Description

MATHILDE PLAICHINGER, KNOWN AS THILA PLAICHINGER (VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, 14 MARCH, 1868 – VIENNA, NAZI GERMANY, 19 MARCH, 1939)

Her father was a school principal and choirmaster at a major Viennese church. She studied at the Vienna Conservatory with Joseph Gänsbacher and later with Louise Dustmann and Frau Mampe-Babbnigg. Bernhard Pollini, director of the Hamburg Opera, engaged her for his company, where she made her debut in 1893. From 1894 to 1901, she was a member of the Strasbourg City Theatre, where she sang a wide variety of roles and was the company’s leading dramatic soprano. She took part in the Bayreuth Festival in 1896 and 1897.

In 1899, she made guest appearances at the Frankfurt Opera as Isolde in Tristan und Isolde and at the Zurich Theatre as Aida. A guest performance as Aida at the Berlin Court Opera in 1900 led to her engagement there, and she enjoyed great success at that house until 1914. In 1909, she created the title role in the world premiere of Richard Strauss’s Elektra in Berlin. She also appeared as Isolde, Venus, and Ortrud at Covent Garden in 1904, and in 1910 she sang Elektra in the English premiere of Strauss’s opera at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Further guest appearances took her to Vienna, Munich, Dresden, and Amsterdam.

She later lived as a voice teacher in Berlin and subsequently in Rodaun near Vienna. She made a small number of rare Pathé recordings.

TRACKLIST

Elektra (Strauss) Szene zwischen Elektra und Orest (w. Hoffmann) 15729 Pathé, Berlin 1909/1910

Lohengrin (Wagner) Du Ärmste (w. Denera) 15625 Pathé, Berlin 1909/1910

Siegfried (Wagner) Brünnhildes Erwachen (w. Urlus) 15726 Pathé, Berlin 1909/1910

Siegfried (Wagner) Ewig war ich 15739 Pathé, Berlin 1909/1910

Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) O sink hernieder (w. Urlus) 15727 Pathé, Berlin 1909/1910