- Born
- Died
- Nickname
- The Czechoslovakian Nightingale
- Jarmila Novotna was born on September 23, 1907 in Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary [now Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for Die Nacht der großen Liebe (1933), The Beggar Student (1931) and The Search (1948). She died on February 9, 1994 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Hoping to reside once more in Europe after WWII, Novotná and her husband, Baron Daubek, found their property in Czechoslovakia confiscated by the Communists. After living in America once more, the couple eventually retired to Vienna.
- In 1948 she won acclaim for her leading role, as an Auschwitz survivor who searches for her young son, in The Search which co-starred Montgomery Clift.
- Lyric soprano, who first performed, aged 17, with the Prague National Opera. Studied in Milan, then joined the Vienna State Opera, 1933-1938. Star of the Metropolitan Opera in 193 performances, beginning with "La Boheme" in 1940.
- Jarmila Novotna went from Austria to England where she appeared in a movie with the title "The Last Walzt" (1936).
- When she was invited to New York in 1939 by Arturo Toscanini in order to impersonate the role of Violetta in "La Traviata", this marked the beginning of her last career phase. She signed a contract with the Metropolitan Opera in 1940 and was very successful in whole USA. Especially her role as Violetta gave her the reputation as one of the best singer of that time.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
