Excerpt from Famous Singers

Robinson Locke scrapbooks covering the life and career of Emma Calve.

Unquestionably the greatest artist of her 

school on the opera stage at the present day 

is Emma Calve, whose proper name is Emma 

Roquer. She was born in 1866, at Decaze- 

ville in the Aveyron, her father being a civil 

engineer, and a member of a good Spanish 

family. He unfortunately died when his 

daughter Emma was sixteen years of age, 

and left his family in poor circumstances. 

Emma, who was the eldest child, was 

brought up in a convent, the quiet life of 

which was very attractive to her, but she 

was prevented from taking the veil because 

her mother needed her help at home. 

A gentleman from Paris, who heard her 

sing one day in the convent chapel, urged 

her mother to send her to Paris for musical 

training, and much against her own wishes 

the young singer began the course of train- 

ing which led to her appearance on the 

operatic stage. 

Life has not been all sunshine for Emma 

Calve. She has acquired her art in the 

school of adversity. Her early stage experi- 

ences were not highly successful, though she 

was reengaged. Her debut was made at 

Brussels at the Theatre de Monnaie, as 

Marguerite in "Faust," in 1881. During 

this season she received a salary of a hun- 

dred and forty dollars a month, which was 

increased the next year to two hundred and 

forty. In 1884 she went to Paris, where 

she created the leading part in "Aben 

Hamet," by Dubois, at the Theatre Italien, 

and was decidedly successful. 

Her teachers up to this time had been 

a tenor named Puget, and Laborde, but she 

now began to study under Madame Mar- 

chesi, and then followed a successful tour 

in Italy, during which she gained much by 

association with the Italian people, and culti- 

vated her dramatic instincts. Here she saw 

Eleanora Duse, the great actress, whose 

impersonations made a great impression on 

the young singer. Calve's impassioned act- 

ing, her magnetic personality, and beautiful 

voice, won for her the greatest success at 

La Scala. In 1889 she returned to Paris, 

and continued her career of hard work and 

success, but the day of her greatness had 

not yet come. 

In 1891 she created the part of Suzel in 

" L'Amico Fritz," at Rome, an event which 

added greatly to her renown, and when 

" Cavalleria Rusticana " was given in Paris 

for the first time in 1892, Calve was selected 

as the most fitting interpreter of the part of 

Santuzza. Her success in this part was 

something phenomenal, and was gained after 

much study of the story, the close inter- 

course she had made with the Italian people, 

and by the aid of some suggestions from 

Mascagni, the composer. 

Her success as Santuzza was repeated in 

London, and, after ten years of unremitting 

labor, Calve found herself acknowledged as 

a great artist. Notwithstanding the excel- 

lent quality of her voice, and her mastery 

of technique, her victories have been gained 

by her dramatic impulses. 

Her next triumph was achieved in the 

character of Carmen. In order to study for 

this part she went to Spain, where she 

learned the Spanish dances, associated with 

the Spanish people, and learned as much as 

possible of the character of the Spanish 

peasant. 

In 1894 she appeared at the Opera Co- 

mique in Paris, as Carmen. Her triumph has 

become a matter of history. It was one of 

the greatest events in the annals of the lyric 

stage. Patti had played Carmen, Minnie 

Hauk had played Carmen, Madame Galli- 

Marie had played Carmen, and all had 

achieved success in the part ; but Calve  

was Carmen. Her conception of the char- 

acter was a revelation. Her fascinating ges- 

tures, her complete abandon, the grace of 

her dances, her dazzling beauty, all combined 

to make her Carmen one of the most wonder- 

ful impersonations ever given in opera. She 

has been criticised as uncertain, as giving 

different interpretations at different times, 

but the fact remains that Calve stands pre- 

eminent in the world of operatic art. Her 

swinging, graceful walk, her fascinating half 

Oriental dances, her gestures, her infectious, 

reckless mirth, all help to make up the daz- 

zling impersonation with which her name is 

associated. 

Of Calve's voice little has been said, 

because, in the perfection of her art, the 

voice is not obtrusive. It is light and 

sympathetic, rich in quality, and she never 

forces it. She frequently misses what many 

singers would seize as a vocal opportunity, 

for the sake of dramatic effect, and yet her 

singing has a marvellous charm. The " Ha- 

vanaise," as sung by Calve , is something to 

remember for a lifetime. 

Calve has a superb, lithe form, and her 

large, dark eyes and delicately modelled 

features give her a charming appearance. 

She is frank, cordial, young-spirited, easy- 

going, and is intensely admired, both by her 

associates at the theatre, and in the drawing- 

room. She is a curious combination of the 

developed woman and the simple girl. No 

one can prevent her from saying and doing 

as she pleases, but her impulses are seldom 

unkind. She believes thoroughly in spirit- 

ualism, theosophy, and astrology. When- 

ever she sings, she carries with her an 

amulet from Hindostan, and nothing can 

induce her to appear without it. 

Her first visit to America was in the sea- 

son of 1893-94, during which she appeared 

as Mignon, in Boston, for the first time in 

any part of the world. Her reception during 

that tour was splendid. She did not again 

visit America until the season of 1895-96, 

but she returned the following season, when 

her appearance as Marguerite in "Faust" 

of the leading events of the season. 

During her absence she had improved won- 

derfully in vocal form and appearance, and 

the critics gave her unstinted praise. Her 

impersonation of Carmen again created a 

furore, and, notwithstanding the superb array 

of talent exhibited during those seasons, 

" Calve"  was, above all, the subject of inter- 

est to opera goers. 

She makes her home in Paris, but her 

vacations are spent at a picturesque little 

place called Chateau Cambrieres, situated in 

the shadow of the Pyrenees. Calve is not 

yet at her prime, and with genius such as 

she possesses it is likely that she will eclipse 

the achievements of the greatest dramatic 

singers of the past.