Opera Singer. A dramatic soprano long a fixture at the Vienna State Opera, she is primarily remembered for her interpretation of Sieglinde from Richard Wagner's "Ring Cycle". Raised in a musical family, she trained at the Vienna Conservatory and later in Prague before making her 1929 operatic bow at Gablonz as Sieglinde in "Die Walkure"; heard in the 1929 Paris "Ring" in the same role, she refined her art in Prague before bowing at the Vienna State Opera in 1936 as Donna Elvira from Mozart's "Don Giovanni". Hilde performed over the years as The Marschallin of Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier", Agathe from Weber's "Der Freischutz", and Leonora of Beethoven's "Fidelio", as well as in the Wagnerian roles of, in addition to Sieglinde, Elisabeth in "Tannhauser", Brunnhilde from "Siegfried", and the title Irish Princess of "Tristan und Isolde". Seen in principal theatres besides Vienna, she made her bow at Covent Garden, London, in 1938 as Sieglinde and also used her signature piece for her 1950 debut at La Scala Milano. Hilde was a quite popular aritst in her home theatre throughout her career and continued singing, albeit in smaller parts, into the 1970s. Much of her recorded legacy is preserved on CD. Her lesser known older sister was dramatic soprano Anny Konetzni.
Opera Singer. A dramatic soprano long a fixture at the Vienna State Opera, she is primarily remembered for her interpretation of Sieglinde from Richard Wagner's "Ring Cycle". Raised in a musical family, she trained at the Vienna Conservatory and later in Prague before making her 1929 operatic bow at Gablonz as Sieglinde in "Die Walkure"; heard in the 1929 Paris "Ring" in the same role, she refined her art in Prague before bowing at the Vienna State Opera in 1936 as Donna Elvira from Mozart's "Don Giovanni". Hilde performed over the years as The Marschallin of Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier", Agathe from Weber's "Der Freischutz", and Leonora of Beethoven's "Fidelio", as well as in the Wagnerian roles of, in addition to Sieglinde, Elisabeth in "Tannhauser", Brunnhilde from "Siegfried", and the title Irish Princess of "Tristan und Isolde". Seen in principal theatres besides Vienna, she made her bow at Covent Garden, London, in 1938 as Sieglinde and also used her signature piece for her 1950 debut at La Scala Milano. Hilde was a quite popular aritst in her home theatre throughout her career and continued singing, albeit in smaller parts, into the 1970s. Much of her recorded legacy is preserved on CD. Her lesser known older sister was dramatic soprano Anny Konetzni.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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