Elfriede Trötschel
Encyclopedia
Elfriede Trötschel was a German operatic soprano
, she was a versatile singer with a wide-ranging repertoire.
She studied in her native Dresden with Sophie Kuhnau-Bernard and Paul Schoffler. Noticed by conductor Karl Böhm
, she made her stage debut at the Staatsoper Dresden, in 1933, aged only 20, and where she remained until 1950. She made debut at the Berlin State Opera
and at the Vienna State Opera
in 1951. Sha made guest appearances in Florence
, Naples
, and Lisbon
, and appeared at the Glyndebourne Festival, as Susanna, in 1953, and at the Royal Opera House
in London, as Zdenka
in 1954.
Her repertory included such diverse roles as Agathe in Der Freischütz
, Marenka in The Bartered Bride
, Antonia in the Tales of Hoffmann, the title role in Rusalka
, Violetta in La traviata
, Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly
, Hanna in The Merry Widow
, etc.
She was also an admired recitalist. Her career was cut short by her sudden death in Berlin at the age of 44, while still at the height of her power.
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...
, she was a versatile singer with a wide-ranging repertoire.
She studied in her native Dresden with Sophie Kuhnau-Bernard and Paul Schoffler. Noticed by conductor Karl Böhm
Karl Böhm
Karl August Leopold Böhm was an Austrian conductor. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century.- Education :...
, she made her stage debut at the Staatsoper Dresden, in 1933, aged only 20, and where she remained until 1950. She made debut at the Berlin State Opera
Berlin State Opera
The Staatsoper Unter den Linden is a German opera company. Its permanent home is the opera house on the Unter den Linden boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, which also hosts the Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra.-Early years:...
and at the Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
in 1951. Sha made guest appearances in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, and Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, and appeared at the Glyndebourne Festival, as Susanna, in 1953, and at the Royal Opera House
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...
in London, as Zdenka
Arabella
Arabella is a lyric comedy or opera in 3 acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. It was first performed on 1 July 1933, at the Dresden Sächsisches Staatstheater....
in 1954.
Her repertory included such diverse roles as Agathe in Der Freischütz
Der Freischütz
Der Freischütz is an opera in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind. It premiered on 18 June 1821 at the Schauspielhaus Berlin...
, Marenka in The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The opera is considered to have made a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It was composed during the period 1863–66, and first performed at the...
, Antonia in the Tales of Hoffmann, the title role in Rusalka
Rusalka (opera)
Rusalka is an opera by Antonín Dvořák. The Czech libretto was written by the poet Jaroslav Kvapil based on the fairy tales of Karel Jaromír Erben and Božena Němcová. Rusalka is one of the most successful Czech operas, and represents a cornerstone of the repertoire of Czech opera houses...
, Violetta in 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...
, Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly
Madama Butterfly
Madama Butterfly is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Puccini based his opera in part on the short story "Madame Butterfly" by John Luther Long, which was dramatized by David Belasco...
, Hanna in The Merry Widow
The Merry Widow
The Merry Widow is an operetta by the Austro–Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband – on an 1861 comedy play,...
, etc.
She was also an admired recitalist. Her career was cut short by her sudden death in Berlin at the age of 44, while still at the height of her power.
Selected recordings
- Smetana - Die Verkaufte Braut - Elfriede Trötschel, Richard HolmRichard Holm (tenor)Richard Holm was a German operatic tenor, particularly associated with Mozart, though he sang a wide range of roles.Born in Stuttgart, where he studied with Rudolf Ritter, he made his debut at the Kiel Opera House in 1937...
, Georg Stern, Frithof Sentpaul, Martha Geister - Frankfurt Radio Chorus and Orchestra, Karl Elmendorff - Cantus Classic (1953)
- Dvořák - Rusalka - Elfriede Trötschel, Helmut Schindler, Lisa OttoLisa OttoLisa Otto is a German operatic soprano, particularly associated with soubrette and light coloratura roles. She was born in Dresden....
, Gottlob FrickGottlob FrickGottlob Frick was a German bass who sang in opera. He was known for his wide repertory including Wagner and Mozart roles, as well as those of Nicolai and Lortzing.-Career:...
- Dresden Radio Chorus and Orchestra, Joseph KeilberthJoseph KeilberthJoseph Keilberth was a German conductor who specialized in opera.He started his career in the State Theatre of his native city, Karlsruhe. In 1940 he became director of the German Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague. Near the end of World War II he became principal conductor of the Dresden...
- Relief (1948)