Waltraud Meyer
Peter
on the roles of Sieglinde and Isolde in the opera house, and since she
has sung Bruennhilde's Immolation on CD, I wonder if anyone might know
if she plans to add all three Bruennhildes to her performing repertoire?
Also is she perhaps "not just" a mezzo-soprano, but rather a "dramatic
soprano" in disguise?
Derrick Everett
Waltraud Meier is a versatile singer and a talented actress, who has
had particular success in performances of Wagner's dramas. She began
her career as a mezzo-soprano, singing both German and French
repertoire. In one of her first stage appearances, for example, she
was Micaela in "Carmen". More recently she has made a kind of
transition to the dramatic-soprano fach, while retaining the ability
to sing mezzo roles and the "zwischenfach" roles (like that of Kundry)
in which she has been acclaimed.
I have heard her recently at the Berlin Staatsoper in, among other
roles, that of Sieglinde. Before the performance it was announced
that the singer who was to have been Fricka was indisposed and that
Waltraud Meier, in addition to taking the role of Sieglinde, would
also sing Fricka. With the reservation that she had not sung this
role since 1988. Meier then gave us, in addition to her acclaimed
interpretation of Sieglinde, a faultless presentation of Fricka,
opposite John Tomlinson's Wotan.
So not only is Ms. Meier able to cross fach with success, she is able
to do so within the same performance! I do not know whether she has
plans to attempt any of the Brünnhildes.
--
Derrick Everett
Suteetat Sukumalchantra
eventually graduate to some dramatic soprano roles especially in Wagner.
Gabriela Schnaut and Elizabeth Connell are the other two currently active
singers who also went from mezzo to dramatic soprano. I think that she is
still at her best in the mezzo roles such as Kundry rather than Isolde.
I have seen her a few times, unfortunately never in a role that was her
forte, I saw her as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Carmen, Santuzza, Verdi's
Requiem (mezzo). Hopefully one of these days I could see her in Parsifal.
"Derrick Everett" <mimir...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ec71da1e.02040...@posting.google.com...
atn3
I am sure she is a real mezzo. She will never sing the 3 Brünnhilde. The one
in Siegfried is particularly high, and no mezzo can sing it.
However, I have read in an interview that she wished to sing Brünnhilde in
die Walküre, which is the only one she is able to sing without breaking her
voice. But she said that opera houses only wanted to to the whole Ring, so
they couldn't hire her for the part.
Anh Tuan
Peter <p_ul...@ix.netcom.com> a écrit dans le message :
3CB113CE...@ix.netcom.com...
Beth
Brunnhildes because she realizes they are not in her voice.
Especially the Siegfried Brunnhilde, which lies very high.
As for her fach, she has said (no surprise here) that she dismisses
such categorizations, and sings what she feels suits her voice and
abilities.
I am so jealous of all the people (like Derrick) who got hear her sing
Fricka and Sieglinde in one night!
Cheers, Beth
HenryFogel
I was at that same performance and can agree with your description 100%.
I would doubt that she would sing any of the Brunnhilde roles except, perhaps,
the Walkure one. Although she can and does sing some soprano roles with
success, I think the Siegfried and Gotterdammerung Brunnhildes would not lie
comfortably for her. There are many fine Sieglindes who did not essay the three
Brunnhildes (I don't believe Rysanek did, did she?)
Henry Fogel
B.D. Rous
> I am also a big fan of Meier. I guess it is not uncommon for a mezzo to
> eventually graduate to some dramatic soprano roles especially in Wagner.
> Gabriela Schnaut and Elizabeth Connell are the other two currently active
> singers who also went from mezzo to dramatic soprano. I think that she is
> still at her best in the mezzo roles such as Kundry rather than Isolde.
> I have seen her a few times, unfortunately never in a role that was her
> forte, I saw her as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Carmen, Santuzza, Verdi's
> Requiem (mezzo). Hopefully one of these days I could see her in Parsifal.
I'm very excited about going to Dresden in May and hearing Meier as
Isolde live. I've heard her twice in concert, once as Iocaste in
Stravinsky's Oedipous Rex, and once with the Haydn Berenice scene and
the Wesendonck lieder. Both performances were intense and gave proof a
big, warm voice, still very much in command of the whole range.
Another mezzosoprano who's very succesful in the Wagner mezzo roles
and is now apparently moving towards the same roles is Violeta Urmana.
I've heard her as Kundry and Amneris, and she was phenomenal as both,
but she's now also singing Sieglinde and has recorded a piece of the
Goetterdaemmerung Bruennhilde with Domingo on his new Wagner disc.
Although I cannot say anything about her Sieglinde, the Bruennhilde
certainly shows promise for her in the dramatic soprano repertoire...
Benjamin