Lotte Lehmann
Debellis Studios
West side of the 1700 block of Vine Street
Lotte Lehmann

Lotte Lehmann

Born Feb. 27, 1888 in Perleberg, Germany
Died Aug. 26, 1976 in Santa Barbara, CA

Madame Lotte Lehmann, the grande dame of opera, has been described as one of those rare artists who generate love from the stage.

Lehmann sang a broad repertory in her early years in German and Austrian opera houses, scenes of still unforgotten triumphs, but in America she was most celebrated as an interpreter of the operas of Ricard Wagner and Richard Strauss.

She was most closely identified with the complex role of the Marschallin in Stauss' "Der Rosenkavlier," in which she was said to have conveyed unique elegance without artificiality.

In 1916, Lehmann moved to Vienna. It was here she sang the role of the Composer in the newly revised version Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos." It was a role that launched her international career.

In 1938, the famed soprano moved to the United States. She settled in Santa Barbara in 1939 after the death of her husband, Otto Krause, an Austrian military officer she married in 1926.

Although her farewell performance was a recital at the New York Town Hall in 1951, she came out of retirement in 1962 to help the Metropolitan Opera prepare a revival production of "Rosenkavalier."

In October 1951, she began teaching at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara and later headed the vocal department there for many years. She gave her last class there in 1969.

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    Four thoughts about Lotte Lehmann

    Did anyone notice that on her Star, her first name is misspelled?

    — Joseph Eastern
    May 11, 2010 at 9:23 a.m.

    MOLTO BELLO!!! Thank you for sharing this Valuable Biographical information.

    — Gerhard Santos
    January 13, 2012 at 8:38 a.m.

    MOLTO BELLO!!! Thank you for sharing this Valuable Biographical information.

    — Gerhard Santos
    January 20, 2012 at 11:52 p.m.

    Her heart-rendering performances will not soon be forgotten! Lotte Lehmann was not only a wonderful singer, artist and poet, but an humanitarian deserving of our highest esteem. Of course she deserves the star on the Walk of Fame! Her one movie performance during her career gave thousands of ordinary children and adults an opportunity to meet operatic talent at their level. Who knows how many of those who "met" Madame Lehmann in that movie went on to achieve great things from her inspiration? Brava! Brava!

    — Toni Christman
    September 12, 2012 at 1:11 a.m.

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