Marcella Craft (August 11, 1874 – December 12, 1959) 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 ...

tic

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 ...

who performed internationally in the late 19th century and early 20th century.

Personal life

Born Marcia Craft in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, she moved with her family to

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...

in 1887. Craft graduated from Riverside High School in 1893. During the graduation ceremony, at Riverside's Loring Opera House, she performed her first public solo. Encouraged by the community, and with contributions from local businessmen, Craft studied opera in

Boston, Massachusetts 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 ...

under maestro

Charles R. Adams Charles R. Adams (February 9, 1834 – July 4, 1900) was an American opera singer and singing instructor. An excellent tenor and fine actor, he had a commanding stage presence and was particularly admired for his interpretations of the works of ...

. Upon completion of her studies, she traveled to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

for additional tutoring. In 1917 Craft purchased a home for her parents on Prospect Avenue in Riverside. After leaving Germany in 1932, she returned to Riverside and also lived in the Prospect Avenue home until her death in 1959. She is buried in Riverside's Evergreen Cemetery.

Career

While in Italy Craft's tutor changed her name to Marcella, and she started receiving leading operatic roles. She sang with

Enrico Caruso Enrico Caruso (, , ; 25 February 1873 – 2 August 1921) was an Italian operatic first lyric tenor then dramatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles that r ...

and others. Her biggest success came after she moved to Germany, where she became a lead with the

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Opera. She was a favorite of composer

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...

, working closely with the composer in a production of his opera Salome. Although her career primarily kept her in Europe, Craft regularly returned to Riverside where she frequently sang at the annual Easter Sunrise Service on Mount Rubidoux. Craft forged a strong personal and professional friendship with the American composer

Amy Beach Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (September 5, 1867December 27, 1944) was an American composer and pianist. She was the first successful American female composer of large-scale art music. Her "Gaelic" Symphony, premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra ...

. They traveled and collaborated together in Europe when Craft was a prima donna in Germany. Craft hosted events for American and European musicians, which included performances of Beach's songs, accompanied on piano by the composer.Patton, Cynthia Jean. (2012). ''Marcella Craft and Opera in Riverside, California, 1932-57'' (MA thesis). California State University, Fullerton. p. 69.

References

Bibliography

Citations

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Craft, Marcella American operatic sopranos Musicians from Riverside, California Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Riverside, California) 1874 births 1959 deaths Musicians from Indianapolis Singers from California 19th-century American actresses American stage actresses 20th-century American actresses Classical musicians from California 19th-century American women opera singers 20th-century American women opera singers Singers from Indiana Classical musicians from Indiana