Charles R. Adams (February 9, 1834 – July 4, 1900) was an American

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

singer and singing instructor. An excellent

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

and fine actor, he had a commanding stage presence and was particularly admired for his interpretations of the works of

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

. He had a son, the Austrian genre painter John Quincy Adams (painter).

Biography

Adams was born in

Charlestown, Massachusetts Charlestown is the oldest Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Also called Mishawum by the Massachusett, it is located on a peninsula north of the Charles River, across from downtown Bost ...

, in 1834, the son of Charles Adams and Eliza Ann Runey Adams. He studied music in Boston under Edwin Bruce, Mme. Arnault, and R. Mulder. In 1856, he was the tenor soloist in

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...

'' The Creation'', with the

Handel and Haydn Society The Handel and Haydn Society is an American chorus and period instrument orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. Known colloquially as 'H+H', the organization has been in continual performance since its founding in 1815, the longest serving suc ...

, and went on to tour the United States and the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

from 1856 through 1861. He moved to

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

where he studied with Carlo Barbieri and sang lead tenor roles at the

Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by ...

. They included Elvino in Bellini's ''

La sonnambula ''La sonnambula'' (; ''The Sleepwalker'') is an opera semiseria in two acts, with music in the ''bel canto'' tradition by Vincenzo Bellini set to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on a scenario for a ''ballet-pantomime'' written by Eu ...

''. He next went on tour in Russia and the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

before joining the Royal Opera in Berlin. Adams stayed there for three years, before becoming the principal tenor of the Vienna Hofoper from 1867 to 1876. He also sang two seasons at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

in London's

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

, one season at the

Royal Palace of Madrid The Royal Palace of Madrid () is the official residence of the Spanish royal family at the city of Madrid, although now used only for state ceremonies. The palace has of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the largest royal palace in Eu ...

, and one season at

La Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

. Adams toured America with the Carl Strakosch company in 1877 and 1878, singing among other parts the title role in the first American production of

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's ''

Rienzi ' (''Rienzi, the last of the tribunes''; WWV 49) is an 1842 opera by Richard Wagner in five acts, with the libretto written by the composer after Edward Bulwer-Lytton's novel of the same name (1835). The title is commonly shortened to ''Rienzi' ...

''. He also performed in other German operas with Mme. Poppenheim and in Italian operas with

Clara Louise Kellogg Clara Louise Kellogg (July 9, 1842 – May 13, 1916) was an American operatic dramatic soprano with a range of two and one-half octaves. Her voice in youth was a high soprano with a range from C to E flat. With age it lost some of the highest n ...

, Maria Litta and

Annie Louise Cary Annie Louise Cary (October 22, 1842April 3, 1921) was an American opera singer whose rich dramatic voice, three-octave range, and command of the grand style made her the foremost American contralto for a decade in the late 19th century. Origins ...

. His greatest operatic roles were Manrico in '' Il trovatore'', the title part in ''

Lohengrin Lohengrin () is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wo ...

'',

Cola di Rienzo Nicola di Lorenzo Gabrini (1313 8 October 1354), commonly known as Cola di Rienzo () or Rienzi, was an Italian politician and leader, who styled himself as the "tribune of the Roman people". During his lifetime, he advocated for the unificatio ...

in ''Rienzi'', and the title part in ''

Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; ), often stylized "The Tannhäuser", was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1265. His name ...

''. In his later life, from 1879 on, he worked as a teacher in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. His students included the likes of

Arthur Middleton Arthur Middleton (June 26, 1742 – January 1, 1787) was a Founding Father of the United States, signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, and a representative from South Carolina in the Second Continental Congress. Life Middlet ...

, Grace Hiltz,

Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early twentieth century, and was the f ...

Allie Luse Dick Allie Luse Dick (, Luse; June 2, 1859 - June 10, 1933) was an American music educator who identified with various religious, social, philanthropic and educational activities. Among the positions she held, Dick served as director of music at Heddin ...

, and

Emma Eames Emma Eames (August 13, 1865 – June 13, 1952) was an American first lyric soprano, later dramatic 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 City ...

, the latter being his most celebrated pupil.Macy, Laura. ''The Grove Book of Opera Singers''. New York: Oxford UP, 2008. Print. Page 2. He died in West Harwich, on

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...

, in 1900.

Gallery

Harvard Theatre Collection - Charles R. Adams TCS 1.69.jpg Harvard Theatre Collection - Charles R. Adams TCS 1.71.jpg Harvard Theatre Collection - Charles R. Adams TCS 1.72.jpg

References

Sources

*''Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume 1607-1896.'' Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1963. * H. Wiley Hitchcock/June C. Ottenberg: "Charles R. Adams", ''Grove Music Online'' ed. L. Macy (Accessed September 25, 2008)
(subscription access)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Charles R. 1834 births 1900 deaths Musicians from Boston American operatic tenors 19th-century American male actors American male stage actors People from Charlestown, Boston 19th-century American male opera singers Classical musicians from Massachusetts