Maria Waldmann
Maria Waldmann (born November 19, 1845 in Vienna , † November 6, 1920 in Ferrara ) was an Austrian opera singer ( mezzo-soprano ) who had a close relationship with Giuseppe Verdi .
Life
She was born in Vienna in 1845 and studied with Francesco Lamperti . Waldmann devoted himself to the Italian mezzo-soprano repertoire. It was heard with Teresa Stolz in a Don Carlos production in Trieste in September 1869 . She then sang in Moscow and at La Scala in Milan , where she appeared as Amneris in Verdi's opera La forza del destino and in the European premiere of Aida (February 8, 1872) in 1871/1872 . Despite Verdi's initial reluctance to win Waldmann for this premiere, she became his favorite Amneris.
In 1874, Verdi engaged her again for the mezzo-soprano role in his Requiem , for which he wrote the Liber scriptus for her. Waldmann particularly valued Verdi because of the rich, dark color of its lower, old register. He made great use of her pitch for his Liber scriptus , which focuses on the middle and low registers of the mezzo-soprano range.
Maria Waldmann retired from the opera business at an early age. She ended her career at the age of only about 31 after marrying Duke Galeazzo Massari. She lived with him in the Palazzo Massari on Corso Parto Mare in Ferrara . After her retirement, she enjoyed the affection of Verdi and his wife for many years. Waldmann had a long correspondence with Verdi, almost until his death.
After her husband had died in 1902, Maria Waldmann died in Ferrara at the age of 75 in 1920.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Waldmann, Maria |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian opera singer (mezzo-soprano) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 19, 1845 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Vienna |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 6, 1920 |
| Place of death | Ferrara |