A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Reicher, Hedwig

by Alexis Chitty

REICHER, Hedwig, née Kindermann, the daughter of the celebrated baritone,^[1] was born July 15, 1853, at Munich. She was taught the piano first by her mother, and at the School of Music, but abandoned the same in favour of singing, on the advice of Franz Wüllner. She received her vocal instruction from her father, and made her début at the Munich Opera as one of the boys in the 'Meistersinger,' and next played small parts in the opera, drama, and ballet, besides singing in the chorus, so as to gain experience. She sang the alto part in Franz Lachner's Requiem at Leipzig in 1871 with such success that she became engaged at Carlsruhe. She played 'as guest' at Berlin as Pamina, June 5, and Agatha, June 9, 1874; she then returned to Munich, and sang Daniel in Handel's 'Belshazzar,' April 14, 1875. Soon after she married Emanuel Reicher, an actor at the Gärtnerplatz theatre, and for a time sang there in opera bouffe, but returned to opera and played Grimgerde in the 1st Cycle, and Erda in the 2nd Cycle at Bayreuth in 1876. She next played at Hamburg, Vienna (where she appeared as Leah on the production of Rubinstein's 'Maccabees'), and again at Munich. Having received instruction for the purpose from Faure and Jules Cohen at Paris, she played in French at Monte Carlo in 1880 with such success that she received an offer to sing at La Scala, Milan, but declined it in favour of an engagement at Leipzig under Neumann, where she made her début as Fidelio May 12, 1880. She became a great favourite, and remained there until 1882. She played on tour with Neumann as Brünnhilde in the 'Trilogy' in London, Berlin, and other German towns, and finally at Trieste, where she died June 2, 1883.

She made a great impression at Her Majesty's Theatre as Fricka on the production of 'Rheingold,' May 5, and of 'Walküre,' May 6, 1882, and still more as Brünnhilde in the 2nd Cyclus in the first two parts of the Trilogy; not only was her 'magnificent voice' equal to all the demands upon it, but her presentation of the character was full of force and of pathos. While no less touching than Frau Vogl in the truthfulness of her expression, she was more heroic and dignified; the supernatural element was brought into stronger relief … in the grand awakening scene her manner was perhaps too coldly dignified and wanting in the impulsiveness which characterizes the heroine when she has finally abandoned her supernatural attributes and become a true woman.^[2]

[ A. C. ]

1. Kindermann, August, born Feb. 6, 1816, at Berlin, began his career at the opera as a chorus singer, received instruction from Meyer, and played both bass and baritone parts at Leipzig in 1839–1846, since when he has been engaged at Munich, where he obtained a life engagement, and has always been there a great favourite, being a very versatile artist. He celebrated his 25th anniversary of his engagement there on June 15, 1871, as Figaro in 'Nozze,' the Cherubino being his elder daughter Marie, then engaged at Cassel. He played Titurel (Parsifal) at Bayreuth in 1882; and on Sept. 9, 1886, he celebrated the jubilee of his career, and the 40th year of his engagement at Munich, playing the part of Stadinger in Lortzing's Waffenschmied.'
2. Athenæum, May 20, 1882.