Jean Fenn | |
|---|---|
 Fenn in 1956 | |
| Born | May 10, 1928 Riverside, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | October 20, 2021 (aged 93) Poulsbo, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1949–1991 |
Jean Fenn (May 10, 1928 – October 20, 2021) was an American soprano who had an active opera career in North America during the 1950s through the 1970s. Fenn was a disciplined, well-schooled singer with an excellent technique, wide range, and a highly polished sound. She was notably a regular performer at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City between 1953 and 1970. A lyric soprano, she particularly excelled in portraying roles from the operas of Giacomo Puccini, Jules Massenet, and Charles Gounod.[1]
In spite of her talent, Fenn never achieved star level status. At the Met she performed with many of the giants of the opera world, and standing in such a crowd she never managed to distinguish herself. In his book The Last Prima Donnas, music critic Lanfranco Rasponi included Fenn in his list of American divas "who showed so much promise (all were talented and had good basic vocal resources) only to go into limbo".[2] Critics have suggested that it was Fenn's too polished quality that prevented her from having that star making quality. Noël Coward said of her during rehearsals for one of his productions, "She is cursed with refinement and does everything ‘beautifully.’ Oh dear, I long for her to pick her nose or fart and before I’m through with her, she’ll do both."[3]
Fenn's voice is preserved on the soundtrack to the film Serenade in which she sings with the tenor Mario Lanza, and on several recordings made for the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts; including many recorded performances as Musetta in La bohème made between 1953 and 1969.[4] A 1967 live recording of her performing the title role in Tosca with Richard Tucker as Cavaradossi at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia was released by Lyric Distribution ALD in 1989 and again in 2000 by House of Opera.[4]
- ^ Kutsch, K. J.; Riemens, Leo (2012). "Fenn, Jean". Großes Sängerlexikon (in German) (4th ed.). De Gruyter. pp. 1429–1430. ISBN 978-3-59-844088-5.
- ^ Rasponi, Lanfranco (1982). The Last Prima Donnas. Limelight Editions. ISBN 0-394-52153-6.
- ^ John Simon (November 25, 2007). "Sir Noël's Epistles". The New York Times. Retrieved June 26, 2009.
- ^ a b Flury, Roger (2012). Giacomo Puccini: A Discography. Scarecrow Press. p. 99, 106, 217, 305. ISBN 9780810883291.