Description

MARIA NEMETH (HUNGARIAN: NÉMETH MÁRIA; KÖRMEND, 13 MARCH 1897 – VIENNA, 28 DECEMBER 1967)

 

 

 

 

She initially attended a commercial school in Bratislava (Pressburg) and, from 1921, studied singing with Georg Anthes in Budapest. Further training followed with Laura Hilgermann and Géza László in Budapest, with the renowned tenor Fernando de Lucia in Naples, with Giannina Russ in Milan, and from 1925 with Felicie Kaschowska in Vienna. She likely appeared as early as 1920 at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan as Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust.

Her official debut took place in 1923 at the Budapest Volksoper as Amelia in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera. That same autumn, she sang the same role in her debut performance at the Budapest National Opera, where she remained until 1924. In 1924, she was engaged by the Vienna State Opera, where she enjoyed great success until 1942.

From Vienna, she made numerous guest appearances — at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in London (1931, as Puccini’s Turandot), at La Scala in Milan (1930), in Paris and Rome, in Budapest (1934–35), at the Monte Carlo Opera, the Dresden State Opera (1927–28), the Basel Theatre (1932), and in Berlin, Munich, and Prague. At the Salzburg Festival, she was admired as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni in 1926–27 and 1929–30. In Amsterdam, she appeared in concerts conducted by Willem Mengelberg. In 1931, she participated in the Vienna premiere of Mozart’s Idomeneo in the arrangement by Richard Strauss.

The career of the artist, who was married to the commercial school teacher Josef Grünauer (1892–1968), lasted until the end of the Second World War. She was made an honorary member of the Vienna State Opera, where she continued to appear as a guest artist after 1945. In 1945, she lost her estate, her castle, and her valuable costume collection in Hungary, after which she settled in Vienna, where she devoted herself to teaching.

A dramatic soprano of rare richness and beauty of tone, she was distinguished by exceptional musicality. While dramatic roles such as Tosca, Amelia (Un ballo in maschera), Aida, Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Sulamith (Die Königin von Saba), Leonora (Il trovatore and La forza del destino), and Turandot were her true domain, her brilliant technique also enabled her to master coloratura parts such as Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte.

Her recordings on Polydor and HMV are highly prized by connoisseurs. The Koch/Schwann edition includes excerpts from opera performances preserved in the archive of the Vienna State Opera, in which she can be heard as Aida, Tosca, Puccini’s Turandot, and Senta.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

Aida (Verdi) O patria mia Grammophon 66622 (223be), Berlin 1927

Aida (Verdi) Ritorna vincitor! Grammophon 66625 (2212be), Berlin 1927

Der fliegende Hollénder (Wagner) Traft ihr das Schiff Grammophon 66620 (220be), Berlin 1927

Der Troubadour (Verdi) In deines Kerkers tiefe Nacht HMV ES 569 (CA 73-11), Wien 1929-06-10

Die Konigin von Saba (Goldmark) Der Freund ist dein HMV ES 516 (CA 101-II), Wien 1929-06-25

Die Konigin von Saba (Goldmark) Doch eh’ ich in des Todes Ta HMV ES 516 (CA 102-11), Wien 1929-06-25

Ein Maskenball (Verdi) Der Tod sei mir willkommen Grammophon 66624 (218be), Berlin 1927

Ein Maskenball (Verdi) Wenn das Kraut wie die Grammophon 66624 (219½be), Berlin 1927

La Forza del Destino (Verdi) Madre, pietosa Vergine HMV ES 571 (CA 78-1I), Wien 1929-06-11

La Forza del Destino (Verdi) Pace, pace, mio Dio! HMV ES 571 (CA 79-1), Wien 1929-06-11

Lohengrin (Wagner) Einsam in triiben Tagen Grammophon 66626 (226be), Berlin 1927

Lohengrin (Wagner) Euch Liiften, die mein Klagen Grammophon 66626 (225be), Berlin 1927

Oberon (Weber) Ozean, du Ungeheuer HMV ES 572 (CA 80-1 & CA 81-II), Wien 1929-06-11

Tannhauser (Wagner) Dich, teure Halle Grammophon 66620 (211be), Berlin 1927

Tosca (Verdi) Vissi d’arte Grammophon 66622 (215be), Berlin 1927

Trovatore  (Verdi) Tacea la notte placida Grammophon 6662 (212be), Berlin 1927

Turandot (Puccini) In diesem Schlosse Grammophon 66623 (216½be), Berlin 1927