Sophie Diez or Dietz (''née'' Hartmann) (1 September 1820 – 3 May 1887) was a German
soprano who sang leading roles with the Munich Hofoper (now known as the
Bavarian State Opera
The Bayerische Staatsoper is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bayerische Staatsorchester.
History
The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under Ele ...
) in a career spanning 40 years. She is most remembered today for having created the role of Magdalena in Wagner's ''
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'', but she also sang in the world premieres of several other operas by lesser-known German composers.
Life and career
Diez was born in Munich and received her early training from her father who was a musician in the city. In 1836 she joined the chorus of the Munich Hofoper where the conductor
Franz Lachner
Franz Paul Lachner (2 April 1803 – 20 January 1890) was a German composer and conductor.
Biography
Lachner was born in Rain am Lech to a musical family (his brothers Ignaz, Theodor and Vinzenz also became musicians). He studied music with ...
noticed the beauty of her voice and gave her further training.
[Eisenberg, Ludwig (1903)]
''Großes biographisches Lexikon der Deutschen Bühne im 19. Jahrhundert''
pp. 200–201. P. List She made her debut as a soloist on 1 December 1836 as Angelina in Cherubini's ''
The Water Carrier'' and in February of the following year appeared as Benjamin in Étienne Méhul's ''
Joseph
Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
''. Shortly thereafter she was engaged as permanent member of the company.
['']Meyers Konversations-Lexikon
' or ' was a major encyclopedia in the German language that existed in various editions, and by several titles, from 1839 to 1984, when it merged with the '.
Joseph Meyer (1796–1856), who had founded the publishing house in 1826, intended t ...
'' (1885–1892)
"Diez, Sophie"
Vol. 4, p. 966. Bibliographisches Institut. Online version retrieved 22 June 2014 . She went on to sing many leading roles with the Hofoper and appeared in several world premieres. By 1867, she had sung 122 roles in 94 operas, including all the female roles (apart from Marcellina) in ''
The Marriage of Figaro'' and all six female roles in ''
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 in ...
''.
[''Signale für die musikalische Welt''](_blank)
(January 1867), p. 50
In addition to her performances in Munich, Diez also appeared as a guest singer in several other German cites, including Stuttgart, Cologne, Dresden, and Hamburg.
[Flüggen, Ottmar G. (1892)]
''Biographisches bühnen-lexikon der deutschen theater''
p. 61. A. Bruckmann In 1866, she was given the title ''
Kammersängerin'' by
Prince Luitpold and a jubilee celebration was staged by the Hofoper to mark the 30th anniversary of her debut.
Diez officially retired from the company in December 1877, although she made one more appearance the following April as Nandl in one of
Ignaz Lachner's Alpine Scenes, ''Das Versprechen hinter'm Herd''.
In 1841, she had married
Ernst Friedrich Diez
Ernst Friedrich Diez or Dietz (17 March 1805 – December 1892) was a German lyric tenor who sang leading roles in the opera houses of Germany and Austria. He is most closely associated with the Munich Hofoper (now known as the Bavarian State Oper ...
, who was 15 years her senior and sang as a tenor with the Munich Hofoper from 1837 to 1849.
They appeared in several productions together, including the Munich premiere of Lortzing's ''
Zar und Zimmermann
''Zar und Zimmermann'' (''Tsar and Carpenter'') is a comic opera in three acts, music by Albert Lortzing, libretto by the composer after Georg Christian Römer's ''Der Bürgermeister von Saardam, oder Die zwei Peter'', itself based on the French p ...
'' in July 1841—she as Marie and he as the Marquis de Chateauneuf. Sophie Diez died in Munich in 1887 at the age of 66 and was buried in the
Alter Südfriedhof cemetery. Her husband died five years later.
Richard Strauss dedicated several of his early songs to her, including his 1879 ''Für Musik'', a setting of
Emanuel Geibel
Emanuel von Geibel (17 October 18156 April 1884) was a German poet and playwright.
Life
Geibel was born at Lübeck, the son of a pastor. He was originally intended for his father's profession and studied at Bonn and Berlin, but his real interests ...
's poem "Nun die Schatten dunkeln"
("Now the Shadows Darken").
Roles created
Sophie Diez sang in the following world premieres:
[List sourced from Casaglia and ''Königliches Hof- und Nationaltheater'' (year book]
1840
1845
1849
*Lauretta in
Franz Xaver Pentenrieder
Franz Xaver Pentenrieder (6 February 1813 – 17 July 1867) was a German composer of church music and operas.
Pentenrieder was born in Kaufbeuren, Bavaria and studied with Johann Nepomuk Kalcher and Joseph Hartmann Stuntz in Munich. He entered t ...
's ''Die Nacht zu Paluzzi'',
Königliches Hof- und National-Theater, Munich, 2 October 1840
*Käthchen in
Heinrich Esser
Heinrich Joseph Esser (15 July 1818 – 3 June 1872) was a German violinist, influential conductor and composer.
Biography
Heinrich Esser was born in Mannheim. He got musical instruction by Franz Lachner who was court conductor in Mannheim f ...
's ''Die zwei Prinzen'', Königliches Hof- und National-Theater, Munich, 10 April 1845
*Ascanio in
Franz Lachner
Franz Paul Lachner (2 April 1803 – 20 January 1890) was a German composer and conductor.
Biography
Lachner was born in Rain am Lech to a musical family (his brothers Ignaz, Theodor and Vinzenz also became musicians). He studied music with ...
's ''Benvenuto Cellini'', Königliches Hof- und National-Theater, Munich, 7 October 1849
*Magdalena in
Richard Wagner's ''
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'', Königliches Hof- und National-Theater, Munich, 21 June 1868
*Mathilde in
Josef Rheinberger
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (17 March 1839 – 25 November 1901) was a Liechtensteiner organist and composer, residing in Bavaria for most of his life.
Life
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, whose father was the treasurer for Aloys II, Prince of Liech ...
's ''Die sieben Raben'', Königliches Hof- und National-Theater, Munich, 23 May 1869
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diez, Sophie
German operatic sopranos
1820 births
1887 deaths
19th-century German women opera singers
Singers from Munich
People from the Kingdom of Bavaria