Emma Eames

Emma Eames August 13 1865 - June 13 1952 Was An American Soprano Renowned For The Beauty Of Her Voice. She Sang Major Lyric And Lyric-Dramatic Roles In Opera And Had An Important Career In New York London And Paris During The Last Decade Of The 19th Century And The First Decade Of The 20th Century. Eames Made Her Professional Operatic Debut In Gounod's Roméo Et Juliette At The Paris Opéra's Headquarters The Palais Garnier In 1889. She Would Perform The Role Of Juliette Many Other Times During The Next Two Years While Adding Other Leading French-Opera Parts To Her Repertoire. As Early As November 1889 The Times Newspaper Called Her "the Favourite Cantatrice Of The Opera". 2 She Left The Company In 1891 However For Personal Reasons. She Agreed To Sing Again In Paris In 1904 In A Benefit Performance Of Puccini's Tosca But This Production Was Staged At La Salle Favart Rather Than The Palais Garnier. Towards The End Of 1891 Eames Debuted At The Metropolitan Opera In New York City In Her Trademark Part Of Juliette And She Quickly Became A Favourite With Met Audiences. She Would Perform Regularly At The Met In A Variety Of Operas Until 1909 When A Dispute With Management Precipitated Her Departure. Eames Also Made A Number Of Successful Appearances At London's Royal Opera House Covent Garden. She Sang There Intermittently From 1891 To 1901 And Established Herself As A Genuine Rival To Covent Garden's Reigning Diva Nellie Melba Whom She Heartily Disliked. Eames Also Sang In Madrid And Fulfilled Lucrative Singing Engagements At Monaco's Chic Monte Carlo Opera During The 1890s. In 1906 Eames Visited San Francisco With A Touring Troupe Of Leading Met Singers. She Was Fortunate To Survive Unscathed When A Devastating Earthquake And Fire Struck The City Damaging Her Hotel. Eames Gave Her Farewell Operatic Performances During The 1911-12 Seasons With The Boston Opera Company. She Then Undertook A Series Of Concert Tours Of The United States Appearing On The Recital Platform For The Last Time In 1916 By Which Time Her Voice Was Showing Signs Of Deterioration. Her Autobiography Some Memories And Reflections Was Published In 1929. read less