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Wagneriana

Oh! Welchen Wunders höchstes Glück! Winter 2008 Die deine Wunde durfte schliessen. Volume 5, Number 1 —

From the Editor

n the fall, we brought you two unusual events. The first, an audiovisual presentation on by Professor Peter Pachl, on November 3, yielded numerous insights into the art of Wagner’s only son, who com- I posed more than his father. During the presentation, we followed the convoluted plot of Der Kobold (The Goblin) and watched extended excerpts from a German production directed by Peter Pachl. An astute BWS mem- ber asked whether Siegfried’s music would be better known today if not for his father, and the answer was a re- sounding yes. For a superb review of this event and photograph, see page 6. On November 18 we screened a five-hour documentary on titled The Confessions of Winifred Wagner. Providing a fascinating history of and Villa , this long interview by the German film- maker Hans-Jürgen Syberberg opened a large window onto a tremendously troubled period in German history. For a review, see page 6. We have wonderful programs in the works for 2008. Here are two of them: Vice President Erika Reitshamer, a very popular presenter, will give an audiovisual presentation on Wagner’s early , in anticipa- tion of Glimmerglass Opera’s production of it in the summer of 2008. Hans Rudolf Vaget, Professor Emeritus of German Studies at Smith College and the designated speaker at the 2008 (in a series of lectures sponsored by the Wagner Society of New York), will honor us with a lecture about Ernest Newman, probably the most important biographer of Wagner. Professor Vaget will also talk about , Theodor Adorno, and Franz Beidler. For more details on these two events, see the back page. We are pleased to announce the formation of a concert committee, which had its inaugural meeting on Decem- ber 1. The committee is working hard to organize concerts in the near and far future. The following BWS members have joined the Concert Committee: David Johnson, Thomas Kwei, Christopher Laconi, Eric Larivee, Robert Reed, and Erika Reitshamer. Eric Larivee volunteered to be the Concert Committee’s Chairman. He is also the BWS’s Program Coordinator and has an extensive background in music, opera, and theater production. We thank Linda Barlow, our previous Program Coordinator, for her help in scheduling events. –Dalia Geffen

Joanna Porackova: A Wagnerian Heroine in Boston

oprano Joanna Porackova recently talked to the Boston Wagner Society about her art and singing. Ms. Porackova was the recipient of an award by the Wagner Society of New York and performed for the Boston Wagner Society in a solo recital S in September 2006. In the summer of 2007 she sang Gerhilde in a production by Wagner’s great-granddaughter Eva Wagner-Pasquier, at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, with the . conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.

DG: At your solo concert for us in September 2006, you seemed to be able to portray each heroine—Leonore, Isolde, Brünnhilde, and —from the inside out, as it were. How do you put yourself in these disparate char- acters’ frames of mind, and how do you glide so easily from one to the other in a recital? 1

JP: You have to really know the music and the words. You have to be true to the composer and have the security of knowing every nuance. You have to be disciplined, truthful, and put yourself out there. You have to work on it over and over and really go deep. For example, with Elektra, I had to connect to her sorrow by using my own experiences, and I had to be truthful about my experiences. I cried a couple of times, so that it’s not about me anymore but about the character. Some audience members can get really afraid of that. Karate, tai chi, deep breathing, and yoga all help to sing this dramatic music. And you need to take a break [between excerpts] in a concert like that. Also, performing for an audience is easier than auditioning. In an audition, there is tension because you are giving to get something. It’s a different energy. But with an audience, it’s beautiful because the audience wants to be moved and come to a higher presence. The human voice is the only instrument that can bring you to that level. And Wagner creates music that spiritually is on such a high level.

DG: Boston has very few Wagnerian singers, and you are one of the select few. Does it feel odd to have this exper- tise in a city that doesn’t care much about Wagner’s music?

JP: Yes, it feels odd. People just aren’t used to a dramatic voice. They listen to lyric sound on CD, and they aren’t familiar with the color, the weight of the voice, and the top, which is a much bigger, brighter sound. Boston is more an early-music city.

