Hertha Topper (Contralto, Mezzo-soprano)

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Hertha Töpper (Contralto, Mezzo-soprano)
Born: April 19, 1924 - Graz, Austria
The Austrian mezzo-soprano, Hertha Töpper, received her musical training in Graz, studying violin with her father at the Conservatory and voice with Franz Mixa at the opera school. Hertha Töpper made her operatic debut in 1945 as Ulrike at the Graz Landestheater, where she sang until 1952. In 1951 she appeared at the Bayreuth Festival. After signing as a guest artist at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich in 1951-1952, she joined its roster. She was made a Bavarian Kammersängerin in 1955. In 1953 she made her first appearance at London’s Covent Garden as Clarion with the visiting Bavarian State Opera, and later returned for gust appearances. She made her USA debut at the San Francisco Opera in 1960 as Octavian, a role she repeated for her Metropolitan Opera debut in New York in November 1962. From 1971 to 1981 she was a professor at the Munich Hochschule für Musik. In 1980 Hertha Töpper retired from the operatic stage. Her operatic repertoire included many roles by Wagner, Verdi, and Strauss. As a concert artist, she was particularly noted for her performances of music by Bach. Together with Marga Höffgen, Hertha Töpper was one of the leading contralto singers of Bach’s vocal works during the 1950’s and the 1960’s, and she recorded many of them, mainly with Karl Richter and Fritz Werner.

Source: Mostly Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20^th Century Classical Musicians (1997); blog 'Karl Richter in München' [Photos]; Photos by courtesy of Marcelo Galvao Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2001), nsaz (August 2005)
Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works
Conductor	As	Works
Hans Grischkat	Alto	BWV 243
Eugen Jochum	Alto	BWV 232
Erhard Mauersberger	Alto	BWV 80
Günther Ramin	Alto	BWV 232; Selections from BWV 244
Karl Richter	Alto	BWV 8, BWV 26, BWV 28, BWV 45, BWV 60, BWV 78, BWV 106, BWV 108, BWV 124, BWV 147, BWV 171 BWV 232 (x2 + Video), BWV 243, BWV 244, BWV 245 (x2), BWV 248
Fritz Werner	Alto	BWV 6, BWV 76, BWV 80, BWV 85, BWV 87
Helmuth Rilling	Alto	BWV 213
Links to other Sites
Hertha Töpper (Mild und Leise) [German, N/A]			Karl Richter in München [German]

Short Biographies: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Explanation | Acronyms

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Last update: ýApril 17, 2009 ý21:49:29