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Édouard de Reszke (1853 - 1917) was a major Polish bass singer. Born in Warsaw into an educated family (his brother was the tenor Jean de Reszke, with whom he coupled professionally throughout his career), he made his debut as the King of Egypt at the Paris premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida (1876). His adaptable voice and histrionic presence made him a sought-after performer, who worked regularly on both sides of the Atlantic and shifted boldly amidst the Italian repertoire and Richard Wagner. His choice of the German composer eventually resulted in his moving from Paris to London (after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 the association with German culture was seen as risqué in France). In this letter, written to Miss Dunham on 9 February 1892 while in New York City, de Reszke uses French to communicate with the American heiress. It is to be noted that at his Metropolitan Opera debut in a Wagnerian role, de Reszke would sing in German. Indeed his linguistic aptitude was so developed that when he recorded music in Polish at the beginning of the twentieth century, his native accent was almost unrecognizable.

Reszke, Edouard de, 1853-1917 (sender)

1892 February 9

3 sheets

manuscript

paper

eng

autographs (manuscripts)
letters (correspondence)

1892

Gift of Marchesa de Viti de Marco (née Harriett Lathrop Dunham).

Letter accompanied by original envelope.

KSH

Archive

DAA-9.14