Helena Forti (1884-1942)

"Helena Forti (April 25, 1884 – May 11, 1942)

was a dramatic soprano active 1906 – 1924, closely associated with the Dresden royal court opera, known for her beauty, voice and strong stage presence. She sang all Wagner’s opera heroines, in Dresden, Bayreuth and internationally. Other repertoire included the title role in Verdi’s Aida, Santuzza in Cavalleria and contemporary works like Marietta in Korngold’s Die tote Stadt. She created the role of Mytocle in Eugen d’Albert’s opera Die toten Augen. Her Sieglinde in Die Walküre in Braunschweig was described by the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik as “Equally endowed with youth, beauty and vocal means... (Forti) immerses herself so intensely in her role that one believes the transformation of the virgin-Goddess into a human form.” After retiring from singing she taught voice and acting in Gera, Düsseldorf and Vienna. She died in Vienna, where she lived with her stage director and Intendant husband, Walter Bruno Iltz." - (en.wikipedia.org 22.04.2021)