Jeanne Gordon (born Ruby May Gordon, January 26, 1885 – February 22, 1952) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

contralto A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to ...

opera singer active during the early 1900s. Gordon was born as Ruby May Gordon in

Wallaceburg Wallaceburg ( 2021 population 10,323) is an unincorporated community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent in Southern (Southwestern) Ontario, Canada. Originally a small settlement, it was recognized for its significant contribution to the lum ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada on January 26, 1885, to businessman and politician David Alexander Gordon (1858–1919) and Rose Fox (1867–1940). Gordon got her big break in July 1919. She was called to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and offered a three-year

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

contract by

Giulio Gatti-Casazza Giulio Gatti-Casazza (3 February 1869 – 2 September 1940) was an Italian opera manager. He was general manager of La Scala in Milan, Italy, from 1898 to 1908 and later the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1908 to 1935. Biography ...

. Shortly after signing her contract she changed her name to Jeanne Gordon. Her debut performance was as Azucena in '' Il trovatore'' on 22 November 1919. In 1919, she created the roles of the Fairy and Madame Berlingot in '' L'oiseau bleu'' by Albert Wolff in its world premiere. Gordon recorded 78s for Columbia and Victor in the 1920s. She made guest appearances with the

Opéra de Monte-Carlo The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is an opera house which is part of the Monte Carlo Casino located in the Monaco, Principality of Monaco. With the lack of cultural diversions available in Monaco in the 1870s, Charles III, Prince of Monaco, Prince Charl ...

in 1928. In 1933 she had a

nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

. She died of a heart attack at age 67 in

Macon, Missouri Macon is a city in and the county seat of Macon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,457 at the 2020 census. History Macon was platted in 1856. Like the county, Macon was named for Nathaniel Macon. A post office called "Macon C ...

on February 22, 1952.

References

External links

* * 1920 recording of Madrigal of May at archive.org
Mignon "Connais Tu Le Pays" (Knowest Thou The Land)
at archive.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Jeanne 1885 births 1952 deaths 20th-century Canadian women opera singers Canadian contraltos Operatic contraltos People from Chatham-Kent Singers from Ontario Canadian expatriates in the United States