Édouard de Reszke

Édouard August Reszke was born to Jan Reszke and Emilja (also Emilie) Ufniarska on 22 December 1853. His parents operated the Hôtel de Saxe in the center of Warsaw, which catered to artists from Moscow, Berlin, and Paris. It adjoined their residence. His mother, a mezzo-soprano, The Reszkes held concerts on Friday nights with duets, arias and choral music. Both of his parents performed at charity events. all of whom were talented singers. Beginning in 1876, the Reszke brothers became known amongst Paris society and composers for their singing talent. == Career ==

Stage '' Reszke debuted in Aida in Paris on 22 April 1876. He was chosen by the composer Giuseppe Verdi for the role of the King of Egypt. Fortunately, he knew the opera well, being hired just days before the performance. He was asked to grow a beard so that he looked more like a king than the young man that he was. That year, Reszke began using the French version of his surname: de Reszke. Josephine and Jean, who had careers as opera singers, changed their surname that year, too. After Aida, he performed at the Théâtre des Italiens for two seasons. beginning in Chicago then, in 1891, at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Maurice Grau of Abbey, Schoeffel and Grau had a formula for winning casts: the Reszke brothers, Lassalle, Plancon, and two prima donnas. According to The New York Times, that period was considered the "golden days" of art and great voices. Reszke performed a wide range of roles in French, German and Italian operas, including works by Wagner, Verdi, Gounod, and Meyerbeer. He had a "full, resonant bass, capable of sending forth notes of immense volume or those of the most tender quality. His appearance was that of a broad-shouldered giant, with fair skin and blue eyes, and his stage presence was imposing". and four years later opened a singing school in London. In 1909, he closed his school in London due to recurring bouts of bronchitis and dizziness and began to teach in Warsaw until forced into retirement by health problems. Queen Victoria In the 25 years since Prince Albert's death, Queen Victoria did little entertaining, but in 1889 she issued a command for Emma Albani and the Reszke brothers to join her at Windsor Castle. The three performed solos and duets from ''L'Étoile du Nord, Lohengrin, Faust, Sweet Bird, Carmen, and La traviata. The Queen expressed her appreciation while "smiling and full of kindness". The same year, they performed a gala performance for the Shah of Persia. In 1890, after a performance of Faust'' at Windsor Castle, Reszke was given the Royal Victorian Order by the Queen, as was his brother fourteen months earlier. The Queen wrote of the Reszkes in her diary: Recordings Reszke made three records for commercial release that were recorded by the Columbia Phonograph Company in 1903. Mapleson Cylinders, primitive recordings made privately during an actual performance at the Metropolitan Opera in 1901, exist. It has been released with other performances on CD by the Symposium label. == Personal life ==

Photographic Collection, Royal Opera House Collection Reszke married Helene Schütze in 1885. Her brother Willie was secretary to the Reszke brothers. Her sister Félia Litvinne, born Françoise-Jeanne Schütz, sang with the men. With Helene, they had four daughters, one of whom was Minia (Emilie). She was close with both her father and her uncle Jean. When her father was to return home, she waited for him with his favorite dog. Minia considered her father to be the "most good" man she had known and was considered so by many others. Emma Eames said, "He was like a great big St. Bernard. You always wanted to pat him." Reszke's best friend in the United States was Laura Tolman (Tolmanina), a cellist. He spent evenings with her, listening to her play her cello, beginning in the early 1890s. They saw each other until he retired from the stage and left the country. He had intended to return for a visit with her, but he never did. They continued to correspond. Among the gifts that he gave her was a St. Bernard to protect her. , Poland While they were single, the brothers spent the summers at Borowno, near Klomnice, where they owned an ancient castle or chateau of French and Russian architecture. It had been unchanged since it was rebuilt in 1791. It had a kitchen garden of several acres, was amongst thousands of acres of forest, and was the site of their first stud-farm. At the start of the war, lines of communication were closed to them. His estate called Borowno was in ruins and they lived in the cellar for one year. Princess and Prince Lubomirski, their neighbors, lived underground with them.) or at his estate in Erietrikov, Poland. He was buried at the Michalski family tomb at the Borowno estate. Daughter Minia comforted Jean after her father's death, and was with Jean when he died. == Appearances ==

