Life and career Emily Soldene

1 life , career

1.1 career , peak years
1.2 later stage career
1.3 journalism career , last years

life , career

soldene born in clerkenwell, london. mother priscilla swain fuller (1812–1900), , although apparently product of bigamous marriage, raised daughter of edward fuller solden (1805–1873). in 1859 married law clerk john powell (1834?–1881) , gave birth first child before began study singing in 1861 william howard glover.

early career , peak years

soldene made first public appearance in concert given glover in 1862. began appear in classical music concerts @ st james s hall in london afterwards, in 1865 auditioned charles morton @ canterbury music hall. became friend , mentor her, , turned classical music music hall, appearing steadily @ oxford music hall , elsewhere under name of miss fitz-henry.

emily soldene

as english-language versions of french opéra bouffe first arrived in britain, soldene became leading proponent of jacques offenbach , hervé, combining comedic , vocal talents. according times, soldene fine , highly-trained singer. exeter hall loved in oratorio no less canterbury, oxford or alhambra [loved her] in more worldly work; in opéra-bouffe voice, vivacity, , magnetism first found perfect material. created title role in grand duchess of gerolstein in 1867 touring company of royal opera house, covent garden. in 1870, @ lyceum theatre, played marguerite in little faust (le petit faust) , took on title role in chilpéric. next year, toured chilpéric in provinces. charles morton, in 1871 @ islington philharmonic, first appeared drogan in long-running production of geneviève de brabant (also directing production), became favourite role. popular, starred @ gaiety theatre, london in 1872 in production of geneviève de brabant , mlle. lange in la fille de madame angot in 1873. soldene also, several years, principal boy in british christmas pantomimes.

her popularity allowed become manager of own company, leading extensive , highly successful tour of america in 1874–1875. there company played same operettas had made famous in britain, madame l archiduc. soldene wrote, first moment of going management – recognizing attractive force of female beauty – surrounded myself best-looking , best set-up girls possibly found. selected chorus ballet. result, minimum of voice, perhaps, maximum of looks , grace.... felt music, full of life, and, blooded horse, anxious start.

back in england, in january 1876, trial jury transferred, arrangement manager charles morton, opera comique, soldene s sister, clara vesey, sang role of plaintiff, fred sullivan , w. s. penley, while soldene , kate santley appeared in madame l archiduc and, march 1876, soldene, vesey , penley appeared in revival of geneviève de brabant. richard d oyly carte produced fleur-de-thé alexandre charles lecocq @ criterion theatre soldene. soldene continued tour operetta repertory throughout britain, 1 of famous roles tom tug in charles dibdin s waterman in 1876

soldene carmen, 1880

in 1877–1878, travelled australasia , again america. starred in usual repertory english comic opera company, adding la belle hélène, barbe-bleue, trial jury, waterman, poulet et poulette, giroflé-girofla, la périchole, , la jolie parfumeuse. in london in 1879, played princess fanfreluche in la poule aux oeufs d or , other productions @ alhambra theatre. later same year, soldene introduced bizet s opera carmen first time british provinces, in english.

later stage career

soon afterwards, soldene s husband died, leaving single mother of four. in march 1882, soldene s opera company (including alice may) touring british provinces, when train on travelling narrowly escaped high-speed collision express train. soldene, may , other members of company injured falling off beds quick-thinking engineer of loose engine ran full tilt @ train soldene s company riding , pushed out of way of oncoming express train.

an unsuccessful third tour of america , costly experiment in theatre management in 1883 depleted soldene s funds, continued success on tour. 40s , 13 stone [182 pounds] in weight, soldene forced... abandon sexy sophistications of opéra bouffe. first character role in frivoli @ drury lane theatre, in 1886, marie tempest. left show when america s top musical manager, john mccaull, invited there star in comic opera, vaudeville, variety musicals, and, briefly on broadway mccaull comic opera company, oudarde in adaptation of french melodrama, lorraine (1887).

soldene wrote play, jeanne fortier, bread carrier, premiered @ niblo s garden on 10 june 1889. settled in san francisco, played heavy ladies in comic opera 1890 1892 @ tivoli , orpheum theatres. in 1892, played again season in australia, trip financial disaster , depleted funds.

journalism career , last years

left without employment, forced seek new career. journalist had admired soldene obtained job music , drama critic sydney evening news. next seventeen years, wrote weekly columns of lively london gossip evening news , sun , other publications. soldene published 1 novel, young mrs. staples (1896), , scandalous memoir, innocently-titled theatrical , musical recollections (1896). according theatre historian kurt gänzl, turned out high-society literary sensation of last years of nineteenth century. soldene named long list of aristocratic , wealthy gentlemen had had liaisons young ladies in theatre during younger days.

soldene had 4 children, 1 of whom became comedian , dancer, pip powell. in 1906, benefit held soldene @ palace theatre.

she died of heart attack @ lodgings in bloomsbury @ age of 73 , buried in graveyard of shirley church, london.