META SEINEMEYER
( b. Berlin 1895 – d. Berlin 1929) - A singer and one
of the greatest artistic tragedies of XX century!
The early death of Meta Seinemeyer, an immensely gifted soprano,
was one of the great artistic tragedies of the last century.
As her final recordings so audibly prove, Meta Seinemeyer
would undoubtedly have gone on to become the most important
German lirico- spinto of her time. It seems quite conceivable
that in due course her voice would have matured sufficiently
for her to have become the ideal Isolde or Brunnhilde. Just
like in the case of the marvellous Hedwig Reicher-Kindermann,
cruel fate dashed all such hopes.
Meta Seinemeyer was born in Berlin, the daughter of a Police
Officer. She studied with Nikolaus Rothmuhl and Ernst Grenzebach.
After her audition in 1918 she was immediately engaged to
appear at the German Opera in Berlin Charlottenburg. In the
seven years of her Berlin engagement, she initially sang lyric
roles in the 'Agathe' (Freischutz) category but, as her voice
matured, she took on Eva in the 'Meistersinger' as well.
Like many other German singers in the post-war era, she tried
to get an engagement in the United States. When it started
a 'German Company', the Manhattan Opera House engaged her
and other German artists such as Friedrich Plaschke, Elsa
Alsen, Friedrich Schorr, Alexander Kipnis and Robert Hutt.
Between 1923 and 1924, North America singled out Meta Seinemeyer's
'Eva' for particular praise, when the ensemble toured there.
The immensely gifted soprano lirico-spinto Meta Seinemeyer
In
November 1924, she gave a guest performance in Dresden as
Gounod's Marguerite, which led to a permanent engagement.
The Dresden years were to prove the most important of her
short career. Together with singers like Tino Pattiera, Ivar
Andresen and Robert Burg, she played a decisive part in the
Verdi Renaissance that started in Dresden in the 1920's. Her
most important roles were Leonora in Franz Werfel's German
version of "Forza del Destino" as well as Aida,
Desdemona, Tosca, Mimi, Madama Butterfly and Marguerite. Much
acclaimed were also the performance of Giordano's "Andrea
Chenier" and Puccini's "Manon Lescaut". Her
partner in almost all her roles was the fervently expressive
Tino Pattiera. In 1929, she was invited to appear at Covent
Garden. Her first role there was 'Seiglinde', later she also
sang Eva and Elsa. Soon after her return from London, she
fell seriously ill. On her deathbed, she married the conductor-pianist
Frieder Weissmann, with whom she had often given recitals.
Fritz Busch, her artistic mentor, commemorated her as follows:
"Meta Seinemeyer, whose early death was much lamented,
was not only a superb Leonora but she excelled in all roles
requiring an emotional lyric-dramatic ability. In Giordano's
"Andrea Chenier" she was a most poignant Madeleine.
Although the technical finish of her voice, which so closely
resembled Elisabeth Rethberg's, was not the latter's equal,
it nevertheless had an incomparable emotional impact - in
fact it was a true 'voix de larmes'. No tombstone inscription
could be more apt than the final words from the German translation
of 'La Forza del Destino': 'Die Seele lebt' - the soul lives
on." (Courtesy of sleevenotes from Preiser records)
The audio file
In
quelle trine morbide sung by Meta Seinemeyer c.1925 –
Manon Lescaut act I (Puccini)
(g.m.)
Notes (ed.) -
Soprano lirico - a voice in the mid and high
ranges, of medium calibre and extension, suited to melodic
music and capable of sfumature, vibratos, colours and chiaroscuri.
Extensively applied to French music, Puccini and beyond. The
supreme example was Freni, followed by Albanese, Eggert, Favero,
Fineschi, Marengo, Melis, Moore, Petrella and Storchio.
Soprano lirico-spinto - Same characteristics
as those of the soprano lirico but with more extended and
vibrant sounds, denoting a fair amount of pulp. Ros, Grandval,
Bori, Seinemeyer and Sayao are worthy of mention.
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