Description

BESSIE ABOTT (HEUVELTON, NEW YORK, 1878 – NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 9, 1919)

After the early death of her father in 1894, she and her twin sister, Jessie Pickens, began performing together in cabarets and vaudeville theaters in New York, where they became known for their duets. She then transitioned to operetta, performing in New York and London starting in 1897. In London, she caught the attention of the renowned tenor Jean de Reszke in 1898, who encouraged her to pursue a career in opera.

She studied under Victor Capoul and Mathilde Marchesi in Paris and made her operatic debut at the Grand Opéra in Paris in 1901 as Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. Adopting the stage name Bessie Abott (after her mother’s family name), she performed several notable roles at the Grand Opéra, including Marguerite in Faust, Gilda in Rigoletto, the forest bird in the French premiere of Wagner’s Siegfried (1901), and Zerline in Don Giovanni (1902).

In 1906, she joined the Metropolitan Opera in New York, making her debut as Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème opposite Enrico Caruso. Her repertoire at the Met included Philine in Mignon, Gilda in Rigoletto, Juliette in Roméo et Juliette, and the principal role in Martha. She remained with the Met until 1908 and also appeared as a guest in Chicago and San Francisco.

In 1909, she performed at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, taking part in the premiere of the opera Naristé by Bellenot and singing Mimi in La Bohème. She also gave guest performances in St. Petersburg and Lisbon.

In 1910, she toured North America with her own opera troupe. By 1912, she appeared at the Knickerbocker Theatre in New York in the operetta Robin Hood by De Koven. That same year, she married sculptor and author T. Waldo Story, the brother of Emma Eames’ first husband, and briefly retired from her career before resuming it later.

Chronology of some appearances

1901-1902 Paris Grand Opera

1906-1908 New York Metropolitan Opera

1909 Opéra de Monte-Carlo

TRACKLIST

1. Faust (Gounod) Air des bijoux B23 Edison 2-min cylinders, New York 1906
2. Lakmé (Delibes) Où va la jeune hindoue 88084 C4232 Victor, New York 1907-02-01
3. Martha (Flotow) Mesta ognor (w. Homer) 89009 C4518-2 Victor, New York 1907-05-21
4. Martha (Flotow) Qui sola, vergin rosa B56 Edison 2-min cylinders, New York 1906
5. Martha (Flotow) Qui sola, vergin rosa 87003 C4227 Victor, New York 1907-01-29
6. Mignon (Thomas) Io son Titania 88171, C6237-1 Victor, Camden NJ 1908-05-27
7. Mireille (Gounod) Valse 88129 C6238 Victor, Camden NJ 1908-05-27
8. Parla valse (Arditi) 88110 C4999-1 Victor, Camden NJ 1908-01-07
9. Rigoletto (Verdi) Bella figlia dell’amore (w. Caruso, Homer & Scotti) Victor 96000
10. Rigoletto (Verdi) Caro nome 88050 C4226-1 Victor, New York 1907-01-29
11. Rigoletto (Verdi) Caro nome B37 Edison 2-min cylinders, New York 1906
12. Rigoletto (Verdi) Si, vendetta (w. Ancona) 87500 B4993-2 Victor, Camden NJ 1908-01-06
13. Rigoletto (Verdi) Tutte le feste (w. Ancona) 89013 C4991 Victor, Camden NJ 1908-01-06
14. Roméo et Juliette (Gounod) Je veux vivre 87007 B4305 Victor, New York 1907-03-13
15. Zauberflöte (Mozart) Gli angui d’inferno 88051 C4231 Victor, New York 1907-02-01