Leonora Braham (born Leonora Abraham; 3 February 1853 – 23 November 1931) was an English opera singer and actress primarily known as the creator of principal

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

roles in the

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

s. Beginning in 1870, Braham starred for several years in the intimate musical

German Reed Entertainments The German Reed Entertainments were founded in 1855 and operated by Thomas German Reed (1817–1888) together with his wife, Priscilla German Reed (née Horton) (1818–1895). At a time when the theatre in London was seen as a disreput ...

in London. In 1878, she moved to North America, where she continued to perform in comic opera. After returning to England, she was engaged by the

D'Oyly Carte Opera Company The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. The ...

, creating five of the leading soprano roles in the hit series of

operas, including the title role in ''

Patience or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect ...

'' (1881), Phyllis in ''

Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...

'' (1882), the title role in ''

Princess Ida ''Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant'' is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen; the next was ''The Mikado''. ''Princess Ida'' opened at the Savoy Thea ...

'' (1884), Yum-Yum in ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'' (1885), and Rose Maybud in '' Ruddigore'' (1887). She also played Aline in the first revival of ''

The Sorcerer ''The Sorcerer'' is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas stor ...

'' (1884–85). After leaving the D'Oyly Carte company, Braham continued to perform in England and widely on tour, starring in comic opera and

grand opera Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and Orchestra, orchestras. The original productions consisted of spectacular design and stage effects with plots normally based on o ...

in Australia, South America and South Africa. By the mid-1890s, she returned to Britain, playing in

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

and light opera, briefly rejoining the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. She then continued to perform until 1912 in Britain and America, including with

Lillie Langtry Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer. Born on the isla ...

in plays without music.

Life and career

Braham was born into a Jewish family in

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...

, London, the only daughter and eldest of three children of the writer and educator Philip Abraham and Harriet Abraham Boss.Lamb, Andrew
"Braham, Leonora (real name Leonora Phillipa Abraham; married names Barnes, Young) (1853–1931), singer and actress"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press 2025

Early career and first marriage

Braham's first professional stage appearance was at St George's Hall, London, in 1870, in a revival of Gilbert and

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

's '' Ages Ago''. Mr and Mrs

Thomas German Reed Thomas German Reed (27 June 1817 – 21 March 1888), known after 1844 as simply German Reed was an English composer, musical director, actor, singer and theatrical manager of the Victorian era. He was best known for creating the German Ree ...

, the producers, starred with Braham.Stone, David. "Leonora Braham"
''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'' Braham received encouraging notices. She continued performing for the German Reeds for several years, creating various roles, while at the same time studying at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

, where she won the Llewelyn Thomas gold medal competition. In April 1878, she moved to

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Canada, shortly after her wedding to her first husband, Frederick E. Lucy Barnes (1856–1880), a church organist, conductor and composer, in

Birkenhead Birkenhead () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic co ...

, near Liverpool. The two had a son, Stanton Barnes.Binder, Robert
"Patience on an Eminence: Notes on Leonora Braham"
Part II, ''The Palace Peeper'', Gilbert & Sullivan Society of New York, vol. 45, No. 4, December 1982, pp. 4–5 From December 1879, she played the title role in Gilbert and Clay's ''

Princess Toto ''Princess Toto'' is a three-act comic opera by W. S. Gilbert and his long-time collaborator Frederic Clay. Its pre-London tour opened on 24 June 1876 at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, starring Kate Santley, W. S. Penley and J. H. Ryley. It tr ...

'' in New York and then in Boston and Philadelphia. The theatrical newspaper '' The Era'' wrote that she gave "a most excellent performance, both vocally and histrionically. She has a sweet, light soprano, finely cultivated, and executed very effectively".

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...

Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

and

Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte (; 3 May 1844 – 3 April 1901) was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also establi ...

, in New York for the premiere of ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...

'', saw her and liked her performance. Her husband died in early 1880 while in Canada, leaving her with a baby son. The death has been variously described as a suicide or an accident. Later that year, she played the leading role of Dolly in a revival of

Alfred Cellier Alfred Cellier (1 December 184428 December 1891) was an English composer, orchestrator and conductor. In addition to conducting and music directing the original productions of several of the most famous Gilbert and Sullivan works and writing th ...

