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
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Jessner, Irene - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr99032688
Wikidata: Irene Jessner - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q20003260
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/57384288
MusicBrainz: Irene Jessner - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c8221f29-c7cc-40e5-9186-7df74c19322a
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.
