Gertrud Kappel

Born in Halle, Kappel studied under Hungarian conductor Artur Nikisch at the conservatory in Leipzig, before making her debut in Il trovatore in Hanover in 1903.{{Cite journal |date=December 1928 |title=Gertrude Kappel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=th6_6oTrn0MC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=%22Gertrude%20Kappel%22%20soprano&pg=RA2-PA7#v=onepage&q=%22Gertrude%20Kappel%22%20soprano&f=false |journal=Northwest Musical Herald |pages=7}}

Kappel was active in many major opera houses during her career. She sang in Munich{{Cite journal |date=September 6, 1928 |title=Impressive Performance of Lohengrin Closes the Munich Wagner Festival |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_music-magazine-and-musical-courier_1928-09-06_97_10/page/26/mode/2up?q=%22Gertrud+Kappel%22 |journal=Musical America |volume=97 |issue=10 |pages=7, 31 |via=Internet Archive}} and Vienna,{{Cite journal |date=July 4, 1929 |title=Gertrude Kappel's Success in European Opera |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p1CaXBqx8M4C&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=%22Gertrude%20Kappel%22%20soprano&pg=PA4#v=onepage&q=%22Gertrude%20Kappel%22%20soprano&f=false |journal=The Musical Leader |volume=57 |issue=1 |pages=4}} in London in 1912–1913{{Cite journal |date=April 26, 1913 |title=Musical Gossip |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_athenaeum-uk_1913-04-26_4461/page/474/mode/2up?q=%22Gertrud+Kappel%22 |journal=The Athenaeum |issue=4461 |pages=474 |via=Internet Archive}}{{Cite journal |date=May 24, 1913 |title=Echoes of Music Abroad |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_musical-america_1913-05-24_18_3/page/8/mode/2up?q=%22Gertrud+Kappel%22 |journal=Musical America |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=9 |via=Internet Archive}} and 1924–1925,{{Cite news |date=1925-06-06 |title=Royal Opera: 'Der Fliegende Hollander' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-royal-opera-der-fl/169289098/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |work=The Daily Telegraph |pages=8 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=June 14, 1924 |title=Nibelungen Ring Given in London for First Time in Ten Years |url=https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=nye19240614-01.1.59&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------- |work=New York Evening Post |pages=7 |via=NYS Historic Newspapers}} at the Metropolitan Opera from 1927{{Cite news |date=1927-05-14 |title=Opera: News of the Lyric Stage |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-opera-news-of-the-lyric/169288716/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |work=The Evening Sun |pages=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} until 1936.{{Cite news |date=November 16, 1936 |title=21 Singers Added at Metropolitan; Newcomers Will Replace 17 Members of Company Who Are Not Returning |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1936/11/16/85435321.html?pageNumber=14 |access-date=2025-03-31 |work=The New York Times |pages=14 |language=en |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite book |last=Affron |first=Charles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BlIlDQAAQBAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&lpg=PA152&dq=%22Gertrude%20Kappel%22%20soprano&pg=PA152#v=onepage&q=%22Gertrude%20Kappel%22%20soprano&f=false |title=Grand Opera: The Story of the Met |last2=Affron |first2=Mirella Jona |date=2014-09-22 |publisher=Univ of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-25033-8 |pages=152 |language=en}} She also toured as a concert singer,{{Cite journal |date=November 24, 1928 |title=Gertrude Kappel, soprano |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7W9EYUAPY4UC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=%22Gertrude%20Kappel%22%20soprano&pg=RA5-PA4#v=onepage&q=Kappel&f=false |journal=Musical America |volume=48 |pages=4}} and made recordings.{{Cite journal |last=Mackenzie |first=Compton |date=September 1926 |title=August Records |journal=The Gramophone |volume=4 |pages=132}}

