Elisabeth Höngen

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Elisabeth Höngen (7 December 1906 – 7 August 1997) was a German operatic

Verdi's Lady Macbeth. From 1947 onward she was one of the Vienna State Opera
's most prominent artists for nearly 30 years.

Career

Höngen was born in Gevelsberg, Germany. She publicly performed as a violinist at age 15.

She studied German and music at the

Dresden opera. In 1943, she was invited to the Vienna State Opera
where she stayed until her retirement.

In 1947 and 1959–60 Höngen performed at

Bayreuther Festspiele in 1951, as well as the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
in Florence.

In 1957, she accepted a position as a professor at the

Salzburger Festspiele
. She left the Vienna State Opera in 1971.

Höngen died in Vienna in August 1997 at the age of 91.

Performances and roles

Höngen appeared at the

Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress
.

She made guest appearances at the

Munich State Opera, the Royal Opera House in London, the Paris Opéra, La Scala in Milan, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the Metropolitan Opera
in New York.

Recognition

Conductor Karl Böhm called her "the world's greatest tragedienne".[2]

In 1964 she was awarded the Mozartmedaille by the Mozart community of Vienna.[3]

Her voice has been described as "rich, beautifully formed, with dramatic delivery and strength and feeling for style exciting admiration" ("Umfangreiche, schön gebildete Stimme, deren dramatische Ausdruckskraft und deren Stilgefühl Bewunderung erregten").[4]

Recordings

  • 1943 – Macbeth – Mathieu Ahlersmeyer, Elisabeth Hongen, Josef Witt, Herbert Alsen – Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Karl Böhm – Cantus Classic (sung in German)
  • 1954 –
    Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
    (DGG 16105 LP)
  • HMV-Electrola (9th Symphony by L.v. Beethoven), Philips
  • DGG (Elektra, Lied cycle Frauenliebe und –leben by R. Schumann)
  • Columbia (Lieder), Seraphim (Hänsel und Gretel), UORC (Frau ohne Schatten by R. Strauss)
  • Urania (Macbeth by Verdi)
  • Decca (Frau ohne Schatten)
  • Bruno Walter Society (complete Der Ring des Nibelungen)
  • Murray Hill (Erda in Siegfried, Fricka in Rheingold and Walküre), (Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro),
  • Cetra Opera Live (Aida)
  • Rococo (Elektra in the role of Klytämnestra)
  • Melodram (F minor Mass by Bruckner, Verdi’s Requiem)

Further reading

  • "Elisabeth Höngen". tamino-klassikforum.at. 8 August 2008.
  • E. Wurm: ‘Elizabeth Höngen. An artist picture’ Vienna, 1966.
  • Biography by Erik Eriksson[permanent dead link], allmusic.com, n.d.

References

  1. ^ Elisabeth Höngen[permanent dead link] Operissimo AG, IT-20146 Milano MI, not dated, accessed 15 May 2017
  2. ^ Ingrid Roßki: Kalenderblatt: Elisabeth Höngen; in: Sächsische Zeitung, 7. December 1996.
  3. ^ Inschrift Deutschordenshof, Singerstraße: Elisabeth Höngen 1964 Viennatouristguide. (retrieved 11 April 2015)
  4. ^ Kutsch, K. J.; Riemens, Leo (1999). "Elisabeth Höngen". Großes Sängerlexikon. München: K.G. Saur. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
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