áPARA ÿPAR@ ` ≡TEXT ` ΓLehmann, Lotte1888╨1976singerBorn on February 27, 1888, in Perleberg, Prussia (now Germany), Lotte Lehmann grew up there and from 1902 in Berlin. After graduating from a girls╒ high school in 1904 she devoted herself to singing. She studied under Erna Tiedke, under Helene Jordan at the KÜnigliche Hochschule fƒr Musik in Berlin, under Eva Reinhold at Etelka Gerster╒s school in Berlin, and privately under Matilde Mallinger. In 1910 she was engaged by the Hamburg Municipal Theatre, where she made her debut in a small role in Die ZauberflÜte. After several other minor roles she attracted some notice in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Das Rheingold. Greater successes soon followed in Lohengrin and Der Rosenkavalier. In 1914 she went to the Vienna State Opera, where she made her debut in Der Freischƒtz. She was chosen by Richard Strauss to sing The Young Composer in the Vienna premiere of his Ariadne auf Naxos in November 1916, and she subsequently sang in the premiere of his Die Frau ohne Schatten in October 1919, in the Vienna premiere of Puccini╒s Il Trittico in 1920, in the world premiere of Strauss╒s Intermezzo in Vienna in 1925, and in the Vienna premiere of his Arabella, composed with her in mind, in 1933. Her London debut occurred at Covent Garden in 1922, when she sang the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, thereafter one of her great roles, and in 1925 she was a sensation in several leading European opera houses in Fidelio. Other productions in which she appeared were Manon, La BohÅme, Tosca, Die Tote Stadt, Eugen Onegin, and Otello. She made her American debut at the Chicago Civic Opera in Die Walkƒre in October 1930. In 1933 Lehmann was forbidden to sing in Germany after she refused Hermann GÜring╒s offer to make her the nation╒s prima donna assoluta provided she sing only approved works and exclusively in Germany. In January 1934 she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in Die Walkƒre and was a sensation. She settled permanently in the United States in 1938 following the German annexation of Austria; she became a naturalized citizen in June 1945. Until 1946 she was the Met╒s leading lyric-dramatic soprano and one of the most popular and sought-after guest stars at opera houses around the world. After her final Met performance that year in Der Rosenkavalier she devoted herself to the concert stage. As a singer of lieder, especially those of Robert Schumann, she was incomparable. She retired from performing entirely after a final concert at New York╒s Town Hall in February 1951 and thereafter concentrated on teaching and occasionally directing. She published several books: Orplid, mein Land, a novel, 1937, which appeared in English as Eternal Flight, 1938; Anfang und Aufsteig, an autobiography, 1937, translated as Midway in My Song, 1938; More than Singing notes on interpretation, 1945; My Many Lives, notes and recollections of opera, 1948; and Five Operas and Richard Strauss, 1964. She died in Santa Barbara, California, on August 26, 1976. åstyl ` F ! ¬ 5¬ 5¬ ! !I !I & !I f !I Ç !I à !I Æ !I ╕ !I ┴ !I ╞ !I ╫ !I █ 5¬ ▄ !I $ !I 2 !I É !I í !I σ !I √ !I 1 !I < !I i !I s !I ⌐ !I ▒ !I - !I > !I » !I ╢ !I µ !I δ !I φ !I ÷ !I ° !I ² !I !I !I !I !I ! !I ' !I d !I o !I é 5¬ â !I ÷ !I
