Aino Ackté
Encyclopedia
Aino Ackté was a Finnish
soprano
. She was the first international star of the Finnish opera scene after Alma Fohström, and a groundbreaker for the domestic field.
Ackté was born in Helsinki
. Her parents were mezzo-soprano
Emmy Achté (née Strömer) and the conductor-composer Lorenz Nikolai Achté
. Aino Ackté married a doctor, Heikki Renvall, in 1901 and gave birth to a daughter, Glory Leppänen, the same year. Their son, Mies Reenkola, was born in 1908.
The young Ackté studied singing under her mother's tutelage until 1894 when she entered the Paris Conservatory, studying under Edmond Duvernoy
and Alfred Girodet. Her debut at the Paris Grand Opera was in 1897 in Faust
and she was signed on for six years as a result.
In 1904 Ackté was engaged by the New York Metropolitan Opera
where she remained until 1906. She created the title role of Richard Strauss
's Salome
at its local premieres in Leipzig (1907) and London (1910). The Covent Garden premiere was an enormous success and Strauss himself proclaimed Ackté the "one and only Salome". Ackté considered the London performances her real breakthrough.
In 1911, Ackté, Oskar Merikanto
, and Edvard Fazer founded the Kotimainen Ooppera (renamed in 1914 Finnish Opera, and then in 1956 the Finnish National Opera
). She was to act as its director in 1938-39.
After parting ways with the National Opera, Ackté organized an international Savonlinna Opera Festival
beginning on 3 July 1912; it was held 1912-14, 1916 and 1930.
Jean Sibelius
dedicated his tone poem Luonnotar
to Ackté and she premiered the work on 10 September 1913 at the Three Choirs Festival
in Gloucester
, England
. She also sang in the first performance of Luonnotar in Finland, in January 1914.
Ackté ended her international travels in 1914 and returned to Finland, where she gave her farewell performance in 1920. Her final public performances took place at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in 1930.
Ackté's coterie included among others Albert Edelfelt
, who painted a famous full portrait of her in 1901.
She provided the libretto for Aarre Merikanto
's opera Juha
.
She died of pancreatic cancer
in Nummela, Vihti
in August 1944.
in Savonlinna
and another street in Helsinki
, Finland. Her old summerhouse, Villa Aino Ackté, located in Helsinki is being rented by the city for cultural activities and meetings.
Ackté is most likely the original model for the opera diva character Bianca Castafiore
in comics books of "Adventures of Tintin
" by Belgian Hergé
.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
. She was the first international star of the Finnish opera scene after Alma Fohström, and a groundbreaker for the domestic field.
Ackté was born in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. Her parents were mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
Emmy Achté (née Strömer) and the conductor-composer Lorenz Nikolai Achté
Lorenz Nikolai Achté
Lorenz Nikolai Achté was a Finnish opera singer, composer, bandleader and music teacher. He was a member of the Finnish opera theater department's first artists, together with his wife Emmy Achten...
. Aino Ackté married a doctor, Heikki Renvall, in 1901 and gave birth to a daughter, Glory Leppänen, the same year. Their son, Mies Reenkola, was born in 1908.
The young Ackté studied singing under her mother's tutelage until 1894 when she entered the Paris Conservatory, studying under Edmond Duvernoy
Edmond Duvernoy
Charles-Henri Edmond Duvernoy was a French pianist, baritone and vocal teacher, from a family of musicians.- Life and career :...
and Alfred Girodet. Her debut at the Paris Grand Opera was in 1897 in Faust
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
and she was signed on for six years as a result.
In 1904 Ackté was engaged by the New York Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
where she remained until 1906. She created the title role of Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
's Salome
Salome (opera)
Salome is an opera in one act by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by the composer, based on Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of the French play Salomé by Oscar Wilde. Strauss dedicated the opera to his friend Sir Edgar Speyer....
at its local premieres in Leipzig (1907) and London (1910). The Covent Garden premiere was an enormous success and Strauss himself proclaimed Ackté the "one and only Salome". Ackté considered the London performances her real breakthrough.
