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Emmy Destin is one of the outstanding musical legends, hailing from the Czech Republic whose name still rings an all too familiar bell at the mention of the word opera. Her trained and mellifluous voice, consummate skill in piano and violin from a very young and vulnerable age accounted for her stupendous stage performances at some of the international premieres of legendary operas. Her talent and expertise, honed to the highest levels of perfects was rewarded by heaps of praise from the most captious critics, awe and respect from her colleagues and legions of aficionados from all across the world.
A talented polyglot, Emmy Destin spoke the languages of German, French and Italian with flawless ease. Born in an affluent family, Ema Pavlina Kittlová or Emmy Destinn's patriotism, that prompted her to change her cognomen to Destinová, following the great War is highly admirable. Destinn was a private person whose lifestyle was rather low profile and stripped of glitz and glamor.
Her spectacular musical debutante was at Dresden in the year 1897 where she played the role of Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana. A year later, she repeated the performance at the celebrated Kroll Theatre. Stardom soon ensued and Destinn was offered a 10 year long contract with Berlin's famous Hopofer, that she accepted with alacrity. This was followed by a myriads of lucrative roles. However, Destinn's claim to fame rests in her being a noted Verdi and Puccini singer.
A fatal stroke at the age of 52 eventually claimed Emma Destinn's illustrious and eventful life.
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