Isoldé Elchlepp
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Waltraud Isoldé Elchlepp (born 20 May 1942) is a German singer who began as a
protest song A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for protest and social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. ...
singer under the pseudonym Dominique, and became an operatic
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...
and
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical 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 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
. She has appeared at major German opera houses and festivals including the
Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival () is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special ...
. She took part in world premieres such as Reimann's '' Das Schloß'' and ''
Bernarda Albas Haus ''Bernarda Albas Haus'' ('The House of Bernarda Alba') is a 2000 German-language opera in three acts by Aribert Reimann to a libretto by the composer after Enrique Beck's German translation of Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Cor ...
'' at the
Bavarian State Opera The Bavarian State Opera () is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bavarian State Orchestra. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under El ...
. Besides the standard repertoire, she appeared in roles such as Othmar Schoeck's
Penthesilea Penthesilea () was an Amazonian queen in Greek mythology, the daughter of Ares and Otrera and the sister of Hippolyta, Antiope, and Melanippe. She assisted Troy in the Trojan War, during which she was killed by Achilles or Neoptolemus. The ...
at the
Staatsoper Hannover Hanover State Opera () is a German opera company based in Hanover, the state capital of Lower Saxony. The company is resident in the Hanover Opera House (), and is part of a publicly-funded umbrella performing arts organisation called Hanover S ...
.


