Description

EUGENIA BRONSKAJA (BRONSKAYA) (ST. PETERSBURG, 20 JANUARY, 1882 – ST. PETERSBURG, 12 OCTOBER, 1952)

 

 

 

 

She first studied with her mother in St. Petersburg, who was a known singer under the name Mme E. de Hacké. Later, she studied with the famous Polish soprano Teresa Arkel in Milan. She made her opera debut at the Hall of the Merchant Assembly in St. Petersburg on October 17, 1900. In 1901, Bronskaja appeared at the Opera Theatre Arkadia in St. Petersburg. During the 1901-1902 season, she performed at the Tbilisi Opera, and then at the Opera Theatre Aquarium in St. Petersburg. In 1902, she sang at the Moscow Opera Theatre Aquarium. During the 1902-1903 season, she appeared in the opera theatres of Kiev and Odessa, and from 1904 to 1905, she performed at the Opera Theatre of Solodovnikov. She also made guest appearances in Kharkov and Odessa. From 1906 to 1907, she sang at the National House in St. Petersburg.

In 1905, she appeared in France at the Théâtre Olimpia (1906/7), and later performed in Milan at La Scala (1907) and at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, where she played Tatyana in the Venice premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin alongside her husband, opera singer Georgi Makarov. In Italy, she also appeared at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome (1908) as Gilda in Rigoletto. She then performed in New York, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia, where she sang with Enrico Caruso. She returned to Italy to sing in Parma, Trieste, Bologna, Verona, and Florence.

From 1910 to 1923, Bronskaja was a soloist at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, where she debuted as Violetta in La Traviata. She also appeared at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow during the 1911-1912 season. From 1923 to 1950, she taught at the Leningrad Conservatory. She was known for her striking beauty, a well-balanced voice across all registers with a pleasant “silver” timbre, an extensive range, and clear and distinct coloratura.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1905 France Olimpia Theatre

1907 Milan La Scala

1907 Venice Teatro La Fenice

1908 Rome Costanzi

1909 Boston Opera House

1910 Chicago Auditorium

1910 Pittsburgh Nixon Theatre

1910 St. Louis Odeon Theatre

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Ave Maria (Gounod) 30472, A5193, Columbia, New York 1910-04-21
2. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Io sono docile 30426, A5209 Columbia, New York 1910-04-11
3. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Una voce poco fa 30427, A5209, Columbia, New York 1910-04-11
4. Bohème (Puccini) O soave fanciulla (w. Constantino) 30444, A5185 Columbia, New York 1910-04-15
5. Dinorah (Meyerbeer) Ombra leggiera 30446, A5210, Columbia, New York 1910-04-15
6. Faust (Gounod) All’erta (w. Constantino & Mardones) 30440, A5187, Columbia, New York 1910-04-15
7. Faust (Gounod) Dammi ancor (w. Constantino) 30445, A5182 Columbia, New York 1910-04-15
8. Hamlet (Thomas) Et maintenant écoutez ma chanson (Ballade) 023128 2908½c Gramophone, St Petersburg 1913-11-13
9. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Tu m’as compris, adieu! (w. Sibiryakov) 024098, 285af Gramophone, St Petersburg 1914-01-18
10. Lakmé (Delibes) Sous le dome épais (w. Freeman) 30471 A5186 Columbia, New York 1910-04-21
11. Life for the Tsar (Glinka) I do not grieve about that, dear friend 023150 2882c Gramophone, St Petersburg 1913-10-28
12. Life for the Tsar (Glinka) Trio, pt 1 Scene & Trio, pt 2 (w. Alexandrovich, Sibiryakov & chorus) 024084 2888c, 024085, 2910½c Gramophone, St Petersburg 1913-11-05, 14
13. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Chi mi frena (w. Freeman, Constantino, Blanchart, Mardones & Cilla) 30443, A5177, Columbia, New York 1910-04-15
14. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Regnava nel silenzio 30447, A5211 Columbia, New York 1910-04-15
15. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Verranno a te (w. Constantino) 30439, A5182, Columbia, New York 1910-04-15
16. Mignon (Thomas) Io son Titania 30434, A5210 Columbia, New York 1910-04-15