Rosa Sucher by Bieber

Rosa Sucher, born Rosa Hasselbach (1849-1927); German soprano.

In 1871 the General Director of the Opera in Munich, Count Von Perfall, heard her singing and without actual training she was immediately engaged by the "Münchner Hofoper", where she made her debut as Waltraute in Wagner's "Die Walküre". She stayed there for three years and received further vocal training from her brother, the singer and teacher Hans Hasselbach. In the following years she was engaged at the "Stadttheater von Trier" (1874), at the "Opernhaus von Königsberg" (1875), at the "Berliner Kroll-Oper" (1875) and at the "Stadttheater von Danzig" (1876). In 1877 she appeared at the "Opernhaus von Leipzig" where she married Joseph Sucher (1843-1908). He was a well-known conductor and composer and at that moment conductor at the Leipzig Opera. In 1878 they both moved to the "Stadttheater von Hamburg". Here she created in 1879 the role of Chrysa in Anton Rubinstein's opera "Nero". In 1883 she sang at the German première of Massenet 's "Hérodiade the role of Salomé and in 1888 at the German première of Verdi 's "Otello" the role of Desdemona. She became famous for her interpretations of Wagner roles, making guest appearances at London, Vienna, Berlin and Bayreuth. From 1889 on she and her husband were engaged at the "Berliner Hofoper". In 1895 she made a tour through the USA with the Damrosch Opera Company, which included a performance as Isolde at the New York Metropolitan Opera. In 1903 she gave her farewell performance as Sieglinde in "Die Walküre" at the Berliner Hofoper. After the death of her husband in 1908 she settled in Vienna as a vocal teacher. Rosa Sucher, who was one of the greatest dramatic and Wagner Sopranos of her generation, published an autobiography titled "Aus meinem Leben" (1914).

On the photo she is seen as Carmen in Bizet's eponymous opera.