's ''

The Sultan of Mocha ''The Sultan of Mocha'' is a three act comic opera with a score by Alfred Cellier and a libretto by Albert Jarrett. It was first produced at the Prince's Theatre, Manchester in 1874 and revived in London in 1876 and 1887 (with a new libretto by W ...

'', at the Union Square Theatre in New York.

Principal D'Oyly Carte soprano

When she returned to England, Braham briefly rejoined the German Reeds and was also performing in concerts. She was soon chosen to create the title role in Gilbert and Sullivan's ''

'' at the

Opera Comique The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, located between Wych Street, Holywell Street and the Strand. It opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, to make way for the construction of the Aldwych and K ...

with the

in 1881, in which she again received excellent notices. She remained the company's principal

until 1887, continuing as Patience when the opera transferred to the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy ...

, and next creating the role of Phyllis in ''

'' there in 1882, again to critical praise. These were followed by the title role in ''

'' in 1884. Braham was initially cast to sing the role of Lady Psyche in the latter opera, but was promoted during the rehearsal period, when the original choice for the part, American

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell (born Helen Louise Leonard; December 4, 1860 or 1861 – June 6, 1922) was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, praised for her beaut ...

, had a disagreement with

and was dismissed. Braham, generally regarded as a light lyric

, nevertheless received good notices in the demanding role.Profile of Braham
''Memories of the D'Oyly Carte'' website All of the other roles created by Braham with the company had been, and were to be, girls of humble birth whose spirit and charm attracts a rich or high-born mate, and Braham seemed well suited to these. Gilbert later wrote: "The part ... required a tall, dignified lady, utwas given to Miss Braham at almost the last moment." In its review, ''The Times'' commented: "She does not stand 'Among her maidens, higher by the head', neither can she suppress, even in moments of danger and excitement, the beaming smile, so pleasant in itself and so little fitted to a stern reformer of womankind. But if not an imposing, Miss Braham is at least a charming Princess, who, moreover, delivers her speech with admirable correctness of metrical diction, and displays an agreeable voice." ThreelittlemaidsLondon1885

She played the leading role of Aline in the 1884–85 revival of ''

'', receiving enthusiastic reviews. In 1885, she created the part of Yum-Yum in ''

'', perhaps her best known role. ''The Era'' reported that "Miss Braham has in the part of Yum-Yum full opportunities for displaying those powers of finished acting and accomplished vocalism which have long since won for her the friendly admiration of all habitues of the Savoy." William Beatty-Kingston, writing in ''The Theatre'', thought that she "sang and acted to perfection. ... e was more fascinating than ever, and more than once saved the action from dragging by her unaffected vivacity and winsome playfulness." During the run of ''The Mikado'', Carte, Gilbert and Sullivan considered letting Braham's contract expire because of her drinking. She next created the part of Rose Maybud in '' Ruddigore'' in January 1887. During the summer of 1886, she had secretly married James Duncan Young, previously a principal

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 ...

with one of Carte's touring companies, and Carte soon had another reason to dismiss the actress. In early 1887, shortly into the run of ''Ruddigore'', Braham finally informed Carte that she was pregnant with her second child. This was not acceptable, particularly as the chorus sings, to her prim and proper character Rose Maybud: "Rose, all glowing with virgin blushes, say – Is anybody going to marry you today?" She soon left the

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

, and Geraldine Ulmar was hastily called back from America to assume the role. Braham and Young's daughter was born on 6 May. She and Young later had a son. Braham created more of the

heroines than any other soprano, and she was the only English soprano to create more than one such role.

Peripatetic performer

Braham, her husband and children travelled to Australia later in 1887, appearing there in a number of operas including ''Princess Ida'', ''

H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London on 25 May 1878, and ran for 571 performances, w ...

'', ''The Mikado'', ''Patience'', and ''Iolanthe'' with J. C. Williamson's opera company (along with other ex-D'Oyly Carte players such as

Alice Barnett Alice Barnett (17 May 1846 – 14 April 1901) was an English singer and actress, best known for her performances in contralto roles of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Barnett began her career by 1873 in ...

