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Der Besuch Der Alten Dame (opera)
''Der Besuch der alten Dame'' (''The Visit of the Old Lady'') is an opera in three acts by Gottfried von Einem to a German libretto by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, based on his 1956 play of the same name. Performance history The work was first performed at the Vienna State Opera on 23 May 1971, with Horst Stein conducting and Christa Ludwig in the principal role. The German premiere was staged at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 1 March 1972. Further productions followed in Strasbourg and Karl Marx Stadt in 1973, and in Stockholm in 1976. The work had its United States premiere on 25 October 1972 at the San Francisco Opera in a production directed by Francis Ford Coppola and using an English translation by Norman Tucker. Recent productions include a run of five performances at the Görlitz Theatre, Germany, in May/June 2010. Roles Recordings A recording of the world premiere performance at the Vienna State Opera was released by Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a Germa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gottfried Von Einem
Gottfried von Einem (24 January 1918 – 12 July 1996) was an Austrian composer. He is known chiefly for his operas influenced by the music of Stravinsky and Prokofiev, as well as by jazz. He also composed pieces for piano, violin and organ. Biography Einem was born in the Swiss capital Bern into an Austrian diplomat family. According to Einem's publisher, his father was William von Einem, military attaché of the Austro-Hungarian embassy. According to another source, however, he was adopted by Einem, his natural father being the Hungarian aristocrat Count László von Hunyadi. His mother, Baroness Gerta Louise née Rieß von Scheurnschloss, an officer's daughter from Kassel, led a lavish lifestyle between Berlin and Paris. The family moved to Malente in the Prussian Schleswig-Holstein Province, when Gottfried was four years old. After his school days in Plön and Ratzeburg, Gottfried von Einem went to Berlin in 1937, to study at the State School of Music with Paul Hindemith w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e. A3–A5 in scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C4; 220–880 Hz). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the F below middle C (F3, 175 Hz) and as high as "high C" (C6, 1047 Hz). The mezzo-soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic mezzo-soprano. History While mezzo-sopranos typically sing secondary roles in operas, notable exceptions include the title role in Bizet's '' Carmen'', Angelina (Cinderella) in Rossini's ''La Cenerentola'', and Rosina in Rossini's ''Barber of Seville'' (all of which are also sung by sopranos and contraltos). Many 19th-century French-language operas give the leading female role to mezzos, includin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alois Pernerstorfer
Alois Pernerstorfer (3 June 1912 – 12 May 1978) was an Austrian bass-baritone Born in Vienna, Pernerstorfer began his training in 1933 at the Wiener Musikhochschule with Theo Lierhammer and Josef Krips and made his opera debut in 1936 in Graz singing the role of Biterolf in ''Tannhäuser''. He sang for many years at the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Volksoper, and was a regular performer at the Salzburg Festival, where he sang in the European premiere of Samuel Barber's ''Vanessa''. He also sang at the New York Metropolitan Opera (1951-1952), the Glyndebourne Festival, La Scala, and other major European opera houses. Pernerstorfer's first wife was the soprano Henriette Herze, prominent in operetta at the Vienna Volksoper, as was his second wife, the soprano Emmy Funk. In 1963, Alois Pernerstorfer was made a Kammersänger of Austria, and in 1977 he was awarded the Großes Ehrenzeichen (Grand Order of Merit) by the Austrian government. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hans Hotter
Hans Hotter (19 January 19096 December 2003) was a German operatic bass-baritone. He stood 6 ft 4 in and his appearance was striking. His voice and diction were equally recognisable. Early life and career Born in Offenbach am Main, Hesse, Hotter studied with Matthäus Roemer in Munich. He worked as an organist and choirmaster before making his operatic debut in Opava in 1930. He performed in Germany and Austria under the Nazi regime, avoiding pressure on performers to join the Nazi Party, and made some appearances outside the country, including concerts under the baton of Bruno Walter in Amsterdam, who advised him that if Hotter could not leave his family members he had little alternative but to remain in Germany. Hotter was unable to pursue an international career until his Covent Garden debut in 1947. After that, he sang in all the major opera houses of Europe. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the title character in ''Der fliegende Holländer'' in 1950. In four sea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manfred Jungwirth
Manfred Jungwirth (4 June 1919 – 23 October 1999) was an Austrian opera singer in the bass vocal range. Career Born in St. Pölten, Jungwirth first worked as a choirboy in the Sankt Pölten Cathedral. In his hometown he was taught by Alice Goldberg, in Vienna by Emilie Auer-Weißgerber, in Bucharest by Albert d'Andrée, in Munich by Rudolf Großmann and in Berlin by Josef Burgwinkel. An engagement of Jungwirth in the Stadttheater Klagenfurt did not come about because he had to do military service. Therefore he had his debut at the Romanian National Opera, Bucharest. Still in 1942 and then again from the end of the war until 1949 he was engaged at the Tyrolean State Theatre, where he also studied musicology and obtained his doctorate in this discipline in 1948.Manfred Jungwirth: ''Die historische Funktion des Baß-Buffo in stimmtechnischer Beleuchtung'', Innsbruck, phil. Diss. 9 Sept. 1950, 91 sheets. From 1949 to 1954 as well as 1958 to 1961 and then 1971 to 1982 he was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bass-baritone
