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

 

 

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