Minnie Nast (Soprano) (Karlsruhe 1874 – Füssen 1956)

                                                              Cio-Cio-San

                                                              Cio-Cio-San

She studied singing at the conservatory in Karlsruhe under Hermann Rosenberg and with Bianca Bianchi in Salzburg. She made her debut in 1897 at the Stadttheater in Aachen. In 1898 she joined to the Hofoper in Dresden. Here she appeared up to the end of her stage career (1919). On 26. 1. 1911 she sang at the Hofoper in Dresden in the premiere of R. Strauss’s "Der Rosenkavalier". She appeared in Dresden also in two other opera premieres of Richard Strauss: on 21. 11. 1901 in "Feuersnot", on 25. 1. 1909 in a small role in ‘’Elektra’’. The other premieres in which she appeared in Dresden were "Das war ich"  by Leo Blech (6. 10. 1902), "Alpenkönig und Menschenfeind" by the same composer (1. 10. 1903), "Barfüßele" of Heuberger (1905), "Die Schneider von Schönau"  by Jan Brandts-Buys (1. 4. 1916) and "Coeur As"  by Eduard Künneke (1913). She created the title role in G. Puccini’s ‘’Madama Butterfly’’ for Dresden. She made guest appearances in Amsterdam (1902, 1910 as well as in 1917 as Sophie in "Rosenkavalier"), Berlin (1906), Munich, St. Petersburg, Vienna (1906, 1908) and Prague (1903). In 1905 she toured through the USA and Canada. Her stage repertoire included Cherubino in "Figaros Hochzeit", Pamina in "Zauberflöte", Marguerite in ‘’Faust’’, Mimi in ‘’La Bohème’’ and Eva in "Meistersingern". She was married to the Karl von Frenckell, who served as Finnish consul in Dresden. In 1919 she sang for the last time in Dresden in G. Puccini’s ‘’Boheme’’ and then worked as a pedagogue in Dresden. She had to leave her house after the destruction in the bomb attack of 1945. 

Chronology of some appearances

1897 Aachen Stadttheater

1898-1919 Dresden Hofoper

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

G&T, Dresden 1902-03?
Freischütz (Weber): Trübe Augen 43246 773x

G&T, Berlin 1905-04?
Faust (Gounod): Ah, welch ein Glück (Juwelenarie) 43697
Bohème (Puccini): Man nennt mich jetzt nur Mimi 43701 60h
Waffenschmied (Lortzing): Er ist so gut 43699 63h

G&T, Berlin 1907
Fra Diavolo (Auber): Erblickt auf Felsenhöh'n 43959 3582r

Gramophone, Berlin 1909-10-15

Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Willst du nun endlich mir sagen with Johannes Sembach  044145 268ac
Madama Butterfly (Puccini): 's ist schon was Wahres dran with Johannes Sembach  044146 269ac