Jean Madeira
Introduction '''Jean Madeira''', née '''Jean Browning''' (November 14, 1918, in Centralia, Illinois – July 10, 1972, in Providence, Rhode Island) was an American contralto, particularly known for her work in late-romantic German repertoire such as the operas of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.When she was a child her family moved to East St. Louis, Illinois, where she attended high school, and she later studied with Florence Kimball at the Juilliard School in New York City. She made her debut in opera in Chatauqua, as Nancy in ''Martha'', by Flotow. In 1955, the singer and actress successfully sang the title role in ''Carmen'' with the Vienna State Opera. She sang approximately 300 times at the Metropolitan Opera in forty-one roles, between 1948 and 1971.Her last appearance there was in ''Elektra'', opposite Birgit Nilsson and Leonie Rysanek. Jean Madeira was a second-cousin of the composer Amy Beth Kirsten.
Abridged discography * Bizet: ''Carmen'' as Carmen (Filacuridi; Dervaux, 1957) Pathé* Britten: ''Peter Grimes'' (Jon Vickers; 1967) Immortal Performances* Falla: ''Three Cornered Hat'' (Vienna Symphony) Tuxedo Music* Mozart: ''Le nozze di Figaro'' as Marcellina (Siepi, Conner, Valdengo, de los Angeles; Met, Fritz Reiner, 1952) Myto* Mozart: ''Requiem in D Minor, K.626'' (NBC Symphony, Arturo Toscanini, 1950) RCA Victor* Pochielli: ''La Gioconda'' as La Cieca (Milanov, Warren, Barbieri, Siepi; Met, Cleva, 1953) Gala* Puccini: ''Madama Butterfly'' as Suzuki (Steber, Tucker, Valdengo; Met, Rudolf, 1949) Sony* Puccini: ''Manon Lescaut'' (Kirsten, J.Björling, Valdengo; Met, Antonicelli, 1949) Myto* Saint-Saëns: ''Samson et Delilah'' as Delilah (Del Monaco; Teatro di San Carlo, Molinari-Pradelli, 1959) Hardy Classic* Strauss: ''Elektra'' as Clytemnestra (Borkh, Schech, Uhl, Fischer-Dieskau; Böhm, 1960) DG* Strauss: ''Elektra'', as Clytemnestra (Nilsson, Rysanek, Nagy, Stewart; Met, Bohm, 1971)  Met On Demand* Verdi: ''Aida'' as Amneris (Rysanek, London, Frick, Hopf; Vienna State Opera, Kubelik, 1955) Orfeo* Verdi: ''Requiem'' (Vienna Symphony, Erich Kleiber 1955) Melodram* Verdi: ''Un ballo in maschera'' as Ulrica (Bergonzi, Rysanek, Merrill; Santi, 1962) Living Stage* Wagner: ''Das Rheingold'' as Erda (Flagstad, London; Solti, 1958) Decca*Wagner: ''Die Walkure'' as Fricka (Nilsson, Rysanek, Ludwig, Hotter, Frick, Suthaus; La Scala, Karajan, 1958) Myto; IDIS* Wagner: ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' as Erda, Rossweisse & First Norn (Bayreuth, Knappertsbusch, 1956) Orfeo* Wagner ''Parsifal'' (Svanholm, Varnay, London, Hotter; Met, Stiedry, 1954) Adonis
References *  * Madeira, Jean (Mezzo-soprano) on the MetOpera Database
External links Villecco, Tony. A Voice Like Velvet; Remembering Contralto Jean Madeira. ''Classical Singer Magazine'' Oct. 2012. *  (1958). *  (1958). * Jean Madeira fan page on Facebook* Jean Madeira, 53, A Metropolitan Contralto* Jean Madeira's Final Opera Performance (alongside Birgit Nilsson and Leonie Rysanek in Elektra, 27 February 1971)* Francis Madeira Dies At 100