Person Open DS/UK/8133 Hongen; Elisabeth (1906-1997); German mezzo-soprano Hongen Elisabeth 1906-1997 German mezzo-soprano Female

Elisabeth Hongen (7 December 1906, Gevelsberg - 7 August 1997, Vienna) was a German operatic mezzo-soprano, particularly associated with Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss roles, and with Verdi's Lady Macbeth. She studied in Berlin with Hermann Weissenborn, and made her debut in Wuppertal in 1933. She sang in Düsseldorf (1935–39), and in Dresden (1940–43), and then joined the Vienna State Opera, also appearing at the Salzburg Festival and the Bayreuth Festival, quickly establishing herself in roles such as Venus, Ortrud, Fricka, Erda, Waltraute, Herodias, Klytemnestra, Die Amme, Clairon, she also won considerable acclaim as Lady Macbeth, Eboli, Amneris, and Carmen. She made guest appearances at the Munich State Opera, the Royal Opera House in London, the Paris Opéra, La Scala in Milan, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She sang the title role in Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, and Baba the Turk in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. Hongen had a rich and powerful voice and was an impressive singing-actress. She retired from the stage in 1971. International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes RAHhbaulcombe 9/26/2013 Rachael.Fragola 3/1/2022 2918e733-343f-43ee-8be9-1ac06d4f529c