Olivia (Liva) Järnefelt née Edström (18 March 1876 – 24 June 1971) was a Swedish

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

who specialized in

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

. In 1897, after appearing at the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera ( sv, Kungliga Operan) is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the center of Sweden's capital Stockholm in the borough of Norrmalm, on the eastern side ...

as the Third Boy in Mozart's ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inclu ...

'' and making her actual debut as Pantalis in Boito's '' Mefistofele'', she remained with the company until 1926. She performed major roles in several Wagnerian operas as well as in a variety of Italian works. On the occasion of her 25th anniversary with the Royal Opera, she was enthusiastically acclaimed for her performance in the title role of Bizet's ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

''. Appreciated by both her audiences and her critics for her clear, full-bodied voice and her outstanding stagecraft, she was awarded the

Litteris et Artibus Litteris et Artibus is a Swedish royal medal established in 1853 by Charles XV of Sweden, who was then crown prince. It is awarded to people who have made important contributions to culture, especially music, dramatic art and literature. The ob ...

in 1920.

Early life, family and education

Born on 18 March 1878 in Vänersborg, Olivia Edström was the daughter of Chancellor and his wife Maria née Nordqvist. Her younger sister, (1884–1940), also became an opera singer. From 1894 to 1897, she studied voice at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music under Julius Günther. She later studied further under in Stockholm (1904–94) and in Vienna. She also studied drama under

Signe Hebbe Signe Amanda Georgina Hebbe (30 July 1837 – 14 February, 1925) was a Swedish operatic soprano and instructor. Life Signe Hebbe was born in Värnamo to the journalist Vendela Hebbe and Clemens Hebbe. Education In 1848, at the age of elev ...

. In 1910, she married the Finnish conductor and composer Armas Järnefelt.

Career

Edström first appeared on stage at the Royal Opera in 1897 as the Third Boy in Mozart's ''The Magic Flute''. That year she made her official debut as Pantalis in Boito's '' Mefistofele'' and also appeared as Frédéric in '' Mignon'' by Ambroise Thomas. In 1898, she was engaged by the company and performed there until 1926. She gained popularity in 1901, singing the title role in Bizet's ''

''. She subsequently sang in several

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

ian operas: Venus in ''

Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1 ...

'', Ortrud in '' Lohengrin'', Magdalena in ''

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (; "The Master-Singers of Nuremberg"), WWV 96, is a music drama, or opera, in three acts, by Richard Wagner. It is the longest opera commonly performed, taking nearly four and a half hours, not counting two breaks between acts, and is traditio ...

'', Brangâne in '' Tristan und Isolde'', Brünnhilde and Fricka in '' Der Ring des Nibelungen'' and Kundry in '' Parsifal''. Roles in Italian operas included Azucena in Verdi's '' Il trovatore'', Marcellina in Rossini's ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was base ...

'', Maddalena in Verdi's '' Rigoletto'', Hedwige in Rossini's ''

William Tell William Tell (german: Wilhelm Tell, ; french: Guillaume Tell; it, Guglielmo Tell; rm, Guglielm Tell) is a folk hero of Switzerland. According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albr ...

'' and Lola in Mascagni's '' Cavalleria rusticana''. She is remembered in particular for singing the title role in '' Samson and Delilah'' Saint-Saëns, premiered in 1903, for Amneris in Verdi's '' Aida'', Olga in Tchaikovsky's '' Eugene Onegin'', and in particular for her Carmen, which she last performed to celebrate her 25th anniversary with the company. Initially overshadowed by Matilda Jungstedt's Carmen, she increasingly earned the acclaim of her audiences and critics. Towards the end of her stage career, Järnefelt often appeared in comic roles such as Annina in '' Der Rosenkavalier'' by Richard Strauss, and Quickly in Verdi's ''

Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays '' Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...

'', receiving praise from her critics for making so much of these smaller roles. She later became a respected voice and drama teacher in Stockholm. Liva Järnefelt died on 24 June 1971 in

Engelbrekt Parish Engelbrekt Parish ( sv, Engelbrekts församling) is a parish in Östermalm's church district (''kontrakt'') in the Diocese of Stockholm, Sweden. The parish is located in Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm County. The parish forms its own pastor ...

Stockholm County Stockholm County ( sv, Stockholms län, link=no ) is a county or '' län'' (in Swedish) on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm ...

Awards

Järnefelt was awarded the

medal in 1920 for her contributions to Swedish culture. In 1924 she was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jarnefelt, Liva 1876 births 1971 deaths People from Vänersborg Municipality Swedish operatic mezzo-sopranos Swedish contraltos 19th-century Swedish opera singers 20th-century Swedish opera singers Litteris et Artibus recipients Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music