The New International Encyclopædia/Lehmann, Lilli

LEHMANN, Lilli (1848—). An eminent German dramatic soprano, born in Würzburg. Her first lessons were from her mother, who was a harp-player and prima donna under Spohr at Cassel. After singing small parts on the stage, she made her début in Berlin as a light soprano in Meyerbeer's Das Feldlager in Schlesien in 1870, and became so successful that she was appointed Imperial chamber-singer in 1876, in which year she sang the bird-music in Siegfried, and took the part of one of the Rhine-daughters in the Nibelungen trilogy at Bayreuth. She sang in London in 1884, and came to New York, where she was engaged as principal soprano at the Metropolitan Opera House. In 1888 she was married to the tenor Paul Kalisch. Her voice was of superb quality and volume, and gained for her the reputation of being one of the greatest Wagnerian singers of her day. She was unsurpassed in the roles of Brünhilde and Isolde.