Judith Hellwig (19 August 1906 – 25 January 1993) was an Austrian operatic soprano.

Career

Born in Neusohl, (today

Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica (, also known by other alternative names) is a middle-sized town in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica M ...

in Slovakia), Hellwig made her debut at the opera house in

Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; french: link=no, Sarrebruck ; Rhine Franconian: ''Saarbrigge'' ; lb, Saarbrécken ; lat, Saravipons, lit=The Bridge(s) across the Saar river) is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is ...

. In 1938, she created the role of Ursula in Hindemith's ''

Mathis der Maler ''Mathis der Maler'' (''Matthias the Painter'' is an opera by Paul Hindemith. The work's protagonist, Matthias Grünewald, was a historical figure who flourished during the Reformation, and whose art, in particular the Isenheim Altarpiece, ...

'' at the

Zürich Opera Zürich Opera (Oper Zürich) is a Swiss opera company based in Zürich. The company gives performances in the Zürich Opera House. History The first performance at the current theatre occurred on 30 September 1891, with a production of Wagner's ' ...

which brought her international fame. Hellwig was of Jewish faith and had to go into exile in the United States as the Second World War approached, before moving to Buenos Aires. After the war, she returned to Europe and was hired by the

Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August ...

, where she remained until 1972. Among her other outstanding roles was the voice of the falcon in Strauss' ''

Die Frau ohne Schatten ' (''The Woman without a Shadow''), Op. 65, is an opera in three acts by Richard Strauss with a libretto by his long-time collaborator, the poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It was written between 1911 and either 1915 or 1917. When it premiered at the ...

'',Judith Hellwig
on Capriccio Kultur Forum conducted by

Karl Böhm Karl August Leopold Böhm (28 August 1894 – 14 August 1981) was an Austrian conductor. He was best known for his performances of the music of Mozart, Wagner, and Richard Strauss. Life and career Education Karl Böhm was born in Graz. T ...

in 1955. She also portrayed Judith very expressively, despite the Hungarian diction efforts she had to make for the role in Bartók's ''

Bluebeard's Castle ''Duke Bluebeard's Castle'' ( hu, A kékszakállú herceg vára, link=no, or ''The Blue-Bearded Duke's Castle'') is a one-act expressionist opera by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók. The libretto was written by Béla Balázs, a poet and friend ...

''. Hellwig died on 25 January 1993 in Vienna at age 86.

Sources

* Booklet of CD ARL81-82, ''The Finest Records of

Walter Susskind Jan Walter Susskind (1 May 1913 – 25 March 1980) was a Czech-born British conductor, teacher and pianist. He began his career in his native Prague, and fled to Britain when Germany invaded the city in 1939. He worked for substantial periods in ...

'', vol. 1, ''Bluebeard's Castle'', ''

The Wooden Prince ''The Wooden Prince'' ( hu, A fából faragott királyfi), Op. 13, Sz. 60, is a one-act pantomime ballet composed by Béla Bartók in 1914–1916 (orchestrated 1916–1917) to a scenario by Béla Balázs. It was first performed at the Budapest O ...

'', '' Cantata Profana'', New Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of London, Arlecchino.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hellwig, Judith 1906 births 1993 deaths Musicians from Banská Bystrica Austrian operatic sopranos 20th-century Austrian women singers Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to Argentina