Tilly Koenen Explained

Tilly Koenen
Birth Name:Mathilde Karoline Koenen
Birth Date:25 December 1873
Birth Place:Salatiga, Java
Death Date:4 January 1941
Death Place:The Hague
Occupation:Concert singer

Tilly Koenen (25 December 1873 – 4 January 1941), born Mathilde Karoline Koenen, was a Dutch concert singer.

Early life

Koenen was born to Dutch parents in Salatiga, Java. She studied voice and piano at the Conservatorium in Amsterdam, with Cornélie van Zanten.[1]

Career

Koenen made her concert debut in Berlin. She worked with Constant van de Wall, performing his Maleische liederen (Malay songs).[2] In 1908 in she sang a concert of compositions by American composer Louis von Heinrich (Luella Totten) in London,[3] and a concert of songs by Max Meyer-Olbersleben in Berlin.[4] She sang at the premiere of Gustav Mahler's 8th Symphony in Munich in 1910, and in one opera, Gluck's Orfeo ed Eurydice, conducted by van Zanten.

Koenen toured in the United States and Canada in 1909[5] and 1910,[6] [7] and again in 1917.[8] [9] She appeared at Aeolian Hall in 1917, prompting a New York Times reviewer to comment "Her voice is of the true contralto type, and as such is dark in color, rather ponderous, not easily yielding itself to the production of variety of effect of the expression of diverse emotions."[10] She sang with the Philadelphia Orchestra with Leopold Stokowski conducting.[11] She toured in the United States again in 1920.[12]

Personal life

Koenen died in The Hague in 1941, aged 67 years.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tilly Koenen (1873-1941). 2020-09-05. Mahler Foundation. 6 January 2015. en-GB.
  2. Book: Mak van Dijk, Henk. https://books.google.com/books?id=UcreAQAAQBAJ&dq=Tilly+Koenen&pg=PA161. Recollecting Resonances: Indonesian-Dutch Musical Encounters. 2013-10-04. BRILL. 978-90-04-25859-4. Barendregt. Bart. 158–163. en. Constant van de Wall, a European-Javanese Composer. Bogaerts. Els.
  3. July 15, 1908. Miss Louis von Heinrich in London. Musical Courier. 57. 14.
  4. October 21, 1908. Berlin. Musical Courier. 57. 5.
  5. October 1915. Tilly Koenen. The Kansas Teacher. 2. 17.
  6. News: Anthony. Walter. 1910-03-14. Holland Singer Charms Hearers. 7. The San Francisco Call. 2020-09-05. Newspapers.com.
  7. News: 1910-02-20. Laundry Looks Like the Best Business Investment in Dirty America. 21. Star Tribune. 2020-09-05. Newspapers.com.
  8. October 1916. Tilly Koenen Returns to America. The Musical Monitor. 6. 101.
  9. February 1917. Tilly Koenen, Queen Among Lieder Singers. The Musical Monitor. 6. 281.
  10. News: 1917-04-10. TILLY KOENEN'S RECITAL.; Dutch Lieder Singer Heard in Aeolian Hall.. en-US. The New York Times. 2020-09-05. 0362-4331.
  11. January 1917. Tilly Koenen. The Musical Monitor. 6. 250.
  12. News: 1920-04-23. Dutch Contralto Gives Recital in Aeolian Hall. 13. New-York Tribune. 2020-09-05. Newspapers.com.