Augusta Sophie Wilhelmine Lütken née Schou (1855–1910) was a Danish

operatic soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to A5 in choral music, or to ...

who, despite her lack of formal schooling, became one of her country's most popular singers in the nine short years she performed at Copenhagen's

Royal Danish Theatre The Royal Danish Theatre (RDT, Danish: ') is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first s ...

. As a result of poor health, she was forced to retire in 1885 although she returned to make a few appearances in the 1890s.

Early life and family

Born on 5 October 1855 in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, Augusta Sophie Wilhelmine Schou was the daughter of Jens August Hammerich (1820–97) and Sophie Frederikke Iversen (1822–76). At the time of her birth, her mother was called Schou as the result of her previous marriage. On 6 August 1880, Augusta Schou married the naval officer Otto George Lütken (1849–1906). She had three children: Ellen (1881), Otto (1882) and George (1883).

Career

After training under Carl Helsted (1818–1904), Lütken made her début at the Royal Theatre in 1876 as Vilhelmine in

Édouard Du Puy Jean Baptiste Édouard Louis Camille Du Puy (17703 April 1822) was a Principality of Neuchâtel-born singer, composer, director, and violinist. He lived and worked in Copenhagen and Stockholm from 1793 until his death in 1822. Early years Éd ...

's ''Youth and Folly'' (''Ungdom og Galskap''). Exhibiting an unusually high and clear soprano delivery, she immediately attracted attention. The tall, slender blonde impressed her audiences even more as the Queen of the Night in ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...

'', as Zerlina in ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...

'' and as Susanna in ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), 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 premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienn ...

''. While she had a fine natural singing voice, she was less gifted as an actress. As a result of her limitied schooling, her performances in London and Stockholm were not well received. By contrast, in Copenhagen she continued to please her audiences with

coloratura Coloratura ( , , ; , from ''colorata'', the past participle of the verb ''colorare'', 'to color') is a passage of music holding elaboration to a melody. The elaboration usually takes the form of runs, trills, wide leaps or other virtuoso ma ...

performances of Gilda in ''

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had c ...

'' and Marie in

Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian Romantic composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''bel canto'' opera ...

's ''

La fille du régiment LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...

''. As early as 1885, she had to retire as a result of problems with her legs. In the 1990s, she made a few guest appearances including Venus in ''

Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; ), often stylized "The Tannhäuser", was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1265. His name ...

'' and Isabella in

Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Meyer Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Mozart and Wagner". With his 1831 opera ''Ro ...

's ''Robert le diable'' but her voice was no longer what it had been and she appeared to have lost her good humour. Augusta Lütken died in Copenhagen on 26 September 1910.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lutken, Augusta 1855 births 1910 deaths Singers from Copenhagen Danish operatic sopranos 19th-century Danish women opera singers Augusta