Her name is given in different ways: Zéllie de Lussan (note the accent mark), Zellie de Lussan (no accent), Zélie de Lussan (only one "l"--again, notice the accent mark), Zelie de Lussan, more.<br /><br />She made some of the first Red Seal discs.<br /><br />Zélie de Lussan, an American opera singer of French descent, made her only Victor recordings (five titles) on May 17, 1903.<br /><br />These were issued as Red Seal discs when the series was new for the Victor Talking Machine Company.<br /><br />De Lussan's recording session was the second domestic Red Seal session in Victor's history. <br /><br />The first Red Seal session was for the Australian contralto Ada Crossley, who made her only Victor recordings on April 30, 1903.<br /><br />Ada Crossley was first, and de Lussan was second.<br /><br />In 1907, Zelie married the pianist Angelo Fronani.<br /><br />After retiring from the stage she made her home in London, where she continued to teach singing for many years.<br /><br />She died on December 18, 1949, at age 87 in London.<br /><br />"La Paloma" was composed around 1863 by Spanish composer Sebastián Yradier.<br /><br />The title means "The Dove"<br /><br />P. Geoffrey Hurst--that is, P. G. Hurst--wrote The Operatic Age of Jean de Reszke: Forty Years of Opera 1874 - 1914.<br /><br />Here is what he wrote about Zélie de Lussan:<br /><br />I first met Zelie de Lussan some years after her retirement <br />at a small party at the Langham Hotel, <br />and until that moment I had never seen her except many <br />years before on the stage, where she made one of the <br />greatest of reputations in the role of Carmen, a role <br />in which few have succeeded and many have foundered. <br /><br />So great was Zelie's success in this that <br />the great number of her other roles is liable to be <br />forgotten, in particular the Command Performances <br />and her appearances at State Concerts. <br /><br />The Command to Windsor Castle when the complete Carmen <br />was given before Queen Victoria and the Court was a <br />very notable triumph for Zelie, and followed a <br />special performance of Donizetti's The Daughter of the <br />Regiment in English at Balmoral by the Carl Rosa <br />Company. This took place on November 8, 1892, <br />about one month earlier than the Carmen at Windsor. <br />The third opera Command was again at Balmoral, <br />when on November 13, 1893, the Carl Rosa Company <br />gave Auber's Fra Diavolo, and many complimentary <br />messages to the principal artist came from the Royal <br />Secretary and other royal distinguished personages. <br />Five times Zelie de Lussan was summoned to take <br />part in the formal State Concerts at Buckingham <br />Palace, although able to be present at only four of <br />them. On such occasions it was customary for the <br />Queen to be represented by the Prince of Wales, as <br />her Majesty never attended performances in the <br />metropolis. <br /><br />But to return to the party. Zelie was late, and my <br />first impression as she wove her way between the <br />tables, making eloquent excuses some time before she <br />was within earshot, left me in no doubt that this was <br />Zelie de Lussan.
