Mary Garden (Soprano) (Aberdeen, Scotland 1874 - Aberdeen, Scotland 1967)

In 1897 Garden and her singing instructor, Mrs. Robinson Duff, traveled to Paris to seek a European musical education. She sang before several of the most famous vocal coaches before finally settling with Fugère, although she never was entirely satisfied with any of them. Before long, Garden's financial backing was gone. According to Garden's own account she had a chance meeting with Sibyl Sanderson, who commiserated with the hapless student and invited her to stay at her Champs-Elysees apartment. Sanderson invited Albert Carré, director of the Opéra-Comique, to her home for dinner in January of 1900 and Garden sang for him. On 13 April 1900, Garden stepped into a performance of Louise midway through when the creator of the title role, Marthe Rioton, took ill. The rest, of course, is history. Seen here as Aphrodite.

Chronology of some appearances

Louise 3/26/1908, Thaïs 11/24/1908, Jean 12/3/1908, Méliande 2/9/1909, (Filadelfia) Salomè 2/11/1909, Louise 3/18/1909, Fanny Legrand 11/20/1909, Jean (Filadelfia) 12/9/1909, Marguerite 1/20/1910, Grisélidis 1/22/1910, Thaïs 1/25/1910, (Filadelfia) Marguerite 2/1/1910, Louise 3/12/1910, Marguerite 3/19/1910, Méliande (Filadelfia) 3/22/1910, Juliette 3/26/1910, Marguerite 3/26/1910, Thaïs 1/21/1911, 1/24/1911, (Filadelfia) Louise 1/28/1911, 1/31/1911, Méliande 2/7/1911, 2/10/1911, Natoma 2/25/1911, (Filadelfia) 2/28/1911, 3/3/1911, Jean 3/6/1911, 3/14/1911, Natoma 3/28/1911, Jean (Filadelfia) 3/30/1911, Thaïs 4/1/1911, Natoma 4/3/1911, Carmen 11/3/1911, La (Filadelfia) Prince Charmant 11/6/1911, Thaïs 11/7/1911, 11/11/1911, Carmen (Filadelfia) 11/13/1911, La Prince Charmant 11/17/1911, Carmen 2/13/1912, La Prince (Filadelfia) Charmant 2/17/1912, 2/20/1912, Thaïs 2/21/1912, Natoma 2/24/1912, Jean (Filadelfia) 2/27/1912, 2/28/1912, Marguerite 3/2/1912, Méliande 3/4/1912, Thaïs (Filadelfia) 3/12/1912, Carmen 3/14/1912, Louise 3/20/1912, Natoma 3/25/1912, Louise (Filadelfia) 3/26/1912, 2/4/1913, Floria Tosca 2/7/1913, Jean 2/8/1913, Floria Tosca (Filadelfia) 2/12/1913, 2/14/1913, Thaïs 2/15/1913, 2/18/1913, Floria Tosca 11/3/1913, La (Filadelfia) belle Dulcinée 11/15/1913, Floria Tosca 11/21/1913, La belle Dulcinée (Filadelfia) 2/3/1914, Manon Lescaut 2/7/1914, Louise 2/10/1914, Thaïs 2/12/1914, (Filadelfia) Monna Vanna 2/14/1914, 2/17/1914, Louise 2/19/1914, Manon Lescaut (Filadelfia) 2/25/1914, Cléopâtre 3/3/1919, Gismonda 3/5/1919, Thaïs 3/7/1919, Salomè (Filadelfia) 2/28/1922, Jean 3/1/1922, Méliande 3/3/1922, Monna Vanna (Filadelfia) 3/4/1922, Jean 10/31/1929, 10/23/1930 (Filadelfia).

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Pathé cylinders, London 1903?
Comin' thro' the rye (trad) 50088
Jock o' Hazeldean (trad) 50091

G&T, Paris 1904
Ariettes Oubliées (Debussy): Nr 5: Green, Aquarelle Nr 1 33451 3077F
Ariettes Oubliées (Debussy): Nr 3: L'ombre des arbres dans la rivière 33450 3076F
Ariettes Oubliées (Debussy) Nr 2; Il pleure dans mon coeur 33449 3074F
Pelléas et Mélisande (Debussy) Mes longs cheveux 33447 3078F

Edison 2-min cylinders, Paris 1904?
Chérubin (Massenet): Chanson du duc 17020

Edison 2-min cylinders, Paris 1905?
Chant vénitien (Bemberg)  17323

Columbia, New York 1911-03-14
Traviata (Verdi): E strano! è strano!... Ah, fors'è lui (Fr) 30695 A5284
Traviata (Verdi): Follie! Follie!... Sempre libera (Fr) 30696 A5284

Columbia, New York 1911-03-21
Jongleur de Notre-Dame (Massenet): Liberté! Libertè! 30699 A5289

Columbia, New York 1912-05-17
John Anderson my Jo (Marais) A1190 19886
Louise (Charpentier): Depuis le jour A5440 36385
Thaïs (Massenet): C'est Éros! c'est l'amour!... L'amour est une vertu rare A5440 36386
Jock o'Hazeldean (trad) A1191 19888

Columbia, New York 1912-05-18
The blue bell of Scotland (trad) A1191 19891

Victor, Camden NJ 1914-03-06
Comin' thro' the rye (old Scottish air) 64422 B14555

Victor, Camden NJ 1915-06-15
Kathleen Mavourneen (Crouch) 88546 C16106

Victor, Camden NJ 1926-11-03
Risurrezione (Alfano): Dio pietoso (Fr) 6623 CVE36735
Hérodiade (Massenet): Celui dont la parole... Il est doux 30701 A5289

Victor, New York 1929-11-04
Beau soir (Debussy) 1439 BVE57524
Clair de lune (Szulc) 1439 BVE57525

Victor, New York 1929-11-05
Carmen (Bizet): Voyons, que j'essaie à mon tour... En vain pour éviter 1539 BVE57526