Description

CLAIRE DUX (WITKOWO, PRUSSIA (NOW POLAND), 2 AUGUST, 1885 – CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S., 8 OCTOBER, 1967)

 

 

 

 

At the age of twelve, she performed as Gretel in a student production of Hänsel und Gretel. She first studied singing with Maria Schwadtke and Adolf Deppe in Berlin, and later with Teresa Arkel in Milan. She made her professional debut in 1906 at the Cologne Opera House as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte. She remained in Cologne until 1911, during which time she also performed the role of Mimi in the premiere of Puccini’s La Bohème. In 1909, she appeared again as Mimi, this time opposite Enrico Caruso at the Berlin Court Opera.

In 1911, she joined the Court Opera in Berlin, where she sang Sophie in the premiere of Der Rosenkavalier and also performed in roles such as Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello and in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera. She was part of the Berlin premiere of Leo Blech’s Rappelkopf in 1917. Between 1911 and 1914, she made successful guest appearances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London, reprising the role of Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier (1913).

After spending seven years at the Berlin Court Opera, she transitioned to a career as a concert soprano (1918-1921) and performed at the Stockholm Royal Opera. In 1920, she was celebrated at Berlin’s Metropol Theater in the operetta Das Hollandweibchen by Emmerich Kálmán.

In 1921, she moved to North America, where she initially gained success as a concert singer. That same year, she debuted at the Chicago Opera as Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. In 1922, she performed at the Ravinia Summer Opera near Chicago and, during the 1922-1923 season, toured North America with the German Opera Company. From 1923 to 1926, she was a celebrated member of the Chicago Opera and made a return appearance in Berlin in 1925.

She was married three times: first to the writer Wilhelm Alfred Imperatori, then briefly to the actor Hans Albers, and finally, in August 1926, to Charles H. Swift, son of Gustavus Franklin Swift, founder of Swift & Company and a benefactor of the University of Chicago and the Newberry Library. After her marriage to Swift, she gave only occasional concerts but undertook a concert tour in Germany in 1933. She spent her later years in Chicago.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Aida (Verdi) Es hat der Stein (w. Jadlowker) 044320 1184m Grammophon, Berlin 1918
2. Hollandweibchen (Kálmán) Geliebter in der Ferne 043324 1507s Grammophon, Berlin
3. Aida (Verdi) Sieh’ dort den Todesengel (w. Jadlowker & chorus) 044321, 1185m Grammophon, Berlin 1918
4. Bohème (Puccini) Man nennt mich jetzt nur Mimi 0943009 2288c Gramophone, Berlin 1911-08-14
5. Der Spielmann (Hildach) B24051 284av Grammophon, Berlin 1921
6. Freischütz (Weber) Schelm, halt’ fest (w. Dietrich) 044231 300al Gramophone, Berlin 1912-11-07
7. Freischütz (Weber) Und ob die Wolke 043217 301al Gramophone, Berlin 1912-11-07
8. Freischütz (Weber) Wie nahte mir der Schlummer 043155, 65197 Gramophone, Köln 1910-10-18
9. Hollandweibchen (Kálmán) Hollandweibchen mit dem Häubchen (w Kutzner) 044316 1509s
10. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) An des Todes heil’ger Stätte (w. Jadlowker) 044307 1182m Grammophon, Berlin 1918
11. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Schwör’ als Gattin mir ewige Treue (w. Jadlowker) 044308 1183m Grammophon, Berlin 1918
12. Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Eines tages sehen wir 0943008, 2277c Gramophone, Berlin 1911-08-10
13. Mariä Wiegenlied (Reger) 2-43517 19113L Grammophon, Berlin 1918
14. Mignon (Thomas) Kennst du das Land 2-43347 1894y Gramophone, Köln 1910-10-18
15. Mondnacht (Schumann) 2-43515 19114L Grammophon, Berlin 1918
16. Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) Endlich naht sich die Stunde (Rosenarie) 043303, 1262m Grammophon, Berlin 1918/1919
17. Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) O süsse Stund’ B24008 Grammophon, Berlin
18. Rigoletto (Verdi) Schon seit drei Monden (w. Schwarz) 044297, 1099m Grammophon, Berlin 1917-01
19. Tosca (Puccini) Vissi d’arte 053340 1488s Grammophon, Berlin
20. Trovatore (Verdi) Es glänzte schon das Sternenheer 043300 1272m Grammophon, Berlin 1918/1919