Emilie Mechelin
Emilie Mechelin | |
|---|---|
 Mechelin in the title role of Martha in 1872 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 8 April 1838 Hamina, Grand Duchy of Finland |
| Died | 22 December 1917 (aged 79) Hamina, Finland |
| Genres | Opera |
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
- ^ a b c d e f g h i 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.
- ^ "Mechelin, Leo". Kansallisbiografia.fi (in Finnish). National Biography of Finland. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ "Reprises - Database for opera and music theatre performances in Finland c. 1830-1960". UniArts.fi. Sibelius Academy. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ "Engdahl-Jägerskiöld, Emma (1852 - 1930)". Kansallisbiografia.fi (in Finnish). National Biography of Finland. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ "Musiikkiopiston johtaja Martin Wegelius oli leppeimmillään iltapäiväsnapsien jälkeen" (in Finnish). Yle. 10 November 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ "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.
External links
- Repository of contemporary newspaper coverage of Emilie Mechelin at Finnish National Library (digitised; in Finnish and Swedish)