Emma Abbott American opera singer (soprano) and impresario Date of Birth: 09.12.1850 Country: USA

1. Biography of Emma Abbott
2. Early Life and Musical Training
3. Operatic Career
4. Controversy and American Operatic Achievements

Biography of Emma Abbott

Emma Abbott, an American operatic soprano and impresario, was known for her pure and beautiful voice filled with flexibility. Americans hailed her as the "people's prima donna." However, she was expelled from the Royal Opera in London. She also became a pioneer in American opera.

Early Life and Musical Training

Emma Abbott was born on December 9, 1850, in Chicago, Illinois, to Seth Abbott, a musician, and his wife Almira Palmer. In her childhood, Emma and her brother George studied singing, piano, guitar, and violin. Their father taught them all the musical intricacies. The family moved to Peoria, Illinois, in 1854, where Seth Abbott struggled to find enough students willing to pay for music lessons. The family faced serious financial problems. To help their family, Emma and George started performing professionally when Emma was only nine years old. Their debut took place in Peoria in 1859, with Emma singing and playing the guitar while George played the violin. Emma herself began giving guitar lessons at the age of thirteen.

Operatic Career

In 1866, Abbott joined a traveling concert troupe and toured the country. While performing in various towns, she met and befriended singer Clara Louise Kellogg. After hearing Emma sing at one of the concerts, Kellogg arranged a meeting with her and wrote a recommendation letter, urging her to pursue an opera career. Emma went to New York City to study with Italian opera singer Achille Errani and made her opera debut in December 1871. In 1872, Emma traveled abroad to study with Antonio Sangiovanni in Milan and later continued her rehearsals with Mathilde Marchesi, Pierre François Wartel, and Enrico Delle Sedie in Paris. She performed in several productions in Paris and earned enthusiastic reviews for her beautiful soprano voice.

Controversy and American Operatic Achievements

Emma signed a contract with the Royal Opera in London and made her debut at Covent Garden in 1876, performing the role of Marie, the vivandière, in the opera "La Fille du regiment." However, her contract was terminated shortly after when she refused to transform into the courtesan Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata" due to moral reasons. In 1876, Emma secretly married Eugene Wetherell. The couple returned to the United States, where Emma remained for the rest of her life. On February 23, 1877, Emma celebrated her American opera debut in New York, once again playing the role of Marie. In 1878, she and her husband founded the "Abbott English Opera Company," which toured the United States. This was the first opera company in the United States that was founded by a woman. Eugene handled the financial aspects, while Emma took care of the artistic side. She often played leading roles in the company's productions. Throughout her career, Emma directed her own troupe, which performed French, Italian, and English works. However, all the parts were performed exclusively in English. Many of the works were shortened, and interpolation of songs, such as various inserts and other forms of text alteration, were not uncommon. Despite this, the "Abbott English Opera Company" gained popularity, even among some critics who were usually dissatisfied with changes in the standard repertoire. Eugene Wetherell passed away in 1889. Emma Abbott, the people's prima donna, died from pneumonia in Salt Lake City on January 5, 1891.