Teresa Arkel

Teresa Arkel (1861 or 1862 – July 1929), born Therese Blumenfeld, was a Ukrainian-born, Austrian-trained opera singer, based in Milan.

Teresa Arkel
A white woman with curled hair, wearing a lace-trimmed white dress, posed in front of a feathery or ruffled fan
Teresa Arkel, from about 1896
Born
Therese Blumenfeld

1861 or 1862
Lviv
DiedJuly 1929
Milan
Occupation(s)Opera vocalist, voice teacher

Early life

Therese Blumenfeld was born in Lemberg, now Lviv, Ukraine, the daughter of Emanuel Blumenfeld. Her family was Jewish; her father was a prominent lawyer and community leader.[1] She trained as a singer in Vienna with Luise Dustmann. Her nephew was radiologist Paul Lazarus.

Career

Arkel, a dramatic soprano known for her impressive range and technique,[2] made her operatic debut in 1884, in Les Huguenots. In 1885 she was on the opera stage in Warsaw, appearing in Aida, Il trovatore, and L'Africaine. She sang throughout Europe, from Bilbao and Paris to Prague and Budapest.[3][4] In 1890 she was the first to perform the lead role in Emilio Serrano's Doña Juana la Loca, in Madrid.[5] She also sang in Buenos Aires, in 1894, in Otello and Lohengrin. In 1898, she was the first to perform the lead role in Zygmunt Noskowski's Livia Quintilla, in her hometown.[6]

After her stage career, she taught voice in Milan. and made several early recordings between 1903 and 1905.[7][8] Her students included Phyllis Wolfe,[9] Tina Desana,[10] Nina Gale,[11] Inez Wilson,[12] Nina Morgana,[13][14] and Rosa Ponselle.[2]

Personal life

Therese Blumenfeld married Sigmund Arkel. They had two children. Arkel died in Milan in 1929, in her late sixties. Her voice was included on The Record of Singing, a compilation of early recordings published in 1977.

References
  1. Stanislawski, Michael (2007-02-04). A Murder in Lemberg: Politics, Religion, and Violence in Modern Jewish History. Princeton University Press. pp. 60, 62. ISBN 978-0-691-12843-6.
  2. Drake, James A. (1997). Rosa Ponselle: A Centenary Biography. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 200, 205. ISBN 978-1-57467-019-6.
  3. Salgado, Susana (2003-07-22). The Teatro Solís: 150 Years of Opera, Concert and Ballet in Montevideo. Wesleyan University Press. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-8195-6594-5.
  4. Prokopovych, Markian (2014-08-19). In the Public Eye: The Budapest Opera House, the Audience and the Press, 1884–1918. Böhlau Verlag Wien. p. 89. ISBN 978-3-205-77941-4.
  5. Gómez, María A.; Juan-Navarro, Santiago; Zatlin, Phyllis (2008). Juana of Castile: History and Myth of the Mad Queen. Associated University Presse. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-8387-5704-8.
  6. "Foreign Notes". The Musical Times. 39: 267. April 1, 1898.
  7. Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Arkel, Teresa", accessed February 23, 2022
  8. Dudley, S. H.; Rous, Samuel Holland (1917). The Victrola Book of the Opera: Stories of One Hundred and Twenty Operas with Seven-hundred Illustrations and Descriptions of Twelve-hundred Victor Opera Records. Victor Talking Machine Company. pp. 293, 296.
  9. "Phyllis Wolfe Locates in Portland". Music and Musicians. 6: 19. September 1920.
  10. "Later Milan News". Musical Courier. 56: 37. January 29, 1908.
  11. McLean, Maud (July 30, 2007). "Nina Gale". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  12. "Musical Notes from Abroad". The Musical Times. 69 (1023): 461. 1928. ISSN 0027-4666. JSTOR 916003.
  13. Drake, James A.; Ludecke, Kristin Beall (1999). Lily Pons: A Centennial Portrait. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 46, 50. ISBN 978-1-57467-047-9.
  14. "Nina Morgana's Hopes Realized". Musical Courier. 79: 29. July 3, 1919.
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