Description

MARGARETHE ARNDT-OBER (BERLIN, APRIL 15, 1885 – BAD SACHSA, MARCH 17, 1971)

 

 

 

 

She studied singing with Benno Stolzenberg, then with Arthur Arndt in Berlin, whom she married in 1910. Before her marriage, she sang under the name Grete Ober. She made her debut in 1906 at the Stadttheater Frankfurt an der Oder as Azucena in Il Trovatore. A short engagement in Stettin followed, and in 1907 she was called to the Berlin Court Opera (later the Berlin State Opera), where she remained until nearly the end of her career. Initially, she performed in smaller roles there, such as one of the maids in the premiere of Richard Strauss’s opera Elektra.

In 1908, she achieved great success at the Berlin Court Opera as Amneris in Aida, with Enrico Caruso as her partner. That same year, she performed the title role in the German premiere of Massenet’s Thérèse, and in 1910, she appeared in the world premiere of Arthur Nevin’s opera Poia. In 1913, she sang Eboli in the Berlin premiere of Verdi’s Don Carlos. From 1913 to 1916, she was a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where she debuted as Ortrud in Lohengrin. She sang Octavian in the 1913 U.S. premiere of Der Rosenkavalier, Eglantine in Weber’s Euryanthe under Arturo Toscanini in 1914, and appeared in Goetz’s The Taming of the Shrew in 1916. At the Met, she also sang Marina in Boris Godunov, Azucena in Il Trovatore, Amneris in Aida, Laura in Ponchielli’s La Gioconda, Fricka in Die Walküre, and Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde.

When the United States entered the war in 1916, she was interned and could return to Germany only after the end of the war. In 1919, she resumed her career at the Berlin State Opera. In 1924, she sang the role of the sexton in the Berlin premiere of Janáček’s Jenůfa. She also participated in the premieres of Eduard Künnecke’s operetta The Great Sinner (December 31, 1935) and the operas The Singing Devil by Franz Schreker (December 10, 1928) and Peer Gynt by Werner Egk (November 24, 1938). She made guest appearances in Spain, Holland, and Norway, as well as at major German opera houses.

From 1922 to 1942, she appeared almost annually at the Sopot Festival. During World War II, she gave concerts for German soldiers, performing demanding pieces such as Adriano’s aria from Rienzi. She continued to perform at the Berlin State Opera until 1945, later focusing on character roles. She spent her later years in Bad Sachsa in the Harz Mountains. She was celebrated for her expressive, warm-timbered alto voice and extensive repertoire.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Aida (Verdi) Schon sind die Priester (w. Jörn) 044265 1228s Gramophone, Berlin 1913-10-23
2. Aida (Verdi) Schon sind die Priester, pt 1 (Già i sacerdoti) (w. Melchior) B25035 1501½as Polydor, Berlin 1923-1112
3. Aida (Verdi) Schon sind die Priester, pt 2 (Di lei non più) (Melchior) B25036 1504as Polydor, Berlin 1923-1112
4. Aida (Verdi) Welch wunderbares Feuer (w. Jadlowker) 99365 Odeon
5. Boris Godounov (Moussorgsky) Finale atto 3 (w. Althouse) 76031 C15945 Victor, New York 1915-04-23
6. Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Barcarole (w. Bosetti) X99501 xB4675-2 Odeon, Berlin 1910-06
7. Dem Unendlichen (Schubert) 74441 C15766 Victor, New York 1915-03-22
8. Don Carlos (Verdi) In dem stillen Haine 043251 1230s Gramophone, Berlin 1913-10-24
9. Frühlingsglaube (Schubert) 64635 B17669 Victor, New York 1916-05-12
10. Liebestreu (Brahms) 64500 B15770 Victor, New York 1915-03-22
11. Mit deinen blauen Augen (R Strauss) 64447 B14745-1 Victor, New York 1914-04-22
12. Prophète (Meyerbeer) Ach, mein Sohn! 74397 C14501 Victor, New York 1914-04-02
13. Rheingold (Wagner) Ihrem Ende eilen sie zur (w. von Skilondz, von Scheele-Müller, Körfer & Sommer) 044216 141al Gramophone, Berlin 1912-08-31
14. Rheingold (Wagner) Lugt Schwestern! Die Weckerin lacht (w. von Skilondz, von Scheele-Müller & Pacyna) 044214 197al Gramophone, Berlin 1912-09-06
15. Rheingold (Wagner) Nur wer der Minne Nacht entsagt (w. von Skilondz, von Scheele-Müller & Pacyna) 044215 198al Gramophone, Berlin 1912-09-06
16. Rienzi (Wagner) In seiner Blüte bleichte mein Leben 043244 350½al Gramophone, Berlin 1913-03-27
17. Rigoletto (Verdi) Quartett (w. Denera, Jörn & Zador) 044172 500½s Gramophone, Berlin 1910-09-17
18. Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) Einsam wachend in der Nacht 043243, 351al Gramophone, Berlin 1913-03-27
19. Trovatore (Verdi) Gern will ich schliessen (w. Jadlowker) 99360 Odeon
20. Widmung (Schumann) 64448 B14750 Victor, New York 1914-04-22