Josephine de Reszke

Joséphine de Reszke (June 4, 1855-February 22, 1891) was a Polish soprano. Born in Warsaw, she was the sister of Edouard and Jean de Reszke, famous singers in their own rights. She began her studies with her mother and with a Mme. Nissen-Salomon, and made her debut in Paris as Ophelia on June 21, 1875. She remained at the Opéra for several years, during which time she became known for her performances in Italian and French operas; she also created the role of Sita in Jules Massenet's "Le roi de Lahore". She turned down an offer to appear in the United States, and remained in Europe for the duration of her career.

Josephine appeared with her brother Jean on the occasion of his debut; the two, along with Edouard, participated in the Paris premiere of "Hérodiade" in 1884. At the peak of her career she married Baron Leopold de Kronenberg, and retired from the stage almost completely, giving only charity performances thereafter. For this she was awarded with a diamond from the city of Poznań. De Reszke died in Warsaw in 1891.

References

*David Ewen, "Encyclopedia of the Opera: New Enlarged Edition". New York; Hill and Wang, 1963.