Erna Berger

Erna Berger was a German sopranoRosenthal, H. (1992) 'Berger, Erna', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 1, p. 419.Wikipedia (2026) Erna Berger. (Accessed: August 2026). who studied in DresdenRosenthal, H. (1992) 'Berger, Erna', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 1, p. 419.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Berger, Erna', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 229-230.. She made her debut at the Staatsoper there in 1925 as the First Boy in Die ZauberflöteRosenthal, H. (1992) 'Berger, Erna', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 1, p. 419.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Berger, Erna', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 229-230. and created the First Servant in Strauss's Die ägyptische Helena in 1928Wikipedia (2026) Die ägyptische Helena. (Accessed: August 2026).Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Berger, Erna', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 229-230.. She joined the Berlin Staatsoper in 1934Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Berger, Erna', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 229-230.Wikipedia (2026) Erna Berger. (Accessed: August 2026)., sang at Bayreuth 1929–33Rosenthal, H. (1992) 'Berger, Erna', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 1, p. 419. and Salzburg 1932–54Rosenthal, H. (1992) 'Berger, Erna', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 1, p. 419.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Berger, Erna', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 229-230.. She made her Covent Garden debut in 1934, returning in 1935, 1938 and 1948Rosenthal, H. (1992) 'Berger, Erna', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 1, p. 419.Opera Annals (2016) Covent Garden Opera, London 1947 - 1951. (Accessed: 4 October 2026).Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Berger, Erna', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 229-230.Grove gives the last of these returns as 1949 and Kutsch-Riemens as 1947; the Opera Annals listing of Covent Garden seasons has her opening as Gilda on 14 October 1948 and nothing in 1947, so 1948 is followed here., and her Metropolitan Opera debut as Sophie in 1949Rosenthal, H. (1992) 'Berger, Erna', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 1, p. 419.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Berger, Erna', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 229-230.Wikipedia (2026) Erna Berger. (Accessed: August 2026).. Her voice kept its youthful freshness throughout her careerRosenthal, H. (1992) 'Berger, Erna', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 1, p. 419.; her Queen of the Night and Konstanze were considered peerlessRosenthal, H. (1992) 'Berger, Erna', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 1, p. 419..