Description

ERNA BERGER (DRESDEN, 19 OCTOBER, 1900 – ESSEN, 14 JUNE, 1990)

 

 

 

 

Her parents emigrated to Paraguay after the First World War. Her father, a railway engineer, died there at a young age; she then worked as a governess in Montevideo before returning to Germany in 1924. After overcoming considerable difficulties, she was able to study voice with Hertha Boeckel and Melitta Hirzel in Dresden.

In 1925 she was engaged by Fritz Busch at the Dresden State Opera, making her debut as one of the Three Boys in Die Zauberflöte. Later that year, she appeared in a small role in the world premiere of Busoni’s Doktor Faust. On 17 February 1927, she sang the title role in the world premiere of Paul Graener’s Hanneles Himmelfahrt. She continued her successful career in Dresden, taking part in the world premiere of Richard Strauss’s Die ägyptische Helena (6 November 1928) and in Mark Lothar’s Lord Spleen (11 November 1930).

In 1929 she made a guest appearance at the Berlin Municipal Opera in Pfitzner’s Christelflein. In 1930 she sang at the Bayreuth Festival—where Arturo Toscanini had engaged her—as the Shepherd Boy in Tannhäuser and later as the Woodbird in Siegfried.

In 1932 she joined the Berlin Municipal Opera, debuting as the Page Oscar in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera. From 1934 she was a member of the Berlin State Opera, debuting there as Leïla in Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles. She held a leading position with the company for more than twenty years, appearing in the world premiere of Fried Walter’s Andreas Wolfius (1940) and in the premiere of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sadko (1946), among other works. She also appeared frequently as a guest at the Hamburg and Munich State Operas and, from 1938 onward, was a regular guest at the Vienna State Opera, where she sang Anne Trulove in the 1952 premiere of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress.

Her extensive guest appearances and concert tours established her worldwide reputation as the leading German coloratura soprano of her generation. She was celebrated at the Salzburg Festival (as early as 1932 as Blondchen; 1953–54 as Zerlina in Don Giovanni and in concert). From 1949 to 1953 she appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, debuting as Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier in the opening performance of the 1949–50 season; she also sang the Queen of the Night and Gilda there until 1952.

She had already appeared in the Netherlands in 1938 as Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, and during the Second World War performed there as Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. In Britain she appeared at London’s Covent Garden in 1934–35, in 1938, and again after the war (1947), singing the Queen of the Night, Gilda, and Sophie. She sang at the Rome Opera in 1936, in Oslo in 1937 and 1939, at the Brussels Théâtre de la Monnaie in 1941, at the Paris Opera in 1941 (as Konstanze), at the Zoppot Festival in 1933 (as Marzelline in Fidelio), and in Bucharest, Barcelona, Copenhagen, and at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. From 1946 to 1953 she toured North and South America; in 1948 she travelled to Australia and in 1953 to Japan.

Her stage repertoire also included Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Nedda in Pagliacci, Violetta in La traviata, Olympia in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Ännchen in Der Freischütz, Frau Fluth in Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Agnes in Pfitzner’s Das arme Heinrich, Zerlina in Auber’s Fra Diavolo, and Gretel in Egk’s Die Zaubergeige.

From 1960 to 1971 she was a professor at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre. She spent her later years in Essen. The beauty of her voice remained remarkably preserved; she retired from the stage in 1955, and her final recital took place in 1968 at the Cuvilliés Theatre in Munich. Even at the age of 80, she performed Schubert’s Im Abendrot on German television. On her 85th birthday in 1985 she was made an honorary member of the Berlin State Opera. She was laid to rest in the Vienna Central Cemetery.

She published her memoirs under the title Auf Flügeln des Gesanges (Zurich, 1989). A coloratura soprano of exquisite tonal beauty, exceptional clarity of diction, and profound musical maturity, she was admired in both her extensive operatic and lieder repertoire.

Literature: Höcker: Erna Berger (Berlin, 1961)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Der Barbier von Sevilla (Rossini) Frag’ ich mein beklomm’nes Herz Recorded in 1932 HMV EH 819 (2D 13389)

Der Rosenkavalier (Strauss) Ist ein Traum (w. Lemnitz) Recorded in 1936 Grammophon 67075 (606 GS)

Die Fledermaus (Strauss) Mein Herr Marquis Recorded in 1934 Grammophon 10169 (5883 BD)

Die Fledermaus (Strauss) Spiel ich die Unschuld Recorded in 1934 Grammophon 10169 (5884 BD)

Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Nicolai) Nein, das ist wirklich doch zu keck! (w. Müller) Recorded in 1933 HMV EG 2857 (OD 16956)

Die Perlenfischer (Bizet) Es hing die Nacht Recorded in 1934 Grammophon 10285 (5694 GR)

Die Zauberflöte (Mozart) Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen Recorded in 1937 HMV DB3475 (2RA 2458-3)

Die Zauberflöte (Mozart) O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn Recorded in 1938 HMV DB 3468 (2RA 2459-5)

Don Juan (Mozart) Reich’ mir die Hand mein Leben (w. Schlusnus) Recorded in 1936 Grammophon 62755 (2933 GN)

Don Pasquale (Donizetti) Lass es, ach lass es mich hören (w. Sinimberghi) Recorded in 1939 Grammophon 67536 (10842 GS)

Figaros Hochzeit (Mozart) Wenn die sanften Abendwinde (w. Ursuleac) Recorded in 1936 Grammophon 62755 (6400 GR)

Fille du Régiment (Donizetti) Tirolienne Recorded in 1935 Grammophon 10329 (5857 GR)

Fra Diavolo (Meyerbeer) Welches Glück, ich atme freier Recorded in 1934 Grammophon 10285 (5693 GR)

Konzertarie,, Ines de Castro Non paventar mia vita (Weber) Recorded in 1937 Grammophon 57083 (6478 GS)

La Bohème (Puccini) Will ich allein des Abends Recorded in 1934 Grammophon 10267 (6137 GD)

La Traviata (Verdi) Lebt wohl, ach, ihr Gebilde Recorded in 1935 Grammophon 10444 (2779 GN)

Madame Butterfly (Puccini) Eines Tages sehn wir Recorded in 1934 Grammophon 10267 (5697 GR)

Mass in C minor (Mozart) Et incarnatus est, pt 1, pt 2 Recorded in 1947 Grammophon DB6536, DB6536 (2EA12390-1, 2EA12391-1)

Peer Gynt (Grieg) Der Winter mag scheiden Recorded in 1934 Grammophon 10429 (5696 GR)

Rigoletto (Verdi) Gualtier Maldė… Teurer Name Recorded in 1932 Columbia DW 3071 (WR 4856)