Kern, Adele
Kern, Adele
Kern, Adele, German soprano; b. Munich, Nov. 25, 1901; d. there, May 6, 1980. She received training in Munich. In 1924 she made her operatic debut there as Olympia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the Bavarian State Opera, singing there until 1926 when she became a member of the Frankfurt am Main Opera. In 1927-28 she toured South America. From 1927 to 1935 she appeared at the Salzburg Festivals. She also sang in Munich, as well as at the Vienna State Opera (1929–30) and the Berlin State Opera (1935–37). She subsequently sang at the Bavarian State Opera (1937-43; 1945-46). As a guest artist, she appeared at London’s Covent Garden (1931, 1934), Milan’s La Scala, the Rome Opera, and at other European operatic centers. She was especially admired for her Mozart and Richard Strauss roles, among them Despina, Susanna, Zerbinetta, Marzelline, and Sophie.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire