Fodor-Mainvielle, Joséphine

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Fodor-Mainvielle, Joséphine

Fodor-Mainvielle, Joséphine, famous French soprano; b. Paris, Oct. 13, 1789; d. Saint-Génis, near Lyons, Aug. 14, 1870. She made her debut in 1808 in St. Petersburg in Fioravanti’s Le Cantatrici villane. She gained renown for her performances in the operas of Mozart and Rossini at the King’s Theatre in London (1816–18); was likewise successful in her many engagements in Paris, Naples, and Vienna. During a performance of the title role of Semiramide in Paris on Dec. 9, 1825, she suddenly lost her voice and was eventually compelled to quit the stage. She went to Naples in the hopes of recovery under the warm sun, but her attempts to renew her career in 1828 and 1831 failed, and she spent the rest of her long life in retirement.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire