Description

MARGHERITA PERRAS (SOMETIMES MARGARITA PERRA) (SALONIKI, GREECE, 15 JANUARY, 1908 – ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND, 2 FEBRUARY, 1984)

 

 

 

 

She performed publicly in concerts as a child. She trained in Berlin under Oscar Daniel and made her debut there in 1927 in a student production as Norina in Don Pasquale. She was immediately engaged by Bruno Walter for the Berlin Municipal Opera, where she remained from 1927 to 1930. After initially singing smaller roles, she was soon promoted to major parts, including the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, Philine in Thomas’s Mignon, Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Gilda in Rigoletto, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Rosalina in Giordano’s Il Re, Nedda in Pagliacci, and Mimì in La Bohème.

In 1930, she joined the Berlin State Opera, where she took part in the world premiere of Darius Milhaud’s opera Christophe Colomb (performed in German). From 1935 to 1940, she was a member of the Vienna State Opera, making her debut there in 1935 as Violetta in La Traviata.

From 1928 to 1929, she undertook a highly successful concert tour of Spain. She also made important guest appearances in South America, notably at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires (in 1938 as Konstanze, the Woodbird in Siegfried, and Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier) and at the Rio de Janeiro Opera. From 1934 to 1935, she sang at the Zurich City Theatre. In 1936, she appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in London as Gilda, and in 1937 at the Glyndebourne Festival as Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. At the 1935 Salzburg Festival, she again appeared as Konstanze. In 1936, she sang Gilda in Rigoletto in Paris.

During the 1946–47 season, she concluded her stage career in Vienna with performances as Violetta and as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro. After her marriage to the Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Rothpletz, she settled in Zurich but continued to give concerts and recitals; for example, she appeared in concert performances in the Netherlands in 1949 and 1951. She was particularly esteemed as an interpreter of the songs of the Swiss composer Othmar Schoeck.

She possessed a technically superb, expressive coloratura voice. Several recordings of hers were issued, including Mozart arias on Ultraphon (1930), and others on HMV with arias by J. S. Bach and songs by Othmar Schoeck.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod) 1936 HMV DB 4464 (2RA 1103-1)

Ave Maria (Verdi) 1935 HMV EH 915 (2RA 544-2)

Carmen (Bizet) Wie Du kommst von der Mutter (w. Ludwig) 1937 HMV DB 4498 (2RA 19912-2)

Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart) Ach, ich liebte 1935 HMV DB 4439 (2RA 868-4)

Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart) Martern aller Arten 1935 HMV DB 4439 (2RA 867-2)

Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart) Welcher Kummer herrscht 1937 HMV DB 4484 (2RA 1856-1)

Die Zauberflöte (Mozart) Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen (w. Hüsch) 1935 HMV DA 4408 (ORA 399-3)

Don Juan (Mozart) Reich mir die Hand, mein Leben (w. Hüsch) 1935 HMV DA 4408 (ORA 398-1)

Figaros Hochzeit (Mozart) Endlich naht sich die Stunde 1937 HMV DB 4484 (2RA 1978-1)

Madame Butterfly (Puccini) Eines Tages sehn wir 1937 HMV DB 4473 (2RA 1862-2)

Madame Butterfly (Puccini) Schüttle alle Zweige (w. Klose) 1937 HMV DB 4501 (2RA 2468-2)

Martha (Flotow) Letzte Rose 1935 HMV DB 4438 (2RA 866-2)

Messa da Requiem (Verdi) Libera me 1935 HMV EH 915 (2RA 545-2)

Mignon (Thomas) Titania ist herabgestiegen 1935 HMV DB 4438 (2RA 869-1)

Sweet Bird (Händel) II Pensieroso 1937 HMV DB 4464 (2RA 1855-1)

Tosca (Puccini) Mit deinen Augen, den wundersamen (w. Rosvaenge) 1937 HMV DB 4475 (2RA 1976-2)

Tosca (Puccini) Nur der Schöheit weiht’ ich mein Leben 1937 HMV DB 4475 (2RA 1977-2)

Traviata (Verdi) Von der Freude Blumenkränzen 1937 HMV DB 4473 (2RA 1863-1)