Hermine d'Albert

Hermine Finck (1 January 1872 – 31 October 1932) was a German opera singer. She created the role of The Witch in the world premiere of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel and appeared in numerous leading soprano roles in the opera houses of Germany. Also known as Hermine d'Albert, she was the third wife of the composer Eugen d'Albert to whom she was married from 1895 until their divorce in 1911. Finck was born in Baden-Baden and died at age 60 in Berlin, where she had taught singing in her later years.

Life and career

Finck was born in Baden-Baden to a prosperous middle-class family. She began her musical education at Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium in Frankfurt and later studied singing at the Leipzig conservatory with Gustav Borchers and Auguste Götze. Finck made her stage debut in the title role of Carmen at the Weimar Court Theater in 1892 and became a regular member of the company. She came to wider attention in 1893 when she sang the role of The Witch in the world premiere of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. Finck and the composer Eugen d'Albert met that same year through his friendship with Richard Strauss who had conducted the Hansel and Gretel premiere. They began an affair, although d'Albert was still in a tempestuous marriage with his second wife, Teresa Carreño.