Description

HEŘMA ŽÁRSKÁ (BORN HERMÍNA MARIA ŽÁRSKÁ, IN ENGLISH KNOWN AS ERMA ZARSKA OR ERMA ZARESKA; OLOMOUC, 9 JUNE, 1889 – PRAGUE, 30 MARCH, 1971)

 

 

 

 

Hermína Maria Žárská was born in Olomouc, the daughter of Ignác Žárský, a blacksmith and carriage builder. She trained as a singer in Prague and later in Berlin. From 1913 to 1914, she studied at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin with Alfredo Cairati.

As a young artist, Žárská sang at the National Theatre in Prague, appearing in Smetana’s Hubička, Dalibor, and The Bartered Bride. She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in November 1915, but her performance in Lohengrin was adversely affected by a severe cold, which caused her voice to weaken during the evening. Contemporary reviews reported that she finished the performance with barely audible singing. Emmy Destinn returned to the company to assume the role while Žárská recovered.

In February 1916, Žárská appeared at the Met as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana, with Sophie Braslau among the cast. During the run, she experienced a minor costume mishap on stage that attracted press attention. At the end of the season, her contract was not renewed, and she returned to Europe.

She made recordings for Columbia in 1916 and was engaged as a soloist with the Slovak National Theatre during the 1921–1922 season. Žárská died in Prague in 1971 at the age of 81.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Andulko mé díté Columbia E2844 43845 1915/1916, New York

Hubička (Smetana) Ukolébavka Columbia E3356 43856 1915/1916, New York

Jenom ty mně má panenko pověz Columbia E2845 43851 1915/1916, New York

Loučení, loučení Columbia E2814 43834 1915/1916, New York

Na tej louce zelený Columbia E2813 43835 1915/1916, New York

Nad berounkou pod tetínem Columbia E2844 43844 1915/1916, New York

Pod tim našim oknem teče vodička Columbia E2813 43847 1915/1916, New York

Rusalka (Dvořák) Měsičku na nebi hlubokém Columbia E3356 43857 1915/1916, New York

Šla panenka k zpovídání Columbia E2814 43846 1915/1916, New York

Včerá neděle byla Columbia E3091 43836 1915/1916, New York

Zasviť mi ty slunko zlaté Columbia E3091 43840 1915/1916, New York