Mary Jarred (9 October 1899 – 12 December 1993) was an
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
opera singer of the mid-twentieth century. She is sometimes classed as a
mezzo-sopranoA mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
and sometimes as a
contraltoAlto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high", that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence, for...
.
Opera
After studying at the
Royal College of MusicThe Royal College of Music is a conservatoire located in the South Kensington district of London, England.-Background:The Royal College of Music's building, designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield, is situated on Prince Consort Road in the district of South Kensington, next to Imperial College, directly...
, Jarred sang minor roles at
Covent GardenThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in the London district of Covent Garden. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal...
beginning in 1929. On the recommendation of
Lauritz MelchiorLauritz Melchior was a Danish and later American opera singer. He was the pre-eminent Wagnerian tenor of the late 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, and has since come to be considered the quintessence of his voice type.-Biography:...
, she was invited to the
Hamburg State OperaThe Hamburg State Opera is one of the leading opera companies in Germany.Opera in Hamburg dates back to 2 January 1678 when the "Opern-Theatrum" was inaugurated with a performance of a biblical Singspiel by Johann Theile...
and remained there as a guest artist for the following three years. Her roles included the Nurse in
Richard StraussRichard Georg Strauss was a German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, particularly of operas, Lieder and tone poems...
's
Die Frau ohne SchattenDie Frau ohne Schatten is an opera in three acts by Richard Strauss with a libretto by his long-time collaborator, the poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal. When the work premiered in Vienna on 10 October 1919, critics and audiences were unenthusiastic...
and several in contemporary works by
Hans PfitznerHans Erich Pfitzner was a German composer and self-described anti-modernist. His best known work is the post-Romantic opera Palestrina, loosely based on the life of the great sixteenth-century composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.-Biography:Born in Moscow, Russia, Pfitzner spent most of his...
and
Alban BergAlban Maria Johannes Berg was an Austrian composer. He was a member of the Second Viennese School with Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, and produced compositions that combined Mahlerian Romanticism with a personal adaptation of Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique.-Life and work:Berg was born in...
. In 1933, she sang Orpheus in Gluck's
Orpheus and EurydiceOrpheus and Eurydice is a tale from Greek legend. Works making holistic use of this legend include:-Literature:* The Death of Eurydice episode which occurs in Book X of Metamorphoses by Ovid * Sir Orfeo, anonymous narrative poem Orpheus and Eurydice is a tale from Greek legend. Works making...
for Sadler's Wells Opera.
At Covent Garden she sang every year from 1933 until 1939, when the theatre closed at the outbreak of war. She sang Erda in
Das RheingoldDas Rheingold is the first of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
and
SiegfriedSiegfried is the third of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner. It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 16 August 1876, as part of the first complete performance of The Ring.-Composition:- Roles :- Act 1 :Mime, Alberich's brother, is forging a...
, and Fricka in
Die WalküreDie Walküre is the second of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
. In 1934, she sang Margret in the first British broadcast performance of
WozzeckWozzeck is the first opera by the Austrian composer Alban Berg. It was composed between 1914 and 1922 and first performed in 1925. Since then it has established a solid place for itself in the mainstream operatic tradition, and modern productions are consistently sold out...
for the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
, conducted by
Adrian BoultSir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor.-Biography:Boult was born in Chester and educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. As a schoolboy, he attended Sir Henry Wood's Saturday afternoon and Sunday concert series, seeing Debussy and Arthur Nikisch conduct...
. During and immediately after the Second World War, Jarred performed in recitals and concerts. She returned to opera in 1953, as the brothel keeper in the British stage première of Stravinsky's
The Rake's ProgressThe Rake's Progress is an opera in three acts and an epilogue by Igor Stravinsky. The libretto, written by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, is based loosely on the eight paintings and engravings A Rake's Progress of William Hogarth, which Stravinsky had seen on May 2, 1947, in a Chicago...
