Konetzni, Anny

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Konetzni, Anny

Konetzni, Anny, esteemed Austrian soprano, sister of Hilde Konetzni; b. Ungarisch-Weisskirchen, Feb. 12, 1902; d. Vienna, Sept. 6, 1968. She studied with Erik Schmedes at the Vienna Cons, and later in Berlin with Jacques Stückgold. She made her operatic debut as a contralto at the Vienna Volksoper in 1925; soon turned to soprano roles. She sang in Augsburg, Elberfeld, and Chemnitz; sang with the Berlin State Opera (1931–34) and also appeared with the Vienna State Opera, La Scala in Milan, the Paris Opéra, and London’s Covent Garden. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre on Dec. 26, 1934; remained on its roster until the close of the season. After her retirement in 1955, she taught voice in Vienna. She was particularly notable in Wagner and Strauss roles.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire