Elsie Altmann-Loos (27 December 1899 - 19 May 1984) was an Austrian dancer, actress and autobiographer.

Biography

Altmann's debut concert was in 1919. Later that year she became the second wife of modernist architect

Adolf Loos Adolf Franz Karl Viktor Maria Loos (; 10 December 1870 – 23 August 1933) was an Austrian and Czechoslovak architect, influential European theorist, and a polemicist of modern architecture. He was an inspiration to modernism and a widely-k ...

, who was 29 years older than her. Elsie Altmann starred as Lisa in the original production of

Emmerich Kálmán Emmerich Kálmán ( hu, Kálmán Imre; 24 October 1882 – 30 October 1953) was a Hungarian composer of operettas and a prominent figure in the development of Viennese operetta in the 20th century. Among his most popular works are '' Die Csár ...

’s operetta ''

Gräfin Mariza ''Gräfin Mariza'' (''Countess Maritza'') is an operetta in three acts composed by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán, with a German libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered in Vienna on 28 February 1924 at the Theater an ...

'' at

Theater an der Wien The is a historic theatre in Vienna located on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district. Completed in 1801, the theatre has hosted the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music. Since 2006, it has served prima ...

in 1924. A photograph of her by

Madame D'Ora Dora Philippine Kallmus (20 March 1881 – 28 October 1963), also known as Madame D'Ora or Madame d'Ora, was an Austrians, Austrian Fashion photography, fashion and Portrait photography, portrait photographer. Early life Dora Philippine Kallmus ...

was used to advertise the operetta.Kevin Clarke
“Make Me Look Beautiful, Madame D’Ora!” Or: Revivisting Elsie Altmann And The Viennese Operetta Soubrette
''Operetta Research Center'', 16 July 2018. Altmann's dance "projected nimage of cheerfulness, reinforced by an elegant taste for Biedermeyer-style costumes". Elsie Altmann later recalled some of the strain of her relationship with Loos, who would be imprisoned for child abuse in 1928: The pair divorced in 1926. Altmann continued her professional connection with Kálmán, playing Princess Rosemarie Sonjuschka ''

Die Herzogin von Chicago ''Die Herzogin von Chicago'' (''The Duchess of Chicago'') is an operetta in two acts, a prologue, and an epilogue. The music was composed by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán with a libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered ...

'', which premiered at Theater an der Wien in 1928. With the rise of Hitler, Altmann went into exile in

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. Adolf Loos died in 1933. Under a 1922 will, she was Loos's sole heir, and his estate was released to her in 1938.

Selected works

* ''Adolf Loos, der Mensch'' lfred Loos, the man 1968 * ''Mein Leben mit Adolf Loos'' y life with Adolf Loos 1984

References

External links

Elsa Elsie Loos-Altmann
at

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Altmann-Loos, Elsie 1899 births 1984 deaths Austrian autobiographers Women autobiographers Austrian dancers Austrian female dancers Austrian actresses