Description

LUCILLE MARCEL (NEW YORK, 1877 – VIENNA, 1921)

Her real name was Lucille Wasself. She first studied in North America, then under Jean de Reszke in Paris. She made her debut quite unexpectedly in 1908 at the Vienna Court Opera as Elektra in Richard Strauss’s opera of the same name. She was promoted by the then-manager of the Vienna Court Opera, Felix von Weingartner (1863-1942), whom she married in 1911 (the third of his five marriages). In 1912, she joined the Municipal Theatre of Hamburg. Her U.S. debut came in February 1911 at the Boston Opera in Tosca. She remained active at this opera house until 1914, and in 1913 she took over the title role in the American premiere of Bizet’s Djamileh.

In 1914, she made a guest appearance at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris as Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello and as Eva in Die Meistersinger. When Felix von Weingartner moved to the Court Theatre of Darmstadt in 1914, she was supposed to have an engagement there but appeared only once. She sang on May 17, 1914, at the Darmstadt Court Theatre in the premiere of her husband’s opera Cain and Abel.

In 1919, she performed at the Vienna Court Theatre, where she passed away two years later at the age of 44. Her repertoire included roles such as Tosca, Aida, Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello, Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust, and Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Chronology of some appearances

1908 Vienna Court Opera

1911-1914 Boston Opera

1912 Hamburg Municipal Theatre

1914 Paris Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

1914 Darmstadt Court Theatre

1919 Vienna Court Opera

TRACKLIST

1. Faust (Gounod) Ha, welch’ Glück (Juwelenarie) 043165 509m Gramophone, Wien 1910-12-16
2. Frühlingsgespenster (von Weingartner) (o von Weingartner) 2-4338B 11870L Gramophone, Wien 1910-12-16
3. Obstination (de Fontenailles) 33804 11868L Gramophone, Wien 1910-12-16
4. Otello (Verdi) Ave Maria A5482 36608-1 Columbia, New York 1913-02-19
5. Schäfers Sonntagslied (von Weingartner) (o von Weingartner) 2-43384 11869L Gramophone, Wien 1910-12-16
6. Thou art a child (von Weingartner) A5482 36622-1 Columbia, New York 1913-02-20
7. Tosca (Puccini) Vissi d’arte 053257 508m Gramophone, Wien 1910-12-16