Erma Zarska

Heřma Žárská (born Hermína Maria Žárská, in English known as Erma Zarska or Erma Zareska; 9 June 1889 – 30 March 1971) was a Czech opera singer. She was soprano with the Metropolitan Opera in the 1915–1916 season. She also sang with the National Theatre in Prague and the Slovak National Theatre.

Erma Zarska
A young woman, seated on a bed and smiling, wearing a white dress and black heeled shoes.
Erma Zarska, from the Bain News Service collection, Library of Congress
Born
Hermína Maria Žárská

(1889-06-09)9 June 1889
Olomouc, Austria-Hungary
Died30 March 1971(1971-03-30) (aged 81)
Prague, Czechoslovakia
NationalityCzech
Other namesHeřma Žárská, Erma Zareska
OccupationOpera singer

Personal life

Hermína Maria Žárská was born in Olomouc, the daughter of Ignác Žárský, a blacksmith and carriage builder.[1] She trained as a singer in Prague and Berlin.[2]

Zarska died in Prague in 1971, aged 80 years.[2]

Career

Zarska sang at the Prague National Theatre as a young woman,[3][4] in Hubička, Dalibor, and The Bartered Bride, all operas by Smetana.[2] She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in New York in November 1915;[5][6] however, "a severe cold" affected her voice, and it failed during her debut performance in Lohengrin. "At the end she was singing almost in a whisper," according to the New York Times reviewer.[7] Emmy Destinn returned to the Met to take over the role while Zarska recovered.[8]

Zarska also sang the role of Santuzza in the Met's production of Cavalleria rusticana in February 1916, with Sophie Braslau singing another part.[9][10] During the run of Rusticana, she had a further embarrassment on stage, when her daring gown's shoulder strap slipped and "the audience saw a great deal of Erma", according to reports.[11] She returned to Europe at the end of that season, when her contract was not renewed.[12]

She made recordings for Columbia in 1916.[13][14] She was a soloist with the Slovak National Theatre in the 1921–1922 season.[2]

References
  1. "Ignác Žárský – Historické kočáry" (in Czech). Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  2. "Heřma Žárska, dramatická sopranistka s farebným sopránom a osobným čarom". Opera Slovakia (in Slovak). 2019-06-09. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  3. "Two Opera Singers Arrive". The New York Times. 1915-10-18. p. 9. Retrieved 2020-05-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Name Like Roll of Drum". The Wilkes-Barre Record. 1915-11-12. p. 7. Retrieved 2020-05-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Season of Grand Opera Opens at the Metropolitan". The Theatre. 22: 284–285. December 1915.
  6. "New Members of the Metropolitan Opera". Opera Magazine. 2: 15. November 1915.
  7. "New Singer's Voice Fails at her Debut". The New York Times. 1915-11-27. p. 15. Retrieved 2020-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Metropolitan Opera House". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1915-12-21. p. 6. Retrieved 2020-05-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Fitzgerald, Gerald (2016-06-11). Annals of the Metropolitan Opera: The Complete Chronicle of Performances and Artists. Springer. p. 243. ISBN 978-1-349-11976-9.
  10. "Erma Zarska Reappears". The New York Times. 1916-02-03. p. 7. Retrieved 2020-05-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Her Suspender Slipped". The Washington Herald. 1916-02-15. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-05-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "More French Song in Coming Opera". The Sun. 1916-05-23. p. 9. Retrieved 2020-05-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Downes, Olin (1918). The Lure of Music: Depicting the Human Side of Great Composers, with Stories of Their Inspired Creations. Harper & Brothers. p. 300. ISBN 9780897654326.
  14. "Record Bulletins for September 1916" (PDF). The Talking Machine World. 12: 100. 15 August 1916.
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