Emilie Mechelin
Mechelin in the title role of Martha in 1872
Background information
Born(1838-04-08)8 April 1838
Hamina, Grand Duchy of Finland
Died22 December 1917(1917-12-22) (aged 79)
Hamina, Finland
GenresOpera

Emilie Mechelin (8 April 1838 — 22 December 1917) was a Finnish operatic soprano and pedagogue. She was the first singing teacher of the Helsinki School of Music (later to become Sibelius Academy).[1]

Early life and education

Johanna Sofia Emilie Mechelin was born to an upper-class family in Hamina in the Grand Duchy of Finland, the eldest of five children of Valtioneuvos ('Councillor of State') Gustaf Johan Mechelin and Amanda née Sagulin.[1] One of Emilie's brothers is Leo Mechelin, who later became an economist, academic and statesman.[2]

Mechelin trained in Paris in 1865-67 and 1869-70 under leading pedagogues of the time, including Pauline Viardot.[1] In 1873-74 she was taught in Stockholm by Signe Hebbe. She also studied for a time in Germany.[1]

Career

Although there was no permanent opera house in Finland at the time, Mechelin performed at the Swedish Theatre and the Arkadia Theatre in at least six productions.[3] She also performed at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm,[1] as well as touring extensively in Finland and Scandinavia.[1]

Mechelin taught singing from early on, with her pupils including Emma Engdahl-Jägerskiöld,[4] Emmy Achté and Ida Basilier-Magelssen.[1]

In 1882, Mechelin was appointed the first teacher of voice at the Helsinki School of Music (Helsingin Musiikkiopisto),[5] which post she held until 1885, when she moved to Kristiania (now Oslo) and later to Stockholm to continue her teaching career.[6]

In the latter part of her career, Mechelin gave up singing almost entirely, dedicating herself instead to giving private lessons.[1] She occasionally performed at concerts until the age of 60, by which time her voice had changed to mezzo-soprano.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hillila, R-E; Hong, B B (1997). Historical Dictionary of the Music and Musicians of Finland. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing. pp. 252–253. ISBN 0-313-27728-1.
  2. ↑ "Mechelin, Leo". Kansallisbiografia.fi (in Finnish). National Biography of Finland. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  3. ↑ "Reprises - Database for opera and music theatre performances in Finland c. 1830-1960". UniArts.fi. Sibelius Academy. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Engdahl-Jägerskiöld, Emma (1852 - 1930)". Kansallisbiografia.fi (in Finnish). National Biography of Finland. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "Musiikkiopiston johtaja Martin Wegelius oli leppeimmillään iltapäiväsnapsien jälkeen" (in Finnish). Yle. 10 November 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  6. ↑ "19.10.1885 Suomalainen Wirallinen Lehti no 242, s. 2". Suomalainen Wirallinen Lehti (in Finnish). No. 242. 19 October 1885. Retrieved 14 February 2021 – via National Library of Finland.
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