Born: 26 June 1885, Germany
Died: 7 October 1955
Country most active: Germany, United States
Also known as: Freda Hemple
The following is republished from the Library of Congress. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
A lyric-coloratura soprano (vocal range of middle C to high F) of unusual gifts, Frieda Hempel was signed immediately after her debut in 1905 by the Berlin Königliche Oper, where she remained a star until leaving for the Metropolitan Opera in 1912. Hempel was trained in the old classical school and could sing parts requiring dazzling roulades (the singing of several notes to one syllable) as well as the lighter Wagnerian roles. As America’s first Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, she set a standard that remained unchallenged until the advent of operatic singer Lotte Lehmann twenty years later. Hempel retired from the Met in 1919 and, although she later sang opera in Chicago, she devoted most of her time to concertizing.