Marianne Schech

Marianne Schech
Grave in the cemetery of Bayrischzell
Born	(1914-01-18)18 January 1914 Geitau near Bayrischzell, Bavaria, Germany
Died	22 July 1999(1999-07-22) (aged 85) Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Education	Trapp'sches Konservatorium Akademie der Tonkunst
Occupations	Operatic soprano Academic voice teacher
Organizations	Bavarian State Opera Musikhochschule München

Marianne Schech (18 January 1914 – 22 July 1999) was a German operatic soprano and academic who appeared internationally. She was a member of the Bavarian State Opera from 1946 to 1970. She is known for leading roles in works by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, playing, for example, the Dyer's Wife in the U.S. premiere of Die Frau ohne Schatten by Richard Strauss at the San Francisco Opera in 1959. She made several recordings, including in 1951 the role of Elisabeth in Wagner's Tannhäuser, conducted by Robert Heger, in 1960 the role of Chrysothemis in Elektra by Richard Strauss, conducted by Karl Böhm, Senta in Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer, conducted by Franz Konwitschny, and Venus in Tannhäuser, also conducted by Konwitschny.

Career

Born in Geitau near

After World War II, Schech was a member of the Bavarian State Opera from 1946 to 1970.^[1] In 1952, she appeared in Rio de Janeiro as Senta in Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer and as Isolde in his Tristan und Isolde. In 1957, she was the Dyer's Wife in Die Frau ohne Schatten by Richard Strauss at the Paris Opera. She often appeared at the Vienna State Opera, in 1958 as Venus in Wagner's Tannhäuser and as Brünnhilde in his Siegfried, in 1962 as Brünnhilde in his Die Walküre and as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier by Strauss. In 1959, she appeared as the Dyer's Wife in the U.S. premiere of the opera at the San Francisco Opera in 1959.^[1]

Schech made several recordings,^[2] including in 1951 the role of Elisabeth in Wagner'sTannhäuser, conducted by Robert Heger.^[3] She recorded the role of Sieglinde in Die Walküre, Martha in Tiefland, the Marschallin and the Dyer's Wife, among others.^[1] In 1960, she recorded the role of Chrysothemis in Elektra by Richard Strauss, conducted by Karl Böhm with the Staatskapelle Dresden, and alongside Inge Borkh in the title role and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as Orest.^[4] That same year, she recorded Senta in Der fliegende Holländer, conducted by Franz Konwitschny with the Staatskapelle Berlin, and alongside Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in the title role, Gottlob Frick as Daland and Fritz Wunderlich as the Steuermann.^[5] Later in 1960, she again joined Konwitschny, the Staatskapelle Berlin, Fischer-Dieskau, Frick, and Wunderlich to record Tannhäuser with Hans Hopf in the title role and Elisabeth Grümmer as Elisabeth.^[6]

Schech lectured at the