Lore Wissmann (22 June 1922 – 25 December 2007) was a German operatic

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

Life

Wissmann was born in

Neckartailfingen Neckartailfingen is a municipality in Germany, located approximately south of Stuttgart. It is located on the river Neckar. History Neckartailfingen was first mentioned in 1090 in the Hirsau codex (Codex Hirsaugiensis) as ''Tagelvingen''. Bui ...

. After studying at the

State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart The State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart is a professional school for musicians and performing artists in Stuttgart, Germany. Founded in 1857, it is one of the oldest schools of its kind in Germany. It is one of the oldest and ...

, Wissmann made her debut in 1942 at the State Opera there, of which she was a member for over thirty years. There, she sang all the important lyrical parts, including ''Minnie'' in '' La fanciulla del West'', ''Liù'' in ''

Turandot ''Turandot'' ( ; see #Origin and pronunciation of the name, below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Puccini left the opera unfinished at the time of his death in 1924; it ...

'', ''Marie'' in ''

The Bartered Bride ''The Bartered Bride'' (, ''The Sold Bride'') is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The work is generally regarded as a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It ...

'' as well as Manon in ''

Manon Lescaut ''The Story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut'' ( ) is a novel by Antoine François Prévost. It tells a tragic love story about a nobleman (known only as the Chevalier des Grieux) and a common woman (Manon Lescaut). Their decisio ...

'' and also took part in numerous premieres and first performances, among others by

Hindemith Paul Hindemith ( ; ; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German and American composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major ad ...

Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of ...

and

Orff Carl Heinrich Maria Orff (; 10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator, who composed the cantata ''Carmina Burana'' (1937). The concepts of his Schulwerk were influential for children's music education. Life Earl ...

. She gave guest performances at all leading opera houses in Europe. At the

Bayreuth premiere cast of Parsifal The Bayreuth premiere cast of Parsifal lists the contributors to the new productions of Richard Wagner's inaugural stage play ''Parsifal'', including the premiere, which took place on 26 July 1882 at the Bayreuth Festival. About the performanc ...

, she sang parts from ''

Das Rheingold ''Das Rheingold'' (; ''The Rhinegold''), Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis, WWV 86A, is the first of the four epic poetry, epic music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's Literary cycle, cycle ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nib ...

'' and Eva in ''

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (; "The Master-Singers of Nuremberg"), WWV 96, is a music drama, or opera, in three acts, by Richard Wagner. It is the longest opera commonly performed, taking nearly four and a half hours, not counting two breaks between acts, and is traditio ...

'' (1956). She was married with the tenor

Wolfgang Windgassen Wolfgang Windgassen (26 June 1914 – 8 September 1974) was a German heldentenor internationally known for his performances in Wagner operas. Life and career Born in Annemasse, France, he was the son (and pupil) of a well known German Heldentenor ...

(1914–1974). Wissmann died in Uffing am Staffelsee at the age of 85. She rests beside her husband Wolfgang Windgassen at the Waldfriedhof Stuttgart.

References

External links

* *
Wissmann Lore
on

Operissimo concertissimo Operissimo is an online database based in Zürich, which is dedicated to recording details of classical music concerts and opera performances. The database currently includes biographies on over 7,500 composers and 44,000 performing artists,

German operatic sopranos 1922 births 2007 deaths People from Esslingen (district) 20th-century German women opera singers State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart alumni {{Germany-opera-singer-stub