DG: Tell me about your experience in singing Gerhilde with Simon Rattle in Aix-en-Provence last summer.

JP: I had to carry up a 30-pound mannequin, which was a GI soldier in modern gear, and count eight steps before my entrance. I was the first Valkyrie to sing, and when I came up those steps, Rattle had a big smile on his face. It was fantastic. The other Valkyries were world-class singers, and it was very exciting. Rattle said that this was the best group of Valkyries he had ever heard. And Eva Wagner-Pasquier was so kind; she is a big supporter of mine. She thanked me and told me what a great job I did and recommended me to the Met. The highlight of this per- formance for me was going to Berlin for rehearsals. I was the only one who stayed for every rehearsal just to hear the music. It was the first time that Berlin had done this piece since von Karajan, and only two orchestra members remembered doing it with him. The rest of the players were all new. After the final scene, the orchestra members applauded the whole experience.

DG: How does Wagner’s music speak to you?

JP: I am totally enthralled by Wagner. I was a violinist when I was younger. My family came from Slovakia and had beautiful voices. I was a double major in nursing and music. While working in nursing, I also tried modeling, which helped me develop my stage presence. I graduated from the John Robert Powers School [of modeling] when I lived in Detroit while my husband was in his residency program. I learned about fashion design, modeling tech- niques, fencing, and photography. I remember how I had to walk for hours with a book on my head. In singing, posture is the first and most important element in good lower breathing, especially singing the big Wagnerian roles. I was “Miss Detroit Photo Show” and did some modeling work with the automobile industry there. Yes, in- deed, this helped me with stage presence, posture, and public speaking. I did have an agent for a while but discov- ered the modeling business was not for me. I was a nurse for 18 years and then pursued a master’s degree. I taught nursing at Boston University. I had pub- lished articles and I worked briefly with [the pediatrician] Dr. [Terry] Brazelton. I had a major career going, and then what do I do? I get up and pursue singing. I worked with [Iride] Pilla at the Boston Conservatory. I started out as a /mezzo-, but a teacher told me I was a true soprano. At first I sang all bel canto repertoire. At every audition people said that I should sing Wagner. Later I won a grant from the Wagner Society of New York.

DG: How did you begin your Wagnerian career?

JP: My first Wagner role was Senta. I sang for in her directorial debut in Würzburg in 2003. I was a prostitute, and Daland was a pimp. At the end of the opera the Dutchman was beaten by Nazi skinheads and

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Soprano Joanna Porackova as Gerhilde in Aix-en-Provence (far left) put in a garbage bag. The spinning chorus were all blondes and were looking at pictures of nude men. Erik was a violent, abusive character. During that beautiful duet, “Wie aus der Ferne,” my instructions were to not look at the Dutchman but to make coffee. Singing under those conditions, I had to find a way to make it work for myself. I pic- tured Senta in a difficult and sad position, a desperate character. In Senta’s Ballad, I had earphones connected to a CD player. I had to sing the whole thing as though I were listening to a CD. I was replacing someone and learned the role in two weeks. [BWS Music Advisor] Jeffrey Brody prepared me. I wasn’t Katharina’s body type for Senta. She said I should be doing Brünnhilde, but we worked well together. When I sang Isolde, that sold me on Wagner. The music was so amazing to me. I told myself, “If I can’t sing anything else in my life, I would like to sing this.” It’s the greatest opera ever written—dramatically, musically, and orchestrally. Each act is a complete opera. I sang it at the Grand Theatre de Tours in France, with Yves Ossonce conducting. This role was meant for my voice. The Wagner repertoire is so easy for me. I may be the only singer who has worked with both great-granddaughters [Katharina and Eva]! And in Würzburg I was two houses down from the place where Wagner wrote .

DG: What role would you like to sing next?

