Soprano Melanie Kurt was born in Vienna in 1880. She studied with Lilli Lehmann's sister, Marie, and made her operatic debut as Elisabeth in TANNHAUSER at Lübeck in 1902. She soon developed a busy career throughout Germany, and made guest appearances at Covent Garden, Salzburg, and La Scala.
Mme. Kurt came to the Metropolitan Opera in 1915 at the behest of Giulio Gatti-Cassaza, who needed a Wagnerian soprano to replace the great Olive Fremsted, who had retired the previous year.
Melanie Kurt made her Met debut as Isolde on February 1st, 1915, with Arturo Toscanini conducting. She went on to give more than 80 performances with The Met, both in New York City and on tour. She sang a wide repertoire - the Brunnhildes, Kundry, Fricka in RHEINGOLD, Beethoven's Leonore, Amelia in BALLO IN MASCHERA (opposite Caruso), tha Marschallin, Pamina, Valentine in HUGUENOTS, and Santuzza. She was also seen in the title-role of Iphigénie (in Gluck's Tauride setting) for the Met's premiere of that work.
Mme. Kurt's Met career ended quite abruptly when the advent of World War I caused the opera house to put a moratorium on performances of Wagner's operas. The soprano returned to Europe and resumed her well-established career there.
In 1930, Melanie Kurt began a move away from performing and became a voice teacher in Berlin. Being Jewish, she fled Germany when the Nazis' rise to power began. She returned to New York City, where she taught singing until her death in 1941.
Mme. Kurt made many recordings, some of which show a deepish voice - almost a mezzo-soprano - with a vivid dramatic quality.
Melanie Kurt - Der Männer Sippe sass hier im Saal ~ WALKURE
~ Oberon