WalkerEdyth (1867 - 1950)

American mezzo-soprano and soprano

Edyth Walker in Elektra by Richard Strauss, London 1910 (Motisi collection)

Edyth Walker, the great American mezzo-soprano and soprano, made her debut on November 11, 1894 at the Berlin Opera as Fides in Giacomo's The Prophet Meyerbeer. The following year she became principal mezzo-soprano at the Vienna Opera for eight seasons, and made guest appearances at other European theaters. She made her debut at London's Royal Opera House in the role of Amneris on May 16, 1900.

After a dispute with Gustav Mahler, Walker returned to the United States and made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1903. It was at this time that she began to add soprano roles to her repertoire, starting with the Valkyrie Brünhilde in 1905.

From 1906 onwards, she returned to Europe, specializing increasingly in the German Repertoire of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. She took part in the British premiere ofElektra in 1910.

After retiring from the stage in 1918, she taught singing in France and the United States.

His voice is preserved on several gramophone recordings, mainly for His Master's Voice, between 1902 and 1908.

Discover the artist's world through various documents: each image opens the door to one of his interpretations, his portraits in civilian clothes, his autographs or press articles about him from the period