Agnes Leydhecker (Contralto)

Born: Germany

The German contralto, Agnes Leydhecker, was born to a father, Ludwig Leydhecker, who was high government advisor and national commissioner for Elsass-Lorraine. She studied first at the Conservatory of Strasbourg singing with Franz Stockhausen, piano playing with Carl Prohaska and music theory with Carl Somborn. She continued her studies with the famous teacher Julius Stockhausen in Frankfurt a.M. (1899-1900), Etelka Gerster in Berlin (1900) and Pauline Viardot-Garcia in Paris (1903-1908).

Since 1901 Agnes Leydhecker settled in Berlin and undertook from there big concert tours, which led her to the music centres in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, France, Czechoslovakia and Belgium. She was characterised as soloist in oratorios and sacred music works, whereby her repertoire was spread from the Baroque era to the present. This versatility marked also her repertoire as a Lieder singer. She did not appear on the stage.

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2005)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2005)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Karl Straube

Alto

Radio: BWV 75

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