Margarethe Siems
Encyclopedia
Margarethe Siems was a German operatic soprano
and voice teacher. A Kammersängerin
of the Dresden State Opera
, between 1909 and 1912 Siems created leading roles in three operas by Richard Strauss
: Chrysothemis in Elektra
, the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier
, and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos
.
conservatory with the Hungarian soprano, Aglaja Orgeni
, who had herself been a pupil of Pauline Viardot and Mathilde Marchesi
. She made her opera début at the Neues deutsches Theatre
, Prague
in 1902 as Marguerite de Valois in Meyerbeer
's Les Huguenots
and became a member of the Dresden State Opera in 1908. At Dresden she sang in the premieres of both Elektra as Chrysothemis (1909) and Der Rosenkavalier as the Marschallin (1911). Strauss considered her his ideal for the latter role which she also sang in the London premiere of Der Rosenkavalier (Covent Garden
, 1913). Her third Strauss premiere was as Zerbinetta in the first version of his Ariadne auf Naxos
(Stuttgart
, 1912).
Siems' singing style (like that of her contemporaries Hermine Bosetti
and Marie Gutheil-Schoder
) was described by Michael Scott
as "instrumental" rather than warmly emotional. However, she had a wide repertoire which included florid coloratura soprano
roles such as the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute
and Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor
; the dramatic soprano
Verdi
heroines such as the title role in Aida
and Amelia in Ballo in maschera; and even the Wagnerian
roles of Sieglinde in Die Walküre
and Isolde in Tristan und Isolde
. Her vocal range
was as wide as her repertoire, with the ability to sing both Zerbinetta with its high F# (in the original version) and low-lying roles, usually sung by mezzo-sopranos such as the title role in Carmen
and Adalgisa in Bellini
's Norma
.
Although Siems remained a member of the Dresden State Opera until 1922, she was also a singing teacher at the Berlin
conservatory from 1920 to 1926. She then taught in Dresden and Breslau until 1940. One of her early pupils was the German contralto
, Sigrid Onegin
. She made her final stage performance in 1925 as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier
in Breslau, but continued to sing in concerts, often with the German singer and composer, Georg Hartmann, a fellow resident of Bad Landeck
, where she spent her retirement years. Towards the end of her life, Margarethe Siems moved back to Dresden where she died on 13 April 1952 at the age of 72.
, Pathé
, HMV and Parlophone
, representing roles in a wide range of operas, including Aida, Der Rosenkavalier, Les Huguenots, Lucia di Lammermoor, La traviata
, Dinorah
, Lakmé
, and Le nozze di Figaro. Label: Symposium SYM 1227.
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
and voice teacher. A Kammersängerin
Kammersänger
Kammersänger , abbreviation: "Ks.", literally means "Chamber singer." It is a German honorific title for distinguished singers...
of 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...
, between 1909 and 1912 Siems created leading roles in three operas by Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
: Chrysothemis in Elektra
Elektra (opera)
Elektra is a one-act opera by Richard Strauss, to a German-language libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, which he adapted from his 1903 drama Elektra. The opera was the first of many collaborations between Strauss and Hofmannsthal...
, the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel Les amours du chevalier de Faublas by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
, and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos
Ariadne auf Naxos
Ariadne auf Naxos is an opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Bringing together slapstick comedy and consuming beautiful music, the opera's theme is the competition between high and low art for the public's attention.- First version :The opera was originally...
.
Biography
Margarethe Siems was born in Breslau (now Wrocław). After early training in piano and violin, she studied singing at the DresdenDresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
conservatory with the Hungarian soprano, Aglaja Orgeni
Aglaja Orgeni
Aglaja Orgeni, real name Anna Maria von Görger St. Jörgen , was a Hungarian operatic coloratura soprano.-Biography:Orgeni was born in Rimászombat, Galicia...
, who had herself been a pupil of Pauline Viardot and Mathilde Marchesi
Mathilde Marchesi
Mathilde Marchesi was a German mezzo-soprano, a renowned teacher of singing, and a proponent of the bel canto vocal method.-Biography:...
. She made her opera début at the Neues deutsches Theatre
Prague State Opera
The Prague State Opera , is an opera and ballet company in Prague, Czech Republic. The theatre was originally founded in 1888 as the New German Theatre and from 1949 to 1989 it was known as the Smetana Theatre....
, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1902 as Marguerite de Valois in Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer was a noted German opera composer, and the first great exponent of "grand opera." At his peak in the 1830s and 1840s, he was the most famous and successful composer of opera in Europe, yet he is rarely performed today.-Early years:He was born to a Jewish family in Tasdorf , near...
's Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots is a French opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer, one of the most popular and spectacular examples of the style of grand opera. The opera is in five acts and premiered in Paris in 1836. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps....
and became a member of the Dresden State Opera in 1908. At Dresden she sang in the premieres of both Elektra as Chrysothemis (1909) and Der Rosenkavalier as the Marschallin (1911). Strauss considered her his ideal for the latter role which she also sang in the London premiere of Der Rosenkavalier (Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, 1913). Her third Strauss premiere was as Zerbinetta in the first version of his Ariadne auf Naxos
Ariadne auf Naxos
Ariadne auf Naxos is an opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Bringing together slapstick comedy and consuming beautiful music, the opera's theme is the competition between high and low art for the public's attention.- First version :The opera was originally...
(Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, 1912).
Siems' singing style (like that of her contemporaries Hermine Bosetti
Hermine Bosetti
Hermine Bosetti née von Flick , was a German coloratura soprano.Bosetti sang her debut in Wiesbaden as "Ännchen" in Der Freischütz. In 1900 she was a member of the Vienna State Opera and from 1901 until 1924 she was a star singer with the Bavarian State Opera...
and Marie Gutheil-Schoder
Marie Gutheil-Schoder
Marie Gutheil-Schoder was one of the most important German sopranos of her day.Born Marie Schoder, in 1899 she married Gustav Gutheil, with whom she lived until his death in 1914....
) was described by Michael Scott
Michael Scott (artistic director)
Michael Scott is the founder of the London Opera Society. In his role as the society's sole artistic director, he brought to London Marilyn Horne, Joan Sutherland, and Boris Christoff. He was also responsible for introducing Sherrill Milnes, Ruggero Raimondi, and Montserrat Caballe...
as "instrumental" rather than warmly emotional. However, she had a wide repertoire which included florid coloratura soprano
Coloratura soprano
A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano who specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps. The term coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component of the music written for this voice...
roles such as the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
and Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor is a dramma tragico in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor....
; the dramatic soprano
Dramatic soprano
A dramatic soprano is an operatic soprano with a powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over, or cut through, a full orchestra. Thicker vocal folds in dramatic voices usually mean less agility than lighter voices but a sustained, fuller sound. Usually this voice has a lower tessitura than...
Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
heroines such as the title role in Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
and Amelia in Ballo in maschera; and even the Wagnerian
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
roles of Sieglinde in Die Walküre
Die Walküre
Die Walküre , WWV 86B, is the second of the four operas that form the cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
and Isolde in Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
. Her vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
was as wide as her repertoire, with the ability to sing both Zerbinetta with its high F# (in the original version) and low-lying roles, usually sung by mezzo-sopranos such as the title role in Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
and Adalgisa in Bellini
Vincenzo Bellini
Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was an Italian opera composer. His greatest works are I Capuleti ed i Montecchi , La sonnambula , Norma , Beatrice di Tenda , and I puritani...
's Norma
Norma (opera)
Norma is a tragedia lirica or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ossia L'infanticidio by Alexandre Soumet. First produced at La Scala on December 26, 1831, it is generally regarded as an example of the supreme height of the bel canto tradition...
.
Although Siems remained a member of the Dresden State Opera until 1922, she was also a singing teacher at the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
conservatory from 1920 to 1926. She then taught in Dresden and Breslau until 1940. One of her early pupils was the German contralto
Contralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
, Sigrid Onegin
Sigrid Onégin
Sigrid Onégin was a Franco-German operatic contralto who enjoyed a major international career prior to World War II . She was born in Stockholm, Sweden to a German father and a French mother....
. She made her final stage performance in 1925 as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel Les amours du chevalier de Faublas by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
in Breslau, but continued to sing in concerts, often with the German singer and composer, Georg Hartmann, a fellow resident of Bad Landeck
Ladek-Zdrój
Lądek-Zdrój is a town in Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Lądek-Zdrój, close to the Czech border....
, where she spent her retirement years. Towards the end of her life, Margarethe Siems moved back to Dresden where she died on 13 April 1952 at the age of 72.
Recordings
Margarethe Siems – Königliche Sächsische Hofopernsängerin is a remastered selection of Siems' early recordings for G & TGramophone Company
The Gramophone Company, based in the United Kingdom, was one of the early recording companies, and was the parent organization for the famous "His Master's Voice" label...
, Pathé
Pathé Records
Pathé Records was a France-based international record label and producer of phonographs, active from the 1890s through the 1930s.- Early years :...
, HMV and Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
, representing roles in a wide range of operas, including Aida, Der Rosenkavalier, Les Huguenots, Lucia di Lammermoor, La traviata
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
, Dinorah
Dinorah
Dinorah, originally Le pardon de Ploërmel , is an 1859 French opéra comique in three acts with music by Giacomo Meyerbeer and a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré...
, Lakmé
Lakmé
Lakmé is an opera in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille. Delibes wrote the score during 1881–82 with its first performance on 14 April 1883 at the Opéra Comique in Paris. Set in British India in the mid 19th century, Lakmé is based on the 1880 novel...
, and Le nozze di Figaro. Label: Symposium SYM 1227.
Sources
- Midgette, Anne, "A 'Baroque' Approach to Strauss Opera", New York Times, 17 February 2002
- Rosenthal, H. and Warrack, J., "Siems, Margarethe", The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera, 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, 1979, p. 461. ISBN 019311321X
- Scott, Michael, The Record of SingingThe Record of SingingThe Record of Singing is a compilation of classical-music singing from the first half of the 20th century, the era of the 78-rpm record.It was issued on LP by EMI, successor to the British company His Master's Voice — perhaps the leading organization in the early history of audio recording.The...
, Vol. I, Northeastern University Press, 1993, p. 168. ISBN 1555531636
External links
- Margarethe Siems on Isoldes-Liebestod.info – biography in German and extensive photo gallery.