t h e r o s a t r o u p e
Rose Hersee
Rose Hersee, one of
the leading British
sopranos of her generation, was born in London on 13 December 1845. She
initially received vocal instruction from her father, who taught
singing, and
later studied with Manuel Garcia and Luigi Arditi. Concert and oratorio
in
London and the provinces followed from 1860 with a debut in Italian
Opera at
Her Majesty’s Theatre on 14 July 1863 as the mermaid in
Weber’s Oberon. Her first
major role and her
debut in English Opera came when she sang Amina in Sonnambula at the opening of the new National Standard Theatre in
Shoreditch on 18 December 1867. The following year brought more
operatic experience
including Adina in Elisir D’Amore at
the Lyceum. Her progress brought an offer from Parepa to join her newly
formed English
Opera company in America. She accepted and made a successful debut in Sonnambula in New York on 18
September 1869.
Hersee was with the Parepa-Rosa company for the inaugural 1869-70 American season and the first three Carl Rosa British seasons from 1873 to 1876. The first Sonnambula was followed by leading roles in Fra Diavolo, Bohemian Girl, Black Domino, Marriage of Figaro, Faust, Freischutz, Rose of Castile, Don Giovanni, Village Doctor, Lucia di Lammermoor, Martha, Porter of Havre, Water Carrier, and Maritana. She made some 300 appearances during this period. Arline in Bohemian Girl was probably her most famous role; she sang it well and certainly looked the part. The illustration, which dates from her time in America, shows her as Cherubino in Mozart’s Figaro. She was later a memorable Susanna opposite Santley in the same opera. Her last Rosa performance was another Sonnambula before a Yorkshire audience at Saint George’s Hall Bradford on 22 January 1876.
Surprisingly,
she never returned to the
Carl Rosa but sang with other companies in London, the provinces, and
even in
the outposts of the British Empire. The impresario W.S.Lyster engaged
her for
his Melbourne company in 1878 and she toured Australia and New Zealand
in 1879
and 1880 appearing as the first Carmen in both countries. The return
home
brought more concert and opera including an English opera season at
Covent
Garden in 1884. Two years later she was in lighter fare,
Herve’s Frivoli, at Drury
Lane. She continued to
appear in public but gradually turned more to teaching and eventually
taught at
the Blackheath Conservatoire of Music.
There
were other links with the Rosa
company. Henry Hersee (pictured), her father, was a man of many parts,
who apart
from teaching singing, was a music critic, translator, and secretary of
the
Philharmonic Society. His English translations of Merry
Wives of Windsor, Carmen, Rienzi, and Aida,
to name but four, were used by the Rosa and other companies.
He also provided the libretto for Cowen’s Pauline,
the first opera commissioned by the company. Rose also provided another
link in
1874 when she married Arthur Howell, a cousin of Parepa and a member of
the
company who died in 1885. Henry died on 21 May 1896 at Lewisham and
Rose at
Wimbledon on 26 November 1924. Both are buried at Lewisham.
© John Ward 2016
If you use the information on this page, please acknowledge the Carl Rosa Trust: www.carlrosatrust.org.uk.
