May Blyth Suggest updates
Soprano.
May Blyth was a leading British lyric soprano of the inter-war period, singing particularly with BNOC, in a range of styles from Mozart (Countess, Second Lady) to the lighter Wagner roles, including Elsa and Eva.
Her repertoire eventually also included Mimì, Musetta, Santuzza and Aïda. Earlier in her career she sang a number of roles more usually associated with mezzo-soprano range, such as Second Norn, Wellgunde, Mercédès, and both the mother and the Witch in Hansel and Gretel (at different performances). She also sang many performances of 'trouser' roles including Siébel and Nicklausse.
In later years Blyth was an influential teacher at the Royal Academy of Music, where her students included Wendy Eathorne, Gillian Knight and Elizabeth Ritchie.
Blyth was married to the conductor Aylmer Buesst who also worked with BNOC.
Recordings
She can be heard as Santuzza in an interesting English-language recording of Cavalleria Rusticana made by BNOC in 1927, and conducted by her husband.
Roles in Scotland
- Sixth Flower Maiden
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Parsifal 1922
- Second Lady in attendance on the Queen
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Zauberflöte 1922
Zauberflöte 1923
Zauberflöte 1924
- Kate Pinkerton
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Madam Butterfly 1922
Madam Butterfly 1923
Madam Butterfly 1924
- Camille
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Louise 1922
- Musetta a grisette
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Bohème 1922
- Siébel a student of Dr Faust, in love with Marguerite
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Faust 1922
Faust 1923
Faust 1924
Faust 1926
- Gertrude mother of Hansel and Gretel
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Hansel and Gretel 1923
Hansel and Gretel 1926
- Shepherd boy
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Tannhäuser 1923
Tannhäuser 1924
- Wellgunde a Rhinemaiden
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Götterdämmerung 1923
- Second Norn
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Götterdämmerung 1923
Götterdämmerung 1927
- Wellgunde a Rhinemaiden
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Rheingold 1923
- Mercédès a gypsy, Carmen’s friend
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Carmen 1923
Carmen 1924
Carmen 1925
Carmen 1926
Carmen 1927
- Witch
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Hansel and Gretel 1923
- First Girl
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Perfect Fool 1924
- Youth
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Alkestis 1924
- Nicklausse Hoffmann's friend
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Tales of Hoffmann 1924
Tales of Hoffmann 1925
- Eva daughter of Pogner
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Mastersingers of Nuremberg 1924
Mastersingers of Nuremberg 1926
Mastersingers of Nuremberg 1928
- La Ciesca Marco's wife, aged thirty-eight
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Gianni Schicchi 1925
Gianni Schicchi 1926
Gianni Schicchi 1927
- Mimì a seamstress
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Bohème 1925
Bohème 1926
Bohème 1928
- Mary the Constable's daughter
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Hugh the Drover 1925
Hugh the Drover 1926
- Santuzza a village girl
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Cavalleria Rusticana 1925
Cavalleria Rusticana 1928
- Aïda an Ethiopian slave
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Aïda 1927
Aïda 1928
- Countess Almaviva
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Nozze di Figaro 1927
- Elsa von Brabant sister of the missing Count Gottfried
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Lohengrin 1928