Florence Easton, Puccini’s Lauretta Creator, Died Aug. 13, 1955

Summary: English soprano Florence Easton, Puccini’s Lauretta creator, died Aug. 13, 1955, almost 36 years 8 months after Giannni Schicchi’s world premiere.

photo of Florence Easton as Lauretta and Italian operatic tenor Giulio Crimi (May 10, 1885-Oct. 29, 1939) as Rinuccio by White Studio, theatrical portrait specialists, New York City; set and costumes designed by Austrian-American father-daughter team, Joseph Urban (May 26, 1872-July 10, 1933) and Gretel Urban (Jan. 7, 1898-Dec. 6, 1997): The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Dec. 14, 2018

English dramatic soprano Florence Easton, Puccini’s Lauretta creator, died Aug. 13, 1955, almost 36 years 8 months after the world premiere of Puccini’s operatic triple bill, Il Trittico (The Triptych).

Florence Easton created the principal role of Lauretta in the third of three one-act operas that comprise Il Trittico by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). The Metropolitan Opera hosted the world premiere of the triple-featured opera Dec. 14, 1918. Seven performances were offered during the 1918-1919 Met Opera season. Met Opera’s online archives note: “Responding to audience applause, Florence Easton repeated ‘O mio babbino caro.’”

She reprised the role of Lauretta for three of the four performances that Il Trittico received in the next (1919-1920) Met Opera season. Swedish-American classical soprano Marie Sundelius (Feb. 4, 1882-June 27, 1958) appeared as Lauretta in the third performance, Jan. 31, 1920.

Florence Easton made her Metropolitan Opera debut Dec. 7, 1917, as Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana by Italian operatic composer Pietro Mascagni (Dec. 7, 1863-Aug. 2, 1945). Met Opera double-featured the one act opera with Pagliacci by Italian opera composer and librettist Ruggero Leoncavallo (April 23, 1857-Aug. 9, 1919). Cav Pag received eight performances during Florence Easton’s Met Opera debut season. Florence Easton reprised her Met Opera debut role for five performances in the subsequent Met Opera season, 1919-1920.

The 1928-1929 Met Opera season was the English dramatic soprano’s last season at the opera house. She appeared in 13 operas during her last season.

Twelve of her roles during the 1928-1929 Met Opera season were role reprisals. She sang Rachel in La Juive by French composer Fromental Halévy (May 27, 1799-March 17, 1862), who was French Romantic era composer Georges Bizet’s (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875) father-in-law. She was Maddalena in Andrea Chénier by Italian composer Umberto Giordano (Aug. 28, 1867-Nov. 12, 1948).

Four roles were in operas by German composer and librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883). She sang Elisabeth in Tannhäuser; Elsa in Lohengrin; Sieglinde in Die Walküre; and Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Two reprised roles were in Puccini operas. She performed title roles of Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly and in Turandot.

She sang Marguerite in Faust by French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893). She reprised her Met Opera debut role as Cavalleria Rusticana’s Santuzza. She appeared as Princess von Werdenberg in Der Rosenkavalier by late Romantic-early modern composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949).

She reprised Aelfrida in The King’s Henchman by American composer Joseph Deems Taylor (Dec. 22, 1885-July 3, 1966). Florence Easton had created Aelfrida in the opera’s world premiere, which took place Feb. 17, 1927, at the Metropolitan Opera.

The self-described lyric dramatic soprano originated a new role in her last season at the Metropolitan Opera. She sang Anita in the United States premiere of Jonny Spielt Auf (Jonny Plays) by Austrian American composer Ernst Krenek (Aug. 23, 1900-Dec. 22, 1991).

Florence Easton’s last performance of the 1928-1929 Met Opera season took place April 10, 1929. She made her second of two appearances in the title role of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. During the 1928-1929 Met Opera season, Florence Easton shared the role with Czech-Austrian operatic soprano Maria Müller (Jan. 29, 1898-March 15, 1958), German soprano Elisabeth Rethberg (Sept. 22, 1894-June 6, 1976) and Odessa-raised Greek lyric soprano Thalia Mytaraki Sabanieva (1895-1965).

Florence Easton returned to the Metropolitan Opera during the opera house’s 1935-1936 for two last appearances. She appeared Feb. 29, 1936, as Brünnhilde for the second of the season’s two performances of Wagner’s Die Walküre. Fifteen days later, she made her last Met Opera performance in the opera house’s Gala Program March 15, 1936. She performed Air de Lia (Lia’s aria) in L’Enfant Prodigue, the cantata that won the 1884 Prix de Rome in musical composition for French Impressionist composer Achille-Claude Debussy (Aug. 22, 1862-March 25, 1918).

Florence Gertrude Easton was born Wednesday, Oct. 25, 1882, in South Bank, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, North East England. Around 1888, the Easton family relocated to Toronto, Ontario, east central Canada. At Toronto’s Parkdale Methodist Church, Florence sang in the choir, directed by her choirmaster father, John Thomas Easton. Her mother, Isabella Yarrow Easton (-1899), was the church’s organist.

