Maria Duchêne
Maria Duchêne-Billiard (5 December 1883 – 2 April 1947) was a French contralto of the Metropolitan Opera from 1912 to 1916. She portrayed such roles as Amneris in Aida, Giulietta in The Tales of Hoffmann, Lola in Cavalleria rusticana, Maddalena in Rigoletto. She sang the role of the Old Woman in L'amore dei tre re, Rosette in Manon, Schwertleite in Die Walküre, and the Solo Madrigalist in Manon Lescaut among others. |
Birth and Death Data: Born (France (country in Western Europe and other continents (through its overseas territories in America, Africa and Oceania))), Died April 2, 1947 (New York City (most populous city in the United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1910 - 1916
Roles Represented in DAHR: contralto
= 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 | B-8745 | 10-in. | 3/25/1910 | Nôtre métier est bon | David Devriès ; Maria Duchêne ; Suzanne Dumesnil ; Charles Gilibert ; Gabrielle Lejeune-Gilibert ; Gaston Leroux | Vocal sextet (soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, 2 tenors, and baritone), with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
| Victor | C-8746 | 12-in. | 3/25/1910 | Nous avons en tête une affaire | Maria Duchêne ; Suzanne Dumesnil ; Charles Gilibert ; Gabrielle Lejeune-Gilibert ; Gaston Leroux ; Victor Orchestra | Vocal quintet (soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor, and baritone), with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
| Victor | C-14660 | 12-in. | 4/3/1914 | E scherzo od è follia | Enrico Caruso ; Maria Duchêne ; Frieda Hempel ; Léon Rothier ; Andrés de Segurola | Vocal quintet (soprano, contralto, tenor, and 2 basses), with chorus and orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
| Victor | C-15772 | 12-in. | 3/9/1915 | Es dämmert | Ema Destinnová ; Maria Duchêne | Vocal duet (soprano and contralto), with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
| Victor | C-15905 | 12-in. | 4/16/1915 | O viens mon doux berger | Ema Destinnová ; Maria Duchêne | Vocal duet (soprano and contralto), with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
| Victor | B-17496 | 10-in. | 4/14/1916 | Von dem Rosenbusch o Mutter | Ema Destinnová ; Maria Duchêne | Vocal duet (soprano and contralto), with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
| Edison | 2585 | 10-in. | 11/25/1913 | Ah! Mon fils | Maria Duchêne | Contralto vocal solo, with ochestra | vocalist, contralto | |
| Edison | 2682 | 10-in. | 1/6/1914 | Ah! Mon fils | Maria Duchêne | Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto | |
| Edison | 2683 | 10-in. | 1/6/1914 | Stride la vampa | Maria Duchêne | Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, contralto |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Duchêne, Maria," accessed January 22, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107519.
Duchêne, Maria. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107519.
"Duchêne, Maria." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 22 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Duchêne, Maria - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n97060760
Wikidata: Maria Duchêne - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6761157
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/5127928
MusicBrainz: Maria Duchêne - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c86cfaa9-2e72-44d4-b021-c55358a59ddf
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1534209 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1534209
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