Having studied singing (with Otto Iro), piano (with Maria Wetzelsberger), and dancing at the Vienna Academy, Güden debuted in Benatzky's operetta "Herzen im Schnee" at the Vienna Volksoper in 1937 (under the name of Hulda Gerin). At her opera debut, she sang Cherubino at the Zurich Opera in 1939. Clemens Krauss engaged her to the Munich Opera in 1941, where she became the "successor" of Adele Kern. At Munich, Richard Strauss she studied the role of Sophie at the instigation of Richard Strauss. In 1942, she left Nazi Germany and studied in Italy, where she also sang Sophie in Rosenkavalier under Tullio Serafin at Rome and Florence. From 1947 to 1973, she was a member of the Vienna State Opera ensemble, where she soon was as one of the most popular singers.

In 1947, she appeared at London with the Vienna ensemble. Subsequently she was a guest to La Scala and the the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Florence), the Paris Opera, Covent Garden (London), Venice, and the festivals of Edinburgh and Glyndebourne. In 1951, she debuted at the Metropolitan Opera (New York), where she appeared regularly with great success until 1965, in roles such as Rosalinda, Ann Trulove, or Zdenka.

Güden's name is closely connected with the Salzburger Festspiele, where, after her debut as Zerlina in 1946, she sang many roles in Mozart's and Strauss's operas. In 1950, she appeared in the staged world premiere of Blacher's "Romeo und Julia". Her 1954 Zerbinetta was a great success that she could repeat 5 years later as the protagonist in "Die Schweigsame Frau". Gueden sang Sophie at the opening of the Festspielhaus in 1960. She was also very successful on the concert stage.

Although she was more of a lyric soprano, she had also great success as coloratura soprano, capable of superbly mastering the greatest technical difficulties. Not least thanks to her talent as an actor, she also appeared frequently in operetta roles with great success.

Selected roles:

• Norina (Donizetti: Don Pasquale)
• Adina (Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore)
• Euridice (Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice)
• Hanna Glawari (Léhar: Die lustige Witwe)
• Giuditta (Léhar)
• Zerlina (Mozart: Don Giovanni)
• Donna Elvira (Mozart: Don Giovanni)
• Cherubino (Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro)
• Contessa (Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro)
• Musetta (Puccini: La Bohème)
• Rosalinda (J. Strauß Sohn: Die Fledermaus)
• Zdenka (R. Strauss: Arabella)
• Zerbinetta (R. Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos)
• Daphne (R. Strauss)
• Sophie (R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier)
• Aminta (R. Strauss: Die schweigsame Frau)
• Ann Trulove (Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress, at the American premiere)
• Gilda (Verdi: Rigoletto)
• Violetta Valéry (Verdi: La Traviata)
• Eva (Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg)

Selected recordings:

• Bizet: Carmen; Simionato, Gedda, Roux, Sciutti, VPO, cond. von Karajan, rec. 1954, Gala CD
• Cimarosa: Il Martimonio Segreto Act I (with Schipa) , EJS LP
• Donizetti: L'Elisir d'Amore; Di Stefano, Corena, Capecchi, Florence May Festival, cond. Molinari-Pradelli, Decca CD
• Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice; Barbieri, Gabory, La Scala, cond. Furtwängler, rec. 1951, B. Walter Society LPs
• Léhar: Giuditta; Kmentt, Loose, Dickie, Czerwenka, Berry, Pröglhöf, Majkut, Equiluz, Vienna State Opera, cond. Moralt, Decca LP
• Léhar: Die lustige Witwe; Grunden, Kmentt, Loose, Dönch, Klein, Equiluz, Duhan, Pantscheff, Vienna State Opera, cond. Stolz, Decca CD
• Lortzing: Der Waffenschmied & Zar und Zimmermann excerpts; Czerwenka, Kmennt, Wächter, Vienna Volksoper, cond. Ronnefeld, Decca LP
• Mahler: Symphony No. 4; VPO, cond. Walter, rec. 1955, DGG CD
• Millöcker: Der Bettelstudent; Konetzni, Schädle, Ollendorf, Giese, Krukowski, Schirrmacher, Minich, Schock, Berlin SO, cond. Stolz, Eurodisc CD
• Mozart: Aria Recital; London LP
• Mozart: Don Giovanni; Siepi, Corena, Dermota, Danco, Della Casa, Boehme, Berry, VPO, cond. Krips, Decca CD
• Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro (in German); Prey, Rothenberger, Berry, Mathis, Ollendorff, Burmeister, Vogel, Dresden Staatskapelle, cond. Suitner, Berlin Classics CD
• Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro (in German); Schöffler, Schwarzkopf, Kunz, Seefried, Koreh, Wagner, Klein, Pernerstorfer, Majkut, VPO, cond. Furtwängler, rec. Salzburg 1953-08-11, Rodolphe CD
• Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro; Siepi, Corena, Rössel-Majdan, Danco, Pöll, Dickie, Della Casa, Pröglhöf, Meyer-Welfing, Felbermeyer, VPO, cond. E. Kleiber, rec. 1955, Decca CD
• Mozart: Requiem; Anday, Patzak, Greindl, Salzburg Mozarteum, cond. Messner, Decca LP
• Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (excerpts); Berry, Böhme, Schöffler, Lipp, Simoneau, VPO, cond. Böhm, rec. 1955, Decca CD
• Puccini: La Boheme; Tebaldi, Prandelli, Corena, Inghilleri, Ac. Sta. Cecilia, cond. Erede, Decca CD
• J. Strauß Sohn: Die Fledermaus; Kmentt, Köth, Berry, Wächter, Tebaldi, Price, Sutherland, VPO, cond. von Karajan, rec. 1960, Decca CD
• J. Strauß Sohn: Wiener Blut (excerpts); Lipp, Schock, Schramm,VSO, cond. Stolz, Eurodisc CD
• R. Strauss: Arabella; Della Casa, London, Dermota, Kmentt, Malaniuk, Wächter, Coertse, Hellwig, VPO, cond. Solti, rec. 1957-06, Decca CD
• R. Strauss: , Richard: Ariadne auf Naxos; Della Casa, Seefried, Schock, Schöffler, Neugebauer, Klein, Berry, Poell, Jaresch, Czerwenka, Dickie, Streich, Rössel-Majdan, Otto, VPO, cond. Böhm, rec. Salzburg 1954, DG CD
• R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier; Reining, Weber, Jurinac, Poell, Hellwig, Klein, Rössel-Majdan, Dermota, Berry, Pröglhöf, Jaresch, VPO, cond. E. Kleiber, rec. 1954-06, Decca CD
• R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier; Della Casa, Jurinac, Edelmann, Kunz, Hellwig, Rössel-Majdan, Majkut, Pernerstorfer, Zampieri; VPO, cond. von Karajan, rec. 1960-07-26, Hunt CD
• R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier; Reining, Novotna, Prohaska; VPO, cond. G. Szell, Arlecchino CD ARLA46-A48
• R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier (excerpts); Crespin, Söderström, VPO, cond. Varviso, rec. 1964, Decca CD
• R. Strauss: Lieder Recital; Richmond LP
• Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress; Columbia LP
• Verdi: Rigoletto; Monaco, Protti, Simionato, Siepi, Ac. Sta. Cecilia di Roma, cond. Erede, rec. 1954, Decca CD
• Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg; Schöffler, Treptow, Edelmann, Dermota, VPO, cond. Knappertsbusch, rec. 1951, Decca CD
• Operetta Recital "Wiener Blut"; Decca CD

Recordings with Fritz Wunderlich:

Mozart

• Don Giovanni (63 I)

Schmidt F.

• Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln

Strauss R.

• Daphne (64 I)
• Daphne (65)
• Die schweigsame Frau (59)

Verdi

• La Traviata (H, 66)