Real Names of Opera Singers

Nellie Melba was born
Helen Porter Mitchell
Named after Melbourne, Australia, near where she was born.

Elisabeth Rethberg
Elisabeth Seattler
No idea where the Rethberg came from.

Titta Ruffo
Ruffo Titta
It seems that his parents named him ”Ruffo” after the late family dog.

Lillian Nordica
Lillian Norton
An Italian maestro told her that an American name would hurt her career.

Lucrezia Bori
Lucrezia Borgia
For obvious reasons.

Rosa Ponselle
Rose Ponzelli
Her middle name: Melba.
Does Ponselle sound classier?

Lotte Schoene
Charlotte Bodenstein
It didn't help. She had to flee Nazi Germany.