Concerts and later years
In concert, she was famed as
contraltoIn music, a contralto is a type of classical female singing voice with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano. The term is used to refer to the deepest female singing voice. The typical contralto range lies between the F below middle C to two Fs above middle C...
soloist in
HandelHANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
's
MessiahMessiah is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel based on a libretto by Charles Jennens. Composed in the summer of 1741 and premiered in Dublin on 13 April 1742, Messiah is Handel's most famous creation and is among the most popular works in Western choral literature...
, Bach's
St Matthew Passion, Mendelssohn's
ElijahElijah is an oratorio written by Felix Mendelssohn in 1846 for the Birmingham Festival. It depicts various events in the life of the Biblical prophet Elijah, taken from the books 1 Kings and 2 Kings in the Old Testament.-The music and its style:...
and Beethoven's
Choral SymphonyThe Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "Choral" is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire and is considered one of Beethoven's greatest masterpieces.The symphony was the first example of...
. She was also a well-known Angel in Elgar's
The Dream of GerontiusThe Dream of Gerontius, popularly called just Gerontius, is an oratorio in two parts composed by Edward Elgar in 1900, to text from the poem by Cardinal Newman. It relates the journey of a pious man's soul from his deathbed to his judgment before God and settling into Purgatory. It is widely...
.
The Times commented: "In all these parts her commitment, sincerity and warmth of personality were abundantly evident." On 5 October 1938, she was one of the original 16 singers in Vaughan Williams's
Serenade to MusicThe Serenade to Music is a setting by Ralph Vaughan Williams for 16 vocal soloists and orchestra. The composer drew the text from the discussion about music and the music of the spheres in Act V, scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. The serenade was later arranged by the...
.
After her retirement, she was a professor at the
Royal Academy of MusicThe Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
from 1965 to 1973. Along with
Eva TurnerDame Eva Turner DBE was an English dramatic soprano. Her strong, steady and well-trained voice was renowned for its clarion power in Italian and German operatic roles.-Career:...
and Roy Henderson, Mary Jarred took part in a BBC Radio broadcast written and presented by John Steane in 1989 celebrating the 50th anniversary of the
Serenade to Music.
Jarred died at the age of 94.
Recordings
Jarred's recordings include the following:
- Bedřich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He is thus widely regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music...
: The Bartered BrideThe Bartered Bride is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The opera is considered to have made a major contribution towards the development of Czech music...
Marko Rothmüller (baritoneBaritone is a type of classical male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek βαρύτονος, meaning 'deep sounding', music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second G below middle C to the F above...
), Sabine Kalter (mezzo soprano), Stella Andreva (sopranoA soprano is a singing voice with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music...
), Heinrich Tessmer (tenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
), Fritz Krenn (bass), Richard TauberRichard Tauber was an Austrian tenor acclaimed as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Some critics commented that "his heart felt every word he sang".-Early life:...
, Mary Jarred (mezzo soprano), Arnold Matters (bass), Hilde Konetzni (soprano), London Philharmonic OrchestraThe London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
, Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus, Sir Thomas BeechamSir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, CH was a British conductor and impresario. From the early twentieth century until his death, Beecham was a major influence on the musical life of Britain and, according to Neville Cardus, was the first British conductor to have a regular international career.From...
(conductor), Somm 14
- Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director and essayist, primarily known for his operas...
: Der Fliegende HolländerDer fliegende Holländer is an opera, with music and libretto by Richard Wagner. The story comes from the legend of the Flying Dutchman, about a ship captain condemned to sail until Judgment Day....
- abridged Ben Williams (tenor), Herbert JanssenHerbert Janssen was a German baritone.- Biography :Janssen, who came from a music loving family, received his first singing lessons in his early youth...
(baritone), Kirsten FlagstadKirsten Målfrid Flagstad was a Norwegian opera singer, and a highly regarded Wagnerian soprano of the 20th century....