JP: I would love to sing Brünnhilde. It’s a lifetime’s job. The preparation is difficult, and the word order in German is hard. It’s much harder than singing Strauss. The music is so complex, you never know what comes next. You need a good coach like Jeffrey [Brody]. It takes a tremendous amount of work, but when you have it, it’s amazing. To sing the Immolation Scene would be wonderful. –Dalia Geffen

Dalia Geffen is the President and Founder of the Boston Wagner Society.

Régine Crespin: An Appreciation

égine Crespin dedicated her autobiography, La vie et l’amour d’une femme (The Life and Love of a Woman), to Mannolini, her “mémé,” or rather her maternal grandmother and the love of her life. Mannolini was from R Lucca, Italy, and Crespin learned to speak Italian by listening to her, without having to study it formally. Mannolini lived long enough to see Crespin perform several of her most important roles, in , , and Tosca. Crespin’s childhood, however, was far from pacific. First, there was the war. One day, when a bomb fell on her building, Crespin ran through the streets of Nîmes terrified. Even more painful was the reality of her mother’s noc- turnal drunken stupors. Crespin was so affected by her mother’s pitiful condition that it took her twenty years, af- ter the death of her mother, to shed tears and admit to herself that she loved her mother. Crespin began to take singing lessons at the age of 16. Her voice teacher informed her that her efforts were use- less. The voice was tiny and high at first, so Crespin sang arias from Lucia di Lammermoor and Lakmé. Later, the high notes disappeared and the voice enlarged. Her teacher saw possibilities in the young soprano, but Crespin’s

3 father saw nothing of the sort. After much prodding and pleading on her part, he gave her permission to take part in an Opera magazine competition. She won first prize. In October 1947 Crespin settled into a dreary rear bedroom in a Parisian apartment and began the life of an aspiring chanteuse. She auditioned and was accepted at the Conservatoire, where she studied solfeggio, music history, makeup, acting, and fencing and met her first outstanding singing teacher, Georges Jouatte. Her first operatic engagement was at Mulhouse, and the role was Elsa, the first of her many Wagnerian parts. Eventually she was accepted into the Paris Opera; nevertheless, she always felt that she was never given her due in her native country. In 1957 she auditioned for . At that time she neither spoke nor sang in the German language. All her previous work had been in French. Impressed by the beautiful and lush sound that she then possessed and would continue to possess for many years to come, Wieland offered her the role of Kundry. The man who was hired as her German teacher, Lou Bruder, later became her husband. In the midst of preparations for Parsifal, Crespin found herself pregnant. She wanted very much to have the baby but realized that it would mean the cancellation of her much-anticipated Bayreuth debut. Feeling confused about what action to take, she followed the advice of friends and decided in favor of her career. She went on to successes at Bayreuth as Kundry and Sieglinde. Crespin made her Metropolitan Opera debut in November 1962 as the Marschallin in Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier. It had been her debut role at many other important operatic venues. Lotte Lehmann, the outstanding Marschallin of the preceding generation, directed the production. At the final call on opening night, when Lehmann and Crespin went onstage together, the audience erupted in a torrent of cheers, and the two wept openly. Crespin sang at the Met for many years. Audiences there heard her Sieglinde, Brünnhilde, Kundry, Amelia, Tosca, Santuzza, and Charlotte. In 1975 she sang her first staged Carmen in New York. The conductor was Henry Lewis. Both were divorced—Lewis from Marilyn Horne and Crespin from Lou Bruder. They became very close and re- mained so until his death in 1996. She appeared twice with Sarah Caldwell’s Opera Company of Boston. Didon in Berlioz’s Les Troyens marked her debut in 1972, followed by Carmen in 1983. Francis Poulenc persuaded her to sing the role of Mme. Lidoine at the Paris premiere of Les dialogues des carmelites. The opera became an important part of her artistic and personal development. Seventeen years later, she was Mme. de Croissy at the Metropolitan. Poulenc had prophesied that one day she would be a superb de Croissy, and he was right. During the course of her long and distinguished career, Crespin sang more Wagner than any other composer. I will never forget an unsurpassable Die Walküre in New York in 1969, with Crespin as Sieglinde and Nilsson as Brünnhilde. After retirement, she became a respected teacher and gave a master class at Boston University. In 1978 she was diagnosed with cancer. She died in Paris at the age of 80 on July 4, 2007. –Angelo Mammano

Angelo Mammano is the Assistant Editor of Wagneriana.

