Schebest, Agnes

1813-1869

Austrian mezzosoprano; born in Vienna; a noted singer in her day, and an extraordinarily popular member of the Dresden Court Theatre Company at the same time as the famous Mme. Schroder-Devrient. She first appeared in the opera company as a chorus singer, and afterwards sang small parts. She studied music with Mme. Werdy and made her debut in Dresden in Mehul's Joseph, sang at Budapest, Vienna, Carlsruhe and elsewhere in Germany, as well as in France and Italy. From 1836 to 1841 Mme. Schebest starred in German Opera. Her voice was a mezzo of great beauty. She sang and acted extremely well, especially in heroic girts. She was married in 1841 to r. David F. Strauss, himself a fine amateur musician and the author of the Life of Jesus. After her marriage the singer retired from the operatic stage. In 1857 she published an autobiography entitled Aus dem Leben einer Künstlerein. She died in Stuttgart in 1869.