GRETE FORST (VIENNA, AUSTRIA, AUGUST 18, 1878 –
MALY TROSTENETS EXTERMINATION CAMP, NEAR MINSK, BELARUS, JUNE 1, 1942)
Her real name was Margarete Feiglstock. She was born into a
Jewish family. She studied with Hermine Granichstätten in Vienna. In 1898, she
made her first public appearance at a student concert in that city. She made
her stage debut in 1900 at the Cologne Opera House as Lucia in Donizetti’s
Lucia di Lammermoor. In the same year, she took part in the world premiere of
Emanuel Moor’s opera La Pompadour.
In the following years she enjoyed success in Cologne in
roles such as Philine in Thomas’s Mignon and Marie in Donizetti’s La fille du
régiment. In the latter role, as well as in that of Gilda in Rigoletto, she
appeared as a guest at the Vienna Court Opera, which subsequently engaged her
in 1903. Her inaugural role there was once again Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor.
She soon achieved great success in Vienna. On January 2,
1908, she appeared in the premiere of Goldmark’s Ein Wintermärchen, and on
April 14, 1910, in the premiere of Julius Bittner’s Der Musikant. In 1907, she
sang the title role in the first Vienna Court Opera performance of Puccini’s
Madama Butterfly. Among her other major successes in Vienna were Adalgisa in
Bellini’s Norma (with Lilli Lehmann in the title role), Eva in Wagner’s Die
Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and several Mozart heroines.
In 1905 she returned to Cologne as Susanna in Mozart’s Le
nozze di Figaro. She remained a member of the Vienna Court Opera until 1911,
but also undertook guest appearances and was active as a concert soprano,
performing at events such as the Lower Rhine Music Festival.
After her marriage in 1911, she often appeared under the name
Grete Forst-Schuschny. She later taught singing in Vienna for many years. After
the Anschluss, as a Jew, she was in grave danger. For a long time she was
listed as missing during World War II, but it was later discovered that on May
27, 1942, she was deported with other Jewish residents of Vienna to Minsk,
where she perished. Her son, Hans Schuschny, had emigrated to the USA in 1939.
The tragically fated coloratura soprano possessed
extraordinary vocal brilliance, with exceptional technical facility and a
floating, luminous tone. Fortunately, a number of fine recordings of her
survive on G&T (Vienna, 1905), Lyrophon (Vienna, 1904), and Pathé (Vienna,
1904).
TRACKLIST
Aida (Verdi) Tempelszene (w. Stehmann & chorus) 2-44322
11756u G&T, Wien 1907-1112
Aida (Verdi) Zu des Niles heil’gen Ufern (w. Elizza, Slezak,
Stehmann, Mayr & chorus) 3-44055 15230u Gramophone, Wien 1909-10-02
Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Durchstrahlt von tausend Lampen (w.
Elizza, Weidemann, Stehmann & Mayr) 3-44034 14691u Gramophone, Wien 1909-05
Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Also soll ich (w. Weidemann)
2-44175 10058u G&T, Wien 1906-1112
Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Arie der Rosina 43830 4244L
G&T, Wien 1906
Bohème (Puccini) Lebt wohl, ihr süssen Stunden (w. Kurz,
Slezak & Weidemann) 2-44237 10777u G&T, Wien 1907
Bohème (Puccini) Mimis Tod 43942 10785u G&T, Wien 1907-06
Bohème (Puccini) Walzer der Musette 43943 10786u G&T,
Wien 1907-06
Carmen (Bizet) Arie der Micaela 43902 9953u G&T, Wien
1906-1112
Carmen (Bizet) Quintett (w. Elizza, Kittel, Preuss &
Stehmann) 2-44121 4286L G&T, 1906
Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Lied der Antonia (Elle a fui)
43978 11126u G&T, Wien 1907-07
Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Puppenarie 43792 4206L G&T,
Wien 1906
Der Musikant (Bittner) Arie der Violetta 2-43373 15050b
Gramophone, Wien 1910-10-29
Die Trommel gerührt (Beethoven) 943022 12491L Gramophone,
Wien 1911-05-31
Don Giovanni (Mozart) Schmäle, tobe, lieber Junge 43872 9947u
G&T, Wien 1906-1112
Don Giovanni (Mozart) Viva la libertà (Freiheitschor) (w.
Preus, Kittel, Hesch, Stehmann & chorus) 2-44226 10828u G&T, Wien
1907-06
Don Giovanni (Mozart) Wenn du fein fromm bist 43865 9954u
G&T, Wien 1906-1112
Dragons de Villars (Maillart) Arie der Rose Friquet (Il
m’aime) 43905 9952u G&T, Wien 1906-1112
Faust (Gounod) Arie der Siebel 43877 9948u G&T, Wien
1906-1112
Fidelio (Beethoven) Jetzt, Schätzchen, jetzt sind wir allein
(w. Preuss) 044129 01008v Gramophone, Wien 1909-05
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