Hariclea Darclée

Opera Singer. A leading soprano of late 19th and early 20th century Europe, she sang 58 roles from 56 operas and gave the world premiere performances of around a dozen pieces including Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" and Pietro Mascagni's "Iris". Born Hariclea Haricli to a family of Greek nobility, she was raised in Braila and later in Turnu Magurele, singing in her community but apparently giving no early promise of her future eminence. Around 1884 she studied at the Conservatory in Iasi and had some local appearances, then at age 26 went to Paris for further training and, according to legend, to escape a bad marriage. Madame Darclee made her debut at the Paris Opera as Marguerite from Charles Gounod's "Faust" in an 1888 performance that is said to have deeply moved the composer, and received her major break the next year at the same house when she replaced Adelina Patti as Juliette from Gounod's "Romeo and Juliette". After 1890 she concentrated her career in Italy, and was to take-on a ma