Milder-Hauptmann, Anna (1785–1838)
Milder-Hauptmann, Anna (1785–1838)
Austrian soprano who was a well-known performer in early 19th-century Europe. Name variations: Pauline Anna Milder-Hauptmann; Mme Milder. Born in Constantinople on December 13, 1785 (some sources cite 1781); died in Vienna, Austria, on May 29, 1838.
Anna Milder-Hauptmann was a pupil of Salieri, Mozart's famous nemesis. She debuted at the Theater an der Wien as Juno in 1803 in Süssmayer's Der Spiegel von Arkadien. She sang all three versions of Beethoven's Fidelio, in 1805, 1806, and 1815. When Cherubini wrote Faniska in 1806, she created the title role and in 1814 did the same again in the first Viennese performance of Médée. By 1816, Milder-Hauptmann had moved to Berlin, where she played Emmeline in Die Schweizerfamilie by Weigl. At the Berlin Hofoper, she created Namouna in Nurmahal in 1822 while Spontini was music director. In 1829, she created Irmengard in Agnes von Hohenstaufen. A quarrel with Spontini caused her to leave Berlin and return to Vienna, where she sang until her retirement in 1836. A dramatic singer, Milder-Hauptmann possessed a voice that was penetrating and powerful.
John Haag , Athens, Georgia