Elsbeth Johanna Irma Baltuttis (

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

: ''Baltutis''; 28 September 1920 — 20 May 1958) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

singer and entertainer based in

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

, Germany.

Early life

Irma was born in the Leutzsch district of

, to Ernst Baltuttis and Elsa Hamann. Her parents recognized her talent and encouraged training for music early on.

Career

After training in music during the Third Reich, her singing career took place within the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

after the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

occupation of Eastern Germany. Some of her music is featured on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

Personal life

In the early 1950s, she married a doctor named Max Herricht, an important member of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.

Death

Baltuttis died on May 20th, 1958, after falling out of her apartment window in

. Although her death was officially classified as

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

, some speculated that her husband had pushed her out of the window. This speculation was fueled by the post-mortem circumstances: no

autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

was performed, nor a coroner's inquest held. Supposedly, her husband was remarkably taciturn about her death.

Selected discography

* ''Ich Hab' Mich so an Dich Gewoehnt'' (I've become so accustomed to you)
— her first hit, recorded in 1947 in Leipzig * ''Leg´ deine Hand in meine Hand'' (with

Hanns Petersen Hanns-Herbert Schulz (26 June 1927 – 9 June 2006), better known as Hanns Petersen, was a German opera singer ( baritone), music college teacher and pop singer. He is known for his career in popular music ( Schlager), his many operatic performanc ...

) - recorded in 1953 (Burger, S. Schmidt) * ''Spatz und Spätzin'' (with

) - recorded in 1953 (Helmut Nier) * ''Wenn du wüsstest, ach, wie ich dich liebe'' (with

) - recorded in 1951 (Rolf Zimmermann, Günter Klein) * ''Wir sind füreinander bestimmt'' (with

) - recorded in 1951 (Gerhard Winkler, Hase) * ''Die Sonne Geht Schlafen'' (The Sun is Going Asleep)
— written by Gerhard Froboess & Leo Breiten; recorded in July 1948 in Berlin * ''Komm Mit Nach Saratow'' (Come With Me to Saratov)
— written by Fradkin (trans. from the Russian by Helmut Kießling); recorded in August/September 1951 in Berlin * ''Ganz Paris Träumt von der Liebe'' (''All Paris Dreams of Love'' — original English title: ''I Love Paris'')
— written by

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

(German lyrics by

Kurt Feltz Kurt is a male given name of Germanic or Turkish origin. ''Kurt'' or ''Curt'' originated as short forms of the Germanic Conrad, depending on geographical usage, with meanings including counselor or advisor. In Turkish, Kurt means "Wolf" and i ...

); recorded on March 28, 1955, in Leipzig. * ''Die kleine Fischerhütte in Lugano'' (The Little Fishing Hut in Logano)
written by Brandner & Breé; duet with Peter Cornehlsen; appears as track 10 in volume 1 of the collection ''Kurt Henkels und sein Orchester'', in the series ''Die Grossen Deutschen Tanzorchester'' (The Great German Dance Orchestras)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baltuttis, Irma 1920 births 1958 deaths 20th-century German women singers