Kappel was known for her interpretations of the works of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss,{{Cite news |last=Eversman |first=Alice |author-link=Alice Eversman |date=1933-12-10 |title=Two Metropolitan Stars Open Townsend Musicales |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-two-metropolitan-stars-open/169305617/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |work=Evening star |pages=55 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite book|author1=Leslie Orrey|author2=Gilbert Chase|title=The Encyclopedia of opera|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_1QYAAAAIAAJ|date=September 1976|publisher=Scribner|isbn=9780684136301}} especially Isolde,{{Cite news |date=1933-10-29 |title=The Opera Opens |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-the-opera-opens/169309056/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |work=Oakland Tribune |pages=36 |via=Newspapers.com}} Brunnhilde, and Kundry.{{Cite news |last=Cushing |first=Edward |author-link= |date=1927-10-09 |title=New Metropolitan Star Coming |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/brooklyn-eagle-new-metropolitan-star-com/169308428/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |work=Brooklyn Eagle |pages=91 |via=Newspapers.com}} In London, she gave "a fine Brunnhilde" in 1924, and was "a rare pleasure" as Isolde in 1925.{{Cite journal |last=Grein |first=J.T. |date=May 30, 1925 |title=American Methods in London; a New Operette Star |url=https://archive.org/details/illustrated-london-news-1920-1929/1920-1929/1925/Illustrated%20London%20News%20%234493v166%20%281925-05-30%29%20%28BNA%29/page/n29/mode/2up?q=%22Gertrud+Kappel%22 |journal=Illustrated London News |pages=1072 |via=Internet Archive}} Her performances as Elektra, Sieglinde, and Senta in London in 1925 were described as having "dramatic force" and "uncanny eloquence". In her first Chicago appearance in 1928, "her account of the Brünnhilde music carried a genuine thrill."{{Cite journal |date=December 22, 1928 |title=Wagner Given Splendid Presentation in Chicago |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7W9EYUAPY4UC&pg=RA6-PA24&dq=%22Gertrude+Kappel%22+soprano&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi9pdy7nbWMAxUeiO4BHXVOA8sQ6AF6BAgFEAM#v=onepage&q=Kappel&f=false |journal=Musical America |volume=48 |pages=31}} In 1932 she starred in the first production of Elektra at the Metropolitan Opera. In January 1934, she and Lauritz Melchior co-starred in a national radio broadcast of Tristan and Isolde.{{Cite news |last=Kappel |first=Gertrude |date=1934-01-06 |title=Kappel, As Isolde, To Sing High Song of Love on Radio |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-press-kappel-as-isolde-to/169337674/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |work=The Morning Press |pages=3 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1934-01-05 |title=Tristan and Isolde Broadcast Tomorrow |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/visalia-times-delta-tristan-and-isolde-b/169337858/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |work=Visalia Times-Delta |pages=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} The following month, she was again heard on radio, in a national broadcast of Die Walkure with Paul Althouse and Frida Leider.{{Cite news |date=1934-02-02 |title=Opera Singers Will Broadcast Wagner's Music-Drama Saturday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/riverside-daily-press-opera-singers-will/169338003/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |work=Riverside Daily Press |pages=4 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Kappel was married to engineer Simon Vukas.{{Cite news |date=1971-04-06 |title=Gertrude Kappel, Once a Met Star |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/04/06/archives/gertrude-kappel-once-a-met-star-in-sopranonoted-for-roles-wagnerian.html |access-date=2025-04-01 |work=The New York Times |pages=42 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |date=1933-11-01 |title=Visitor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-visitor/169317735/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |work=Daily News |pages=10 |via=Newspapers.com}} She died in 1971, at the age of 86, in Munich.{{Cite news |date=1971-04-06 |title=Gertrud Kappel, 86, opera singer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-obituary-for-gertrud-ka/169280025/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |work=The Toronto Star |pages=14 |via=Newspapers.com}}

{{reflist}}

• A 1919 recording of Kappel singing a Wagner aria, at Internet Archive
• A 1924 recording of Kappel singing Verdi, at Internet Archive

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Category:1884 births

Category:1971 deaths

Category:German operatic sopranos

Category:20th-century German women opera singers

Category:Musicians from Halle (Saale)