Irene Jessner

Irene Jessner (August 28, 1901 – January 10, 1994) was an Austrian-born American soprano and music educator. She began her opera career in Europe in 1930. From 1936 to 1952 she was a principal soprano at the Metropolitan Opera. She became a naturalized American citizen in 1938. While she was particularly associated with the operas of Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner, her repertoire also encompassed works from the Italian and French opera literature. Her most celebrated roles were Chrysthomenis in Elektra, the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, and Sieglinde in Die Walküre; all parts which she recorded and which she performed both at the Metropolitan Opera and as a guest artist with other organizations. She was a celebrated voice teacher at the University of Toronto from 1952 until her retirement in 1986. She also taught on the faculty of The Royal Conservatory of Music in the 1950s. Several of her pupils had successful careers, including Teresa Stratas. Canadian musicologist Carl Morey described her as "one of the few truly outstanding voice teachers in Canada.”

Birth and Death Data: Died January 10, 1994

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940

Roles Represented in DAHR: soprano vocal

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor CS-048406 12-in. 3/21/1940 Marietta's song Irene Jessner ; Bruno Reibold ; Victor Symphony Orchestra Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor CS-048407 12-in. 3/21/1940 La mama morta Irene Jessner ; Bruno Reibold ; Victor Symphony Orchestra Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor CS-048408 12-in. 3/21/1940 Slumber song Irene Jessner ; Bruno Reibold ; Victor Symphony Orchestra Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor CS-048409 12-in. 3/21/1940 The queen of spades (Pique dame) : Scene and arioso Irene Jessner ; Bruno Reibold ; Victor Symphony Orchestra Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor CS-048410 12-in. 3/21/1940 Liebesfeier (Love's festival) Irene Jessner ; Bruno Reibold ; Victor Symphony Orchestra Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor CS-048411 12-in. 3/21/1940 Melodrama and aria Irene Jessner ; Bruno Reibold ; Victor Symphony Orchestra Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jessner, Irene," accessed January 3, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116835.

Jessner, Irene. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 3, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116835.

"Jessner, Irene." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 3 January 2026.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116835

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