Carla Spletter (9 November 1911 – 19 October 1953) was a German operatic soprano.

Life

Carla Spletter was born in Flensburg,

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...

in Germany in 1911, and studied at the

Leipzig Conservatory The University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig (german: Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig) is a public university in Leipzig (Saxony, Germany). Founded in 1843 by Felix Mendelssohn ...

before making her debut in 1932 at the

Deutsche Oper The Deutsche Oper Berlin is a German opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The resident building is the country's second largest opera house (after Munich's) and also home to the Berlin State Ballet. Since 2004, the D ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

. From 1935 to 1945 she was a member of the

Berlin State Opera The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great from ...

. Her repertoire included

Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (18 or 19 November 17865 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and critic who was one of the first significant composers of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas, ...

Oberon Oberon () is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fairi ...

(1937) and

Johann Strauss Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ove ...

II's ''

Eine Nacht in Venedig '' Eine Nacht in Venedig '' (''A Night in Venice'') is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II. Its libretto was by F. Zell and Richard Genée based on ''Le Château Trompette'' by Eugène Cormon and Richard Genée. The farcical, romanti ...

'' (1938), both of which she recorded. After 1945 Carla Spletter moved to Hamburg to join the ''

Hamburgische Staatsoper The Hamburg State Opera (in German: Staatsoper Hamburg) is a German opera company based in Hamburg. Its theatre is near the square of Gänsemarkt. Since 2015, the current ''Intendant'' of the company is Georges Delnon, and the current ''Genera ...

''. Her last appearance was that of the title role in Alban Berg's opera

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, ...

for the German ( Grillo-Theater, Essen) and Dutch ('' Stadsschouwburg'', Amsterdam) premieres of that work in March and July 1953 respectively, under the baton of Gustav König. Within a few months (October) she had died in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

of cancer at the age of 41. In 1937 Carla Spletter married Dr Peter Bischoff, who had won a gold medal in sailing at the 1936 Olympic Games.''Zwischenbilanz der Segler''. In: ''Hamburger Abendblatt'' vom 16. Oktober 1964.
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Legacy

I addition to her recordings Carla Spletter featured in four feature films, including the title role in

Friedrich von Flotow Friedrich Adolf Ferdinand, Freiherr von Flotow /flo:to/ (27 April 1812 – 24 January 1883) was a German composer. He is chiefly remembered for his opera ''Martha'', which was popular in the 19th century and the early part of the 20th. Life ...

Martha Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא‎) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness ...

(1936).

Selected discography

* Mozart: ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'' (Berlin, 24 October 1937), Reichssenders Berlin, conducted by Heinrich Steiner, Cantus-Lin (DA Music) 2000 * Mozart: ''Great Opera Recordings - Die Zauberflöte'' (Berlin 1937/1938), Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by

Thomas Beecham Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, Order of the Companions of Honour, CH (29 April 18798 March 1961) was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic and the Roya ...

, Naxos Historical 2001 * Gounod: ''Faust'' (Stuttgart 5 December 1937), Stuttgarter Rundfunks, conducted by

Joseph Keilberth Joseph Keilberth (19 April 1908 – 20 July 1968) was a German conductor who specialised in opera. Career He started his career in the State Theatre of his native city, Karlsruhe. In 1940 he became director of the German Philharmonic Orches ...

, Arkadia 2000 * Mozart: ''Die Zauberflöte'' (Berlin 1937–1938), Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by

, Naxos Historical 2001 * Weber: ''Oberon'' (Highlights, Berlin 15 August 1937), Reichssenders Berlin, conducted by

, Cantus-Line (DA Music) 2002 * Johann Strauss: ''Eine Nacht in Venedig'' (22 January 1938), Reichssenders Berlin, conducted by Heinrich Steiner, Naxos Historical 2003 * ''ABC der Gesangskunst in Deutschland - Historisches Gesangslexikon Teil 5'', 70 historical recordings, including two arias from ''La Boheme'' by Carla Spletter, Cantus-Lin (DA Music), 2000

Filmography

* 1936: ''Martha'', Directed by:

Karl Anton Karl Anton or Karel Anton (25 October 1898 12 April 1979) was a Bohemian-born German film director, screenwriter and film producer. Biography He was born in Prague on 25 October 1898. His father Wilhelm Anton (1861–1918) was a physician. An ...

/ Frank Clifford * 1937: ''Der Schauspieldirektor'', Directed by:

Jürgen von Alten Jürgen von Alten (12 January 1903 – 28 February 1994) was a German actor, screenwriter and film director. During his career he directed around seventy short and feature films. In 1939 he made the military comedy-drama ''Shoulder Arms''.Richa ...

* 1939: ''Maria Ilona'', Directed by: Géza von Bolváry * 1940: ''Falstaff in Wien'', Directed by:

Leopold Hainisch Leopold Hainisch (1891–1979) was an Austrian actor and film director.Mitchell p.148 Selected filmography Actor * ''Ulli und Marei'' (1948) * ''Viennese Girls'' (1949) – Karl Haslinger * ''Cabaret'' (1954) – Leopold Holzinger * ''Walking Bac ...

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Spletter, Carla German operatic sopranos People from Flensburg 1911 births 1953 deaths 20th-century German women opera singers University of Music and Theatre Leipzig alumni