Maria Olszewska
Maria Olszewska ( born August 12, 1892 in the Ludwig Schwaige, † May 17, 1969 in Klagenfurt ) was an internationally renowned German singer in the vocal range alto / mezzo soprano.
Life and artistic work
The artist was born as Marie Berchtenbreiter on August 12, 1892 in Ludwig Schwaige, one located in the former Donaumoos wasteland between Wertingen and Donauwörth ( Pfaffenhofener hall), the light of the world. Very early showed her musical talent, which was encouraged by his parents. She studied singing in private studies with Karl Erler in Munich. She then worked as a concert and operetta singer. The conductor Artur Nikisch advised the young women to devote themselves to the opera, and gave her an engagement at the Stadttheater in Krefeld. There, the singer debuted as a Page in Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser. Then she worked a short time at the Stadttheater in Leipzig, where she excelled in major Wagner roles. She sang mostly on Brangäne, Fricka, Erda and Waltraude. 1920 Maria Olszewska went to the Hamburg State Opera, where she remained until 1923. Here she sang Carmen in the opera of the same name, the mother of the young farmers Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana, in the premiere of the opera Die tote Stadt, to name just some of the many challenging Brigitte mezzo- soprano and alto parts.
From 1924 to 1930, the artist worked at the State Opera in Vienna. There, she wowed the audience as the most beautiful and most elegant Rosenkavalier ( Ludwig, 2000, p 212). In the city on the Danube they belonged, as Robert Stolz and his wife Einzi said in an interview to the superstars. Named further reported about the singer:
Even its numerous feuds created headlines ... Perhaps the most notorious of these scenes was during a presentation of Viennese ' Valkyrie ' in the twenties to: Mizzi ( = Jeritza ) sang Sieglinde and brought Fricka, Maria Olszewska such in Rage that they actually spit on it ( pride 1986, p 122).
In addition to their solid commitment in Vienna, she had other commitments at the Städtische Oper Berlin and at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. For their many years of service to the Munich Festival, the artist the title of a Bavarian chamber singer was awarded.
Early 1930 undertook Maria Olszewska a tour through the United States, which began from Chicago, where she had sung to the season end. The tour took the brilliant artist and this committed ensemble through all the major cities of the country: Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Louisville, Memphis, Dallas, Tulsa, San Antonio, El Paso, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland. This enthusiastic particular Rosenkavalier, with Maria Olszewska as Octavian, the American audience.
The internationally celebrated diva guested on the great opera stages of the world. She sang in Spain, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy, in the U.S., where she made her debut in 1933 as Brangäne on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Argentina, etc. In Paris and London, she sang in 1930 and in Munich in 1935 Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. In addition to roles in Richard Wagner's music dramas were the Klytämestra in Elektra, Amneris in Aida, which Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera, the Dalila in Samson and Delilah, the Mistress Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier at their best roles.
The artist also acted in several films. For your movie partner and partners inside included: Irene von Meyendorff, the very young Maria Schell, Oskar Sima, Otto Tressler and Attila Hörbiger.
From 1947 to 1949 Maria Olszweska taught as a professor of singing at the Academy of Music in Vienna and in 1948 lecturer at the Vienna State Opera. From 1951 to 1955 she appeared at the Vienna Volksoper. There, she performed in operettas by Johann Strauss as A Night in Venice, The Gypsy Baron and Wiener Blut.
The artist married in 1925 the heroic baritone Emil Schipper. The marriage was soon divorced.
Discography (selection)
- The living past. Maria Olszewsak (recordings 1922-1929 ) ( Label: Naxos)
- Der Rosenkavalier ( Label: Pearl)
- Four German Contraltos of the Past ( Label: Preiser Records )
Filmography (selection)
- Linen from Ireland (1939 ), Role: Woman of Kalinsky
- Maresi (1948 ) Role: Countess stone groove