Jane Laval (Soprano) (Nice, France 1894 - ? 1986)

Her real name was Jane Santiard. She studied at the Conservatoire National de Paris, later under Albers and Isnardon. In 1916 she won the Prix du Conservatoire. She made her debut in 1918 at the Grand Opéra in Paris in "Castor et Pollux" by Rameau and appeared in 1919 at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. Here she sang parts such as Siebel in ‘’Faust’’, Stéphano in ‘’Roméo et Juliette’’, Poussette in ‘’Manon’’, Frasquita in ‘’Carmen’’ and Ellen in ‘’Lakmé’. In 1920 she sang at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona. In 1924 she made guest appearances at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo (among other things as Micaela in ‘’Carmen’’ and as Nedda in ‘’Pagliacci’’). In 1921 she again joined to the ensemble of the Grand Opéra in Paris, where she began her career in the opera ‘’Rebecca’’ of César Franck. She performed at the Grand Opéra in the following opera premieres:

1. 6. 1923 Padmâvati (Roussel)

19.11.1925 ‘’Brocéliande’’ (André Bloch)

1927 Rosenkavalier (Richard Strauss)

24.4.1931 Guercoeur (lbéric Magnard)

In 1923 she sang there the part of Emma in M. Mussorgsky’s ‘’Khovantchina’’, in 1926 Ännchen in ‘’Freischütz’’. Later she also added to her repertoire heavier parts such as Elsa in ‘’Lohengrin’’ and Sieglinde in "Walküre". In 1924 she appeared at the Covent Garden in London  as Nedda in ‘’Pagliacci’’. She has also appeared at the Paris Opéra-Comique. She counted as one of the most significant French concert sopranos of her generation.

Chronology of some appearances

1918 Paris Grand Opéra

1919 Buenos Aires Teatro Colón

1920 Barcelona Teatro Liceo

1921 Paris Grand Opéra

1924 Opéra de Monte-Carlo

1924 London Covent Garden

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Columbia

Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer): Cavatine du page LFX4 LX1194

Castor et Pollux (Rameau): Tristes apprêts LF18 WL2098

Le Cid (Massenet): Aria LFX4 LX1195

Thésée (Lully): Revenez amours, revenez LF18 WL2084