Elisabeth Speiser | |
---|---|
Born | Zürich, Switzerland | 15 October 1940
Occupation |
|
Elisabeth Speiser (born 1 October 1940) is a Swiss classical soprano, known principally for singing Lieder but also active in opera. She has appeared internationally.
Born in Zürich, Speiser appeared in concert from 1960. [1] She was a regular soloist with the choir Der Gemischte Chor Zürich. Performances included Bach's cantata Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79, and Beethoven's Mass in C major in 1967, Mozart's Requiem and Vesperae solennes in 1968, Ein deutsches Requiem by Brahms in 1969, Arthur Honegger's Totentanz in 1970, Haydn's Nelson Mass the same year, Hermann Suter's Le Laudi in 1972, alongside Marga Höffgen, Kurt Huber and Kurt Widmer, Frank Martin's Golgotha in 1972 and 1975, Cherubini's Missa solemnis in 1977. [2]
Speiser appeared in 1969 as Sandrina in the first recording of Haydn's opera L'infedeltà delusa , conducted by Antonio de Almeida. [3] She was Euridice in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice at the Glyndebourne Festival, alongside Janet Baker as Orfeo and Elisabeth Gale as Amore, which was recorded in 1982. She also sang Pamina in Glyndebourne's production of Die Zauberflöte alongside Edita Gruberova as Queen of the night in 1973. [4] [5] She is known for the title role of Melisande in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande. [6]
Speiser was also a Lieder singer. She recorded in 1975 songs by Schumann, Schubert, Brahms, Hugo Wolf's Lieder der Mignon, Anton Webern's Vier Lieder, Op. 12, and Debussy's Ariettes oubliées , with pianists Irwin Gage and John Buttrick. [6] A reviewer described her voice as bright, and noted her diction and her phrasing following the text. He noted her affinity to Wolf's chromaticism, Webern's fine lines, and to the sounds of Debussy. [6]
With her husband, Hans Jecklin, she founded the E.+H.-Kulturstiftung Zürich, a foundation for culture. [7]
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was a German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music. One of the most famous Lieder performers of the post-war period, he is best known as a singer of Franz Schubert's Lieder, particularly "Winterreise" of which his recordings with accompanists Gerald Moore and Jörg Demus are still critically acclaimed half a century after their release.
Helen Jeanette Donath is an American soprano with a career spanning fifty years.
Elisabeth Grümmer was a German soprano. She has been described as "a singer blessed with elegant musicality, warm-hearted sincerity, and a voice of exceptional beauty".
Magdalena Kožená, Lady Rattle is a Czech mezzo-soprano.
Sandrine Piau is a French soprano. She is particularly renowned in Baroque music although also excels in Romantic and modernist art songs. She has the versatility to perform works from Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart to Schumann, Debussy, and Poulenc. In addition to an active career in concerts and operas, she is prolific in studio recordings, primarily with Harmonia Mundi, Naïve, and Alpha since 2018.
Edith Mathis is a Swiss soprano and a leading exponent of the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart worldwide. She is known for parts in Mozart operas, but also took part in premieres of operas such as Henze's Der junge Lord.
Malin Hartelius is a Swedish soprano who performs regularly with conductors such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Ton Koopman, Riccardo Chailly, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Peter Schreier, Herbert Blomstedt, and Frans Brüggen. She has collaborated with orchestras like the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Concentus Musicus Wien.
Nina Maria Stemme is a Swedish dramatic soprano opera singer.
Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz is a Norwegian-Italian operatic soprano.
Christian Gerhaher is a German baritone and bass singer in opera and concert, particularly known as a Lieder singer.
Ursula Buckel was a German soprano singer, known for singing works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Julia Hamari is a Hungarian mezzo-soprano and alto singer in opera and concert, appearing internationally. She is an academic voice teacher in Stuttgart.
Sandra Trattnigg is an Austrian opera and concert soprano.
Hanna-Elisabeth Müller is a German soprano in opera, concert and recitals.
Der Gemischte Chor Zürich is a mixed choir in Zürich, Switzerland, founded in 1863. One of the large oratorio choirs in the city, they perform regularly at the Tonhalle and internationally, often with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and traditionally with notable soloists such as Ilona Durigo, Karl Erb and Ernst Häfliger. Premieres have included works by Johannes Brahms and contemporary composers.
Kurt Widmer was a Swiss baritone and voice teacher, who appeared and recorded internationally. He focused on concert singing, especially of oratorios from the Romantic period. His recordings cover a repertoire from medieval mass to world premieres, such as song cycles by György Kurtág, and received international awards. He taught at the City of Basel Music Academy from 1968, influencing notable soloists including Nuria Rial and his son, Oliver Widmer.
Cornelia Wulkopf is a German operatic mezzo-soprano and contralto. A long-time member of the Bavarian State Opera, she has performed leading parts at international opera houses and festivals. She made her debut at the Bayreuth Festival in the Jahrhundertring and sang in Franz Schmidt's oratorio Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln at the Salzburg Festival.
Rachel Harnisch is a Swiss operatic soprano.
Ria Bollen is a Flemish contralto, who had an international career as a concert singer between 1965 and 1992. Her broad repertoire included Bach's Passions, Mozart's Requiem, Beethoven's Missa solemnis, especially works by Gustav Mahler and works of the 20th century. She was the soloist in the world premiere of Frank Martin's Requiem. She sang many art songs, including by Belgian composers.
Kismara de Lourdes Pessatti, known as Kismara Pezzati and Kismara Pessatti, is a Brazilian mezzo-soprano naturalized in Switzerland. Previously known for performances in operas and concerts primarily as a contralto, she has recently expanded her repertoire to dramatic mezzo-soprano.