Description

GITTA ALPÁR (REGINA KLOPFER; BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, 5 FEBRUARY, 1903 – PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, 17 FEBRUARY, 1991)

Gitta Alpar, born in Budapest to a cantor father, was a renowned soprano and operetta diva with an illustrious career that spanned both opera and film. She studied under Laura Hilgermann in Budapest and made her stage debut in 1923 at the Budapest Opera as Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto. Her early success led to guest appearances, including at the Munich State Opera in 1925, where she again performed as Gilda, and at the Vienna State Opera in 1927 and 1928.

In 1927, Alpar joined the Berlin State Opera, where she achieved great acclaim in roles such as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. In 1928, she took part in the Berlin premiere of Richard Strauss’s Die Ägyptische Helena, singing the role of Aithra.

Her career took a turn in 1930 when she achieved sensational success in the operetta world, starring in Millöcker’s Der Bettelstudent at the Berlin Metropol Theater. This marked the beginning of her focus on operetta, where she became a true diva of the genre. Alpar was celebrated for her roles in premieres, including Franz Lehár’s Schön ist die Welt at the Metropol Theater, the world premiere of Die Dubarry at the Admiralspalast in 1931, and Paul Abraham’s Ball im Savoy in 1932.

Alpar’s success extended to the silver screen, where she starred in several sound films in Germany during the height of her career. She also made notable guest appearances at Covent Garden Opera in London in 1929 as Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier and at the Stockholm Opera in 1933 in Die Dubarry.

As a Jewish artist, Alpar was forced to leave Germany in 1933 following the rise of the Nazi regime. She first relocated to Vienna and eventually emigrated to North America in 1936. In the U.S., she continued her operetta career and became a popular film star, much as she had been in Germany. She settled in Palm Springs, California, where she lived from 1950 onwards.

In 1987, Gitta Alpar returned to Berlin for the first time after her emigration to accept the prestigious “Filmband in Gold” at the Berlin Film Festival. In her personal life, she was married twice—first to the Danish dancer Niels Bagge and later to the film actor Gustav Fröhlich (1902-1987), although the couple separated after just two years of marriage. Alpar’s legacy remains that of a glamorous and versatile performer, beloved both on stage and on screen.

TRACKLIST

1. Bajadere (Kálmán) Ob sie wohl kommt (w. Groh) O-11672 Odeon, Berlin 1932-06-07
2. Ball im Savoy (Abraham) Ich hab’ einen Mann, der mich liebt O-11785 Be10171 Odeon, Berlin 1933-01-05
3. Ball im Savoy (Abraham) La bella Tangolita O-11785 Be10172 Odeon, Berlin 1933-01-05
4. Ball im Savoy (Abraham) Toujours l’amour O-11770 Be10158 Odeon, Berlin 1932-12-18
5. Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Puppen-Arie 4-8831 52300 Homocord
6. Die Dubarry (Millöcker-Mackeben) Es lockt die Nacht (w. Groh) O-25176 Odeon, Berlin 1931-11-06
7. Die Dubarry (Millöcker-Mackeben) Ich denk’ zurück an jene Zeit (w. Groh) O-25176 Odeon, Berlin 1931-11-06
8. Die Dubarry (Millöcker-Mackeben) Ich schenk’ mein Herz O-11517 Be9559 Odeon, Berlin 1931-08-27
9. Die Dubarry (Millöcker-Mackeben) Ja, so ist sie, die Dubarry B48054, Be9560 Odeon, Berlin 1931-08-27
10. Die schöne Galathee (Suppé) Nur Parfüm und etwas Zärtlichkeit O-11738 b Odeon
11. Dinorah (Meyerbeer) Doch du bist verschwunden (do, pt 2) O-6800 xxB8543 Odeon, Berlin 1931-10-21
12. Dinorah (Meyerbeer) Du leichter Schatten (Schattentanz, pt 1) O-6800 xxB8542 Odeon, Berlin 1931-10-21
13. Dorfschwalben aus Österreich, pt 1 (Strauss) O-11670 Be9948 Odeon, Berlin 1932-06-02
14. Dorfschwalben aus Österreich, pt 2 (Strauss) O-11670 Be9949 Odeon, Berlin 1932-06-02
15. Dort, wo die Wälder grün (Film ”Gitta entdeckt ihr Herz”) (Brodszky) O-11642 Be9870 Odeon, Berlin 1932-03-17
16. Eine verliebte Königin (Brodsky) Ede Buttola Nemtudom 3121 D 21 Durium Patria
17. Einen gibt es auf der Welt, für den man alles tut (Mann-Weiß) O-11738 Be10064 Odeon, Berlin 1932-10-05
18. Figaros Hochzeit (Mozart) Sagt holde Dame 4-9001 Homocord