Description

HELENE WILDBRUNN (VIENNA, APRIL 8, 1882 – VIENNA, APRIL 11, 1972)

 

 

 

 

Helene Wehrenfennig was her real name. Her father was the director of the Austrian Northwestern Railway. She studied singing in Vienna with Rosa Papier-Paumgartner. She made her debut as a concert singer in 1905, and by 1906 she was already appearing in small roles at the Vienna Volksoper under her real name.

Her second debut, now as an alto and under the stage name Helene Wildbrunn, took place in 1907 at the Dortmund City Theatre, where she remained for seven years and sang important roles such as Ortrud, Fricka, Amneris, and Dalila. From 1914 to 1918, she was engaged at the Stuttgart Court Opera, where her voice developed into that of a dramatic soprano. There she participated in the 1917 world premiere of Eine Florentinische Tragödie by Alexander Zemlinsky.

She became particularly renowned as one of the great Wagnerian interpreters of her generation. From 1918 to 1925, she was a member of the Berlin State Opera, and from 1925 to 1929 she appeared at the Berlin Municipal Opera. At the same time, she was a member of the Vienna State Opera from 1919.

Her guest appearances brought her international acclaim. In 1916 and 1917, she appeared at the Bavarian State Opera; in 1919, she sang at the Semperoper; and in 1928, she appeared at the Leipzig Opera House. In 1922, she sang Kundry in Parsifal at Teatro alla Scala, and in the same year she undertook a highly successful guest engagement at Teatro Colón.

At Teatro Colón, she was celebrated as Brünnhilde in the first complete performance of Der Ring des Nibelungen in Argentina, as Isolde in Tristan und Isolde, and as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier. She also appeared as a guest artist at Royal Opera House (1927, as Fidelio), the Paris Opera, and opera houses in Zurich, Rome, Amsterdam, Budapest, Brussels, Stockholm, Madrid, Barcelona, and Rio de Janeiro.

At the Paris Opera, she sang Isolde in Tristan und Isolde and Brünnhilde in Die Walküre in 1928. She returned to Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires for another guest engagement in 1922–1923. At the Salzburg Festival, she appeared as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni in 1925.

She remained a member of the Vienna State Opera until 1932, when she was named an honorary member. She later continued performing as a concert singer. From 1932 to 1950, she taught as a professor at the Vienna Academy of Music.

She was married to the tenor Karl Wildbrunn. The dark richness of her voice, her dramatic intensity, and her refined sense of style were repeatedly praised. She was especially admired as Brünnhilde and Isolde, but also achieved great success in roles such as Kundry, the Marschallin, Ortrud, Amneris, and Fidelio.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Alceste (Gluck) Ihr Götter ew’ger Nacht 80871 xxB6960 Odeon, Berlin 1924-02-29

Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Der Tod sei uns willkommen (Morrò ma prima) B24110 Grammophon, Berlin 1922

Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Wenn das Kraut (Ma dall’arido) B24109 813as Grammophon, Berlin 1922

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Als euer Sohn 043312x 773as Grammophon, Berlin 1922

Don Giovanni (Mozart) Du kennst den Verräter 80870 xxB6957 Odeon, Berlin 1924-02-29

Fidelio (Beethoven) Abscheulicher, wo eilst du hin… Komm’ Hoffnung B24105, B24106, 771as, 772as Grammophon, Berlin 1922

Gioconda (Ponchielli) So sei es (Suicidio!) B24195 Grammophon, Berlin 1923

Götterdämmerung (Wagner) Starke Scheite schichtet mir… Wißt ihr, wie das ward 80872, 80873, xxB6958-2, xxB6959 Odeon, Berlin 1924-02-29

Oberon (Weber) Ozean, du Ungeheuer… Die Winde lispeln leis’ B24107, B24108, Grammophon, Berlin 1922

Oberon (Weber) Ozean, du Ungeheuer… Die Winde lispeln leis’ B24107x, B24108x, 1099as, 1100as, Grammophon, Berlin 1923

Siegfried (Wagner) Ewig war ich (over 2003as!) 043317x 1103as Grammophon, Berlin 1923

Siegfried (Wagner) Ewig war ich 043317 38ap Grammophon, Berlin 1920

Tosca (Puccini) Vissi d’arte (It) 043335x 1104as Grammophon, Berlin 1923

Tosca (Puccini) Vissi d’arte 043335 1346m Grammophon, Berlin 1920

Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) Mild und leise (over 2001as!) 043311x 1101as Grammophon, Berlin 1923

Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) Mild und leise 043311 1347m Grammophon, Berlin 1920

Walküre (Wagner) Ho-jo-to-ho 2-43530 19240L Grammophon, Berlin 1920

Walküre (Wagner) Ho-jo-to-ho 2-43530x 1534ar Grammophon, Berlin 1922