A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the title role in ''Der fliegende Holländer'', Wotan/Der Wanderer in the ''Ring Cycle'' and Hans Sachs in '' Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg''. Wagner labelled these roles as ''Hoher Bass'' ("high bass")—see fach for more details. The bass-baritone voice is distinguished by two attributes. First, it must be capable of singing comfortably in a baritonal tessitura. Secondly, however, it needs to have the ripely resonant lower range typically associated with the bass voice. For example, the role of Wotan in ''Die Walküre'' covers the range from F2 (the F at the bottom of the bass clef) to F4 (the F above middle C), but only infrequently descends beyond C3 (the C below middle C). Bass-baritones are typically divide ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hans Beirer
Hans Beirer (23 June 1911, in Wiener Neustadt – 24 June 1993, in Berlin) was an Austrian heldentenor and Kammersänger. He was a regular company member at the Deutschen Oper Berlin, Wiener Staatsoper and Hamburgischen Staatsoper and is best known internationally as an interpreter of the work of Wagner. While Beirer never appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, he sang with the New York City Opera, in 1950, in ''Die Meistersinger'' and ''Aida''. He appeared in Götz Friedrich's films of ''Salome'' (1974) and ''Elektra'' (1981). Sources * K. J. Kutsch and Leo Riemens: ''Großes Sängerlexikon ''Großes Sängerlexikon'' (''Biographical Dictionary of Singers'', literally: Large singers' lexicon) is a single-field dictionary of singers in classical music, edited by Karl-Josef Kutsch and Leo Riemens and first published in 1987. The first ...'', K. G. Saur Verlag, München 1999/2000, 1911 births 1993 deaths People from Wiener Neustadt Austrian operatic tenors University ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heldentenor
A heldentenor (; English: ''heroic tenor''), earlier called tenorbariton, is an operatic tenor voice, most often associated with Wagnerian repertoire. It is distinct from other tenor ''fächer'' by its endurance, volume, and dark timbre, which may be, in its middle Vocal register, register, like that of a baritone. The voice may also sound clear or metallic. It is one of the rarest voice types in opera. Heldentenor roles, such as the title roles in ''Siegfried (opera), Siegfried'' and ''Lohengrin (opera), Lohengrin'', often require commanding stage presence and strong acting ability. In some cases, due to reasons such as voice misidentification, singers may begin their careers as baritones before later transitioning. The term ''heldentenor'' may be used to refer to both a singer and their voice. The treble counterpart of the heldentenor is the Wagnerian soprano. Roles The following roles are in the standard heldentenor repertoire: Richard Wagner * Lohengrin, ''Lohengrin (o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emmy Loose
Emmy Loose (22 January 1914 in Chabařovice – 14 October 1987 in Vienna) was an Austrian operatic soprano particularly associated with soubrette roles. After vocal studies in Prague Conservatory, she made her stage debut in Hanover as Blonchen in ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'', in 1939. She first appeared at the Vienna State Opera in 1941, as Annchen in ''Der Freischütz'', and remained with this theatre some 25 years, establishing herself in Mozart soubrette roles ( Susanna, Zerlina, Despina). She made guest appearances at the festivals of Salzburg, Aix-en-Provence, and Glyndebourne, at La Scala in Milan, the Royal Opera House in London, the Liceu in Barcelona, the San Carlo in Naples, the Munich State Opera, etc. She took part in the creation of Gottfried von Einem's '' Der Besuch der alten Dame'' at the Vienna State Opera in 1971. She retired from the stage in 1979, and began teaching at the Vienna Music Academy The University of Music and Performing Arts Vie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880 Hz in choral music, or to "soprano C" (C6, two octaves above middle C) = 1046 Hz or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which often encompasses the melody. The soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, soubrette, lyric, spinto, and dramatic soprano. Etymology The word "soprano" comes from the Italian word '' sopra'' (above, over, on top of),"Soprano" '' |
Eberhard Wächter (baritone)
Eberhard Freiherr von Waechter (9 July 1929 – 29 March 1992) was an Austrian baritone celebrated for his performances in the operas of Mozart, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. After retiring from singing, he became intendant of the Vienna Volksoper and the Vienna State Opera. Career Born in Vienna, Waechter studied at the University of Vienna and the Vienna Academy of Music. In 1953, he began voice lessons with Elisabeth Radó. That same year he made his operatic debut, as Silvio in Leoncavallo's '' Pagliacci'', at the Vienna Volksoper. In 1954, he debuted at the Vienna State Opera. In 1956, he debuted at Covent Garden, as Count Almaviva in Mozart's '' The Marriage of Figaro'', and at the Salzburg Festival, as Arbace in Mozart's ''Idomeneo''; in 1958, at Bayreuth, as Amfortas in Wagner's ''Parsifal''; in 1959, at the Paris Opera, as Wolfram in Wagner's ''Tannhäuser''; in 1960, at both La Scala and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, as Count Almaviva; and, in January 1961 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baritone
A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C (i.e. F2–F4) in choral music, and from the second A below middle C to the A above middle C (A2 to A4) in operatic music, but the range can extend at either end. Subtypes of baritone include the baryton-Martin baritone (light baritone), lyric baritone, ''Kavalierbariton'', Verdi baritone, dramatic baritone, ''baryton-noble'' baritone, and the bass-baritone. History The first use of the term "baritone" emerged as ''baritonans'', late in the 15th century, usually in French sacred polyphonic music. At this early stage it was frequently used as the lowest of the voices (including the bass), but in 17th-century Italy the term was all-encompassing and used to describe the averag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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