) and in

's ''

Dorothy Dorothy may refer to: *Dorothy (given name), a list of people with that name. Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Dorothy'' (TV series), 1979 American TV series * Dorothy Mills, a 2008 French movie, sometimes titled simply ''Dorot ...

'', in the title role. The ''Argus'' of Melbourne wrote, of her first Australian performance, that she was "Petite in form, animated and graceful in bearing, displaying colloquial tones of sonorous quality and polite inflexion, and having a singing voice both sweet and full, and of high soprano range. Miss Braham got through an arduous first appearance with complete success." She performed again in England from 1888 to 1890, in London and in the provinces, in works other than Gilbert and Sullivan including ''Carina'' at

Toole's Theatre Toole's Theatre was a 19th-century West End theatre, West End building in William IV Street, near Charing Cross, in the City of Westminster. A succession of auditoria had occupied the site since 1832, serving a variety of functions, including ...

, on tour in ''

Manon ''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was f ...

''Binder, Robert
"Patience on an Eminence: Notes on Leonora Braham"
Part V, ''The Palace Peeper'', Gilbert & Sullivan Society of New York, vol. 45, No. 7, March 1983, pp. 5–6 and a substantial run in ''Gretna Green'' at the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

(1889–90), together with her old Savoy colleague Richard Temple. In 1890, and then again in 1891–92, Braham and her family (including two children under the age of four), together with other D'Oyly Carte regulars, including R. Scott Fishe, toured South America with the Edwin Cleary Opera Company, entertaining audiences in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

, Montevideo, Valparaiso, Lima, Rio de Janeiro and other cities. Braham played Yum-Yum in ''The Mikado'', Mabel in ''

'', Aline in ''The Sorcerer'', the title roles in ''Patience'', ''Dorothy'', '' Erminie'' and ''Pepita'', and in '' Billie Taylor''. Braham received generally good notices. ''The Standard'' said of her Dorothy in Buenos Aires, "if her portrayal of the wayward English heiress is not perfect, then I say emphatically there is no perfection in this imperfect world." The company was shipwrecked off the west coast of South America in the middle of the tour, losing most of their possessions (but there were no deaths), and Braham's husband injured his arm. Even after this experience, Braham and family soon braved the dangers of ocean travel to tour for two years in South Africa, where she again performed the title role in ''Dorothy'', roles in other operettas, ''

La Cigale La Cigale (; English: ''The Cicada'') is a theatre located at 120, boulevard de Rochechouart near Place Pigalle, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. The theatre is part of a complex connected to the Boule Noire. The hall can accommodate 1,3 ...

'', ''The Old Guard'' (

Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...

)), ''

La Mascotte ''La mascotte'' (''The Mascot'') is a three-act opéra comique with music by Edmond Audran and words by Alfred Duru and Henri Chivot. The story concerns a farm girl who is a "mascotte": someone with the mystic power to bring good luck to all arou ...

'', '' Maritana'', ''

Haddon Hall Haddon Hall is an English country house on the River Wye, Derbyshire, River Wye near Bakewell, Derbyshire, a former seat of the Duke of Rutland, Dukes of Rutland. It is the home of Lord Edward Manners (brother of David Manners, 11th Duke of Rut ...

'' and ''

Rip van Winkle "Rip Van Winkle" () is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in Colonial history of the United States, colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Du ...

'', her old Gilbert and Sullivan roles in ''Iolanthe'', ''The Mikado'' and ''Princess Ida'', Boonzaier, D. C. ''My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage'', ''SA Review'', 9 March and 24 August 1932; and Bosman, F. L. C. (1980). ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912'', Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik, pp. 374–439 and roles in grand opera, such as ''

Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, 'Clowns') is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who mu ...

'' and ''

Cavalleria rusticana ''Cavalleria rusticana'' (; ) is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 Cavalleria rusticana (short story), short story of the same name and subsequent ...

'',"Miss Leonora Braham, A Noted Savoyard", ''The Times'', 24 November 1931, p. 19, col A '' La traviata'', '' Il trovatore'' and ''

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

''. In 1895 Braham was engaged at

Daly's Theatre Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937. The theatre was built for and named after the American impresa ...

in London as Lady Barbara Cripps in the hit

Edwardian musical comedy Edwardian musical comedy is a genre of British musical theatre that thrived from 1892 into the 1920s, extending beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions. It began to dominate the English musical stage, and even the American musical ...

An Artist's Model ''An Artist's Model'' is a two-act musical theatre, musical by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and music by Sidney Jones (composer), Sidney Jones, with additional songs by Joseph and Mary Watson, Paul Lincke, Frederick Ross, Henry Hamilt ...

''. She rejoined D'Oyly Carte in 1896, playing Julia Jellicoe in a tour of the last

Savoy opera Savoy opera was a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which imp ...

, ''

The Grand Duke ''The Grand Duke; or, The Statutory Duel'', is the final Savoy Opera written by librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, their fourteenth and last opera together. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 March 1896, and ran for 12 ...

''. During part of this tour, she also played Phoebe in ''

The Yeomen of the Guard ''The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid'', is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888 and ran for 423 performances. This was the eleventh ...

'' and Yum-Yum in ''The Mikado''. This was her last engagement with the D'Oyly Carte company.

Later career and retirement

Braham continued to perform, from 1897 to 1912, in London, the British provinces, and New York. In 1897, she was touring as Norah in

Charles Villiers Stanford Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Anglo-Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Romantic music, Romantic era. Born to a well-off and highly musical family in Dublin, Stanford was ed ...

's opera ''Shamus O'Brien'' and as the Countess in '' Olivette'', followed by Juanita in ''The Dove-Cot'', adapted by Charles Brookfield from ''La Jalouse'', at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

in London.Binder, Robert
"Patience on an Eminence: Notes on Leonora Braham"
Part VI, ''The Palace Peeper'', Gilbert & Sullivan Society of New York, vol. 45, No. 8, April 1983, pp. 5–6 On Broadway, she played Donna Adelina Gonzales in ''Because She Loved Him So'', the American adaptation of ''The Dove-Cot'', at Hoyt's Theatre in 1899. The following year, she toured in Britain with a company using the name of the

. She also toured for two years with

in plays without music, including ''The Degenerates''. Later roles included the Widow Melnotte in '' The Lady of Lyons'' and Madame Michu in '' The Little Michus''. Her last role was as Amelia Dovedale in ''Captain Scarlet'' at the

St James's Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham (tenor), John Braham; it lost mone ...

in 1912. Together with George Power, Jessie Bond and Julia Gwynne, she was one of four artistes of the original

who attended a reunion at the

Savoy Hotel The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 1 ...

in 1914. The four then posed for a group photograph beside the Arthur Sullivan Memorial in the

Victoria Embankment Gardens The Victoria Embankment Gardens are a series of gardens on the north side of the River Thames between Blackfriars Bridge and Westminster Bridge in London. History Between 1865 and 1870 the northern embankment and sewer was built by Sir Jose ...

(see photo). She continued to be interested in Gilbert and Sullivan during her retirement, writing of her G&S experiences in "Happy Wanderings of a Savoyard," published in ''The Gilbert & Sullivan Journal'' in October 1926. Together with Jessie Bond and Sybil Grey, she participated in March 1930 at the Gilbert & Sullivan Society in a 45th anniversary reunion of original "Three Little Maids from School." Braham faced poverty during her last years, when her husband was confined to a mental institution.Gänzl, p. 125 Braham died in London in 1931 at the age of 78.

Notes

References

* * * Gänzl, Kurt ''Gilbert and Sullivan: The Players and the Plays'', State University of New York Press (2021) * Lamb, Andrew. "Comic Opera Goes Latin-American, 1890–92: Part 2" in ''The Gaiety'', Winter 2006, pp. 29–47. *

External links

Braham photos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Braham, Leonora 1853 births 1931 deaths English operatic sopranos Actors from the London Borough of Camden Women of the Victorian era English stage actresses Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music People from Bloomsbury Jewish English actresses