Voting Station

Rosa Ponselle

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Vocalist

The Resume

    (January 22, 1897-May 25, 1981)
    Born in Meriden, Connecticut
    Birth name was Rosa Ponzillo
    Operatic soprano
    Sang with the Metropolitan Opera (1918-37)
    Most popular parts were the title roles in Bellini's 'Norma' and Bizet's 'Carmen'

Why she might be annoying:

    She started in a vaudeville act with her sister, billed as 'Those Tailored Italian Girls.'
    She had stage fright and a phobia of high Cs, which she would count when presented with the score for a prospective role.
    After appearing in the unsuccessful debut of Joseph Carl Breil's 'The Legend,' she burned the score and said the opera would 'stink up a cat box.'
    She retired from the Met in a dispute over her repertoire.
    She suffered a nervous breakdown after her divorce from socialite Carle Jackson (1949).

Why she might not be annoying:

    She had a three octave vocal range.
    She was discovered in vaudeville by Metropolitan Opera star Enrico Caruso, who convinced the Met to audition her.
    She was the first American-born singer to perform a major role at the Met with no European training or experience.
    As artistic director of the Baltimore Civic Opera Company, she coached Beverly Sills, Placido Domingo and Sherril Milnes.
    Her fans included Leonard Bernstein (who wrote her a letter saying that hearing one of her records at age eight 'made me a music lover forever. I thank you every day of my life.'), Maria Callas ('Ponselle is simply the greatest singer of us all.') and Luciano Pavarotti ('The Queen of Queens in all of singing').

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 6 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 80 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 70 Votes: 48.57% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 26 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 74 Votes: 74.32% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 302 Votes: 43.05% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 293 Votes: 39.93% Annoying