Scheff, Fritzi (1879–1954)
Scheff, Fritzi (1879–1954)
Austro-American soprano. Born in Vienna, Austria, on August 30, 1879; died in New York on April 8, 1954; daughter of a physician and a Wagnerian soprano.
When Fritzi Scheff left the Metropolitan Opera in 1903 after three seasons, it was a decision she would later regret. Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1879, she had trained at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, debuted in Nuremberg on January 10, 1897, and had sung a variety of operatic roles. But in 1903 she left the Met to appear in Babette, an operetta written for her by Victor Herbert. Her greatest triumph was in 1906 in another operetta Herbert wrote especially for her, Mlle Modiste. Though Scheff appeared in two other Herbert operettas, she had damaged her career as a classical singer. Soon she was forced to sing in vaudeville, Broadway shows, and in nightclubs in order to survive as a singer. Later she became a star on radio and television. By modern standards, Scheff's decision to become a media star would be considered wise, but she was of the old school and always lamented her choice.
John Haag , Athens, Georgia