Virginia Livia Frege, nee Gerhardt was a German singer, Prima Donna of the Leipzig Stadttheater, arts patron and co-founder of the Leipzig Bach Society.
12 Facts About Livia Frege
1.
2.
Livia Frege was referred to as the "Queen of Leipzig's romantic song singing".
3.
Livia Frege's repertoire included songs by Heinrich Marschner, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann and Mendelssohn.
4.
Livia Frege Gerhardt was born in Gera, a daughter of the businessman Johann Christian Gerhardt and Anna Christiane Friederike Bartholomai.
5.
Livia Frege Gerhardt made her debut on 9 July 1832 at the age of 14 in the Leipzig Gewandhaus in a concert by Clara Wieck with an aria and a duet by Ferdinando Paer.
6.
In October 1832, Livia Frege Gerhardt received the position of second concert singer at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig.
7.
Gerhardt went back to Leipzig after her marriage in 1836 with the lawyer Woldemar Livia Frege and ended her stage career at the age of 18.
8.
Livia Frege only appeared occasionally after her marriage, mostly at charity and church concerts and in 1843 sang the role of Peri in the world premiere of Schumann's oratorio Das Paradies und die Peri op.
9.
Livia Frege used the Paulinerkirche for performances by her choir.
10.
Livia Frege's husband came from a very wealthy and important Leipzig merchant family.
11.
Livia Frege was friends with Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Robert and Clara Schumann as well as Ferdinand David and was in a lively correspondence with Franz Liszt.
12.
At the golden wedding anniversary in 1886, the Livia Frege family received the hereditary title of nobility from King Albert of Saxony.