Donations

The Boston Wagner Society is grateful to the following members for their generous donations.

THE RING ($250 and up) NOTHUNG ($100–249) ($25–99) Miguel de Bragança Evangelos Gragoudas Gina Canepa Richard Hunt Saul Lowitt (in honor of Tom Kwei) Mary and Edgar Schein

Edward Pinkus, the Secretary of the Boston Wagner Society, kindly donated a new Apple computer (iMac). This newsletter was composed on that computer.

4 The Influence of Feuerbach on the Libretto of Parsifal

This essay is an expanded version of a talk that Paul Heise delivered to the Boston Wagner Society on May 30, 2007. Due to its length, it is being serialized in several issues of Wagneriana. This is part 2.

Religion Lives on as Art

hen Wagner describes in the extract above [see the Fall 2007 issue of Wagneriana] how Feuerbach’s con- cept provided useful support in Wagner’s development of the music drama, in which an all-embracing W artwork could be made “comprehensible to the simplest, purely human power of discernment,” Wagner is referencing his concept of the “Wonder,” through which easily discerned and remembered musical motifs could distill, abbreviate, and therefore represent a vast array of characters, events, symbols, and concepts, through Wag- ner’s method of developing specific musical motifs (most often heard in the orchestra, but sometimes sung) and motif families in direct association with the evolution of particular characters, events, symbols, and concepts in the drama. Wagner felt that in this way his musical motifs provide a substitute for a religious faith that has been lost in our modern, scientific, and secular world, since a sounding motif calls up to memory all the characters, events, symbols, and concepts with which it has been (or will be) associated in the course of the music drama, thus effec- tively making all time, that is, all the past and future, present time. And this, according to Feuerbach, describes what supernatural miracles do: “If we now turn to miracles, we shall find that they objectify, embody, realize noth- ing other than the essence of a wish. Wishes are not subject to the barriers of space and time; they are unrestricted, unfettered, as free as a god” (Lectures on the Essence of Religion, translated by Ralph Manheim [New York: Harper & Row], pp. 23–37). Feuerbach provides a model for the Wagnerian concept of the Wonder in his suggestion that though the relig- ious promise of immortality to individuals is spurious, the collective body of all historical people (the human spe- cies as such, in time and space), particularly those who have enriched our legacy of art and science, unifies past, present, and future in a figurative immortality, representing humankind’s eternal youth: “What is true in the uni- versal belief in immortality is that it is a sensible representation of the true nature of consciousness, the unity of past, present, and future as one essential reality is raised to the level of an object. It’s true only when it’s the belief in the infinity of spirit and the everlasting youth of humanity” (Thoughts on Death and Immortality, translated by James A. Massey [Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980], p. 137). This is reflected in the childlike innocence and spontaneity of both Siegfried and Parsifal, and especially in Wo- tan’s proclamation to Erda that he, the god, no longer fears the tragic end Erda foresaw, since, as he says, “to one who’s eternally young [that is, Siegfried] the god now yields in gladness.” Wagner attributes a similarly figurative immortality to music per se: “The word ‘eternal’ is a very fine one, for it really means ‘holy’: a great feeling [Wag- ner is alluding to the redemptive music he was composing for his music dramas] is eternal, for it is free from the laws of change to which everything is subject: it has nothing to do with yesterday, today, or tomorrow. Hell begins with arithmetic” (’s Diaries, edited by Martin Gregor-Dellin and Dietrich Mack, translated by Geof- frey Skelton [New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovitch, 1978], 1:396). But for Wagner, music’s true “Wonder” or miracle was embodied in his musical motifs. Wagner felt that his musical motifs accomplish what the religious imagination achieved: according to both Feuerbach and Wagner, re- ligious believers involuntarily and unconsciously condensed their experience of human nature, and of nature itself, into their concept of a single personality called God. Wagner tells us that

