Reining, Maria
Reining, Maria
Reining, Maria , noted Austrian soprano; b. Vienna, Aug. 7, 1903; d. there, March 11, 1991. She studied at a business school, and was employed in the foreign exchange dept. of a Vienna bank before taking up singing. In 1931 she made her debut at the Vienna State Opera, remaining on its roster until 1933; then sang in Darmstadt (1933–35) and at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich (1935–37). In 1937 she rejoined the Vienna State Opera, continuing on its roster, with interruptions, until 1958; also appeared at the Salzburg Festivals (1937–41); Toscanini engaged her to sing Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in Salzburg under his direction in 1937; she also sang the role of the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier and the title role in Arabella by Richard Strauss. She was equally successful in soubrette roles and as a dramatic soprano. In 1938 she appeared with the Covent Garden Opera in London and with the Chicago Opera; in 1949, as the Marschallin with the N.Y.C. Opera. She also sang at La Scala in Milan, and toured as a concert singer. In 1962 she became a prof. of singing at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire