Res Fischer

Res Fischer (née Maria Theresa Fischer) was a prominent German contralto known for her powerful voice and stage presence during the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Berlin on 8 November 1896, she studied with Lilli Lehmann and later performed at major European opera houses, including Theater Basel, Oper Frankfurt, Stuttgart Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Vienna State Opera, La Scala, La Monnaie, Royal Opera House London, San Carlo Naples, and Teatro Colón Buenos Aires.

Fischer's repertoire encompassed a wide range of roles in operas by composers such as Verdi, Wagner, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Janacek, and Stravinsky. Notable roles included Azucena in *Il trovatore*, Ortrud in *Lohengrin*, and Iocasta in *Oedipus Rex*. She created the title role in Carl Orff's *Antigonae* at the Salzburg Festival in 1949 and appeared as Mary in Richard Wagner's *Der fliegende Holländer* at the Bayreuth Festival from 1959 to 1961.

Fischer was also known for her recordings, including first editions of operas such as Orff's *Antigonae* (1949) and Marschner's *Hans Heiling* (1950). She performed in notable productions conducted by figures like Ferenc Fricsay, Hans Altmann, and Georg Solti. Fischer continued performing until 1961 and died on 4 October 1974 in Ruit auf den Fildern near Esslingen.