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden His appearances at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden include: • 1880: Royal Italian Opera Season from 13 April to 17 July • as "Don Basilio" in The Barber of Seville (5, shared) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (3, shared) • as "Giorgio" in I puritani (3) • as "Indra" in Le roi de Lahore (3, debut at Covent Garden in this role 13 April 1880) • as "Count Rodolfo" in La sonnambula (5, shared) • 1881: Royal Italian Opera Season from 19 April to 23 July • as "Don Basilio" in The Barber of Seville (2) • as "Gudal" in The Demon (4) • as "Walter" in Guillaume Tell (3) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (3) • as "The Prefect" in Linda di Chamounix (2) • as "Giorgio" in I puritani (1) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (2) • as "Count Rodolfo" in La sonnambula (2) • 1882: Royal Italian Opera Season from 18 April to 20 July • as "Don Basilio" in The Barber of Seville (4) • as "Walter" in Guillaume Tell (2) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (1) • as "Giorgio" in I puritani (1) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (1) • as "Count Rodolfo" in La sonnambula (2) • as "Senon" in Velléda (3) • 1883: Royal Italian Opera Season from 1 May to 21 July • as "Don Basilio" in The Barber of Seville (2) • as "Dalando" in The Flying Dutchman (2) • as "Walter" in Guillaume Tell (2) • as "Alvise" in La Gioconda (7) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (3) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (2) • as "Almaviva" in The Marriage of Figaro (2) • as "Giorgio" in I puritani (1) • as "Count Rodolfo" in La sonnambula (3) • 1884: Royal Italian Opera Season from 29 April to 26 July • as "Don Basilio" in The Barber of Seville (2) • as "Czar Peter" in ''L'étoile du nord'' (3) • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (5) • as "Alvise" in La Gioconda (3) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (4) • as "The Prefect" in Linda di Chamounix (1) • as (illegible data) in Lucrezia Borgia (2) • as "Almaviva" in The Marriage of Figaro (4) • as (illegible data) in Semiramide (1) • as "Hagen" in Sigurd (3) • 1888: Royal Italian Opera Season from 15 May to 21 July • as "Don Pedro" in ''L'Africaine'' (2) • as "Don Basilio" in The Barber of Seville (1) • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (7, shared) • as "Walter" in Guillaume Tell (2) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (4) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (6) • as "Sarastro" in The Magic Flute (1) • as "Mefistofele" in Mefistofele (1) • 1889: Royal Italian Opera Season from 18 May to 27 July • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (7, shared) • as "Walter" in Guillaume Tell (2) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (3) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (6, shared) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (7) • as "Count Rodolfo" in La sonnambula (2) • 1890: Royal Italian Opera Season from 19 May to 28 July • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (6, shared) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (6, shared) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (5) • as "Zacharie" in Le prophète (5) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (5) • as "Count Rodolfo" in La sonnambula (1) • 1891: Royal Italian Opera Season from 6 April to 27 July • as "Leporello" in Don Giovanni (5, shared) • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (12, shared) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (8) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (9) • as "Plumketto" in Martha (2) • as "Mefistofele" in Mefistofele (2) • as "Zacharie" in Le Prophète (3) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (8, shared) • 1892: Royal Italian Opera Season from 16 May to 28 July • as "Leporello" in Don Giovanni (2) • as "L'Eremite" in Elaine (5) • as "Dalando" in The Flying Dutchman (1) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (1) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (5, shared) • as "Almaviva" in The Marriage of Figaro (2) • as "Zacharie" in Le prophète (1) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (3) • 1893: Royal Opera Season from 15 May to 29 July • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (6, shared) • as "Dalando" in The Flying Dutchman (2) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (2) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (6, shared) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (7, shared) • 1894: Royal Opera Season from 15 May to 29 July • as "Ramfis" in Aida (2) • as "L'Eremite" in Elaine (2) • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (7, shared) • as "The Roundhead Colonel" in The Lady of Longford (2) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (4) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (7) • 1896: Royal Opera Season from 11 May to 28 July • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (6, shared) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (5, shared) • as "Plumketto" in Martha (2) • as "Mefistofele" in Mefistofele (2, shared) • as "Hans Sachs" in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (5) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (8, shared) • as "King Mark" in Tristan und Isolde (4) • 1897: Royal Opera Season from 10 May to 28 July • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (7) • as "Marcel" in Les Huguenots (5, shared) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (7) • as "Hans Sachs" in Die Meistersinger (3) • as "Almaviva" in The Marriage of Figaro (2) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (6, shared) • as "Der Wanderer" in Siegfried (4) • as "King Mark" in Tristan und Isolde (3) • 1898: Royal Opera Season from 9 May to 16 July • as "Don Basilio" in The Barber of Seville (1) • as "Leporello" in Don Giovanni (1) • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (7, shared) • as "Hagen" in Götterdämmerung (3) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (7, shared) • as "Hans Sachs" in Die Meistersinger (4) • as "Almaviva" in The Marriage of Figaro (2, shared) • as "King Mark" in Tristan und Isolde (4, shared) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (at least once) • 1899: Royal Opera Season from 8 May to 24 July • as "Leporello" in Don Giovanni (3) • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (8, shared) • as "St. Bris" in Les Huguenots (2, shared) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (6, shared) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (5, shared) • as "King Mark" in Tristan und Isolde (4) • 1900: Royal Opera Season from 14 May to 30 July • as "Don Basilio" in The Barber of Seville (1) • as "Leporello" in Don Giovanni (2) • as "Méphistophélès" in Faust (8, shared) • as "Marcel" in Les Huguenots (2) • as "Heinrich" in Lohengrin (6, shared) • as "Frère Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette (5, shared) • as "Ramfis" in Aida (at least once) Gala and command performances Gala and command performances by Jean and Édouard de Reszke at Covent Garden and Command Performances at Windsor Castle: • 2 July 1889: Gala in honour of the Shah of Persia: • Éduoard as "Mephistofele" in Act I of Mefistofele and as "Mefistofele" in Act 4 of Faust • Jean as "Faust" in Act 4 of Faust • 8 July 1891: Visit of the Emperor and Empress of Germany • Éduoard as "Enrico" in Act 1 of Lohengrin, as "Laurent" in Act 4 of Roméo et Juliette and as "San Bris" in Act 4 of Les Huguenots • Jean as "Lohengrin" in Act 1 of Lohengrin, as "Romeo" in Act 4 of Roméo et Juliette and as "Raoul" in Act 4 of Les Huguenots • 4 July 1893: Gala in honour of the marriage of the Duke of York and Princess Mary of Teck • Éduoard as "Laurent" in Roméo et Juliette • Jean as "Romeo" in Roméo et Juliette • 23 June 1897: 60th Anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession • Éduoard as "Laurent" in Act 3 of Roméo et Juliette • Jean as "Romeo" in Act 3 of Roméo et Juliette • 27 June 1898: Command Performance at Windsor Castle (no data on programme) • 24 May 1899: Command Performance at Windsor Castle • Éduoard as "Enrico" in Lohengrin • Jean as "Lohengrin" in Lohengrin • 16 July 1900: Command Performance at Windsor Castle • Éduoard as "Mefistofele" in Faust == Notes ==