Biography
Although Lehmann possessed a notably wide vocal compass, her instrument lacked the endurance required for opera. She therefore concentrated on recital work and lighter repertoire after training under Alberto Randegger and Jenny Lind. Later she pursued composition lessons with Raunkilde, Freundenberg, and MacCunn. Clara Schumann and Joachim offered her steady encouragement to continue performing, yet she withdrew from the concert platform after only nine years. Among her works are song cycles—most prominently the setting of selected quatrains from the “Rubayyat of Omar Khayyam”—together with numerous individual songs and several stage pieces. She became the founding president of the Society of Women Musicians and joined the vocal faculty of the Guildhall School of Music, where she later published the treatise “Practical Hints for Students of Singing.”