1. Inge Borkh was first based in Switzerland, where she received international attention when she appeared in the first performance in German of Menotti's The Consul, in Basel, in 1951.
25 Facts About Inge Borkh
1. 2.
In 1952, Borkh became a member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Bavarian State Opera in Munich.
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Inge Borkh appeared at leading opera houses in Europe and the Americas, and at festivals such as Bayreuth and Salzburg.
4.
Inge Borkh performed in contemporary opera, such as the premiere of Josef Tal's Ashmedai at the Hamburg State Opera in 1971.
5.
Inge Borkh was awarded the Hans-Reinhart-Ring, the highest honour for theatre professionals in Switzerland.
6.
Inge Borkh trained to be an actress at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna and had some training in dance, both of which served her well in opera, as she became known both for her voice and for her dramatic intensity.
7.
Inge Borkh appeared at the Burgtheater in Vienna while still studying.
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Inge Borkh worked as an actress, first at the Landestheater Linz in Austria from 1937.
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Inge Borkh then appeared as Agathe in Weber's Der Freischutz.
10.
Inge Borkh remained in Switzerland throughout World War II, performing in Basel, Lucerne and Zurich.
11.
Inge Borkh made her US debut with the San Francisco Opera on 25 September 1953 in the title role of Elektra by Richard Strauss at the War Memorial Opera House, conducted by Georg Solti, who was making his American debut.
12.
In 1954, Inge Borkh appeared in Rio de Janeiro; in the same year she performed at the Florence Maggio Musicale as Eglantine in Weber's Euryanthe, conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini, and in 1955 at the Salzburg Festival, as Cathleen in the premiere of Egk's Irische Legende.
13.
Inge Borkh was Elektra there in 1957, conducted by Dimitri Mitropoulos, and appeared as Klytaemnestra in Gluck's Iphigenie in Aulis in 1962 and 1963.
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Inge Borkh felt as though in that house the role belonged to her contemporary, Ljuba Welitsch.
15.
Inge Borkh finally accepted Bing's invitation, and played Salome, with Mitropoulos conducting.
16.
Inge Borkh made a total of 22 appearances with the company.
17.
Inge Borkh retired from opera in 1973 after seven performances of Elektra in Italy.
18.
Inge Borkh was awarded the Hans-Reinhart-Ring, the highest Swiss honour for theatre professionals.
19.
Inge Borkh briefly returned to the theatre as an actress and for a while turned chanteuse in a cabaret act.
20.
Only one of Inge Borkh's performances was recorded on film, the Dyer's Wife in Munich, but there are audio recordings of some of her performances.
21.
Inge Borkh recorded Elektra in 1960 with the Staatskapelle Dresden chorus and orchestra, conducted by Karl Bohm.
22.
Inge Borkh appeared in further complete recordings of Orff's Antigonae, conducted by Ferdinand Leitner, Cherubini's Medee conducted by Vittorio Gui, Die Frau ohne Schatten in 1963, conducted by Joseph Keilberth, and the 1952 performances from the Bayreuth Festival, Das Rheingold and Die Walkure, conducted by Keilberth.
23.
Inge Borkh can be heard on CD performing Scenes from Elektra and Salome, conducted by Reiner in the 1950s.
24.
Inge Borkh took part in a 1961 recording of Beethoven's symphonies with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Rene Leibowitz, performing the soprano solo in the Ninth alongside Ruth Siewert, Richard Lewis and Ludwig Weber.
25.
Inge Borkh was married twice; her second husband was the baritone Alexander Welitsch.