclopedia)Pons, Lily pänz, Fr. pôNs [key], 1904–76, French-American coloratura soprano. Pons studied piano at the Paris Conservatory. She made her debut in Delibes's Lakmé at Mulhouse, Alsace, in 1928. She...

Sills, Beverly

(Encyclopedia)Sills, Beverly, 1929–2007, American coloratura soprano, b. Brooklyn, N.Y., as Belle Silverman. Her childhood career as a radio singer (when she was first nicknamed “Bubbles”) led to voice studie...

Crespin, Régine

(Encyclopedia)Crespin, Régine rāzhēnˈ krĕspăNˈ [key], 1927–2007, French soprano. She made her major debut at the Paris Opéra in 1950. The range, flexibility, subtlety, and richness of her voice were criti...

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