Marie Jahn
Marie Jahn (18 February 1865 – 26 October 1934) was an Austrian soprano.
Life and career
Marie Jahn was born in Vienna, Austria on 18 February 1865.[1] She was trained as a soprano at the Vienna Conservatory (now the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna).[2] She made her professional debut as Alice in Giacomo Meyerbeer's Robert le diable at the Semperoper in Dresden in 1887.[3] She was a resident artist at that theatre for three years.[4]
In 1890 Jahne left Dresden to briefly join the Stadttheater Magdeburg before coming to America where she performed for one season in New York at the Metropolitan Opera ("Met") in 1890-1891.[4] She made her debut at the Met on 26 November 1890 in the duo-role of Nefta/Suor Clotilde in the United States premiere of Alberto Franchetti's Asrael.[5][6] This was followed by the roles of Venus in Tannhäuser (1890)[7][8] and Elsa in Lohengrin (1890).[9] In reviewing her performance in Asrael, The New York Times stated: "Fräulein Marie Jahn, the Nefta, has a very agreeable soprano voice. It is light, but not thin, fresh and unworn, sufficient in compass and delightfully smooth."[10]
On January 9, 1891 Jahne performed the part of Katharine in the United States premiere of Diana von Solange at the Metropolitan Opera House.[11] Other roles she performed at the Met in 1891 included Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,[12] Gutrune in Götterdämmerung,[13] Micaëla in Carmen,[14] and Sieglinde in Die Walküre.[15]
Jahn was a principal soprano with the Staatsoper Hannover from 1891-1905. Her repertoire at that house included many roles in operas by Richard Wagner; among them Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, Elsa, and Senta in The Flying Dutchman.[3] Other roles in her repertoire included Desdemona in Otello, Euridice in Orfeo ed Euridice, Micaëla, Pamina in The Magic Flute, and the title role in Euryanthe. Her final opera performance was in Hannover in 1905 as Wagner's Elisabeth. She also had a career as a concert soprano.[4]
Jahn worked as a voice teacher in Hannover after her retirement from performance.[3] She died there on 26 October 1934.[1]
References
- ^ a b Obermayer-Marnach, Eva; Santifaller, Leo (1965). "Jahn, Marie". Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950 (PDF) (in German). Vol. 3: Hübl Heinrich – Knoller Richard. Austrian Academy of Sciences. p. 62. ISBN 3-7001-1329-3.
- ^ Eisenberg, Ludwig (1903). Großes biographisches Lexikon der deutschen Bühne im XIX. Jahrhundert (in German). Leipzig: Paul List. p. 471.
- ^ a b c Thielen, Hugo (2002). "Jahn, (1) Marie". In Böttcher, Dirk; Mlynek, Klaus; Röhrbein, Waldemar R.; Thielen, Hugo (eds.). Hannoversches Biographisches Lexikon. Von den Anfängen bis in die Gegenwart. Hannover: Schlütersche. p. 186. ISBN 3-87706-706-9.
- ^ a b c Kutsch, K. J.; Riemens, Leo (2003). "Jahn, Marie". In Rost, Hansjörg (ed.). Grosses Sängerlexikon (in German). K. G. Saur Verlag. p. 2222. ISBN 978-3-598-44088-5.
- ^ "Metropolitan Opera House". The New York Times. December 2, 1890. p. 4.
- ^ "Asrael at the Metropolitan. The German Opera Season Opens with an Italian Novelty". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 28, 1890. p. 7.
- ^ "Boxes at the Opera". New-York Tribune. November 16, 1890. p. 7.
- ^ E. W. M. (December 2, 1890). "Opera in New York". Boston Evening Transcript. p. 6.
- ^ "German Opera". Brooklyn Eagle. December 11, 1890. p. 5.
- ^ "Metropolitan Opera House". The New York Times. December 2, 1890. p. 4.
- ^ "United States Premiere, New Production Diana von Solange". Metropolitan Opera Archives. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
- ^ "Music: Wagner's Comic Opera". New-York Tribune. January 15, 1891. p. 6.
- ^ "Music: Die Goetterdaemmerung". New-York Tribune. February 14, 1891. p. 6.
- ^ Brockway, Wallace (1966). The World of Opera: The Story of its Development and the Lore of its Performance. Random House. p. 451.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Gerald; Uppman, Jean Seward (1988). "Who Was Who in Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Met". In Poole, Jane L.; Kellow, Brian (eds.). The Ring: Metropolitan Opera. Metropolitan Opera Guild. p. 100.