Description

DELIA REINHARDT (ELBERFELD, GERMANY, 27 APRIL 1892 – ARLESHEIM, SWITZERLAND, 6 OCTOBER 1974)

 

 

 

 

She attended the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main, where she studied under Strakosch and Hedwig Schako. She made her debut in 1913 at the Breslau Opera House as the Messenger of Peace in Wagner’s Rienzi. From there, at the invitation of Bruno Walter, she joined the Munich State Opera (until 1918 the Court Opera), where she remained from 1916 to 1923. On June 12, 1917, at the Prinzregententheater, she sang a small role in the world premiere of Hans Pfitzner’s Palestrina, and in 1919 she appeared as the Empress in the Munich premiere of Richard Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten.

In 1922, she made a guest appearance at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. From 1922 to 1924, she enjoyed great success at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, making her debut as Sieglinde in Die Walküre. At the Met she performed ten major roles, including Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, Agathe, Butterfly, Fiordiligi, and Gita in Massenet’s Le Roi de Lahore.

From 1924 to 1939, she was a member of the Berlin State Opera, where she took part in the world premiere of Darius Milhaud’s opera Christophe Colomb (in German) on May 5, 1930. She also sang in the world premieres of Friedrich Schreker’s Der singende Teufel (December 10, 1928), Heinrich Pfitzner’s Das Herz (November 12, 1931, as Helge), and at the Kroll Opera in Berlin in the premiere of Kurt Weill’s Royal Palace (March 2, 1927). In 1929, she sang Pamina in The Magic Flute at the reopening performance of the renovated Berlin State Opera, given in the presence of Reich President von Hindenburg.

Her guest appearances included London’s Covent Garden (1924–29), as well as performances in Copenhagen, Budapest, Amsterdam, Brussels, Italy, Spain, and at the Berlin Municipal Opera. In 1925, she sang with the Berlin State Opera ensemble in Amsterdam, including the role of Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier. In 1931, she appeared at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires in Wagnerian roles.

Delia Reinhardt was married first to the baritone Gustav Schützendorf (1883–1937) and later to the conductor Georges Sebastian (1901–1984). Considered an outstanding interpreter, especially of dramatic soprano roles, she appeared rarely on stage after 1937 and only occasionally in concert halls. She lived in Berlin, but lost her house and all its contents in an air raid.

After World War II, in 1945, she came to Bavaria. In 1948, at the invitation of Bruno Walter, she moved to Santa Monica, California, but after his death in 1962, she settled in Dornach near Basel, Switzerland. After retiring from the stage, she devoted herself to painting.

Her voice was admired for its natural freshness and the exceptional musicality of her technique. Her major roles included Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Elsa in Lohengrin, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello, Mimì in La Bohème, Butterfly, Micaëla in Carmen, Malvine in Marschner’s Der Vampyr, Carlotta in Schreker’s Die Gezeichneten, Christine in Strauss’s Intermezzo, Minneleide in Pfitzner’s Rose vom Liebesgarten, and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier.

Her recordings were issued on Polydor and Deutsche Grammophon (arias from Tannhäuser and Die Walküre). A recording of a performance of Der Rosenkavalier was released on HMV.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Bohème (Puccini) Man nennt mich Mimi (Mi chiamano Mimì) B24085, 72788 853as Polydor, Berlin 1922

Freischütz (Weber) Alles pflegt schon längst der Ruh’ B24438, 66949 202BV I Polydor, Berlin 1929

Freischütz (Weber) Leise, leise, fromme Weise B24194, 72787 849½as Polydor, Berlin 1922

Freischütz (Weber) Und ob die Wolke B24084 72787 852as Polydor, Berlin 1922

Freischütz (Weber) Wie nahte mir der Schlummer B24437 66949 201BV I Polydor, Berlin 1929

Lohengrin (Wagner) Einsam in trüben Tagen (Elsas Traum) B24415 66867 1653½bm I Polydor, Berlin 1928

Lohengrin (Wagner) Einsam in trüben Tagen B24054, 72775 851as Polydor, Berlin 1922

Lohengrin (Wagner) Euch Lüften, die meine Klagen B24414 66867 1260bm I Polydor, Berlin 1928

Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) O Sachs, mein Freund B24411 66783 1259bm I Polydor, Berlin 1928

Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) Ihr, die ihr Triebe (Voi che sapete) B4155 62650 1629bk I Polydor, Berlin 1928

Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) Neue Freuden (Non so più) B4154 62650 1628bk I Polydor, Berlin 1928

Rosenkavalier (R Strauss) Hab’ mir’s gelobt (w. Kemp & Claire) 4-049301 EJ295 CLR4153-1 HMV, Berlin 1928-05-18 (actual performance)

Rosenkavalier (R Strauss) Ich weiss auch nix (w. Kemp & Claire) 4-049300 EJ295 CLR4151-1 HMV, Berlin 1928-05-18 (actual performance)

Tannhäuser (Wagner) Dich teure Halle B24417 66868 1646½bm I Polydor, Berlin 1928

Walküre (Wagner) Der Männer Sippe B24416, 66868 1643bm I Polydor, Berlin 1928

Walküre (Wagner) Du bist der Lenz B24410 66783 1256bm I Polydor, Berlin 1928