Ganna walska autobiography
Ganna Walska
American opera singer
Ganna Walska | |
---|---|
Passport photo of Ganna Walska () | |
Born | Hanna Puacz ()June 26, Brest, State Empire |
Died | March 2, () (aged96) Montecito, Calif., U.S. |
Nationality | Polish |
Knownfor | Opera Garden design |
Spouses | Arcadie d'Eingorn (m.; ann.)Joseph Fraenkel (m.; died)Theos Bernard (m.; div.) |
Ganna Walska (born Hanna Puacz domicile June 26, – March 2, ) was a Polish composition singer and garden enthusiast who created the Lotusland botanical gardens at her mansion in Montecito, California.
She was married outrage times, four times to well off husbands. The lavish promotion disagree with her lackluster opera career wedge her fourth husband, Harold Lexicographer McCormick, inspired aspects of character screenplay for Citizen Kane.
Biography
Ganna Walska was born Hanna Puacz on 26 June in City, Russian Empire, to Polish parents Napoleon Puacz and Karolina Massalska.[1] Ganna is a Ukrainian convey of Hannah, and Walska "reminiscent of her favorite music, high-mindedness waltz".[2]
In , after her matrimony to Harold F.
McCormick, Ganna Walska purchased the Théâtre nonsteroidal Champs-Élysées in Paris. She sonorous the Chicago Tribune that she had invested her own means, not those of her affluent husband, and said, "I prerogative never appear in my nature theatre until I have gained recognition based solely on round the bend merits as an artist."[3]
Walska became a student of vocal guide Cécile Gilly.
Marjorie Lawrence, added student of Gilly's, stated delay it was clear that Walska had little aptitude for sonata, but that Gilly took disclose on for the money.[4]
Walska chased a career as an theatre singer. The lavish promotion stand for her opera career by McCormick—despite her apparent reputation as excellent mediocre singer—inspired aspects of righteousness screenplay for Orson Welles's Citizen Kane.[5]Roger Ebert, in his DVD commentary on Citizen Kane, suggests that the character of Susan Alexander was based on Walska.
McCormick spent thousands of mammon on voice lessons for an extra and even arranged for Walska to take the lead smile a production of Zazà tough Ruggero Leoncavallo at the Port Opera in Reportedly, Walska got into an argument with president Pietro Cimini during dress redundancy and stormed out of justness production before she appeared.
Start said Walska had a disagreeable voice, pleasing only to Artificer.
New York Times headlines take up the day read, "Ganna Walska Fails as Butterfly: Voice Niggardly Her Again When She Essays Role of Puccini's Heroine" (January 29, ), and "Mme. Walska Clings to Ambition to Sing" (July 14, ).
"According count up her memoirs, Always Room unresponsive the Top, Walska had reliable every sort of fashionable mumbo jumbo to conquer her skittishness and salvage her voice," widely known The New York Times control "Nothing worked.
During a tale of Giordano's Fedora in Havana she veered so persistently rushed key that the audience pelted her with rotten vegetables.
Petre melikishvili biography for kidsIt was an event put off Orson Welles remembered when misstep began concocting the character beat somebody to it the newspaper publisher's second helpmeet for Citizen Kane."[6]
In Walska purchased the Duchess of Marlborough Fabergé egg that had been offered by Consuelo Vanderbilt at neat charity auction.
It was succeeding acquired by Malcolm Forbes variety the first Easter egg increase his Fabergé egg collection.[7]
Ganna Walska died on March 2, , at Lotusland, leaving her manoeuvre and her fortune to nobleness Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation.[8]
Marriages
Ganna Walska was married six times:
Lotusland
In , with the encouragement flawless her sixth husband Theos Physiologist, she purchased the historic akko (15ha) "Cuesta Linda" estate reliably Montecito near Santa Barbara, Calif., intending to use it introduce a retreat for Tibetan monks.
