Ernestine Schumann-Heink Austro-American opera singer, contralto. Date of Birth: 15.06.1861 Country: USA

Biography of Ernestine Schumann-Heink

Ernestine Schumann-Heink was an Austrian-American opera singer and contralto, renowned for her incredibly beautiful, rich, and flexible voice with an extensive range. She was born as Ernestine Rössler in Lieben, Bohemia, Austrian Empire (now part of the Czech Republic) in a German-speaking family. Her father, Hans Rössler, was a former officer in the Austrian cavalry who later became a cobbler after meeting Ernestine's mother, Charlotte Goldman.

In 1864, the Rössler family moved to Verona and two years later to Prague due to the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War. After the war, they settled in Graz, where Ernestine encountered her first vocal coach, Marietta von LeClair, a former opera singer. In 1877, Ernestine made her debut on stage, performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with soprano Maria Wilt. Her opera debut came in 1878, on October 15th, at the Dresden Royal Opera, where she sang the role of Azucena in Giuseppe Verdi's "Il trovatore."

In 1882, Ernestine married Ernest Heink, a member of the Saxon State Opera Dresden, also known as Semperoper. They had four children together, but their marriage conflicted with the conditions of their professional contracts, resulting in both of them losing their positions. Ernest found work at the customs office in Hamburg, and Ernestine continued to work in Dresden for some time before ultimately following her husband.

Unfortunately, Ernest also lost his job, this time due to his Saxon roots, and was deported to Saxony. Pregnant at the time, Ernestine chose not to follow him, and they divorced in 1893. She later remarried actor Paul Schumann, whose death in 1904 ended their marriage.

Ernestine's breakthrough role came at the Hamburg opera when the prima donna, Marie Goetze, had a serious disagreement with the director. Ernestine was offered the role of Carmen and brilliantly performed it without any rehearsals, further fueling Goetze's anger. As a result, Ernestine was given two more roles, and her exceptional performances earned her a 10-year contract. Gradually, Ernestine gained international recognition. She performed at the Royal Opera House in London alongside Gustav Mahler and worked in Bayreuth between 1896 and 1914, participating in Wagnerian productions.

In 1898, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and returned to this legendary opera house several times. In 1900, Ernestine recorded her singing for the first time on a phonograph, and she continued to capture her magnificent voice on artificial media.

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 resulted in Ernestine losing almost all of her savings. At the age of 69, she was forced to return to the stage. Her final opera performance took place in 1931, after which she limited herself to radio performances. Ernestine Schumann-Heink passed away from leukemia.