Elena Cernei
Encyclopedia
Elena Cernei was a Romania
n operatic mezzo-soprano
, musicologist
, and voice teacher. During her 25 year career as an opera singer, she sang in leading opera houses in both Europe and North America. In 1961 she was made Artistă Emerită (Honoured Artist) of the Republic of Romania and in 1999 received the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa
from the National University of Music Bucharest
for her contributions to the field of musicology.
in Ukraine
). She studied singing at the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory
in Bucharest under Constantin Stroescu from 1951 to 1955. During that period, she also sang as a soloist with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
and at the Romanian National Opera
. She continued to sing with the Romanian National Opera from 1952 to 1977, as well as touring Europe and North America starting in the mid 1960s. Outside of Romania she sang at La Scala
, the New York Metropolitan Opera
, Opéra National de Paris, Bolshoi Theatre
, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, La Monnaie
in Brussels, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes
in Mexico City.
She made her Metropolitan Opera debut on 17 March 1965 as Dalila in Samson et Dalila. She performed with the company from 1965 to 1968 where in addition to Dalila, she sang Amneris in Aida
, Maddalena in Rigoletto
, Princess di Bouillon in Adriana Lecouvreur
, and the title role in Carmen
. Other roles which she sang during her career included: Azucena in Il trovatore
, Clytemnestra in Iphigénie en Aulide
, Arsace in Semiramide
, Rosina in The Barber of Seville
, Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera
, Princess Eboli in Don Carlos
, Laura and La Cieca in La Gioconda
, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Jocaste in Œdipe, and Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice
.
She settled in Rome
with her husband, the physician and musicologist Stephan Poen, and in her later years taught voice and served on the juries of several singing competitions in Italy and Romania. Amongst her scholarly publications were L'enigma della voce umana (1987) and Et fiat lux (1999). Many of her performances in Romania were recorded on LP by Electrecord. A DVD documentary on her life and career (with extracts from live recordings of her performances) was issued by TVR
Media in 2005.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n operatic 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...
, musicologist
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
, and voice teacher. During her 25 year career as an opera singer, she sang in leading opera houses in both Europe and North America. In 1961 she was made Artistă Emerită (Honoured Artist) of the Republic of Romania and in 1999 received the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from the National University of Music Bucharest
National University of Music Bucharest
The National University of Music Bucharest is a university-level school of music located in Bucharest, Romania. Established as a school of music in 1863 and reorganized as an academy in 1931, it has functioned as a public university since 2001...
for her contributions to the field of musicology.
Biography
Elena Cernei was born in 1924 in Bairamcea near Cetatea Albă (now Bilhorod-DnistrovskyiBilhorod-Dnistrovskyi
Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi is a city situated on the right bank of the Dniester Liman in the Odessa Oblast of southwestern Ukraine, in the historical region of Bessarabia...
in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
). She studied singing at the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory
National University of Music Bucharest
The National University of Music Bucharest is a university-level school of music located in Bucharest, Romania. Established as a school of music in 1863 and reorganized as an academy in 1931, it has functioned as a public university since 2001...
in Bucharest under Constantin Stroescu from 1951 to 1955. During that period, she also sang as a soloist with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra is a musical institution of Romania.Founded in 1886, under the supervision of Eduard Wachman, the Romanian Philharmonic Society had as purpose the creation of a permanent symphonic orchestra in Bucharest...
and at the Romanian National Opera
Romanian National Opera
The Romanian National Opera is one of the national opera companies of Romania, situated in a historical building in Bucharest, near the Cotroceni neighbourhood....
. She continued to sing with the Romanian National Opera from 1952 to 1977, as well as touring Europe and North America starting in the mid 1960s. Outside of Romania she sang at La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
, 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...
, Opéra National de Paris, Bolshoi Theatre
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds performances of ballet and opera. The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are amongst the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world...
, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, La Monnaie
La Monnaie
Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
in Brussels, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes
Palacio de Bellas Artes
The Palacio de Bellas Artes is the most important cultural center in Mexico City as well as the rest of the country of Mexico...
in Mexico City.
She made her Metropolitan Opera debut on 17 March 1965 as Dalila in Samson et Dalila. She performed with the company from 1965 to 1968 where in addition to Dalila, she sang Amneris in Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
, Maddalena in Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
, Princess di Bouillon in Adriana Lecouvreur
Adriana Lecouvreur
Adriana Lecouvreur is an opera in four acts by Francesco Cilea to an Italian libretto by Arturo Colautti, based on the play by Eugène Scribe and Ernest Legouvé...
, and the title role in Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
. Other roles which she sang during her career included: Azucena in Il trovatore
Il trovatore
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto...
, Clytemnestra in Iphigénie en Aulide
Iphigénie en Aulide
Iphigénie en Aulide is an opera in three acts by Christoph Willibald Gluck, the first work he wrote for the Paris stage. The libretto was written by Leblanc du Roullet and was based on Jean Racine's tragedy Iphigénie...
, Arsace in Semiramide
Semiramide
Semiramide is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini.The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy Semiramis, which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Babylon...
, Rosina in The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
, Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
, Princess Eboli in Don Carlos
Don Carlos
Don Carlos is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French language libretto by Camille du Locle and Joseph Méry, based on the dramatic play Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien by Friedrich Schiller...
, Laura and La Cieca in La Gioconda
La Gioconda (opera)
La Gioconda is an opera in four acts by Amilcare Ponchielli set to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Angelo, tyran de Padoue, a play in prose by Victor Hugo, dating from 1835...
, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Jocaste in Œdipe, and Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice
Orfeo ed Euridice
Orfeo ed Euridice is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck based on the myth of Orpheus, set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the azione teatrale, meaning an opera on a mythological subject with choruses and dancing...
.
She settled in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
with her husband, the physician and musicologist Stephan Poen, and in her later years taught voice and served on the juries of several singing competitions in Italy and Romania. Amongst her scholarly publications were L'enigma della voce umana (1987) and Et fiat lux (1999). Many of her performances in Romania were recorded on LP by Electrecord. A DVD documentary on her life and career (with extracts from live recordings of her performances) was issued by TVR
Romanian television
Romanian television may refer to:* Communications media in Romania* Televiziunea Română, TVR, the national television network* List of Romanian language television channels...
Media in 2005.
Sources
- Matvei, Valeria, "Elena Cernei 1924-2000", Calendar Naţional 2004: Martie, Biblioteca Nationala a Republicii Moldova, 2004, p. 83. Accessed 30 September 2009 (in Romanian).
- Constantinescu, Grigore, "Elena Cernei - primul disc video de arta lirica", AdevarulAdevarulAdevărul is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in 1871 and reestablished in 1888, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Romanian Kingdom's existence, adopting an independent pro-democratic position, advocating land reform and universal suffrage...
, 28 July 2005. Accessed 30 September 2009 (in Romanian). - La MonnaieLa MonnaieLe Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
(Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie) Digital archives. Accessed 30 September 2009. - Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe 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...
, http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/gisrch2k.r?Term=Cernei,%20Elena%20%5BMezzo%20Soprano%5D&limit=5000&vsrchtype=no&xBranch=ALL&xmtype=&Start=&End=&theterm=C%65%72n%65i,%20%45l%65na%20%5BM%65zzo%20Sop%72ano%5D&srt=&x=0&xHome=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/bibpro.htm&xHomePath=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/Performance record: Cernei, Elena (Mezzo Soprano)], MetOpera Database. Accessed 30 September 2009.
External links
- Elena Cernei singing Ô nuit d'amour on the YouTube channel of her husband, Dr. Stephan Poen.
- Cernei, Elena on WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...