Luise Reuss-Belce (24 October 1862 – 5 March 1945) was an
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example:
** Austria-Hungary
** Austria ...
- German
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
tic dramatic
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 ...
. In the last years of her life she worked as an opera director and singing teacher.
Life
Born in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, Luise Baumann first appeared under the pseudonym ''Luise Belce''. In 1885 she married the composer and musicologist
Eduard Reuss (1851-1911) and from then bore the double name by which she became known. Her daughter Elisabeth Reuss became a concert singer and educator; her son
Wilhelm Franz Reuss (1886–1945) became a conductor and composer.
She studied in Vienna with
Josef Gänsbacher Josef Gänsbacher (6 October 1829 in Vienna – 5 June 1911 ibid) was an Austrian music educator.
Life
Gänsbacher was the son of the composer and conductor Johann Baptist Gänsbacher. He studied law at the University of Vienna. In 1855 he gr ...
and in
Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
with Fritz Plank (1848-1900). She made her debut in 1881 at the ''Großherzogliches Hoftheater''
f. Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe">Badisches_Staatstheater_Karlsruhe.html" ;"title="f. Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe">f. Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruheas Elsa in ''Lohengrin (opera)">Lohengrin
Lohengrin () is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wo ...
''. There she also played other important roles, for example Cassandra in ''Les Troyens'' (1890) and the title role in ''Ingwelde'' (1894). From 1897 to 1901 she was engaged at the then newly opened Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden. From 1901 to 1903 she was a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. From 1901 to 1907 she was a guest at the
. In 1884 she made a guest appearance in Munich; 1899 in Amsterdam; 1893 and 1900 at the
in London. She also appeared at various other places in Germany.
From 1882 to 1912 Reuss-Belce sang at the
where she first appeared in different roles. From 1899 however she sang only the part of Fricka, which was described as her most brilliant role. She proved to be formative for the style of these Wagner-Festspiele. From 1908 to 1933 she was also dramaturgical assistant of the plays.
From 1907 Reuss-Belce performed only in Bayreuth. In 1912 the now widowed Reuss-Belce retired from the stage. She began working as a voice teacher and opera director, in the latter function from 1916 at the
. She was also active in Nuremberg after 1913. She ended her career in 1933.
She died in March 1945 in
. She is said to have been the last singer to perform under Wagner's direction.