Gaston Leroux is believed to have based the character of Christine
Daaé upon the Swedish soprano Christine Nilsson (who was also known as
Christina or Kristina Nilsson).
"Experts agree that the character of Christine Daae in the novel The
Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux was based upon the real-life
Swedish-born opera star, Christine Nilsson - also known as Kristina
Nilsson."
Arianna: The Real Christine Daae???
http://www.ariannausa.com/daae/uncanny.htm
"Back in 1998, Leatha Ann Betts sent Leonard Wolf a package of
information including the similarities between the life of Christine
Nilsson and Leroux's Christine Daaé... For those of you who read the
Millennium issue of POTO Magazine, you'll recognize this as the
article entitled 'Was the Phantom Real?' You may also remember the
little note by Wolf in the preface of that article to the effect that
'I have to tell you how embarrassed I am that with all my work in
making The Essential Phantom, I did not turn up the data that you have
so brilliantly found... Don't hesitate to say in print that I blew
it.' I wonder if Betts' research isn't what will be making up the
seven extra pages in the second edition of The Essential Phantom. If
so, I hope Wolf remembers to credit her."
Carrie Hernandez: Phantom Book Update
http://members.aol.com/CH522/
"Christina (Christine) Nilsson (1843-1921) became one of the most
famous sopranos of her time. She was born at the Snugge farm not far
from Växjö in the Småland province in south Sweden. Nilsson began to
sing and play the violin in public already as a child, gave her first
concerts in 1859 and was further educated in Stockholm and Paris. In
Paris, she made her sensational debut in 1864 at Théâtre Lyrique as
Violetta in La Traviata. In the following years, she had great success
in the French and Italian repertoire in Paris and London and other
European cities. Her Ophélie in Thomas' Hamlet, which role she created
at the Paris Opera in 1868, was especially famous. She made four
extensive tours in North America and sang Marguerite in Faust at the
opening performance of the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1883. Her
last public appearance was in London in 1891."
Jussi Björling Museum: Four Great Nordic Singers
http://www.borlange.se/kommun/jussi/jussi%20(kopia)/dok/ovrigt.html
Here you'll find a fascinating comparison of Christine Nilsson and Christine Daaé:
Christine Nilsson - Christine Daaé: A Comparison
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/1874/chris.htm
Google search strategy:
Google Web Search: "phantom of the opera" + "christine OR christina OR
kristina nilsson"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=%22phantom+of+the+opera%22+%22christine+OR+christina+OR+kristina+nilsson%22
I hope this is precisely the information you need. If anything is
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Best regards,
pinkfreud |