Just as the human form is to him the most comprehensible, so also will the essence of natural phe- nomena—which he does not yet know in their reality—become comprehensible only through con- densation to a human form. Thus in Mythos all the shaping impulse of the Folk makes toward real- izing to its senses a broadest grouping of the most manifold phenomena, and in the most succinct of shapes. [This] . . . appears superhuman and supernatural by the very fact that it is ascribed to one imagined individual, represented in the shape of Man. By its faculty of thus using its force of imagination to bring before itself every thinkable reality and actuality, in widest reach but plain, succinct and plastic shaping, the Folk therefore becomes in Mythos the creator of Art (, in ’s Prose Works, translated by William Ashton Ellis [Claire Shores, MI: Scholarly Press, 1972], 2:154–55). –Paul Heise

Paul Heise is an independent Wagnerian scholar and a research consultant for the Wagner Society of Florida.

5 : A “Forgotten” Composer

embers of the Boston Wagner Society who braved the elements in making their way to the West End branch of the Boston Public Library on November 3 were well rewarded with a most interesting and well- M prepared lecture on the life and works of Siegfried Wagner by Professor Peter P. Pachl. For many Ameri- can classical music lovers and even, alas, for many (Richard) Wagnerians, the eighteen operas, orchestral music, and Lieder of Siegfried Wagner remain virtual terra incognita. As Vice President of the International Siegfried Wag- ner Society, Professor Pachl tirelessly promotes Siegfried Wagner—this sadly forgotten and ignored composer— through lectures all over the globe. His vast and intimate knowledge of this music informs the authoritative and copious CD liner notes for virtu- ally the entire Siegfried Wagner discography. His effort and enthusiasm for his work as stage director for many years have spearheaded a virtual renaissance of performances in Germany. The Boston Wagner Society had already been the beneficiary of his efforts when he provided us with the hard copies of this rarely heard music for the Bos- ton (if not American) premiere of selected Siegfried Wagner Lieder by contralto Marion Dry accompanied by the present writer. It was a pleasure indeed to have met, however briefly, the charming and delightful professor in per- son. Beginning with a detailed overview of the life of Wagner’s only son, Professor Pachl, aided by a well-organized PowerPoint presentation, accurately placed Siegfried Wagner in the historical context of the day as well as in his immediate family. To provide a better understanding of the deeply symbolic and thought-provoking subjects of a typical SW opera, Professor Pachl focused largely upon SW’s third opera, Der Kobold. Using many vivid pictures taken from his recent production in Fürth of this unjustly forgotten work, Professor Pachl provided a most striking visual and aural feast for all. His Inszenierung, as well as the beautiful and striking visual aspects, made sense of the somewhat overwrought and convoluted plot for the contemporary operagoer. An all-too-brief question-and- answer period concluded his presentation. It was clear that Professor Pachl had well whetted the appetite of many present, for most of the questions demon- From left to right: Music Advisor Jeffrey Brody, President strated that this audience had made an interesting discovery. Dalia Geffen, Vice President Erika Reitshamer, and Professor Peter Pachl One would have liked to remain much longer in this strange, exotic, and beautiful world, but unfortunately, like the day that intrudes upon the Tristan and Isolde “Liebesnacht,” the Boston Public Library did have to observe mundane and normal hours of operation. The two hours of Professor Pachl’s superb presentation came and went in a flash as we were treated to some very beautiful composition that was quite masterfully orchestrated and, in the case of Der Kobold, visually compelling. In recent times we have seen the work of composers such as Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Alexander Zemlinsky, and Franz Schreker, among others, enjoy a renaissance. Surely, thanks to Professor Pachl and the efforts of the International Siegfried Wagner Society, we have found yet another “forgotten” composer whose time has come. –Jeffrey Brody Jeffrey Brody is the Music Advisor of the Boston Wagner Society.

