Florence Macbeth (Soprano) (1889 - 1966)

After her education in New York and Paris she gave her first concert in Scheveningen (1912). The next year she participated in concert under Thomas Beecham in London. In 1913 she made  her stage debut at the Court Theater in Brunswick as Rosina in ‘’Il Barbiere di Siviglia’’. She guested at the Court Theater of Darmstadt, sang the part of Olympia at the Court Opera of Dresden in ‘’Les contes d'Hoffmann’’ (1913) and joined in 1914 to the Chicago Opera, where she remained (with an interruption in the 1916-1918 seasons) till 1930. She made her debut there as Rosina in ‘’Il Barbiere di Siviglia’’ and appeared with great success as Amina in ‘’La Sonnambula’’, Lucia di Lammermoor, Gilda in ‘’Rigoletto’’, Adina in ‘’Elisir d'amore’’, Martha, Ophélie in ‘’Hamlet’’, Micaela in ‘’Carmen’’, Mimi in ‘’La Bohème’’, Traviata, Eudoxia in ‘’La Juive’’ and Zerline in ‘’Fra Diavolo’’. In 1919 she sang in Chicago the role of Anna in the American première of A. Catalani’s ‘’Loreley’’. In the 1921-1922 season she took part in North American tour as a member of the Cosmopolitan Opera. Till 1931 she made guest appearances at the Ravinia festival, among other things in the 1928-1929 season with great success as Lisetta in G. Puccini’s ‘’La Rondine’’. In the 1927-1928 season she performed at the San Francisco Opera in ‘’Martha’’ and ‘’Il Barbiere di Siviglia’’, ‘’Fra Diavolo’’. After her retirement she was active as pedagogue. In 1950 she married the author James M. Cain.

Chronology of some appearances

1913 Brunswick Court Theater
1913 Dresden Court Opera
1914-1930 Chicago Opera

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Columbia, New York 1916-04-07
Parla Waltz (Arditi) A5867 48684

Columbia, New York 1920-06-21
Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti): O luce di quest'anima  A6173 49848

Columbia, New York 1920-07-20
Carnevale di Venezia (arr Benedict) A6173 49868

Columbia, New York 1921-03-04
Rigoletto (Verdi): Caro nome A6189 49944

Columbia, New York 1921-10-06
Mignon (Thomas): Io son Titania (Polonaise) A6219 49993

Columbia, New York 1922-08-11
Kom Kjyra (Norwegian Echo Song) (Thrane) A3895 80523

Columbia, New York 1923-06-01
Pierrot (Roberts) 30003-D 81063