Austrian contralto Hertha Töpper passed away on March 28, 2020.

Born on April 19, 1924, Töpper studied at Graz Conservatory before becoming a member of the Graz Opera in 1945 where she made her debut in Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera.” After World War II, she debuted at the Bayreuth Festival before heading to the Bayerische Staatsoper where she would sing her first Octavian in “Der Rosenkavalier;” the protagonist role in the R. Strauss opera would be a signature throughout her career.

In 1953, Töpper debuted at the Royal Opera House as Clarion in “Capriccio” before heading to the San Francisco Opera in 1960 and Metropolitan Opera in 1962. She also appeared in the world premiere of Hindemith’s “Die Harmonie der Welt.”

Töpper’s major roles included Dorabella in “Così fan tutte,” Fricka in “Das Rheingold,” Judith in “Bluebeard’s Castle,” Brangäne in “Tristan und Isolde,” and the title role in Bizet’s “Carmen.”

She left behind an ample recorded legacy of music by Bach, Mozart, and Struass and also recorded “Bluebeard’s Castle” opposite Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

She retired from the stage in 1980 and between 1971 and 1981 was a professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich.

She was honored with the Mastersinger Medal from the Bayerische Staatsoper and was given the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, among other accolades.

Here she is in a clip from “Der Rosenkavalier.”