In 1911, Ackté, Oskar Merikanto
Oskar Merikanto
Oskar Merikanto was a Finnish musician and composer.He was born to Swedish-speaking parents in Helsinki. His father, originally Frank Mattsson, changed the family name to sound more Finnish....
, and Edvard Fazer founded the Kotimainen Ooppera (renamed in 1914 Finnish Opera, and then in 1956 the Finnish National Opera
Finnish National Opera
The Finnish National Opera in Helsinki is the leading opera company in Finland. Its home base is the Opera House on Töölönlahti bay in Töölö which opened in 1993, and is state-owned through Senate Properties...
). She was to act as its director in 1938-39.
After parting ways with the National Opera, Ackté organized an international Savonlinna Opera Festival
Savonlinna Opera Festival
Savonlinna Opera Festival is held annually in the city of Savonlinna in Finland. The Festival takes place at the medieval Olavinlinna , built in 1475...
beginning on 3 July 1912; it was held 1912-14, 1916 and 1930.
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
dedicated his tone poem Luonnotar
Luonnotar (Sibelius)
Luonnotar, Op. 70, is a tone-poem for soprano and orchestra, completed by Jean Sibelius in 1913. It was dedicated to Aino Ackté, who premiered the work at the Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester, England on 10 September 1913, with an orchestra conducted by Herbert Brewer...
to Ackté and she premiered the work on 10 September 1913 at the Three Choirs Festival
Three Choirs Festival
The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held each August alternately at the cathedrals of the Three Counties and originally featuring their three choirs, which remain central to the week-long programme...
in Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She also sang in the first performance of Luonnotar in Finland, in January 1914.
Ackté ended her international travels in 1914 and returned to Finland, where she gave her farewell performance in 1920. Her final public performances took place at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in 1930.
Ackté's coterie included among others Albert Edelfelt
Albert Edelfelt
Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt was a Swedish-speaking Finnish painter.Albert Edelfelt was born in Porvoo, Finland. His father Carl Albert was an architect. Edelfelt admired the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who was a friend of the family...
, who painted a famous full portrait of her in 1901.
She provided the libretto for Aarre Merikanto
Aarre Merikanto
Aarre Merikanto was a Finnish composer.He was the son of Liisa Häyrynen and the famous romantic composer, professor Oskar Merikanto. His childhood he spent in Vilppula, Finland. From year 1919, he was married to Meri Grönmark...
's opera Juha
Juha (Merikanto)
Juha is a three-act opera by Aarre Merikanto, with a Finnish libretto by Aino Ackté based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Juhani Aho. Although completed by 1922, it was only finally staged at the music college in Lahti on 28 October 1963. The story is a drama of a love triangle : the older...
.
She died of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
in Nummela, Vihti
Vihti
Vihti is a small municipality located in the Uusimaa region of province of Southern Finland, approximately northwest of the capital city Helsinki. Its seat is Nummela. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
in August 1944.
Legacy
She has a park road named after her, near the OlavinlinnaOlavinlinna
Olavinlinna is a 15th century three-tower castle located in Savonlinna, Finland. It is the northernmost medieval stone fortress still standing.- Construction :...
in Savonlinna
Savonlinna
Savonlinna is a town and a municipality of inhabitants in the southeast of Finland, in the heart of the Saimaa lake region. The Finnish name of the town means "Castle of Savonia" and the Swedish name means "Newcastle".- History :...
and another street in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland. Her old summerhouse, Villa Aino Ackté, located in Helsinki is being rented by the city for cultural activities and meetings.
Ackté is most likely the original model for the opera diva character Bianca Castafiore
Bianca Castafiore
Bianca Castafiore, the "Milanese Nightingale", is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé...
in comics books of "Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
" by Belgian Hergé
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
.