Description

LUCETTE KORSOFF (GENOA, 1 FEBRUARY, 1876 – BRUSSELS, 14 FEBRUARY, 1955)

 

 

 

 

Lucette Korsoff, born in 1876 in Genoa, was the daughter of the legendary Russian baritone Bogomir Korsoff. She studied singing with Frédéric Boyer and Rosina Lambord in Paris and made her debut in Pergolesi’s La serva padrona in St. Petersburg in 1892.

In 1897 she appeared at the Opera Theatre of Liège. She then achieved significant success in Cairo and Alexandria in 1901 with Thoma’s Amleto. That same year, she made her debut at the Opera Theatre of Toulouse. From 1903 to 1906, she was a prominent figure at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, and later, from 1906 to 1908, at the Théâtre La Monnaie in Brussels.

In 1908, she returned to the Opéra-Comique in Paris, where she gained widespread acclaim for her performance as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in 1909. Her career continued with appearances in Brussels during the 1910-1911 season, followed by a successful tour of the USA. She performed at the Opera Theatre of New Orleans in the 1911-1912 season and at the Opera Theatre of Boston from 1912 to 1913. Additionally, she gave several concerts in New York and appeared at the Court Opera of St. Petersburg.

Korsoff continued her studies with Teresa Arkel in Milan in 1913, and in 1914, she performed in London and several Italian theaters. She gave a guest performance at the Opera Theatre of Monte Carlo in 1918 and returned there in 1922 to perform in Massenet’s Amadis.

After retiring from the stage in 1922, Korsoff worked as a pedagogue in Paris, where one of her notable pupils was Gina Cigna. By 1936, she lived in Brussels, where she was largely forgotten. Korsoff was known for her warm, heartfelt timbre, wide range, and virtuosic coloratura technique, which combined to create performances that avoided routine and monotony.

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Air de Rosine C01047F 30047 Vocalion, Paris 1921

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Air de Rosine, pt 1, pt 2 33802, 33803, 16210u, 16211u Gramophone, Paris 1910-12-30

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Donc je suis celle qu’il aime (w. Vigneau) 034018 570i G&T, Paris 1907

Bohème (Puccini) D’un pas léger (Valse de Musette) X-83104, Zonophone Paris 1905

Caïd (Thomas) Ariette de Virginie 33846, 16887u Gramophone, Paris 1911-10-09

Caïd (Thomas) Grand air de Virginie, act 3, pt 1, pt 2 033129, 033130, 02109v, 02110v Gramophone, Paris 1911-10-09

Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Les oiseaux dans la charmille 33847 16904u Gramophone, Paris 1911-10-14

Diamants de la Couronne (Auber) Variations, pt 1, pt 2 33756, 33757, 15814u, 15815½u Gramophone, Paris 1910-05-23

Domino Noir (Auber) Ah quelle nuit… Flamme vengeresse 033136, 033137, 02106v, 02107v Gramophone, Paris 1911-10-07

Domino Noir (Auber) Flamme vengeresse 033137 02107v Gramophone, Paris 1911-10-07

Domino Noir (Auber) La belle Inès 33641 7387o G&T, Paris 1907

Faust (Gounod) Eh quoi! Toujours seul (w. Becucci, Jaume & Leisner) Edison Test 3183 June 1914 London, England

Faust (Gounod) Laisse-moi contempler… O nuit d’amour (w. Rocca) 34201, 34202, 6014h, 6015½h Gramophone, Paris 1908-06

Faust (Gounod) Seigneur Dieu, qui vois-je! (w. Becucci, Jaume & Leisner) Edison Test 3182 June 1914 London, England

Fille du Régiment (Donizetti) La voilà (w. Belhomme) 0205 Pathé, Paris 19071908

Fille du Régiment (Donizetti) Le chant du Régiment 33645 7391o G&T, Paris 1907

Fille du Régiment (Donizetti) Oh! transport (w. Belhomme) 4758 Pathé, Paris 19071908

Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Nobles Seigneurs 033166, 02723v Gramophone, Paris 1913-06-18

Huguenots (Meyerbeer) O beau pays de la Touraine L. 3048 Parlophon, Paris 1911

Il bacio (Arditi) 33696 5848h Gramophone, Paris 1908

La vague, Valse chantée (Métra) 033085 01229v Gramophone, Paris 1909-11-09

La valse des roses (Métra) 33698 5732½h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Lakmé (Delibes) Dans la forêt profonde X-83103, Zonophone Paris 1905

