Historic Opera

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Row 1:
Elvira de Hidalgo.
Eduard Habich.
Jane Hading.
Georg Hann.
Paul Hansen.

Row 2:
Paul Hansen.
Hatto.
Meyriane Héglon.
Fanny Heldy.
Frieda Hempel.

Row 3:
Frieda Hempel.
Vilhelm Herold.
Josef Herou.
Willy Hesch.
Allen Hinckley.

Row 4:
Sebestian Hofmüller.
Emil Holm.
Louise Homer.
Lotte Hunold.
Gerhard Hüsch.

Row 5:
Heinrich Hensel.
Emilie Herzog.

Belgian contralto Meyriane Héglon [Meyriane Willemsen] (1867-1942) studied under Mmes. Sasse and Barthot. She made her debut (1890) at the Paris Opéra as Madeleine in Rigoletto. She remained at that house for 15 years where she sang in Aida, Die Walküre (the first Paris Opéra performance), Samson et Dalila, Cree Djelna, La Montagne Noire, Otello, etc.. She was seen in the 1894 world premiere of Massenet's Thaïs in the role of Myrtale. Héglon was a frequent performer at theaters throughout the French provinces. The opera Théodora, written by husband, Xavier Leroux, and first performed in Monte Carlo (1907), was created for Héglon. After her retirement she taught singing. In 1917 at the Monte Carlo Opera, some of her students (Monin, Vellini, Coste and Stora) appeared in the one-act opera Les Cadeaux de Noel which was written and conducted by Leroux. In 1918 she briefly emerged from retirement to sing the role of La Mere in another opera created by Leroux, 1814. Héglon was equally known for her acting skills and her brilliant singing. Nino Vallin, who had a stunning operatic career, was a Héglon pupil.

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