Frances Alda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frances Alda
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Alda circa 1920
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| Born |
Fanny Jane Davis
May 31, 1879 |
| Died | September 18, 1952 (aged 73) |
| Spouse(s) |
Giulio Gatti-Casazza
(m. 1910; div. 1928)Miner Raymond VirDen
(m. 1941) |
Frances Alda (born Fanny Jane Davis; 31 May 1879 – 18 September 1952) was a famous operatic soprano singer. She was born in New Zealand and grew up in Australia. She became very well-known in the early 1900s. People loved her amazing singing voice, great technique, and lively personality. She often performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City with the famous singer Enrico Caruso.
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Frances Alda's Early Life
Frances Alda was born Fanny Jane Davis in Christchurch, New Zealand, on May 31, 1879. Her mother, Leonore Simonsen, was also a talented singer.
In 1880, Leonore separated from David Davis and continued her singing career. Fanny spent her early years traveling with her mother on opera tours. After some time in Australasia, they moved to San Francisco, California, in 1883.
Leonore Davis remarried but sadly passed away in San Francisco in 1884. After her mother's death, Fanny was sent to live with her grandparents, Martin and Fanny Simonsen, in Melbourne, Australia.
Becoming an Opera Star
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Frances Alda began her singing career in Melbourne. She performed in Gilbert and Sullivan shows. When she was 22, she left Australia for Europe. She wanted to study more and become an international opera singer.
In Paris, she took lessons from a famous teacher named Mathilde Marchesi. Marchesi gave her the stage name "Alda." In 1904, Alda made her official debut at the Opéra-Comique in the opera Manon.
She later performed at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London in 1906. She also sang at La Scala in Milan from 1906 to 1908. These were all very important opera houses.
Success at the Metropolitan Opera
In 1908, Giulio Gatti-Casazza, who used to manage La Scala, became the director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Frances Alda made her debut there on December 7, 1908.
On April 4, 1910, Alda and Gatti-Casazza got married. It was in New York that Alda became even more famous. She performed in many well-known operas. These included Martha, Manon Lescaut, Otello, Faust, Mefistofele, and La bohème.
Frances Alda also started recording her songs in 1908. Many of her records became very popular. She often sang with the legendary tenor Enrico Caruso. She also created main roles in new operas like Madeleine by Victor Herbert and Cleopatra's Night by Henry Kimball Hadley.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1927, Frances Alda toured Australia and New Zealand. She left the Metropolitan Opera in 1929. However, she continued to perform in concerts and on radio shows. She also appeared in vaudeville, which was a popular type of stage entertainment.
In 1937, she wrote her autobiography, which was called Men, Women, & Tenors.
On April 14, 1941, she married Ray Vir Den, an advertising executive. He was ten years younger than her.
Frances Alda enjoyed a comfortable retirement in Long Island, New York. She also spent a lot of time traveling. She passed away from a stroke on September 18, 1952, in Venice, Italy, at the age of 73. She is buried in All Saints Episcopal Church Cemetery in Great Neck, Long Island.
