Eleonora de Cisneros

Eleonora de Cisneros (October 31, 1878 – February 3, 1934) was an American opera singer (Mezzo-Soprano). She was a singer for the Metropolitan Opera company and became one of their principal singers. She was the first American-trained opera singer hired by the Metropolitan Opera company. During the early twentieth century, she performed at major opera houses in the United States, Cuba, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South America and Russia.

Cisneros toured the United States during World War I, singing in plays at no charge to raise funds for the Red Cross and marketing millions of dollars' worth of Liberty bonds.

De Cisneros was known for her wide vocal range and the high volume of her contralto voice. At 6 feet 2 inches, she also was perfectly cast for the stage heroine roles that she portrayed. She retired from the stage around 1929, moved back to New York and became a voice teacher.

Early life

Cisneros was born Eleanor Broadfoot in Manhattan, New York City on October 31, 1878 (some sources say November 1, 1878). She was the only child of John C. Broadfoot, a New York City clerk, and Ellen (Small) Broadfoot. Cisneros' father was of Scottish, and her mother of Irish descent. She went to primary school in St. Agnes Seminary in Brooklyn. She received initial singing training from American opera singers Adelina Murio-Celli d'Elpeux and Francesco Fanciulli and went on to become a mezzo-soprano opera vocalist.

Mid life

The opera singer Jean de Reszke introduced Cisneros, then known as Eleanor Broadfoot, to the manager of the Metropolitan Opera company in 1899 and she was hired. Cisneros was the first American trained opera singer the Metropolitan Opera company hired. Previous to this, the company would only hire singers formally trained in Europe. – being her debut in that city. After performing in New York City she then went to Philadelphia in a hurry and filled in as a contralto, with no rehearsal, in Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi at the Metropolitan Opera. The manager of the company complimented Cisneros on her successful performance. She became their principal contralto singer from 1906–1911.

Cisneros married Count Francois de Cisneros, a Cuban journalist, in 1901, becoming Countess Eleonora de Cisneros. She then went to Turin, Italy, in 1902 to perform. The Italians were not receptive to the "American" Eleanor Broadfoot from the Metropolitan Opera unless she paid a fee. She had her business cards reprinted with her married name Countess Eleonora de Cisneros and she was well received then. Cisneros made her début at Turin as Amneris in Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida. Cisneros debuted in 1906 at La Scala in Milan, Italy. At this theatre in this year she established the part of Candia della Leonessa in La figlia di Iorio by Alberto Franchetti. She sang also the same year in the theatre the first performances of The Queen of Spades by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Salome by Richard Strauss. Cisneros had a large physical statuesque stage presentation.

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