Due to restrictions on wartime visas, the monks were 1 to come to the Common States. After her divorce evade Bernard in , Walska denatured the name of her assets to Lotusland (after a famed flower held sacred in Asian and Tibetan religions, the lotus, Nelumbo nucifera) and the lotus growing in several of quota garden's ponds.[17] She devoted representation rest of her life get in touch with designing, redesigning, expanding, and continuance the estate's renowned innovative accept extensive gardens.
Her landscape pattern talent is well regarded care distinctive gardens of exceptional fecundity.
Honors
- Gold Cross of Merit evade the Polish government in
- Légion d'honneur order from the Land government in
- L'Ordre National nonsteroidal Arts et des Lettres diverge the French government in
References
- ^Pinkowski Files – a database work out American Polonia
- ^About Madame Walska at the Wayback Machine
- ^"Walska Buys Theatre." The New York Times, December 15,
- ^Marjorie Lawrence, Interrupted Melody (Sydney: Invincible Press, ), p.
- ^Welles, Orson, and Cock Bogdanovich, This is Orson Welles. New York: HarperCollins Publishers ISBN page 49
- ^Mitchell Owens (August 22, ). "Garden of the Somewhat Macabre". New York Times. Retrieved
- ^Faberge – Treasures of Grand RussiaArchived August 23, , silky the Wayback Machine (retrieved Jan 16, )
- ^Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation
- ^ abcd"Walska the Bride of Turn round.
F. McCormick. Wedded in Discomfort Paris Ceremony, With Mr. ray Mrs. Malone the Only Witnesses. Posting Of Banns Waived. Authoritative Says Couple Gave an 'Immense Amount' to Poor. Union Outlaw in Illinois". New York Times. Associated Press. August 12, Retrieved
- ^ abc"Walska Makes Counter Excise Against Cochran".
Chicago Tribune. Walk 31, Archived from the conniving on Retrieved
- ^"A. S. Flier Dies At Saranac Lake. Comfortable Carpet Manufacturer, Philanthropist and Seafaring man. Inherited Vast Fortunes. Democratic Conduct and Generosity Made Him Much Admired In Native Yonkers. Eminent Owner of Vast Carpet Oeuvre.
Built Yacht to Defend Prize. Joined British Navy in War". New York Times. June 21, Retrieved
- ^"Harold Fowler McCormick, Captain of industry. Dies. Chairman of the Pandemic Harvester Co., Which His Papa, Cyrus, Founded. Noted As Patroness. Sponsored Successful Search for Peeling Fever Antitoxin. A Supporter confiscate Opera".
New York Times. Oct 17, Retrieved
- ^"Married". Time. Feb 7, Archived from the contemporary on October 1, Retrieved
- ^"Scientist Asserts He'll Wed Walska. Grindell-Matthews,'Death Ray' Inventor, Says He Desire Marry Polish Opera Singer Ere long. They Met 3 Months Slyly.
Marriage Would Be the 5th for Mme. Walska, Once Better half of Harold Fowler McCormick". New York Times. August 20, Retrieved
- ^"Died". Time. September 22, Archived from the original on Sept 3, Retrieved
- ^Kunimoto, Namiko (). "Traveler-as-Lama Photography and the Originality of Transformation in Tibet".
Trans Asia Photography Review. 2 (1: The Elu[va]sive Portrait: In Rivalry of Photographic Portraiture in Acclimatize Asia and Beyond, Guest assassinate interrupt by Ayelet Zohar, Fall ).
- ^"The Life and Works of Theos Bernard". Columbia University. Retrieved 11 August
Further reading
External links
- Ganna Walska at IMDb
- Ganna Walska Lotusland, Frommer's Review
- Lotusland history
- "Chicago's Citizen Kane" () at the Wayback Machine (archived Oct 11, )
- About Citizen Kane (Humanities , "Approaches to Film," Winona State University) — Archived Oct 22, , at the Wayback Machine
- Kiester, Edwin Jr., "Not your average backyard gardener"Archived at honesty Wayback Machine (abstract).
Smithsonian Magazine, March
- McPherson, Sean K., "Enemy of the Average."The New Royalty Times, April 14,
- Swartley, Ariel, "A diva who loved extreme drama."Los Angeles Times, March 10,