born on October 19, 1900 in Cossebaude near Dresden, the German Empire
died on June 14, 1990 in Essen, West Germany
German singer
35th anniversary of her death on June 14, 2025
125th birthday on October 19, 2025
Biography
“She is music, through and through…the best.“ This was how Wilhelm Furtwängler described Erna Berger.
She was without a doubt one of the great singers of the last century. She was also one of the wisest: she recognized that her voice was “small” and never sang anything that was beyond her capabilities.
She began her training in Dresden in 1923, and just two years later she obtained her first engagement when Fritz Busch brought her to the Dresden State Opera. She had a difficult time at the beginning, not least because she was so petite. But her persistence, unwavering devotion to music and ability to fit into an ensemble soon resulted in great performances.
Erna Berger experienced triumphs at the Berlin State Opera, where Furtwängler appointed her in 1934. She sang more than 30 roles there, including the Queen of the Night, Sophie and Zerbinetta. She was also successful in the Italian repertoire, performing as Traviata, Mimi, Madame Butterfly, and especially as Gilda.
After the war, she launched her career internationally, meeting with acclaim in London, at the Met, and in other opera houses across the world. Following her retirement from the stage in 1953, she first sang in recitals and then, from 1959 to 1971, was an instructor of singing in Hamburg.
Liedersängerin Erna Berger was a magnificent soprano able to maintain a lyrical legato even on the highest of notes. Especially in her recordings, we hear a singer who throughout is never instrumentally ordinary and always inspired. During a television interview to mark her 80th birthday, she sang Schubert's “Im Abendrot” with the wonderful intonation and phrasing that once again revealed her deeply sensitive personality. While I listened to her sing then, I remember also thinking: every singer could still learn a lot from her today!
(Text from 1995; translated with DeepL.com; edited by Ramona Fararo, 2025. Please consult the German version for additional information, pictures, sources, videos, and bibliography.)
Quotes
You have to put just as much intensity into the design of a short three-minute song as you do into a whole opera part that lasts many hours… (Erna Berger)
If you hold the rights to one or more of the images on this page and object to its/their appearance here, please contact Fembio.