Le bonheur est chose légère (Saint-Saëns) X-83145 Zonophone, Paris 1906

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Pallor funesto orrendo (w. Parvis) 3187 Test June 1914 London, England

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Que n’avons nous des ailes 033168 02720½v Gramophone, Paris 1913-06-17

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Vers toi toujours (w. Beyle) 34189 5051h G&T, Paris 1907

Manon (Massenet) Et je sais votre nom (w. Beyle) 34151 5794o G&T, Paris 1906

Manon (Massenet) Et je sais votre nom (w. Beyle) 34198 5735h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Manon (Massenet) Fabliau X-83143 Zonophone, Paris 1906

Manon (Massenet) Je marche sur tous les chemins 33690 5747h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Manon (Massenet) Je suis encore toute étourdie 33685 5644h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Manon (Massenet) Je suis encore toute étourdie X-83146 Zonophone, Paris 1906

Manon (Massenet) N’est-ce plus ma main 33687 5647h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Manon (Massenet) Nous vivrons à Paris (w. Beyle) 34196 5750h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Manon (Massenet) Obéissons quand leur voix appelle (Gavotte) 33691 5733-IIh Gramophone, Paris 1908

Manon (Massenet) On l’appelle Manon (w. Beyle) 34150 5793o G&T, Paris 1906

Manon (Massenet) Oui, dans les bois (Fabliau) 33686 5645h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Manon (Massenet) Voyons, Manon, plus de regrets C01034F 30058 Vocalion

Manon Lescaut (Auber) C’est l’histoire amoureuse [Eclat de rire] (395) Edison, August or Septem1ber 1910; London

Manon Lescaut (Auber) L’éclat de rire X-83218 Zonophone, Paris 1907

Mignon (Thomas) Je suis Titania (Polonaise) 33699 5960h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Mireille (Gounod) Heureux petit berger X-83096, Zonophone Paris 1905

Mireille (Gounod) Mon coeur ne peut changer 033132 02102v Gramophone, Paris 1911-10-05

Mireille (Gounod) O légère hirondelle [Valse] (3209-B) Edison, July 1914; London

Mireille (Gounod) O légère hirondelle 3209 Test, July 1914 London, England

Mireille (Gounod) Trahir Vincent X-83099, Zonophone Paris 1905

Mireille (Gounod) Valse X-83094, Zonophone Paris 1905

Mireille (Gounod) Vincinette, à votre âge (w. Beyle) 34157 5817o G&T, Paris 1906

Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Comme autrefois 033167 02722v Gramophone, Paris 1913-06-17

Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Dans le ciel sans voiles 33644 7390o G&T, Paris 1907

Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Ton coeur n’as pas compris (w. Beyle) 34190 5052h G&T, Paris 1907

Perle du Brésil (David) Charmant oiseau X-83095, Zonophone Paris 1905

Pré aux Clercs (Hérold) A la fleur du jeune âge 33643 7389o G&T, Paris 1907

Rigoletto (Verdi) Belle fille (w. Beyle, Cléry & Dufranne) 034016 562i (5062i) G&T, Paris 1907

Rigoletto (Verdi) Doux nom C01044F 30061 Vocalion, Paris 1921

Rigoletto (Verdi) Tutte le feste al tempio (w. Parvis) Edison Test 3188 June 1914 London, England

Roméo et Juliette (Gounod) Duo de la chambre (w. Beyle) 34194 5748h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Roméo et Juliette (Gounod) Juliette est vivante (w. Beyle) 34195 5749½h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Traviata (Verdi) Amis, buvons jusqu’a la lie (w. Beyle & chorus) 34186, 7385o G&T, Paris 1907

Traviata (Verdi) Folie, folie 033113 01757v Gramophone, Paris 1910-11-30

Traviata (Verdi) Quel trouble 033112 01756v Gramophone, Paris 1910-11-30

Trovatore (Verdi) C’est l’ordre que le fils… Sauvé, bonheur divin (w. Dangès) 034029  867i, 34211 6508½h Gramophone, Paris 1908-10-15

Trovatore (Verdi) La nuit calme et sérène 33694 5850h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Une folie à Rome (Ricci) 33744 15461u Gramophone, Paris 1909-11-26

Variations, pt 1 (Proch) 33688, 5646h Gramophone, Paris 1908

Variations, pt 2 (Proch) 33689 5746h Gramophone, Paris 1908