Anna Dorothea Oscàr (1875–1915) was a Swedish opera singer. Considered to be Sweden's leading

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female 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 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

of the period, she made her debut using her maiden name, Anna Thulin, at the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera ( sv, Kungliga Operan) is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the center of Sweden's capital Stockholm in the borough of Norrmalm, on the eastern side ...

as Papagena in

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

's ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inclu ...

'' when she was 16. Engaged by the company in 1896, she remained there for the rest of her life singing some 60 different roles in the major German, Italian, French and Swedish operas. Apart from three successful summer tours to the United States in the 1900s, she was otherwise based in Sweden. Married twice, she performed under the name Anna Hellström during her first marriage from 1900 through 1905, and after her second marriage in 1907 to the baritone Martin Oscàr, as Anna Oscàr. In 1908 she was elected a member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Music The Royal Swedish Academy of Music ( sv, Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. At the time of its foundation, only one of its co-founder was a professional musician, Ferdin ...

Biography

Born in Stockholm on 29 April 1875, Anna Dorothea Thulin was the daughter of the tailor Sven Tufvesson Thulin and his wife Catharina Carolina Andersdotter Sahlin. After attending the Royal Theatre's ballet school, she turned to singing, receiving instruction from the baritone Isidor Dannström and the soprano

Signe Hebbe Signe Amanda Georgina Hebbe (30 July 1837 – 14 February, 1925) was a Swedish operatic soprano and instructor. Life Signe Hebbe was born in Värnamo to the journalist Vendela Hebbe and Clemens Hebbe. Education In 1848, at the age of ele ...

. She made her debut when she was 16 as Papagena in ''The Magic Flute'' which was performed in the Royal Opera's former theatre building. She went on to play Gerda in

Ivar Hallström Ivar Christian Hallström, born Stockholm, 5 June 1826, died in that city on 11 April 1901 was a Swedish composer, particularly of opera.Wiklund A. Ivar Christian Hallström. In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London and New Yor ...

's ''Den bergtagna'' (The bride of the mountain king) and Anna in

Andreas Randel Andreas Randel (6 October 1806 – 27 October 1864) was a Swedish composer and violinist. The overture to his ''The People from Vårmland'' was recorded by Kungliga Hovkapellet Stig Westerburg. Randel got his last name from Ramdala parish; he ...

's ''Värmlänninger''. From 1896, she performed regularly at the Royal Opera. She performed as Anna Thulin until her first marriage to Carl Olof Teodor Hellström, a bank clerk, in 1900 when she began performing as Anna Hellström. After divorcing Hellström in 1905, she married the baritone Martin Oscàr in 1907; after which point she performed under the name Anna Oscàr. She remained with the Royal Opera for the rest of her life, becoming one of the most successful singers of the period with enthusiastic support from the critics. She took the lead soprano roles in both Swedish works and the popular romantic operas, playing Susanna in ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( it, Le nozze di Figaro, links=no, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premie ...

'', Violetta in ''

La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...

'' and the title role in ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

''. In addition, she performed as a concert and oratorio singer throughout the country. Anna Oscàr died in Stockholm on 10 September 1915.

Awards

Oscàr was awarded the

Litteris et Artibus Litteris et Artibus is a Swedish royal medal established in 1853 by Charles XV of Sweden, who was then crown prince. It is awarded to people who have made important contributions to culture, especially music, dramatic art and literature. The ob ...

medal in 1915. In 1908, she was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oscar, Anna 1875 births 1915 deaths Swedish operatic sopranos Singers from Stockholm Litteris et Artibus recipients 19th-century Swedish women opera singers 20th-century Swedish women opera singers