Helena Forti (Soprano) (Berlin 1884 - Vienna 1942)

At the age of five she appeared in child roles at the  Residenz-Theater in Dresden. First she became an actress and made her debut in 1900 at Dessau in Goethe’s ‘’Die Geschwister’’, but since 1903 studied singing under Karl Scheidemantel in Dresden and with Theodor Emmerich in Berlin. She made her debut in 1906 at the Hoftheater in Dessau as Valentine in ‘’Huguenots’’ of G. Meyerbeer. In 1907 she made guest appearance at the Hofoper in Stuttgart, then in the 1908-1909 season sang at the Theater in Brünn (Brno) and from 1910 to 1911 was engaged by the Deutschen Theater in Prague under the management of Angelo Neumann. In 1911 she joined to the Hofoper of Dresden, where she made her debut as Elisabeth in ‘’Tannhäuser’’. Till 1924 she remained a member of this opera house, where for the last time sang the role of Adriano in R. Wagner’s ‘’Rienzi’’. In 1914 she appeared at the Bayreuth festival in ‘’Walküre’’ and ‘’Parsifal'’. On 5. 3. 1916 she performed at the Hofoper in Dresden in the premiere of  E. d'Albert’s opera ‘’Die toten Augen’’. In 1923 she sang the role of Marina in the premiere of ‘’Boris Godunov’’. She repeated this role also at the Stadttheater in Zurich. She made guest appearances in Berlin, Vienna, Cologne, Amsterdam and Bucharest. Since 1917 she was married to Bruno Iltz (1886-1965), who was a manager of the Volksoper in Vienna.

Chronology of some appearances

1906 Dessau Hoftheater

1907 Stuttgart Hofoper

1908-1909  Brünn Theater

1910-1911 Prague Deutschen Theater 

1911-1924 Dresden Hofoper

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Odeon

Gioconda (Ponchielli): Suicidio Rxx 76789

Mattianata (Leoncavallo) Rxx 76733

Maria Mari (Di Capua) Rxx 76784

Parsifal (Wagner): Grausamer AA 79210
Parsifal (Wagner): Ich sah das Kind AA 79211