Life and career

Elchlepp was born in
Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
(France, at the time annexed by Nazi Germany), grew up in
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
and went to college in
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
, England. Her father died during the Second World War, and her mother moved to Munich with her and her older sister. At the request of her mother, Elchlepp first studied fashion graphic design in Munich, and simultaneously undertook voice training. An Austrian producer became aware of her, and thus Elchlepp, who called herself Dominique as a protest singer, signed her first record contract in 1965. She began with hits and scored her first success with the protest song "Der ewige Soldat", based on " The Universal Soldier" by
Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie (born Beverley Jean Santamaria; February 20, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and social activist. Sainte-Marie's singing and writing repertoire includes subjects of love, war, religion, and mysticism, and h ...
/
Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer. He emerged from the British folk scene in early 1965 and subsequently scored multiple international hit singles ...
, with German lyrics by Max Colpet. Further singles followed and also appeared on her LP ''Krieg im Frieden''. She recorded several songs by
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
, , Udo Westgard, and
Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...
. She trained at the opera studio of the
Bavarian State Opera The Bavarian State Opera () is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bavarian State Orchestra. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under El ...
in Munich, now under the name Isoldé Elchlepp. She appeared in small roles at the Bavarian State Opera, such as Kate Pinkerton in Puccini's ''
Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lu ...
'' in 1973 and in ''
Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from Louvet de Couvrai's novel ''Les amours du cheva ...
'' by Richard Strauss in 1975. From 1975 to 1982, she was a member of the
Theater Bremen Theater Bremen (Bremen Theatre) is a state theatre in Bremen, Germany, with four divisions for opera, straight theater, dance, and student programs. Its venues are located in a city block, connected in architecture and seating up to 1,426 spectato ...
, then from 1982 to 1988 at the
Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden The Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden (Hessian State Theatre Wiesbaden), also known as the Staatstheater Wiesbaden or Theater Wiesbaden, is a German theatre located in Wiesbaden, in the German state of Hesse. The company produces operas, plays, b ...
, moving to the
Staatsoper Hannover Hanover State Opera () is a German opera company based in Hanover, the state capital of Lower Saxony. The company is resident in the Hanover Opera House (), and is part of a publicly-funded umbrella performing arts organisation called Hanover S ...
. Her roles included Venus in Wagner's ''
Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; ), often stylized "The Tannhäuser", was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1265. His name ...
'', Brünnhilde in ''
Der Ring des Nibelungen (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the . The compo ...
'', Kundry in ''
Parsifal ''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is freely based on the 13th-century Middle High German chivalric romance ''Parzival'' of th ...
'', Azucena in Verdi's '' Il trovatore'', Santuzza in Mascagni's ''
Cavalleria Rusticana ''Cavalleria rusticana'' (; ) is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 Cavalleria rusticana (short story), short story of the same name and subsequent ...
'', Marie in Alban Berg's ''
Wozzeck ''Wozzeck'' () is the first opera by the Austrian composer Alban Berg. Composed between 1914 and 1922, it premiered in 1925. It is based on the drama '' Woyzeck'', which German playwright Georg Büchner left incomplete at his death. Berg attende ...
'' and Hekabe in Aribert Reimann's '' Troades'', also works by Haydn, Mozart and Orff. She performed at the
Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival () is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special ...
, in 1985 and 1986 as Rossweiße in ''
Die Walküre (; ''The Valkyrie''), Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis, WWV 86B, is the second of the four epic poetry, epic music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's Literary cycle, cycle ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was ...
'', and in 1993 as Ortrud in ''
Lohengrin Lohengrin () is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wo ...
''. In 1992, she performed the role of the landlady at the world premiere of Reimann's '' Das Schloß'', and in 2000, she appeared as La Poncia in the premiere of the composer's ''
Bernarda Albas Haus ''Bernarda Albas Haus'' ('The House of Bernarda Alba') is a 2000 German-language opera in three acts by Aribert Reimann to a libretto by the composer after Enrique Beck's German translation of Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Cor ...
'', both at the Bavarian State Opera. In 1999 she appeared in the title role of
Othmar Schoeck Othmar Schoeck (1 September 1886 – 8 March 1957) was a Swiss List of Romantic-era composers, Romantic classical composer, opera composer, musician, and Conductor (music), conductor. He was known mainly for his considerable output of lied, art ...
's ''
Penthesilea Penthesilea () was an Amazonian queen in Greek mythology, the daughter of Ares and Otrera and the sister of Hippolyta, Antiope, and Melanippe. She assisted Troy in the Trojan War, during which she was killed by Achilles or Neoptolemus. The ...
'' at the
Staatsoper Hannover Hanover State Opera () is a German opera company based in Hanover, the state capital of Lower Saxony. The company is resident in the Hanover Opera House (), and is part of a publicly-funded umbrella performing arts organisation called Hanover S ...
, conducted by Andreas Delfs; a reviewer noted her stage presence, and how she sang the difficult part without showing how difficult it is. In 2001 she portrayed the title role of Elektra by R. Strauss at the
Komische Oper Berlin The Komische Oper Berlin is a German opera company based in Berlin. The company produces operas, operettas and musicals. The opera house is located on Behrenstraße, near Unter den Linden. Since 2004, the Komische Oper Berlin, along with the Be ...
, directed by
Harry Kupfer Harry Alfred Robert Kupfer (12 August 1935 – 30 December 2019) was a German opera director and academic. A long-time director at the Komische Oper Berlin, he worked at major opera houses and at festivals internationally. Trained by Walter Fe ...
. A reviewer noted that she utilised "the entire expressive spectrum of the female voice, from tender cantilenas to snarling chants." Elchlepp also performed in concert, for example in the performance of Schönberg' ''
Gurre-Lieder ' (''Songs of Gurre Castle, Gurre'') is a tripartite oratorio followed by a Melodrama, melodramatic epilogue for five vocal soloists, narrator, three choruses, and grand orchestra. The work, which is based on an early song cycle for soprano, te ...
'' for the opening of the new Konzerthaus Freiburg in
Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...
on 28 June 1996.
Johannes Fritzsch Johannes Fritzsch (born 1960 in Meissen, East Germany) is a German conductor. Biography Fritzsch's father, a cantor and organist, was his first music teacher, in piano and organ. His brother Georg Fritzsch (born 1963) is also a conductor. His ot ...
conducted soloists, the and the
Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg (Freiburg Philharmonic) is the symphony orchestra of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, founded in 1887. It plays concerts in the Konzerthaus Freiburg and opera in the Theater Freiburg. History The Freiburg Ph ...
, with Werner Hollweg as the narrator in a performance that was recorded.


