Stoltz Rosine, actually Victorine Noël, *13 February 1815 Paris, †28 July 1903 Paris, French singer (mezzo-soprano). Noticed and educated by A. Choron in Paris, she debuted at concerts in Paris and Brussels (1832). She began her stage career in 1837 at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, alongside A. Nourrit, as Rachel in The Jewess by J.F. Halévy, in whose works she enjoyed further success at the Grand Opéra in Paris; she took part in the world premieres of Guido et Ginevra (1838), La reine de Chypre (1841), Charles IV (1843) and Le lazzarone (1844). Appreciated by H. Berlioz and G. Donizetti, she was the first to perform the role of Ascania in Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini (1838) and the role of Leonora, written especially for her, in Donizetti’s La favorita (1840). A turbulent lifestyle and a penchant for intrigue led to Stoltz’s departure from the Paris Opera in 1847 amid a scandal. In 1850–59, she sang in Brazil, maintaining close relations with Emperor Pedro II. In 1860, she ended her singing career with a performance in Lyon.
Literature: G. Bord R. Stoltz de l’Académie royale de musique, Paris 1909; G. Appolonia La maîtresse du Roi overro vita ed avventure della cantatrice R. Stoltz, in: Stagione lirica, ed. F. Bellotto, Bergamo 1998.