(soprano), Ludwig WeberLudwig Weber was an Austrian bass. He initially planned to pursue a career as a teacher and artist when he discovered his vocal promise and decided to pursue an opera career...
(bass); Mary Jarred (contralto), Max Lorenz (tenor), Royal Opera House Chorus, Covent Garden Choir, London Philharmonic OrchestraThe London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
, Fritz ReinerFrederick Martin “Fritz” Reiner was a prominent conductor of opera and symphonic music in the twentieth century.-Biography:...
(conductor), Standing Room Only
- Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He was a crucial figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music, and remains one of the most acclaimed and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, of the Electorate of Cologne and...
: Symphony No 9The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "Choral" is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire and is considered one of Beethoven's greatest masterpieces.The symphony was the first example of...
: Arturo ToscaniniArturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th Centuries, he was renowned for his brilliant intensity, his restless perfectionism, his phenomenal ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
conductor, BBC S.O., Isobel BaillieDame Isobel Baillie, DBE was a Scottish soprano, popular in opera, oratorio and lieder....
, Mary Jarred, Parry JonesParry Jones , known early in his career as Gwynn Jones, was a Welsh tenor of the mid-twentieth century.-Life and career:...
, Harold Williams. Live performance, 3 November, 1937, Queen's Hall, London. Music & Arts 1144
- Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He was a crucial figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music, and remains one of the most acclaimed and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, of the Electorate of Cologne and...
: Mass in D Major, Missa SolemnisThe Missa solemnis in D Major, Op. 123 was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819-1823. It was first performed on April 7, 1824 in St. Petersburg, under the auspices of Beethoven's patron Prince Nikolai Galitzin; an incomplete performance was given in Vienna on 7 May 1824, when the Kyrie,...
, Op. 123, London Philharmonic OrchestraThe London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
, Leeds Festival ChorusThe Leeds Festival Chorus is an amateur chorus in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with 170 singing members in soprano, alto, tenor and bass sections...
, Isobel BaillieDame Isobel Baillie, DBE was a Scottish soprano, popular in opera, oratorio and lieder....
soprano, Mary Jarred (contralto), Heddle NashHeddle Nash was an English lyric tenor who enjoyed an outstanding stage career in opera and oratorio during the 1920s, '30s and '40s. He also made numerous recordings.- Early studies and debut :...
tenor, Keith Faulkner (bass), Sir Thomas BeechamSir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, CH was a British conductor and impresario. From the early twentieth century until his death, Beecham was a major influence on the musical life of Britain and, according to Neville Cardus, was the first British conductor to have a regular international career.From...
(conductor) Somm SOMM-BEECHAM 11
- Mary Jarred, contralto; The BBC Orchestra, Section F; Clarence Raybould, conductor Elgar's Interpreters on Record, Volume 5: Broadcasts from the Leech Collection at the British Library (1935-1950) Elgar Society EECD003-005 (Sea Pictures
Sea Pictures, Op. 37 is a song cycle by Sir Edward Elgar consisting of five songs written by various poets. It was set for contralto and orchestra, though a distinct version for piano was often performed by Elgar...
"Sea Slumber Song"Sea Slumber Song" is a poem by the Hon. Roden Noel set to music by Sir Edward Elgar as the first song in his song-cycle Sea Pictures.-Lyrics:The poem here is as sung in Sea Pictures....
" complete, "Sabbath Morning at Sea"Sabbath Morning at Sea" is a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning set to music by Sir Edward Elgar as the third song in his song-cycle Sea Pictures.-Lyrics:[Italicised text denotes line repeated in the song but not in the original poem...
" to bar 84, "The Swimmer"The Swimmer" a short story by American author John Cheever, published in 1964 in the short story collection The Brigadier and the Golf Widow. Originally conceived as a novel and pared down from over 150 pages of notes, it is probably Cheever's most famous and frequently anthologized story...
" bars between 74 and 107 are missing)