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Lehmann LotteGerman singer (soprano)
Date of Birth: 27.02.1888
Country:  Germany |
Content:
Biography of Lotta Lehmann
Early Life and EducationLotta Lehmann was born in a small town in northern Germany into a family of a civil servant. In 1902, her family moved to Berlin. Lehmann received vocal training from various teachers, with the most successful being Mathilde Mallinger, who performed the role of Eva in the premiere of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg".
Early Career
In 1910, Lehmann signed a contract with the Hamburg City Theater. Initially, she was given only small roles, but she later successfully performed as Elsa in Wagner's "Lohengrin", which led to her growing popularity. In 1914, she made her first recordings, and renowned tenor Enrico Caruso, who attended one of her performances, recognized her talent.
Success in Vienna
In 1916, Lehmann was invited to the Vienna State Opera, and her career remained closely associated with this theater until 1937. She quickly gained recognition and the love of the audience. Lehmann's biography is notable for her performances of leading roles in Richard Strauss operas. She portrayed the Composer in the premiere of the second version of "Ariadne auf Naxos" (Vienna, 1916), the Wife of the Dyemaker in the premiere of "Die Frau ohne Schatten" (Vienna, 1919), and Christina in the premiere of "Intermezzo" (Dresden, 1924). In 1933, she sang the role of Arabella in the Viennese premiere of the opera of the same name. However, her signature role became that of the Marschallin in "Der Rosenkavalier". Lehmann also achieved great success in Wagnerian roles, such as Elsa in "Lohengrin", Elisabeth in "Tannhäuser", Eva in "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg", and especially Sieglinde in "Die Walküre". Lotta Lehmann was one of the few German singers of her time (alongside Elisabeth Rethberg and Meta Seinemeyer) who were convincing in the Italian repertoire. Giacomo Puccini (she performed in almost all of his operas, including "Turandot") was delighted by her talent.
International Career
Lehmann toured in Buenos Aires, London, Paris, and other cities. She also participated in the Salzburg Festival, where in 1935 she performed one of her signature roles, Leonore in Beethoven's "Fidelio" under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. In 1937, a conflict arose between Lehmann and Hermann Göring, after which she decided to emigrate to the United States, where she had already toured multiple times (for example, in 1934 she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in the role of Sieglinde). Thanks to her concerts, where she was often accompanied by Bruno Walter, with whom she had a sincere friendship, the American audience had the opportunity to become better acquainted with German art songs (Lieder). In 1945, the singer retired from the opera stage (her last performance was as the Marschallin), and on February 16, 1951, she gave a farewell concert in New York.
Later Life and Legacy
Lehmann taught at the Music Academy in Santa Barbara and also worked as an opera director (in the 1962-1963 season, she staged "Der Rosenkavalier" at the Metropolitan Opera). She was buried in Vienna's Central Cemetery. The warmth of Lehmann's voice and the heartfelt nature of her singing made her an irreplaceable performer of lyrical and lyric-dramatic roles. She had a vast repertoire but was aware of the limitations of her abilities. For instance, she refused to sing the role of Isolde (despite the persuasions and even though it was her dream) and recorded only the death scene of Isolde. Her performances of songs were characterized by great naturalness and a harmonious blend of music and words. She did not suffer from "star sickness"; musicality and emotional expression in her performances were always more important than showing off. Lotta Lehmann was the author of several autobiographical and educational books. As a highly versatile individual, she also wrote poetry and prose and was a talented artist.
