Emma Albani

Dame Emma Albani, DBE (born Marie-Louise-Emma-Cécile Lajeunesse; 1 November 18473 April 1930) was a Canadian-British operatic coloratura soprano, later spinto soprano and dramatic soprano of the 19th and early 20th century, the first Canadian singer to become an international star. Her repertoire focused on the operas of Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and Wagner. She performed across Europe and North America.

Early life

Albani was born Marie-Louise-Emma-Cécile Lajeunesse in Chambly, Quebec, to the professional musician Joseph Lajeunesse and his wife, Mélina Mignault. Her parents were French-Canadians. Her date of birth is usually given as 1 November 1847, but other authors have placed her birth in 1848 or 1850, The Biographical Dictionary of America puts her birth on 18 September 1851, Who's Who in America says 1 November 1851, and Albani's memoir says 1852. She was also awarded a gold medal for musical composition from that convent. and New Zealand . In spring 1908, the veteran Albani toured the English provinces as part of a company containing two budding talents: pianist Marie Novello, who two years later would become one of Theodor Leschetizky's last students, and John McCormack, who only months before had made his own Covent Garden debut. Albani gave her last public performance on 14 October 1911. That same year she released a book, Forty Years of Song. The book was effectively a memoir, recounting stories of her youth, travels and career, and impressions of fellow performers and the royalty she met over her life, as well as providing some useful advice on singing.

She and her husband retired to Kensington. Poor investments resulted in the loss of much of their wealth, and Albani was forced to give musical lessons to earn income. Her husband died in 1925, compounding the situation, but benefit concerts arranged by friends provided sufficient income for Albani. She died on 3 April 1930, aged 82, at her home on Tregunter Road, Kensington and was buried with her husband at Brompton Cemetery.

Honours and legacy

Albani received the gold medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1897, often known as the "Beethoven Medal". Madame Selitsky, the prima donna who performs in Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables (1908) was inspired by Albani. Montgomery later wrote a profile of the singer for Courageous Women (1934), a non-fiction work. In 1925, Albani was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada mounted a plaque at her birthplace in 1939. It was replaced with a stele in 1977.

Several streets and places have been named after her in Quebec. Two streets in Montreal have been named in her honour. The first, rue Albani, was dedicated in 1912. It disappeared when road construction merged it with another street. The second, avenue Albani, was named 19 March 1969 by the city's council. In 1980 Canada Post commissioned a postage stamp honoring her on the 50th anniversary of her death. The stamp was designed by artist Huntley Brown, portraying her in costume as Violetta from the opera La Traviata. It is a colourised version of the adjacent image.

In the 1990s, the former mayor of Chambly, Robert Lebel donated the Emma Albani fund for musical arts to the town.

Albani is depicted in a stained-glass mural by Frédéric Back in the Place-des-Arts metro station in Montreal.