Opera Singer. A noted soprano of the mid-20th Century, she is primarily remembered for interpreting the works of Richard Wagner. Born in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire she was raised in a musical family and was originally trained as a contralto. After study at the Vienna Conservatory she made her 1925 debut at the Vienna Volksoper as Adriano from Wagner's "Rienzi" then retrained as a dramatic soprano before appearing in the 1929 Paris "Ring Cycle" as Brunnhilde of "Die Walkure". In 1931 Anny sang at the State Operas of both Berlin and Vienna as The Marschallin in Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier", Helena from Verdi's "I Vespri Siciliani", and the title lead of Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos". Over the years her Wagnerian roles, in addition to Brunnhilde, included Isolde from "Tristan und Isolde", Venus in "Tannhauser", and Ortud from "Lohengrin", while she also performed as the lead of Strauss' "Elektra". Anny appeared for five seasons at New York's Metropolitan Opera, bowing in 1934 as Brunnhilde and using the same role for her 1935 debut at Covent Garden, London. Primarily based in Vienna, she was heard at most of Europe's principal venues including Salzburg and La Scala Milano before leaving the stage in the mid 1950s. After teaching at the Vienna Academy she retired in 1957 due to ill health; much of her recorded legacy is preserved on CD. Her better known younger sister was dramatic soprano Hilde Konetzni.
Opera Singer. A noted soprano of the mid-20th Century, she is primarily remembered for interpreting the works of Richard Wagner. Born in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire she was raised in a musical family and was originally trained as a contralto. After study at the Vienna Conservatory she made her 1925 debut at the Vienna Volksoper as Adriano from Wagner's "Rienzi" then retrained as a dramatic soprano before appearing in the 1929 Paris "Ring Cycle" as Brunnhilde of "Die Walkure". In 1931 Anny sang at the State Operas of both Berlin and Vienna as The Marschallin in Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier", Helena from Verdi's "I Vespri Siciliani", and the title lead of Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos". Over the years her Wagnerian roles, in addition to Brunnhilde, included Isolde from "Tristan und Isolde", Venus in "Tannhauser", and Ortud from "Lohengrin", while she also performed as the lead of Strauss' "Elektra". Anny appeared for five seasons at New York's Metropolitan Opera, bowing in 1934 as Brunnhilde and using the same role for her 1935 debut at Covent Garden, London. Primarily based in Vienna, she was heard at most of Europe's principal venues including Salzburg and La Scala Milano before leaving the stage in the mid 1950s. After teaching at the Vienna Academy she retired in 1957 due to ill health; much of her recorded legacy is preserved on CD. Her better known younger sister was dramatic soprano Hilde Konetzni.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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