Lehmann's Opera Roles

Compiled by André Tubeuf

A close reading of the following list can provide a kind of mini Lehmann biography: small roles at the beginning of her career, the rather precipitous growth to larger, more demanding characters as well as the many roles in forgotten operas which every opera house must try out.

This list doesn't show the number of performances of each role (except in Vienna) or how the roles were assumed in other houses, especially in the US. It also overlooks the roles which she prepared but never performed in their entirety, for instance, Isolde. Isolated arias such as "Ozean, du Ungeheuer" from Weber's Oberon; "Reich mir die Hand mein Leben" (La ci darem la mano) (Zerlina's duet with Don Giovanni) and others which she recorded but never performed on stage, are not represented on this list.

Lehmann's fame mistakenly often rests on a few Wagner and Strauss roles. This stereotype does great injustice to the breadth of interpretations she essayed. The total number of roles performed on stage is an incredible 93. And the total number of performances 1,613! This last number was gleaned from the appendices of Alan Jefferson's Lehmann biography.

Lehmann's final opera appearance was with the San Francisco Opera as the Marschallin in 1946.

The first performance of each role is listed in chronological order by composer, by the season (20/21 means the season of 1920-1921) and the city: Hamburg (H), Vienna (V), London (L), Dresden (D). We gave a total for the roles Lehmann sang in Vienna; that is appended to the end of the entry as: (Vienna___). Lehmann's Vienna Opera appearances were central to her career, but who could guess which role she sang most frequently. Not the Marschallin (47) or Fidelio (35), but Manon (60!).

d'Albert: Tiefland: Pepa, 12/13 H; Marta, 20/21 V; Die Toten Augen: Myrtocle, 15/16 H.

Beethoven: Fidelio: Leonore, 26/27 V; (Vienna 35).

Bittner: Der Musikant: Friederike, 18/19 V; (Vienna 6); Die Kohlhammerin: Helene, 21/21 V; (Vienna 2).

Bizet: Carmen: Micaela, 11/12 H; (Vienna17).

Blech: Versiegelt: Else, 12/13 H

Brandt-Buys: Die Schneider von Shonau: Veronika, 16/17 V; (Vienna 4).

Branfels: Don Gil: Juana, 24/25 V.

Cornelius: Der Barbier von Bagdad: Margiana, 14/15 H; (Vienna 10).

Giordano: Andrea Chenier: Maddalena, 25/26 V.

Gluck: Orphée ed Eurydice: Eurydice, 11/12 H; Iphigenie en Aulide: Iphigenie, 13/14 H.

Goetz: Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung: Katherine, 27/28 V; (Vienna 2).

Goldmark: Das Heimchen am Herd: May,11/12 H.

Gounod: Faust: Marguerite, 16/17 V; (Vienna 24).

Halevy: La Juive: Rachel, 15/16 H.

Heuberger: Opernball: Angele, 14/15 H; (Vienna 3).

Humperdinck: Hansel und Gretel: Sandmännchen, 10/11 H; Taumännchen, 11/12 H.

Kaiser: Theodor Körner: Christine, 14/15 H.

Kienzl: Der Evangelimann: Martha, 12/13 H; Der Kuhreigen: Blanchefleur, 21/22 V.

Korngold: Der Ring des Polycrates: Laura, 18/19 V; (Vienna 2); Die Tote Stadt: Marietta/Marie, 24/25 V; (Vienna 2); Das Wunder der Heliane: Heliane, 27/28 V; (Vienna 6).

Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana: Lola, 10/11 H.

Massenet: Manon: Manon, 16/17 V; (Vienna 60); Werther: Charlotte, 17/18 V; (Vienna 16).

Meyerbeer: Le Prophete: Choirboy, 10/11 H.

Mozart: Die Zauberflöte: 2nd Boy, 10/11 H; lstBoy, 11/12 H; Pamina, 13/14 H; (Vienna 20); Cosi fan tutte: Dorabella, l2/13 H; Figaro: Countess, 13/14 H; (Vienna 6); Don Giovanni: Elvira, 26 L.

Nicolai: Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor: Anna, 10/11 H; Frau Fluth, 16/17 V; (Vienna 9).

Offenbach: Fortunios Lied: Max, 10/11 H; Hoffmanns Erzählungen: Antonia,12/13 H, (Vienna 15); Giolietta,16/17 V, (Vienna1); Orpheus in the Underworld: Eurydice, 13/14 H.

Pfitzner: Palestrina: Silla, 18/19 V; (Vienna 6).

Puccini: La Boheme: Mimi, 19/20 V; (Vienna 37); Madama Butterfly: Butterfly, 20/21 V; (Vienna 24); Suor Angelica: Angelica, 20/21 V; (Vienna 13); Tosca: Tosca, 22/23 V; (Vienna 15); Manon Lescaut: Manon, 23/24 V; (Vienna 7); Turandot: Turandot, 26/27 V; (Vienna 12); Il Tabarro: Giorgetta, 31/32 V; (Vienna 4).

Strauss J.: Der Zigeunerbaron: Irma, 10/11 H; Die Fledermaus: Orlofsky,14/15 H; Rosalinde, 30 L; (Vienna 1).

Strauss, R.: Der Rosenkavalier: Sophie, 10/11 H; Octavian, 14/15 H; (Vienna 12); Marschallin, 24 L; (Vienna 47); Ariadne auf Naxos: Echo, 12/13 H; Komponist, 16/17 V, (Vienna 38); Ariadne, 22/23 V; (Vienna25); Die Frau ohne Schatten: Färberin, 19/20 V; (Vienna 11); Intermezzo: Christine, 24 D; (Vienna 14); Arabella: Arabella, 33/34 V; (Vienna 5).

Tchaikowsky: Queen of Spades: Lisa, 18/19 V; (Vienna 14); Eugen Onegin: Tatiana, 33/34 V; (Vienna 11).

Thomas: Mignon: Mignon, 16/17 V; (Vienna 18).

Verdi: Otello: Desdemona, 22/23 V; (Vienna16).

Wagner: Tannhäuser: 2nd Page, 10/11 H; lstPage, 10/11 H; Shepherd, 12/13 H; Elisabeth, 14/15 H, (Vienna 40); Das Rheingold: Freia, 10/11 H; (Vienna 3); Wellgunde,12/13 H; (Vienna 1); Die Meistersinger: Apprentice, 10/11 H; Eva, 13/14 H (Vienna 54); Lohengrin: First Squire, 10/11 H; Elsa, 12/13 H; (Vienna 39); Rienzi: 2nd Messenger, 11/12 H; Irene, 12/13 H; Die Walküre: Ortlinde, 12/13 H; Gertlinde, 12/13 H; Sieglinde, 13/14 H; (Vienna 32); Parsifal: 4th Flower Maiden, 13/14 H; 5th Flower Maiden, 14/15 H; (Vienna 7); Götterdämmerung: Gutrune, 13/14 H; (Vienna 8); 3rdNorn, 13/14 H; Wellgunde, 16/17 H.

Weber: Der Freischütz: First Bridesmaid, 10/11 H; Agathe, 11/12 H. (Vienna 18)

Weingartner: Kain und Abel: Ada, 14/15 H.

Wolf-Ferrari: Jewels of the Madonna: 2nd Girl, 11/12 H; Stella, 12/13 H.

Zaiczek-Blankenau: Ferdinand und Luise: Luise, 17/18 V; (Vienna 6).