The Edwardian era (1901-1914) soprano made her operatic debut at Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, North East England, in 1903. She performed as the shepherd boy in the touring Moody-Manners Opera Company’s presentation of Wagner’s Tannhäuser.

Florence Easton passed away Saturday, Aug. 13, 1955, in New York City. The online Canadian Encyclopedia lists Montreal, Quebec, eastern Canada, as Florence Easton’s burial place.

The takeaway for Florence Easton, who died Aug. 13, 1955, is that the English soprano created Puccini’s Lauretta in the opera’s world premiere Dec. 14, 1918, at the Metropolitan Opera.

(left to right) two English sopranos in the United States premiere of Mozart’s Così fan tutte (1790) at the Metropolitan Opera March 24, 1922: Manchester-born Frances Peralta (March 19, 1883-Dec. 22, 1933), stage name of Phyllis Partington, as Dorabella and South Bank-born Florence Easton (Oct. 25, 1882-Aug. 13, 1955) as Fiordiligi; costumes designed by Austrian-American costume designer Gretel Urban (Jan. 7, 1898-Dec. 6, 1997): The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook March 24, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

photo of Florence Easton as Lauretta and Italian operatic tenor Giulio Crimi (May 10, 1885-Oct. 29, 1939) as Rinuccio by White Studio, theatrical portrait specialists, New York City; set and costumes designed by Austrian-American father-daughter team, Joseph Urban (May 26, 1872-July 10, 1933) and Gretel Urban (Jan. 7, 1898-Dec. 6, 1997): The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Dec. 14, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10161363147835533/

(left to right) two English sopranos in the United States premiere of Mozart’s Così fan tutte (1790) at the Metropolitan Opera March 24, 1922: Manchester-born Frances Peralta (March 19, 1883-Dec. 22, 1933), stage name of Phyllis Partington, as Dorabella and South Bank-born Florence Easton (Oct. 25, 1882-Aug. 13, 1955) as Fiordiligi; costumes designed by Austrian-American costume designer Gretel Urban (Jan. 7, 1898-Dec. 6, 1997): The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook March 24, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160270899800533/

For further information:

“Debut: Florence Easton.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 67290 Cavalleria Rusticana {172} Pagliacci {179} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/7/1917.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=67290

“Florence Easton.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 102280 Madama Butterfly {205} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/10/1929.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=102280

“Florence Easton [Last appearance].” MetOpera Database > [Met Concert/Gala] CID: 119140 Gala Program/ Reminiscence {4} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/15/1936.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=119140

Graham Martin @gramartin. “#100factsaboutme 96 My great grandmother was a very famous Opera Singer named Florence Easton & created many Soprano roles.” Twitter. April 27, 2011.
Available @ https://twitter.com/gramartin/status/63394973478961152

“Last Performance: Florence Easton.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 118940 Die Walküre {281} Ring Cycle [58] Metropolitan Opera House: 02/29/1936.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=118940

Marriner, Derdriu. “Così fan tutte Is March 31, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, March 26, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/03/cosi-fan-tutte-is-march-31-2018-met.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Gretel Urban Designed Costumes for Newly Staged Les Contes d’Hoffmann.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 27, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/08/gretel-urban-designed-costumes-for.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Gretel Urban Designed Costumes for U.S. Turandot Premiere at Met Opera.” Earth and Space News. Monday, July 30, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/gretel-urban-designed-costumes-for-us.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Joseph Urban Designed Sets for 10 Metropolitan Opera Premieres.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 13, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/08/joseph-urban-designed-sets-for-10.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Joseph Urban Designed Sets for 14 U.S. Premieres at Met Opera.” Earth and Space News. Monday, July 23, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/joseph-urban-designed-sets-for-14-us.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Joseph Urban Designed Sets for 29 New Productions at Met Opera.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 20, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/08/joseph-urban-designed-sets-for-29-new.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Mar-a-Lago Architect Joseph Urban Also Designed Sets at Met Opera.” Earth and Space News. Monday, July 9, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/mar-lago-architect-joseph-urban-also.html

Mcpherson, James B. “Florence Easton.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. July 30, 2007; last edited Dec. 16, 2013.
Available @ https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/index.php/en/article/florence-easton-emc

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Mozart's Così fan tutte made its U.S. premiere on this day in 1922 at the Met! Florence Easton and Frances Peralta sang the roles of Fiordiligi and Dorabella respectively. The new Coney Island-inspired production of Mozart's playful opera is on stage tonight, March 24. Tickets: bit.ly/2rA9vIr Photo courtesy of the Met Opera Archives." Facebook. March 24, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160270899800533/

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Today marks the centenary of the 1918 world premiere of Puccini's Il Trittico at the Met! The grand triple bill of Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi is on stage tomorrow, December 15. Don't miss your last chance of the season to see Placido Domingo's 'delightful' (@The The New York Times) performance in the comedic title role of Gianni Schicchi: bit.ly/2NuNVQV." Facebook. Dec. 14, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10161363147835533/

“United States Premiere: Così Fan Tutte.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 80750 United States Premiere Così Fan Tutte {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/24/1922.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=80750

“United States Premiere: Jonny Spielt Auf.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 101110 United States Premiere Jonny Spielt Auf {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/19/1929.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=101110