Anni Frind
Encyclopedia
Anni Frind was one of the most highly recorded lyric soprano
s in Germany during the 1920s and 30s.
Anni Frind was born in Nixdorf
, a small village in Bohemia
(now Czech Republic
). She made her debut in 1922 at the Berlin Volksoper and went on to sing leading soprano roles in both opera
and operetta
at the Munich State Opera
, the Dresden State Opera
, the German Opera House
in Berlin and other major European cities. After the successful premiere of Benatzky
's operetta Casanova in 1928, her energies were devoted mainly to operetta; and the ever-popular HMV recording of "The Nuns' Chorus" (comp.Johann Strauss II
/arr.Ralph Benatzky) was produced. She appeared as Adele in Max Reinhardt's
production of Die Fledermaus
200 times.
To avoid collaborating with the Nazis, Anni Frind curtailed her activities in Germany upon the rise of Hitler, and retired from professional singing at the outbreak of World War II, later marrying. During the war she sang for Allied soldiers at the front and worked as a volunteer nurse. Anni Frind-Sperling moved to New Orleans in 1951, and became a singing teacher at Newcomb College Tulane University. She died 1987 in New Orleans aged 87.
Lyric soprano
A lyric soprano is a type of operatic soprano that has a warm quality with a bright, full timbre which can be heard over an orchestra. The lyric soprano voice generally has a higher tessitura than a soubrette and usually plays ingenues and other sympathetic characters in opera. Lyric sopranos have...
s in Germany during the 1920s and 30s.
Anni Frind was born in Nixdorf
Mikulášovice
Mikulášovice is a town in the Czech Republic.Mikulášovice is a city with 2.375 inhabitants in the Czech Republic. The elongated village in the valley of the brook Mikulášovický is 414 m above sea level in the west of the Bohemian low country near the border with Germany and belongs to the Okres...
, a small village in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
(now Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
). She made her debut in 1922 at the Berlin Volksoper and went on to sing leading soprano roles in both opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
at the Munich State Opera
Bavarian State Opera
The Bavarian State Opera is an opera company based in Munich, Germany.Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra.- History:The opera company which was founded under Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy has been in existence since 1653...
, the Dresden State Opera
Semperoper
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and the concert hall of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden . It is located near the Elbe River in the historic center of Dresden, Germany.The opera house was originally built by the architect Gottfried Semper in 1841...
, the German Opera House
Deutsche Oper Berlin
The Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is also home to the Berlin State Ballet.-History:...
in Berlin and other major European cities. After the successful premiere of Benatzky
Ralph Benatzky
Ralph Benatzky , Moravia, Austrian Empire – 16 October 1957), born in Moravské Budějovice as Rudolf Josef František Benatzki, was an Austrian composer of Czech origin...
's operetta Casanova in 1928, her energies were devoted mainly to operetta; and the ever-popular HMV recording of "The Nuns' Chorus" (comp.Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
/arr.Ralph Benatzky) was produced. She appeared as Adele in Max Reinhardt's
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
production of Die Fledermaus
Die Fledermaus
Die Fledermaus is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée.- Literary sources :...
200 times.
To avoid collaborating with the Nazis, Anni Frind curtailed her activities in Germany upon the rise of Hitler, and retired from professional singing at the outbreak of World War II, later marrying. During the war she sang for Allied soldiers at the front and worked as a volunteer nurse. Anni Frind-Sperling moved to New Orleans in 1951, and became a singing teacher at Newcomb College Tulane University. She died 1987 in New Orleans aged 87.