Winifred Wagner Tells All

n November 18, 2007, Maestro Jeffrey Brody presented Hans-Jürgen Syberberg’s fascinating film Winifried Wagner und die Geschichte des Hauses Wahnfried von 1914–1975 (Winifred Wagner and the History of the O Houses of Wahnfried from 1914 to 1975), translated into English as The Confessions of Winifred Wagner. This inordinately long movie (five hours), shot in black and white, spun by swiftly as a rapt audience watched Wagner’s English daughter-in-law describe her daily life at Wahnfried with her mother-in-law, Cosima; her husband, Siegfried; and their four children, Wieland, Friedelind, Wolfgang, and Verena. Winifred seemed greatly pleased with herself to be a member of such an illustrious family, and according to her, she and Cosima got along like a house on fire, although there was some friction between her and her sister-in-law Eva, who moved out of the house when she married Houston Chamberlain.

6 After Siegfried died of a heart attack in 1930 (following his mother’s death a few months earlier), a triumvirate composed of Winifred, , and Wilhelm Furtwängler took over the directorship of Bayreuth, with Winifred given the final say in case of disagreements. Winifred, who had befriended in 1923, continued her close friendship with him, inviting him to stay at Wahnfried every summer. Hitler turned up there year after year without fail, sometimes twice in a season, and savored the company of the four Wagner grandchildren, tucking them into bed at night. Unfortunately, this cozy picture existed only in the claustrophobic world of Wahnfried, for the rest of Germany was engaged in a Winifred Wagner in Syberberg’s film campaign to eradicate Jews, homosexuals, the handicapped, and Confessions of Winifred Wagner other so-called undesirables. Winifred remained unrepentant about this state of affairs throughout her life, successfully walling off any and all knowledge of the bloody happenings from her personal feelings of admiration for the Führer; she was totally smitten by his “charm,” especially evident, according to Winifred, in his eyes and hands. During the Nazi era, Winifred did manage to save the lives of a few Jewish musicians and the homosexual by petitioning Hitler. Her few good deeds earned her a sentence reduction at her de-Nazification trial, allowing her to return to Bayreuth. However, she was barred from running the festival, which in 1951 was turned over to her two sons. Wieland, the older, took over the artistic directorship, and Wolfgang handled all the admin- istrative aspects, occasionally staging his own production. Wieland’s productions are still the talk of the day. The indomitable Winifred, who was 78 at the time these interviews were made over the course of five days, came across as highly intelligent, well educated, and surprisingly unaffected, despite her unabashed racism (she claimed that Wahnfried was wrecked by African-American GIs). She was also immensely articulate, with superb German diction. She had begun to learn German at the age of nine, after her adoption out of an English orphanage by distant relatives living in Germany. Syberberg asked whether she was affected in any way by the World War II bombings in England. She replied that they were of no importance to her, since she had become fully German! This film provides an invaluable look at a crucial period in the history of the Bayreuth Festival. Syberberg, an astute, persistent, and fearless interviewer, greatly enhances the film’s documentary value by asking all the right questions. The irony is that had she refused to invite Hitler to Bayreuth, the course of events in Europe would have been exactly what they were. But it would have made a great difference to future productions at Bayreuth. Would these be vastly different today if Winifred had not befriended Hitler? Undoubtedly, yes. But that is the subject of another essay. –Dalia Geffen

A BWS Member Comments on Confessions of Winifred Wagner

Some ironies of the Winifred Wagner film: – That a film that is only five hours of one old woman talking could be so fascinating. – That Winifred’s alliance with Hitler in order to preserve Wagner’s legacy turned out to do so much to dam- age it. – That a man named Siegfried died during [the staging of] an opera originally named Siegfried’s Tod [Sieg- fried’s Death]. – That both [Film Director] Syberberg and Winifred succeed in their contrary purposes—his to demonize her, and hers to vindicate herself. –Reginald McKeen

