Death of Egyptian-born Met soprano, 83
mainThe Greek soprano Jeannette Pilou has died yesterday of an undisclosed cause.
Born in Alexandria to Greek parents, she came to attention in 1964 as Mimi in a Vienna Bohème.
Invitations followed to London, Brussels, Milan, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Hannover, Cologne, Genoa, Budapest, Paris, Barcelona, Lisbon, Chicago, New Orleans, Houston, Philadelphia and Buenos Aires. At the Met she appeared from 1967 to 86 as Susanna [Le nozze di Figaro], Mélisande [Pelléas et Mélisande], Nedda [Pagliacci], Micaela [Carmen], Marguerite [Faust] and Mimì.
I first heard Jeanette Pilou for the first time 50 years ago this month in a Met matinee opposite the Roméo of Franco Corelli, a dazzling memory of my distant youth. She was a lovely presence on that stage for many performances over the next 16 years, especially as Mélisande.
A wonderful, classy artist; my best-ever Mélisande.
May I point out – before the error multiplies – that the date you have taken from the Greek National Opera webpage is incorrect; the Wiener Staatsoper Archive lists her first performance there as Mimì as having been 12 September, 1965. She also sang in Monte-Carlo, Dallas and Seattle, and her Met roles also extended to Juliette ( her debut, opposite Corelli), Zerlina, Violetta, Nannetta and Cio-Cio-San.