A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Lehmann, Lilli

LEHMANN, Lilli, born 1848 at Wurzburg, was taught singing by her mother, Marie Lehmann (born 1807), formerly a harp-player and prima donna at Cassel under Spohr, and the original heroine of some of the operas of that master. The daughter made her début at Prague as the First Boy ('Zauberflöte'), and was engaged successively at Dantzig in 1868 and at Leipzig in 1870. She made her début at Berlin as Vielka (Meyerbeer's 'Feldlager in Schlesien'), Aug. 19, 1870, with such success that she was engaged there as a light soprano. She obtained a life engagement there in 1876, and was appointed Imperial chamber singer. The same year she played Woglinde and Helmwige, and sang the 'Bird' music in Wagner's trilogy at Bayreuth. She made a successful début at Her Majesty's as Violetta June 3, as Philine ('Mignon') June 15, 1880, and sang there for two seasons. She appeared at Covent Garden in German with great success as Isolde, July 2, 1884. In passing through England to America, where she has been engaged for the winter in German opera for the last three seasons, she gave a concert with Franz Rummel at the Steinway Hall Oct. 22, 1885. She reappeared at Her Majesty's as Fidelio in Italian June 1887.

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