Historical Singers: Elisabeth Grümmer, 1911–1986

lisabeth Grümmer (née Schilz) was born in Alsace-Lorraine on March 31, 1911. In 1918 the family moved to Meiningen, where Elisabeth attended drama school and performed classical roles such as Klärchen in E Goethe’s Egmont. She studied the piano, too, because her parents considered it an important part of her up- bringing. She was in her teens when her father, who worked at a motorcycle factory, learned that he was about to 7 be transferred to another city. Elisabeth wanted to remain in Meiningen, where she had made good friends. She remembered the offer of a contract from a local state theater company, which, at the time, she had laughed off. This time she accepted the offer and remained in Meiningen. She loved working with the more experienced professionals, feeling that other people’s greatness does rub off on one. Since singing came naturally to her, she was asked to perform whenever certain roles required her to both act and sing. She married Detlev Grümmer, an accomplished violinist. When Detlev was offered the post of Kapellmeister at the opera house at Aachen, the couple moved there, and soon after, Elisabeth gave birth to a daughter. At that time was general music director at Aachen, and after hearing Elisabeth sing at a dinner party, he tele- phoned her and offered the budding soprano her first operatic role. So it was that in 1941 Elisabeth Grümmer made her operatic debut as the First Flower Maiden in Parsifal, a not inconsiderable assignment for someone who had never set foot on an operatic stage. Grümmer always felt that Karajan was responsible for her operatic career, but true to his nature, he never complimented her. These were the war years, and while on tour with the Duisburg Opera in Dresden, she received word that her house in Aachen was destroyed and that her husband was found dead among the debris. Despite this tragic event, Grümmer managed to continue her career for the sake of her young daughter. When the Deutsche Oper (as it was later called) in Berlin reopened in 1946, she was hired and remained there for 25 years, until 1971. She sang a great deal of Mozart, which, she felt, keeps one on the right path. She performed the Figaro Countess, Pamina, Fiordiligi, and Donna Anna most often. Her Wagner parts included Eva, Elsa, Elisabeth, Gutrune, and Freia. In an interview, she said that Elisabeth, Elsa, and Eva seemed to have been written for her. She sang at Covent Garden, the Paris Opera, La Scala, the Teatro Colon, the State Operas of , Vienna, and Ham- burg, and then finally the New York City Opera. On March 12, 1967, I was seated at the New York State Theater to see and hear her Marschallin. Grümmer’s voice had retained the gleaming, silvery quality that I knew from many of her recordings. On April 20, 1967, at the age of 57, Grümmer made her debut as Elsa on the Metropolitan Opera’s spring tour in Boston. When she came out for her solo bow at the end of the opera, she looked radiant. I felt privileged to be there. Grümmer retired from singing in 1972 but continued to be active as a teacher in Berlin, Lausanne, and Paris. She died in Germany on November 6, 1986. –Angelo Mammano

Upcoming Events

“Love Banned and Unbanned: “The Importance of Ernest Newman” Wagner’s Das Liebesverbot” A talk about Wagner’s great English biographer and An audiovisual presentation about three of his German admirers: Thomas Mann, By Erika Reitshamer Theodor Adorno, and Franz Beidler Saturday, January 19, 2008, 2 p.m. By Professor Hans Rudolf Vaget Waltham Public Library Saturday, February 23, 2008, 2 p.m. 735 Main Street Wellesley Free Library Waltham, MA 02451 530 Washington Street Free Wellesley, MA 02484 Free

Wagneriana is a publication of the Boston Wagner Society, copyright © The Boston Wagner Society, Inc. Logo design by Sasha Geffen. Printing by Paul Geffen.

Contact information: 617-323-6088; [email protected]; P.O. Box 320033, Boston, MA 02132-0001; www.bostonwagnersociety.org.

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