Fanny Moran

Fanny Moran-Olden (28 September 1855 – 12 February 1905) was a German soprano who appeared in leading roles both in her native Germany and in other European opera houses as well as the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She appeared in wide variety of roles but was particularly prominent in the Wagnerian repertoire. Her voice had an unusually wide range which allowed her to sing soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto roles. She was born in Cloppenburg and died hopelessly insane at the age of 49 in a sanatorium on the outskirts of Berlin. She was married twice, first to the tenor Carl Moran and secondly to the Wagnerian bass-baritone, Theodor Bertram.

Life and career

The daughter of a medical officer in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg civil service, Moran-Olden's surname at birth was Tappehorn but she later changed it to Olden because of her family's opposition to a stage career. She began her musical training in Hannover and then studied singing with Auguste Götze in Dresden. She made her concert debut in 1877 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, and the following year made her opera debut in the title role of Norma at the Dresden Court Opera, after which she became a member of the Frankfurt Opera where she would remain until 1884. At Frankfurt, her roles included Maid Marian in the world premiere of Albert Dietrich's Robin Hood and Donna Anna in the production of Don Giovanni which inaugurated the new opera house in 1880. She had married the tenor Carl Moran, a fellow member of the Frankfurt Opera, in 1879 and added "Moran" to her surname. The following year, their daughter and only child, Dora (Theodora), was born.