Photograph of the noted soprano in Lortzing's comic opera Der Wildschütz with autograph signature

204 x 142 mm.

Laid down to mounting sheet. A German-born American soprano, "[Hempel's] Metropolitan début in 1912, as Marguerite de Valois in a brilliantly cast Les Huguenots, began a period of seven years with that company, during which she settled in New York where she became a naturalized American. She sang Eva and Euryanthe there under Toscanini, besides many of the lighter Verdi, Rossini and Donizetti parts, in which she was regarded as the natural successor of Sembrich. After a farewell Metropolitan appearance, in Crispino e la comare, on 10 February 1919, she devoted herself mainly to a concert career. Her refined, exhilarating style (truncated) is worthily represented on her many recordings." Desmond Shawe-Taylor in Grove Music Online

Der Wildschütz, a comic opera in three acts by Lortzing to a libretto by the composer adapted from August von Kotzebue’s comedy Der Rehbock, oder Die schuldlosen Schuldbewussten, was first performed in Leipzig on 31 December 1842. (Inventory #: 39147)