Louise Homer

Contralto Louise Homer enjoyed an extended career singing lots of the grandest assignments in the Italian, France and, later, German repertories. Her relatively placid character was offset by a big, nearly flawless device that stood up well in ensemble to such modern performers as Caruso and Gigli. She was an integral singer on the Metropolitan Opera from 1900 to 1919. Wedded towards the well-known American composer, Sidney Homer, she sang several his music in recital and discovered enough time to end up being the devoted mom of six kids. Blessed Louise Dilworth Beatty, the vocalist was the little girl of the Presbyterian minister who founded the cathedral to which he ministered in Shadyside, near Pittsburgh, PA. Homer started her vocal research early, producing her open public debut in Philadelphia with an oratorio functionality at age group 14. Advised that her tone of voice warranted serious schooling, she continued to review privately before getting into the New Britain Conservatory of Music where she signed up for a training course instructed by Sidney Homer. Homer followed his promising pupil to a functionality of Faust with the going to Metropolitan Opera. So impressed was the youthful vocalist by hearing her initial opera that she solved at that time to be an operatic musician. When the developing affection between instructor and student resulted in relationship in 1895, Sidney Homer was insistent that his wife should research in Europe, as well as the set remaining for Paris where Louise caused Paul Lhérie and Fidélé König. When an acclaimed concert system in Paris (without less a shape than composer Vincent d’Indy performing) recommended that enough time for an operatic debut got come, Homer made an appearance in Vichy as Leonora in La favorita. Her achievement there resulted in additional engagements in France and Belgium and, in-may 1899, at London’s Covent Backyard. Her triumph there led to a obtain a Royal Control Performance. A period on the Théâtre de la Monnaie discovered her showing up in a lot more than 100 shows. Engaged with the Metropolitan Opera in 1900, she produced her initial appearance with the business in SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA that Sept. She initial trod the brand new York stage on Dec 22 as Amneris, earning only guarded testimonials for her adequate, but “hard” tone of voice and lack of temperament. Just with the entrance of a fresh movie director, Hans Conried, in 1903 do Homer’s opportunities boost. She met the brand new issues with a larger way of measuring histrionic participation and a tone of voice that was learning to be a really impressive device. With Wagnerian assignments such as for example Fricka and Brangäne, Homer gained brand-new respect and, in 1904, both her Laura in La Gioconda and Ulrica in Ballo in maschera had been considered exceptional interpretations, authoritatively sung. The increasing trajectory of her creative progress took a substantial upward step when Homer was cast as Orfeo for Toscanini’s revival of Gluck’s opera in the 1908 – 1909 period. Critic Richard Aldrich composed of “nobility, dignity and plastic material grace for the attention, and of full-throated and gorgeous melody for the hearing.” Homer have been on stage on the Metropolitan, as well, for the initial functionality of Parsifal outside Bayreuth, as well as for the debuts of Caruso and Toscanini. Following 1918 – 1919 period, Homer retired in the Met, but sang for many seasons on the Chicago Civic Opera before time for the Met for just two celebrated guest performances in 1927 and 1928. In her recital repertory, Homer included some early music of her precocious nephew, Samuel Barber.