|
The Dutch soprano, Erna Spoorenberg (real name: Huberdina Aletta Spoorenberg), was born in Yogyakarta, and at the age of 4 came to the Netherlands. As a child, she studied the violin and singing. At the age of 14, she studied under Isa Neuhaus, a singer with the Düsseldorf Opera (who was later transported and killed by the Nazis). She then studied singing under Noordewier-Reddingius in Hilversum and at the Amsterdam Conservatory until she was 17, whilst continuing her violin lessons under Julius Röntgen. At the conservatory, she decided to pursue singing in preference to the violin.
Erna Spoorenberg made her debut in an appearance with Radio Hilversum in 1947, singing W.A. Mozart's motet Exsultate, jubilate. In 1949, she auditioned for Karl Böhm and at the age of 24 was given a guest contract at the Wiener Staatsoper, soon becoming a permanent member. Her debut was on June 21, 1951 as Queen of the Night in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte under the direction of Rudolf Moralt. Four days later she sang the role of Pamina in the same production, which she had sung there on October 24 and November 19, 1951. She also sang Konstanze in W.A. Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail twice at the Wiener Staatsoper in December 1951 and Olympia in Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann once. Returning to the Netherlands, she was eventually offered a contract with the Netherlands Opera in Amsterdam for 25 performances per season. Her debut on September 15, 1955 was as Violetta in La traviata. With the company she also sang roles such as Donna Anna in W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni, Euridice in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice and Musetta in Puccini's La Bohème. In 1958 she became a leading member of the Netherlands Opera. Her insecure position there entailed that she had to work abroad for opera roles. She performed in Hamburg and Berlin and concert tours throughout Europe. In 1963 and 1965 she made two tours through the Soviet Union and sang at the Kirov Theatre in St. Petersburg and the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. A highlight is her recording of Mélisande in Debussy's 'Pelléas et Mélisande' in 1964, the recording of which led to an Edison. Her last performance with the Dutch Opera Foundation was in the 1969/1970 season as Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. In 1963 and 1965, she toured the Soviet Union, appearing at the Kirov and the Bolshoi Theatre. Her USA debut was in New York in 1967. She made occasional appearances at various European music centres, but principally was associated with the musical life of Holland. She was especially esteemed for her roles in operas by W.A. Mozart and for her portrayal of Mélisande.
In parallel to her opera career, Erna Spoorenberg also pursued a successful career as a concert singer. She gave many recitals, often with Géza Frid, and also as a soloist. In a 1957 recording of J.S. Bach's Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 with De Nederlandse Bachvereniging, conducted by Anthon van der Horst, she was the soprano soloist. On November 15 1962, she sang at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in a Gustav Mahler concert conducted by Hermann Scherchen. On April 16, 1970, she made her final appearance at De Nederlandse Opera as Konstanze in W.A. Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail.
Erna Spoorenberg performed in cities such as London, New York and Milan and worked with all the important conductors of her time, including Ernest Ansermet, Pierre Boulez, Roberto Benzi, Leonard Bernstein, John Barbirolli, Antal Doráti, Bernard Haitink, Josef Krips, Otto Klemperer, Rafael Kubelík, Ferdinand Leitner, Malcolm Sargent and George Szell. She recorded her experiences during almost 15 years of singing in 1962 in the light-hearted book Daar lig je dan…, a reference to her Violetta, who lies weakened in bed in La Traviata.
In the early 1970's, Erna Spoorenberg was injured in a car accident, in which her rib cage was crushed. After six months in hospital, she trained intensively to restore her breathing technique. The accident influenced her decision to work closer to home and she became mainly a singing teacher. From 1970 to 1977, she taught at the Royal Academy in Brussels, and from 1971 to 1988 in the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam. After 1978, she worked as a private teacher. She was an esteemed voice teacher. Among the singers who studied with her and/or attended hrer maser classes: Harry van Berne (Tenor), Elma van den Dool (Soprano), Anne Grimm (Soprano), Guy de Mey (Tenor), Evert Jan Nagtegaal (Baritone), Corrie Pronk (Contralto), Mieke van der Sluis (Soprano), Caroline Stam (Soprano).***
In her last years Erna Spoorenberg lived in the Dutch town Vught. She died in 2004, at the age of 78. In 1965, she was made a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau and in 2002 she was promoted to Commander. Following her death, the Volkskrant praised her as "one of the best Mozart and Verdi interpreters of her time" and Trouw called her the most versatile of the three great post-war Dutch sopranos, alongside Jo Vincent and Elly Ameling. She was best known for her flawless intonation. She attributed this to her training as a violinist, but Godfried Bomans called her voice "a voice that fought for life, the sound of a born diva". The Dutch writer Godfried Bomans said of her: "Two little braids with between theme a mouth". There is an annual singing competition in Den Hague named after her "Erna Spoorenberg Vocalisten Presentatie". |
