Nina Dimitrieff
{{Short description|Russian-American soprano opera singer (1880s–post 1952)}}
Nina Dimitrieff (born 1880s – died after 1952), also seen as Nina Dmitrieff and later as Nina Massell, was a Russian soprano singer, active in the United States after 1910.
Early life
Nina Dmitrieff self-reported as being born in Saint Petersburg in August 1881 or 1882, to Pheophan Dimitrieff and Baroness Alexandria Von Russell.[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24ZW-TPQ "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829–1938"], database, FamilySearch (22 August 2022), Jacob Massell and Nina Dimitrieff, 1910.[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KMG-8TYG "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936–2007"], database, FamilySearch (10 February 2023), Nina Dimitrieff Massell, .[https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV5B-L8NG "United States Passport Applications, 1795–1925,"] database with images, FamilySearch (16 March 2018), Nina Mussell, 1913; citing Passport Application, New York, United States, source certificate #13273, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 – March 31, 1925, 634, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
She was described in publicity as "daughter of the famous Russian general Pheophan Dimitrieff", and educated at Smolny Convent in Saint Petersburg, where she was a schoolmate of Elena of Montenegro.[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/808472/nina_demitrieff/ "Fassifern Concert Course"] Lincoln County News (February 18, 1913): 1. via Newspapers.com{{open access}}[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19859167/nina_dimitrieff_1911/ "Music News of the Week"] Pittsburgh Press (November 19, 1911): 16. via Newspapers.com{{open access}}
Career
Dimitrieff made her American debut[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19859591/nina_dimitrieff_1910/ "Nina Dimitrieff Will Make Debut"] Janesville Daily Gazette (September 26, 1910): 1. via Newspapers.com{{open access}} as Margarita in The Damnation of Faust at the 1910 Worcester Music Festival.Lester S. Butler, [https://books.google.com/books?id=pGhFAQAAMAAJ&dq=Nina+Dimitrieff&pg=RA5-PA1 "The Worcester, Mass., Music Festival"] Music News (October 28, 1921): 1. In that same year, the New York Times opined that "Her voice is not notable for fine quality, being, in fact, somewhat hard and unyielding; nor is she equally successful in many different styles of songs.""Mme. Dimitrieff's Recital" New York Times (December 21, 1910): 11. {{ProQuest| }}
In 1911, she sang in California with other Russian musicians,[https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SU19110507.2.5 "Symphony Artists to Appear at the Clunie Monday Evening"] Sacramento Union (May 7, 1911): 2. via California Digital Newspaper Collection{{open access}} and sang at concert conducted by Leopold Stokowski, and sang at a fundraiser for tuberculosis prevention in Pittsburgh.[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19858331/nina_dimitrieff_1911/ "Famous Singer to Help Fight the White Plague"] The Gazette Times, Pittsburgh (November 26, 1911): 3. via Newspapers.com{{open access}} In 1913 Dimitrieff sang at "Verdi Night" at the May Festival of the Albany Musical Association,[https://books.google.com/books?id=BdsqAAAAYAAJ&q=Dimitrieff&pg=RA2-PA6 Program, May Festival (1913)], Albany Musical Association: 6. and gave a joint recital with Russian cellist Vladimir Dubinsky at New York's Aeolian Hall.[https://books.google.com/books?id=LWlJAQAAMAAJ&dq=Nina+Dimitrieff&pg=PP43 "Nina Dimitrieff and Vladimir Dubinsky"] The Opera News (November 29, 1913): 5.
She returned to Aeolian Hall with a recital of Russian traditional songs in 1916, at which she also wore Russian costumes and gave a lecture on the history of Russian church music and folksongs.[https://books.google.com/books?id=I0c0AQAAMAAJ&dq=Mary%20Kaestner&pg=RA1-PA23 "Songs with Curious History in Russian Singer's Program" and "Presents Russian Songs in Costume"] Musical America (November 18, 1916): 23.[https://www.nytimes.com/1916/11/12/archives/nina-dimitrieff-sings-russian-soprano-pleases-in-native-songs-at.html "Nina Dimitrieff Sings"] New York Times (November 12, 1916): 19. Also in 1916, she and other Russian artists including Mischa Levitzki, Anna Pavlova, and a balalaika orchestra performed at a benefit in Connecticut, for Russian prisoners of war.[https://books.google.com/books?id=I0c0AQAAMAAJ&dq=Nina+Dimitrieff&pg=RA7-PA31 "Russian Artists in New Haven Benefit"] Musical America (December 30, 1916): 31.
Dimitrieff made several recordings for the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1916.Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. [http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/5481/Dimitrieff_Nina_vocalist_soprano_vocal "Nina Dimitrieff (vocalist : soprano vocal)"] (accessed May 6, 2018). Later in life, she taught voice classes, and accompanied other concert performers on piano."Flora Negri Pleases" New York Times (December 20, 1926): 28. {{ProQuest| }}]
Personal life
Nina Dimitrieff married Jacob (James) Massell, a voice teacher and writer, in New York in June 1910.[https://books.google.com/books?id=gNtFAQAAMAAJ&dq=Nina+Dimitrieff+Massell&pg=RA4-PA15 "Edith Kingman Gives First of Series of Sunday Musicales"] Musical America (November 29, 1919): 15. They continued living in New York through at least 1920.[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJY1-XDP "United States Census, 1920"], database with images, FamilySearch (2 February 2021), Nina Massell in entry for Jacob Massell, 1920. She was widowed when he died in 1948 in The Bronx.[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WP8-ZBW "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795–1949"], database, FamilySearch (13 May 2022), Nina in entry for James or Jacob Massell, 1948. Bronx, New York, New York, United States"Deaths" New York Times (December 2, 1948): 29. {{ProQuest| }} She was still alive to renew the copyright on her husband's book, To Sing or Not to Sing, in 1953.
References
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External links
- [https://www.loc.gov/search/?fa=contributor:dimitrieff,+nina Nina Dimitrieff audio recordings at the National Jukebox], Library of Congress.
- [https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Mme.+Nina+Dimitrieff%22 Nina Dimitrieff recordings at Internet Archive.]
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Category:Singers from Saint Petersburg
Category:20th-century Russian women singers
Category:20th-century Russian opera singers
Category:Year of birth uncertain
Category:Year of death unknown