Vienna mourns a star soprano, 90
RIPThe towering soprano Renate Holm died today in Vienna, aged 90.
Raised under Soviet occupation in East Germany, she began her career as a film actress in sentimental morale boosters before landing a role in an operetta at the Vienna Volksoper.
Herbert von Karajan swiftly signed her for the Staatsoper and she became a company stalwart until her retirement in 1990.
Favourite roles included Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Marzelline (Fidelio), Musetta (La bohème), Blondchen (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Susanna und Contessa d’Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro).
She was a great-granddaughter of General Field Marshall Karl von Bülow.
A wonderful person and a great singer. I had the pleasure to record with her one Lied I wrote (dedicated to her of course!).
I saw Renate Holm in a new production of Cosi fan tutte at the Vienna State Opera in May 1975, conducted by Karl Böhm. The Viennese critic Karl Löbl singled out only one of the distinguished cast for her exceptional performance: Renate Holm as Despina. The other singers who weren’t apparently quite up to her standard were Gundula Janowitz, Brigitte Fassbaender, Peter Schreier, Bernd Weikl and Eberhard Wächter.
Was her great-grandfather related to pianist, conductor and composer Hans von Bülow?
In 1981, I have heard a Fledermaus with Holm as Rosalinde in a Viennese cast which included Wächter, Kunz, Holecek and Hopferwieser. What a team!
Quick question: she was born in 1931 in Berlin. Was Berlin actually “under Soviet occupation” in 1931?
Fantastic vocal clarity and range; such a soaring, yet mellow tone. One of the unforgettable greats!