A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Schechner-Waagen, Nanette
SCHECHNER-WAAGEN, Nanette, dramatic singer, born at Munich in 1806. She was employed in the chorus-scenes of the opera, and, on the occasion of Madame Grassini's visit, was chosen to second her in some selections from Cimarosa's 'Gli Orazzi e Curiazi.' Schechner's beautiful voice made a great impression, and won for her a patroness in the Queen of Bavaria. After some study in singing and in Italian, she appeared in Italian opera in Munich, until 1827, after which she devoted herself to German opera. In 1826 she was in Vienna, if a curious story, related by Schindler, of a scene in the theatre there, à propos to an air written for her by Schubert, may be believed. [See Schubert.] It is related by Fétis that, when she first appeared in Berlin in Weigl's 'Schweizerfamilie,' the first act was played to an almost empty house; but such enthusiasm did her Emmeline arouse in the few listeners, that the report of it spread to the neighbouring cafés during the entr'acte, a large audience was drawn to the theatre for the rest of the performance, and the singer's success was complete. Her Donna Anna, Euryanthe, Fidelio, Reiza, Vestalin and Iphigenie in Tauris excited great admiration in Berlin and Munich. In 1832 she married Waagen, a lithographer and painter.
Madame Schechner's voice was powerful, even massive in its tones, her acting was earnest and natural. She took a place in the first rank of German singers, but her brilliant career lasted no longer than ten years. A severe illness injured her voice; she retired from the stage in 1835, and died in 1860.
Mendelssohn heard her at Munich in 1830, and while he found her voice much gone off and her intonation false, says that her expression was still so touching as to make him weep.[1]- ↑ Letter, June 6, 1836.