Mady Mesplé

Mady Mesplé (7 March 1931 – 30 May 2020) was a French opera singer. She was a well known coloratura soprano in France. She was born in Toulouse, France. Her career lasted from 1953 to 1985.

Career

Mesplé appeared at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Royal Opera House in London, La Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

During the 1960s, Mesplé appeared mant times on French television. She was also the first to sing the French version of Hans Werner Henze's Elegy for Young Lovers in 1965, and Pierre Boulez chose Mesplé for his performances of Arnold Schoenberg's Jacob's Ladder.

During the 1970s she added operettas to her repertoire, especially by Jacques Offenbach, such as La Vie parisienne, Orphée aux enfers and La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein, opposite Régine Crespin.

She was made Grand Officier of the Legion of Honour in 2015 and honored with the Grand Cross of the Ordre national du Mérite in 2019.

Death

Mesplé died on 30 May 2020 in Toulouse from Parkinson's disease-related problems at the age of 89.

More readings

• Alain Pâris, Dictionnaire des interprètes et de l’interprétation musicale au XX siècle (2 vols), Éditions Robert Laffont (Bouquins, Paris 1982, 4th Edn. 1995, 5th Edn 2004). ISBN 2-221-06660-X
• Roland Mancini and Jean-Jacques Rouveroux, (orig. H. Rosenthal and J. Warrack, French edition), Guide de l’opéra, Les indispensables de la musique (Fayard, 1995). ISBN 2-213-59567-4