NIKITA [NICHOLSON, Margaret Louise Putnam] (b Washington, DC, 18 August 1872; d unknown)

This chapter presents a biography of mid- to late-19th-century singer Mademoiselle Nikita. The Virginia story is the first and most fatally ghastly piece of all the fakery that would surround 'Nikita'. 'Mlle Nikita', born in Virginia, got carried off by marauding Indians, at Niagara, when just a tiny tot. Nikita was kept on the bills, braving appearances alongside such as Clarice Sinico, and featuring, alongside 'Batti, batti', 'The Last Rose of Summer' and a slice of Salvator Rosa, a run of Arditi songs: 'L'estasi', 'Fior di Margherita', 'The International Song'. The Musikalisches Wochenblatt devoted half a column from its Odessa correspondent deprecating die Trompetenfanfaren der Reclame around the singer. Nikita headed back to Russia and Central Europe, now billed as Die amerikanische Nachtigall, fulfilled a concert tour with the pianist Harold Bauer and – the Persian Prince having been exploded – again began being cantatrice de la cour du Duc de Saxe-Gotha.