Anna Margrethe Lendrop née Boeck (1873–1920) was a Danish operatic soprano who performed at the Royal Danish Theatre from 1898 to 1919. She is remembered above all for her 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 ...

'' which she performed a total of 131 times.

Biography

Born on 13 July 1873 in

Kalundborg Kalundborg () is a Danish city with a population of 16,211 (1 January 2022),Zealand, Margrethe Boeck was the daughter of the merchant Carl Julius Boeck (1838–1928) and Thora Rasmine Mathiassen (1848–93). She was brought up in a prosperous provincial home, developing an early interest in the theatre thanks to her mother's interest in drama. She was trained by the Swedish opera singer Algot Lange (1850-1904) who considered her voice too weak and inflexible for the stage. Recordings clearly show, nevertheless, that she had quite a powerful delivery and could comfortably reach the high notes. Her début at the Royal Theatre in 1898 was as Carmen was acclaimed not only for her delicate interpretation of the music but also for her accomplished stage performance. Her figure and sense of drama appear to have been even more suited to roles such as Siebel in '' Faust'', Cherubino 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 ...

'' and Octavian in '' Der Rosenkavalier''. In 1915, she was elevated to the rank of

Kongelig Kammersanger Kongelige Kammersangere or The Royal Chamber Singer is a prestigious award given to Danish Opera singers by the monarch. Only about 50 people have received the award since it was started in 1700. The first non-native Danish person who was appointed ...

(Royal Chamber Singer) by King Christian X. Margrethe Lendrop retired while still young in 1919, hoping to devote more time to concert performances but she died suddenly in 1920. She left two children, Agnete and Gudrun Sophie, following her marriage in 1902 with the medical doctor Otto Lendrop (1863–1930).

Discography

A considerable number of recordings of Margrethe Lendrop were made between 1906 and 1915. They include arias from '' Mignon'', '' Cavalleria Rusticana'', ''Carmen'', '' Il Trovatore'', '' La Bohème'', ''Faust'' and ''The Marriage of Figaro''.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lendrop, Margrethe 19th-century Danish women opera singers Danish operatic sopranos 1873 births 1920 deaths People from Kalundborg