In the 1920s – 1940s it was difficult during the actual recital to photograph Lehmann and her pianist. We have very few “live” photos and so we need to supplement them with the studio portraits. Should you have any photos of Lehmann singing, please send them to me. As of 2017 we have some new ones of Lehmann singing with either orchestra or piano. Many thanks!
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Photo with a Story
Mike on Reddit posted the following with the photo of Lehmann that you’ll find below.
“My Grandfather Earl was an orchid grower and cymbidium expert. He hybridized many orchids and became rather famous in his own right for helping bring cymbidiums to the Santa Barbara area.
Lotte Lehmann was a famous German opera singer who befriended my grandfather. He hybridized an orchid for her which he named after her. These (unfortunately) cut flowers are from that plant. Pretty cool family history!”
On Tour
“Goethe poems in song were presented by Lotte Lehmann, soprano, Wednesday at the Pabst theater for the bicentenary celebration of the German poet’s birth. Mme. Lehmann is shown before the concert with her accompanist, Paul Ulanowsky, and Dr. William Dehorn (right), chairman of the event.” (The highly “improved” photo [the background and around the heads of the people was painted grey] dated 17 March 1948. This is yet another new recital date for our Lehmann Chronology.
Here’s a photo of Lehmann used for the 24 October 1937 radio broadcast of the “Ford Sunday Evening Hour.” She sang: Marriage of Figaro: Porgi amor; Cimera: Canto di primavera; Schubert: Gretchen am Spinnrade; Brahms: O liebliche Wangen (Schubert and Brahms with her regular pianist Ernö Balogh at the piano); Bayly: Long, long ago (with chorus & orchestra); Müller: O Love of God Most Full (with chorus, audience, and orchestra) with José Iturbi, conducting the Ford Symphony Orchestra and chorus.
Below you’ll see an historic photo of Lehmann on the recital stage with Bruno Walter on 1 October 1937. This was to be the last time Lehmann would sing in Europe. In the spring of 1938 Hitler’s troupes marched into Vienna and annexed the whole country. Lehmann returned for the reopening of the Vienna Opera house in 1955, but had already stopped singing.
