The Scottish-born soprano Mary Garden (1874–1967) studied in Paris, and made her operatic début in Charpentier’s Louise, taking over the title rôle when the lead was taken ill during the performance. She became a member of the Opéra-Comique, and was selected for the female lead rôle in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande by the composer who described her as ‘the gentle voice I had heard in my innermost soul’. Following this success, she appeared at the Grand Opera and Monte Carlo, before making her American debut as Thaïs at the Manhattan Opera in 1907. In 1910 Garden joined the Chicago Opera where she remained for over twenty years. This CD of Mary Garden’s complete Victor recordings features arias from Charpentier’s Louise and Bizet’s Carmen, as well as songs by Debussy, Hahn and Gretchaninov. In addition to the complete published Victor recordings, this CD contains a number of previously unpublished takes.