Irene Eisinger was born in
Kostel,
South Moravian Region, now
Czech Republic. She was trained as a soubrette soprano at the
Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna by the singer Paula Mark-Neusser.
Operas and films Her debuts – both in opera and film – took place in 1926. She played a minor role in
Frederic Zelnik's silent movie
Die Försterchristl and started singing leading roles in operas and operettas at the
Stadttheater Basel in the north of Switzerland. In 1928 she was called to Berlin and within a short period became one of the favourite singers of conductor
Otto Klemperer – first at the
Kroll Opera House, later on at the prestigious
Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Although best remembered for her
soubrette roles in Mozart operas, especially Despina and Blonde, and as Ännchen in Weber's
Der Freischütz, she achieved also great successes and admiration in Strauss operetta roles, particularly as Arsena in
Der Zigeunerbaron and as Adele in
Die Fledermaus. Musicologist
Elizabeth Forbes describes her singing: "Her voice, bright-toned, light and very flexible, and her charming, diminutive appearance, invariably drew adjectives such as 'enchanting' and 'winsome' from the critics." In 1930 came what can be considered her breakthrough in both Germany and Austria as she debuted as Adele in
Max Reinhardt's version of
Die Fledermaus, as Cherubino in Mozart's
Le nozze di Figaro at the
Salzburg Festival and again as Adele at the
Vienna State Opera. Furthermore, in this year her first sound film was released, the light comedy
Two Hearts in Waltz Time – with Eisinger as Anni Lohmeier and with the popular actor
Willi Forst in a leading role. This film was the first foreign language film to be released with subtitles in the United States. Two further leading film parts followed in 1931: Leopoldine in
Die lustigen Weiber von Wien and the title role in another Zelnik-version of
Die Försterchristl, now with sound and singing. Cherubino in Salzburg was hers until 1933, and in 1931 she added another role to her Salzburg repertory: Papagena in
Die Zauberflöte – again with repeat invitations until 1933. In 1932, Eisinger performed in the Cabaret opera
Rufen Sie Herrn Plim by
Mischa Spoliansky and sang Luise Matthes in the
Kurt Weill opera
Die Bürgschaft next to and
Lotte Lenya at the
Städtische Oper Berlin. The conductor was
Fritz Stiedry. She appeared in two short films (
Kabarett-Programm Nr. 4, 1931, and
Eine Johann-Strauss-Fantasie, 1933) and did several recordings with
Grammophon,
Electrola,
Ultraphon and
Orchestrola. Her singing covered a broad repertory spanning from Mozart and
Auber to
C. M. Weber,
Albert Lortzing,
Puccini,
Lehár and Strauss, including works of
Leo Fall,
Bruno Granichstaedten,
Ralph Benatzky and
Robert Stolz. Her male partners in duets were
Siegfried Arno,
Paul Morgan,
Joseph Schmidt,
Erik Wirl and Richard Fritz Wolf.
Emigration, Glyndebourne, ROH Although very popular with the Berlin audience, Eisinger was forced to leave Germany because of her Jewish origins shortly after the
Machtergreifung by the Nazi party in 1933. She could not sing any longer in any theatre of the German capital. She took refuge in
Czechoslovakia and went to sing in the opera houses of Prague, Amsterdam and Bruxelles – and once again at the
Salzburg Festival. In 1933, in addition to Cherubino and Papagena she was invited to sing a role in a
Richard Strauss opera. It was to be her last appearance in Salzburg. She sang Hermione in the first production of the second version of
Die ägyptische Helena. Eisinger continued to sing at
Prague State Opera until 1937, but already in 1934 she was invited by German emigrants
Fritz Busch and
Carl Ebert to participate at the first
Glyndebourne Festival. Unknown to British audiences, she sang Despina in Mozart's
Così fan tutte and scored a great personal success. Thereafter she became a firm favourite at the festival, debuting as Blonde in
Die Entführung aus dem Serail and as Papagena in
Die Zauberflöte in 1935, returning there each year but one, until the outbreak of the Second World War forced the festival to close down. Her partner was the baritone Gerald Nodin. In December of the same year, Eisinger debuted at the
Royal Opera House as Gretel in Humperdincks
Hänsel und Gretel, with
Maggie Teyte as Hänsel, sung in German language. A week later she sang Adele in
Die Fledermaus (in English), "winning a particular triumph" with the song
Mein Herr Marquis. In 1940, when Glyndebourne toured ''
The Beggar's Opera, she took over Polly Peachum from Audrey Mildmay who had contracted Rubella during the London run. Furthermore, she participated in the movie comedy Young Man's Fancy and was invited by BBC to sing in Die Fledermaus
and in Arlecchino'', a single act opera by
Ferruccio Busoni. When Glyndebourne closed down, Eisinger withdrew from the stage. Her last operatic performances were a series of seven performances of
Così fan tutte in the original Glyndebourne production of Carl Ebert at the
Edinburgh International Festival in August and September 1949 – together with a prominent cast consisting of
Suzanne Danco (Fiordiligi),
Sena Jurinac (Dorabella),
Petre Munteanu (Ferrando),
Marko Rothmüller (Guglielmo),
John Brownlee (Don Alfonso) and the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by
Hans Oppenheim. She sang Despina. Thereafter she was heard only in broadcast concerts on BBC.
Private life In 1932 Eisinger married the physician Gerhard Schönewald (1905–1981), called Gert. The couple emigrated to London and had two daughters, Susanne (born in 1944) and Emily-Ruth (1946). The couple later divorced. Eisinger died on 8 April 1994, in
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, Great Britain. == Recording ==