Della Casa, Lisa

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Della Casa, Lisa (b Burgdorf, nr. Berne, 1919). Swiss soprano. Début Solothurn-Biel 1941 as Butterfly. Member of City Th., Zurich, 1943–50, singing Pamina, Gilda, Serena in Porgy and Bess, and creating role of the Young Woman in Burkhard's Die schwarze Spinne, 1949. Sang at Vienna State Opera 1947–74; Salzburg Fest. début 1947 (Zdenka in Arabella). Sang a variety of Strauss roles at Salzburg—Countess in Capriccio, Chrysothemis, Marschallin, and Ariadne—also Mozart's Countess, Donna Elvira, and Pamina. Created three roles in Der Prozess, Salzburg 1953. Glyndebourne début 1951. First sang Arabella Zurich 1950. CG début 1953; Bayreuth Fest. 1952; NY Met 1953–68. Retired 1974. One of most lustrous of Strauss singers. Made first commercial recording of Vier letzte Lieder (1953, cond. Böhm).