Discography

As Isoldé Elchlepp * Richard Strauss: ''
Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from Louvet de Couvrai's novel ''Les amours du cheva ...
.'' Gesamtaufnahme. Bayerisches Staatsorchester,
Carlos Kleiber Carlos Kleiber (3 July 1930 – 13 July 2004) was a German-born Austrian conductor, who is widely regarded as among the greatest conductors of all time. The son of the conductor Erich Kleiber, he was particularly known for the Romantic rep ...
(conductor). Orfeo D'Or C581083D, 2008 (1973 recording) * Hans Zender: ''
Stephen Climax ''Stephen Climax'' is an opera in three acts by Hans Zender, who wrote his own libretto based on James Joyce and Hugo Ball. It was premiered on 15 June 1986 at the Oper Frankfurt, staged by Alfred Kirchner and conducted by Peter Hirsch (conducto ...
.'' Gesamtaufnahme. Choeurs & Orchestre du Théâtre Royal de
la Monnaie The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie (, ; , ; both translating as the "Royal Theatre of the Mint") is an opera house in central Brussels, Belgium. The National Opera of Belgium, a federal institution, takes the name of this theatre in which it is ho ...
(Brüssel),
Sylvain Cambreling Sylvain Cambreling (born 2 July 1948 in Amiens, France) is a French conductor. Biography Trained as a trombone player, Cambreling studied at the Paris Conservatoire. He joined l' Orchestre Symphonique de Lyon (OSL) as a trombonist in 1971. In 197 ...
(conductor). Academy ACA 8507-2, 1993 * Arnold Schoenberg: ''
Gurre-Lieder ' (''Songs of Gurre Castle, Gurre'') is a tripartite oratorio followed by a Melodrama, melodramatic epilogue for five vocal soloists, narrator, three choruses, and grand orchestra. The work, which is based on an early song cycle for soprano, te ...
.'' Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg,
Johannes Fritzsch Johannes Fritzsch (born 1960 in Meissen, East Germany) is a German conductor. Biography Fritzsch's father, a cantor and organist, was his first music teacher, in piano and organ. His brother Georg Fritzsch (born 1963) is also a conductor. His ot ...
(conductor). Rombach, Freiburg 1997 * Aribert Reimann: '' Das Schloß.'' Complete recording (as Wirtin). Bayerisches Staatsorchester,
Michael Boder Michael Boder (9 November 1958 – 7 April 2024) was a German conductor of opera and concert who worked internationally. He was music director of the Basel Opera from 1989 to 1993, of the Liceu in Barcelona from 2008 to 2012, and principal cond ...
(conductor). Wergo WER 6614-2, 1997 As Dominique Singles (
Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
) * 52 607 A ''Der ewige Soldat'' – 52 607 B ''Aber ich wart auf dich'' – 1966 * 52 695 A ''Ist das die Welt, die wir mal erben sollen?'' – 52 695 B ''Wie es früher war'' – 1966 * 52 723 A ''Und was wird morgen sein?'' – 52 723 B ''Der Brief von drüben'' – 1966 * 52 836 A ''Ich hab in der Liebe kein Glück'' – 52 836 B ''Und wieder steht der Sonntag vor der Tür'' – 1967 * 53 023 A ''Tausend Straßen'' – 53 023 B ''Du lachst mich aus'' – 1968 Album * ''Dominique – Krieg im Frieden'' – Polydor/''
Stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. O ...
-musik'' Nr. 249078 ** ''Der ewige Soldat'' – Saint Marie/Donovan/Colpet ** ''Krieg im Land'' – Stockey/Yarrow/Bader ** ''Starfighter-Ballade'' – Westgard/Bader ** ''Schlaf ein – Angelina'' – Dylan/Bader ** ''Das Schlüsselkind'' – Westgard/Bader ** ''Sag' mir, wo die Blumen sind'' – Seeger/Colpet ** ''Der Brief von drüben'' – Westgard/Bader ** ''Zeig mir eine Insel'' – Westgard/Colpet/Rotter ** ''Man geht nicht mehr ohne Doppelkinn'' Müller/Prottel ** ''Die Antwort weiß ganz allein der Wind'' – Dylan/Bradtke ** ''Sergeant Marie'' – Westgard/Bader ** ''Ist das die Welt, die wir mal erben sollen'' – Scharfenberger/Colpet


References


External links

*
Isoldé Elchlepp
Bayerisches Musiker Lexikon Online by
University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public university, public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke ...

Beat Fräuleins (Teil 1)
rockzirkus.de 7 January 2009
Dominique
readysteadygirls.eu * Other VIAF entries
4891815779751016
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elchlepp, Isolde German operatic mezzo-sopranos Protest songs 1942 births Living people Musicians from Strasbourg 20th-century German women opera singers