Kittel, Hermine

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Kittel, Hermine

Kittel, Hermine, Austrian contralto; b. Vienna, Dec. 2, 1879; d. there, April 7, 1948. She was an actress before making her operatic debut in Lemberg in 1897. Following vocal training with Materna in Vienna, she sang in Graz (1899–1900). In 1901 she returned to Vienna as a member of the Court (later State) Opera, where she sang until 1931 and again in 1936. She also appeared at the Bayreuth Festivals (1902, 1908), the Salzburg Festivals (1922, 1925), the Vienna Volksoper (1933–34), Paris, Budapest, Prague, and other European operatic centers. In later years, she devoted herself to teaching voice in Vienna. She was particularly known for her Mozart and Wagner roles.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire