Alice Guszalewicz

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Alice Guszalewicz as Salome. For a number of years this was thought to be Oscar Wilde.^[1]

Alice Guszalewicz (1879-09-21 – 1940-11-26) was a Hungarian soprano.

Guszalewicz was born in Budapest, and in 1896, at the tender age of seventeen, married Opera singer Eugen Guszalewicz. She studied with her husband and made her debut in 1903 at the Theater of Bern, in Switzerland. In 1905 she sang at the Opera in Cologne as The Queen of Saba and as Isolde. Shortly after her role in Tristan, she was offered a six year contract at the opera in Cologne.

Alice sang in Cologne till 1916 and toured throughout Europe. She also sang in several Operas and gave concerts in Karlsruhe (1906), Düsseldorf (1907), Bremen (1908) and Dresden (1908). In Dresden at the Staatsoper, she performed in the role of Salome for the first time. Her interpretation of Salome was a sensational success.

She performed at the Opernhaus in Leipzig (1908), at the Hoftheater in Vienna (1910 in the role of Salome), at the Hoftheater in Berlin (1911 as Brünnhilde and as Isolde), as well as in Brussels, Paris and Madrid. In 1905 she sang the lead role in Isidore de Laras Opera Messalina in Cologne, which was a great success for her. The opera had 27 performances.

Alice gave concerts at the Opera in Frankfurt am Main (1907), at the Stadttheater of Bremen (1908) and at the Hofoper in Munich (1910 as Salome). Her repertoire included: the role of Leonore ín Fidelio, the role of Adriano in Rienzi, the role of Venus in Tannhäuser, the lead role of Ingwelde in Max von Schillings opera, Elektra (opera) in the opera of Richard Strauss, the role of Berthe in The Prophet by Meyerbeer, Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, the lead role in Mascagnis Amica and the role of Maria in A basso porto from Nicola Spinelli.

After ending her career she worked as a song-educationalist in Munich. One of her students was her daughter Genia Guszalewicz (1902-71). Genia later followed her mother into a career as an opera singer.

Alice Guszalewicz died at the age of 61 in Munich, Germany.

[edit] Media

Komm' o Hoffnung.ogg

The Komm' o Hoffnung aria from Ludwig van Beethoven's Fidelio, performed by Alice Guszalewicz
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