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. Für dich sing’ ich meine schönsten Lieder (Film ”Gitta entdeckt ihr Herz”) (Brodszky) O-11643 Be9871 Odeon, Berlin 1932-03-22
2. Il Re Pastore (Mozart) Dein bin ich 4-9001 Homocord
3. Lakmé (Delibes) Wie der Fremde sich betrachtet P9553 2-21770 Parlophon, Berlin 1930-12-12
4. Lakmé (Delibes) Wie durch göttliche Spende P9553 2-21769 Parlophon, Berlin 1930-12-12
5. Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Bimba non piangere with Hans Heinz Bollmann 4-9035 2-53033 Homokord
6. Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Quest’obi pomposa with Hans Heinz Bollmann 4-9035 2-53034  Homokord
7. Mädel, so bist du (Film ”Gitta entdeckt ihr Herz”) (Brodsky) O-11643 Be9869 Odeon, Berlin 1932-03-17
8. Rigoletto (Verdi) Teurer Name 4-9003 Homokord
9. Schön ist die Welt (Lehár) Bin verliebt, bin so verliebt O-11360 38842 Odeon, Berlin 1930-11-28
10. Schön ist die Welt (Lehár) Es steht vom Lieben gar oft geschieben (w. Tauber) O-4980 Be9268 Odeon Beka, Berlin 1930-11-28
11. Schön ist die Welt (Lehár) Frei und jung dabei (w. Tauber) O-4980 Be9267 Odeon Beka, Berlin 1930-11-28
12. Schön ist die Welt (Lehár) Sag’, armes Herzchen, sag O-11360 Odeon, Berlin 1930-11-28
13. Traviata (Verdi) O laß uns fliehen (w. Groh) B48147 133334 Parlophon, Berlin 1931-12-03
14. Traviata (Verdi) So hold, so reizend (w. Groh) B48147 133333 Parlophon, Berlin 1931-12-03
15. Villanelle (dell’Acqua) 4-8831 52298 Homocord
16. Was kann so schön sein wie deine Liebe (Film ”Gitta entdeckt ihr Herz”) (Brodszky) O-11642 Be9868 Odeon, Berlin 1932-03-17
17. Wenn man sein Herz verliert (Film Die oder – Keine) (Stransky) O-11706 Be10032 Odeon, Berlin 1932-09-09
18. Wir sind jung (Film Die oder – Keine) (Stransky) (w. chorus) O-11706 Be10033 Odeon, Berlin 1932-09-09