Marguerite d'Alvarez (c. 1884 – 18 October 1953) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

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

, born Margarita Amelia Alvarez de Rocafuerte. She sang on the opera and concert stages, for recordings, and in radio concerts, and appeared in three films.

Early life

D'Alvarez was born in

Bootle Bootle (pronounced ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, which had a population of 51,394 in 2011; the wider Parliamentary constituency had a population of 98,449. Historically part of Lancashire, Bootle's ...

, though she is sometimes mentioned as being born in Peru. Her father, Benjamín Álvarez de Buenavista, was a Peruvian diplomat, and her mother was French. Her brother was also a diplomat. She studied at the

Brussels Conservatoire The Royal Conservatory of Brussels (french: Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles, nl, Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel) is a historic conservatory in Brussels, Belgium. Starting its activities in 1813, it received its official name in 1832. Provid ...

Career

D'Alvarez made her debut in Rouen in 1907, singing in ''

Samson and Delilah Samson and Delilah are Biblical figures. Samson and Delilah may also refer to: In music * ''Samson and Delilah'' (opera), an opera by Camille Saint-Saëns * ''Samson & Delilah'' (album), released in 2013 by V V Brown * "Samson and Delilah" (t ...

''.Potter T. Ladies of low repute - Part 7. ''

Classical Recordings Quarterly ''Classical Recordings Quarterly'' (formerly ''Classic Record Collector'') was a quarterly British magazine devoted to vintage recordings of classical music, across the range of instrumental recordings, chamber music, orchestral, vocal and opera. ...

'', Autumn 2014, No 78, p. 45 After further studies in Paris she made her first

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appearances with the Manhattan Opera Company in 1909 as Fidès in Giacomo Meyerbeer's ''

Le prophète ''Le prophète'' (''The Prophet'') is a grand opera in five acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer, which was premiered in Paris on 16 April 1849. The French-language libretto was by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps, after passages from the ''Essay on the ...

''. Following her season in

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, she went to

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to help Oscar Hammerstein inaugurate his London Opera in 1911; that year, she scored great successes in French roles. D'Alvarez subsequently appeared at leading

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an opera houses such as Covent Garden, and also sang in

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and

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, and made a tour of Australia and New Zealand after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In 1923, she was praised by Queen Mary after a recital at London's

Queen's Hall The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. Fro ...

. She was guest soloist at a concert in Indianapolis in 1925. She sang in radio concerts in 1926 and 1927. In 1929, she headlined in a "Pan-American Program" in Washington, D.C. In 1926, d'Alvarez defended

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

from its European detractors, including composers Richard Strauss and

Pietro Mascagni Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece '' Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ...

. "I want to live to the tunes of

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

and go to my grave while Whiteman's orchestra plays the Gershwin '

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...

'", she said in response. "It is the twentieth century itself — energy, spice, sparkle and flavor. Those who deplore it belong in the mummy case. It is speed and fun." D'Alvarez made several acoustic recordings in New York, including arias from her operatic repertoire and Spanish songs by Falla, Chapi and Tabuyo. She also made three films, '' Till We Meet Again'', in 1944, '' An Angel Comes to Brooklyn'' (1945) and '' Affair in Monte Carlo'' (1952). Her autobiography, ''Forsaken Altars'', was published in 1954.

Later life

D'Alvarez died in 1953, in Alassio, Italy.

Bibliography

*David Ewen, ''Encyclopedia of the Opera'', Hill and Wang; enlarged edition (1963),

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalvarez, Marguerite 1953 deaths 20th-century British women opera singers Operatic contraltos Musicians from Liverpool 1880s births