ELSE BREMS - Naxos Music Library

given many ptrts back home in Copenhagen, and in
1937 she travelled to New York to study with
Benjamino Gigli's teacher, Enrico Rosati. She appeared
in Town Hall with a lied-programme which, according
to the New york Times, caused "interest and
enthusiasm". and she gave a series of favourably
reviewed concerts in Chicago.
In 1938 Bruno Walter selected her as Cmmen tbr the
new production at the Vienna Opera directed by Cul
Eberl. Again reviews were very flattering: "Sie hat alles,
was eine Cmen haben soll: Temperament, Scharm
und Persdnlichkeit". In his review, Heinrich Kralik
wrote, "Ihre Darstellung hat mit der landkiufigen
Carmen-Koketterie nichts gemein. Keine diimonisch
rollenden Augen, keine aggressiven Nuancen. Aber ihr
ganzes Wesen strdmt Verftjhrung aus, und ihre
feinfiihlige Kunst sublimiert naturhaftes Temperament
und vitale Sinnlichkeit". For the opening night in
Vienna she had as her Don Jos6 Theodor Mazroff, the
Bulgarian tenol The performance was transmitted by
the Austrian radio, and from this transmission a brief
glimpse ofthe final scene between the two singers, both
singing in German, has survived. Later on Jan Kiepura.
the famous Polish tenol sang the part of Don Jose to
Else Brems's Crmen.
Befbre political unrest forced her back to Copenhagen,
Else Brems managed quite a few guest perfbmances
in Prague, Budapest and Warsaw. In Copenhagen she
was given plenty of work. Besides her engagement at
The Royal Theatre, she appeared as a concert-and
oratorio singer. All three fields will be discussed
separately, later on.
During the wu she toured the Scandinavian countries,
and after the wr, in 1948, she sang Carmen at Covent
Garden in London. However, despite her brilliant and
very promising talent Else Brems never achieved intemational
fame. The war was partly to blame tbr this,
but only partly; her own modesty and reserve. as well
as a growing stage fright - a malaise not unknown to
other great artists - stood in her way. ln fact. she felt
more at ease in familiu sunoundings. She had plenty
of work in her native land which also knew how to
honour her. In | 946 she was appointed "Court Singer",
and in 1950 she was chosen "Honorary Artist" by the
students ofCopenhagen. She was awuded the "Ingenio
etArti" medal in 1953, several grants. and other marks
ofdistinction. Besides her work as an opera and concert
singer she started teaching. When she left the Royal
Theatre she was given a lectureship at the Jutland
Academy of Music in Arhus, and later she was
persuaded to become a singing teacher at the
Copenhagen University Institute of Musicology. She
was a much loved teacher there from 1967 till 1978.
Elisabeth Meyer-Topsoe, the opera singer, is among
her best known pupils. In 1940 Else Brems manied
Stefan Islandi (1907 -94) the distinguished tenor who
was also appointed "Court Singer"; they frequently
appeared together in concerts, and also made a single
record together. Their marriage lasted until 1949. They
had one son, Eyvind Brems Islandi (1940-74) who, at
the time of his tragically early death, was himself a
promising tenor.
The Opera Singer:
It was evident from the time of her first appearance as
Carmen that The Royal Theatre in Else Brems had
aquired a singer who was in a class by herself. "The
genuine Cmen-look, a wmm, enchanting mezzo - in
short, a new Margrethe Lendrop". Praise like this was
showered upon her by the reviewers. The comprison
with the earlier Danish Camen was striking; she too
had avoided the vulgarity which so many inter?reters
of the role have stressed. According to Else Brems,
Johannes Poulsen, the director ofthe 1930 production,