Eleonore de Ahna

1838 (Vienna) — 1865 (Berlin)

Eleonore de Ahna (January 8, 1838 – May 10, 1865) was a German opera singer and mezzo-soprano. She was the sister of violinist Heinrich de Ahna and the aunt of singer Pauline de Ahna.

Born in Vienna to a family whose father was a Bavarian military officer and later an industrialist, she studied singing with Eduard Mantius in Berlin despite her family’s opposition. She made her stage debut on September 2, 1859, at the Berlin Royal Opera as Orsina in Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia. The debut was successful, and she joined the company in 1860. She also performed at other German opera houses.

Her finest role was considered to be Fidès in Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Le prophète. Her other roles included Elvira in Don Giovanni, Maddalena in Rigoletto, and Ortrud in Lohengrin. She died in Berlin at the age of 27.

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