parterre box

160 comments

• Bill says:

  Elisabeth Gruemmer began in Aachen at the request of von Karajan who heard her sing at a private party and needed someone to replace a Flower Maiden in Parsifal so Gruemmer, whose husband was in the orchestra, made her debut. Karajan had hired Seefried a year earlier at the age of 19 and Seefried was also a flower maiden in the same Parsifal. Oddly Karajan had Seefried singing Donna Anna at the age of 20 (she dropped the role for Zerlina after that) while Gruemmer became one of the best Donna Annas of that generation, Seefried sang Nanetta to Gruemmer’s Alice Ford in a famous Felsenstein production under Karajan in Aachen but I do not know in which other operas the two sang together at the time. Under Karajan in Aachen Seefried also sang Pamina, Donna Anna, Nuri, Marenka, Marzelline, Hansell, Iphighenie auf Taurus, the Priestess in Aida among other roles. Both Gruemmer and Seefried sang Agathe for example and Gruemmer did Oktavian which much later became Seefried’s role. Both made debuts in Dresden but Gruemmer opted for Duisberg and later Berlin. Karajan wanted Seefried to go to the Berlin Staatsoper with him but she felt she was too young and a year later ended up in Vienna for Evchen under Boehm. Gruemmer largely stayed in Berlin though she was part of the Wiener Staatsoper ensemble in 1952 and 1953. Seefried was the far more impulsive singer of the two and her voice declined after her second caesarian birth many stating she sang too late into pregnancy and too soon after. The two earliest Stereo recordings of Freischuetz which came out at the same time respectively had Gruemmer on EMI and Seefried on DGG and both recordings are among the best available – Gruemmer flawless with great purity of tone and Seefried (whose voice was already somewhat in decline by 1960) fluid and acting more with the voice than any other Agathe. By the way, Benackova sang Agathe in Bregenz and must have been marvelous – I have never heard it but there are tapes available.
  Mrs. Claggart – I was given the early Seefried Suor Angelica extracts on a privately made CD by a friend in Vienna with a bunch of other Seefried rarities. I shall ask from whence it came for no one knew about it until recently and the sound is fine for the era (1944).
  Kruneslav – Michaele Kaune does have a lovely voice and may have a fine future. Look also for Eszter Wierdl from Budapest an enchanting Eva and Susanna who looks like Romy Schneider and the very young Kinga Kriszta, also Hungarian and a marvelous Marenka in Debrecen – both could have major careers if they wish to go eventually abroad. So could Monika Gonzalez. But many Hungarian singers stay put in Budapest (Holender in Vienna prefers to hire Romanians) and with Adam Fischer the new musical director of the Hungarian State Opera this autumn , more international attention may be drawn to the many talented singers now in Hungary. I saw a wonderful Freischuetz there a couple of years ago but staged in the new Fesztival Hall. All the singers were topnotch – and the chorus was magnificent. Having seen about 150 opera performances in Budapest, I think the Budapest Opera Chorus is perhaps the best in the world – miles above the Chorus standard at the Met.

  on May 19, 2008 at 1:38 AM
• Amy Gurchy says:

  If one word can identify a singer, why not get up a quiz of divas saying Tosca’s “Quanto?” And what was Martha supposed to be doing in that photo?

  on May 19, 2008 at 2:42 AM
• harry says:

  Well we know Eddie, who is, and when people are totally ‘up themselves’ don’t we?

  Comment 114 Eddie: But then, harry, what would you know….

  on May 19, 2008 at 6:29 AM
• ruxton says:

  Well seeing everyone refer to Elisabeth Gruemmer I had to do a little investigating to make sure we were all talking about the same lady and indeed we are. It seems its also ok to spell it Grummer- indeed her name is spelled exactly so on the DVD of Don Giovanni.
  Perhaps one of the scholars among us might feel like commenting or explaining – I don’t know German so if its a German thing excuse my ignorance.

  on May 19, 2008 at 6:32 AM
• Bill says:

  Regarding Elisabeth Gruemmer and the spelling of her name – there is an umlaut (two dots) over the u in German. Most of us in America do not have the capacity to type it that way so it is normal to type ue rather than a simple u without the umlaut.

  on May 19, 2008 at 6:45 AM
• armerjacquino says:

  See also Hilde Gueden/Guden.

  Thackeray- The phrases you asked about are from ‘Es Gibt ein Reich’ (Arisdne) and ‘Non piu di fiori’ (Vitellia) respectively.

  Oh, and I do share one initial with our doyenne, yes. If you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking then you’ve got a hell of a memory.

  on May 19, 2008 at 8:49 AM
• The Vicar of John Wakefield says:

  Why all this silly talk of Janowitz and Gruemmer when the greatest Agathe of the postwar period was plainly Sylvia Fisher??

  Though of course the Reggie-trained Margaret Curphey essayed the role for Opera North…

  on May 19, 2008 at 9:16 AM
• Sanford says:

  Well, now I want to know what you’re both thinking!

  on May 19, 2008 at 9:16 AM
• Marshie says:

  Didn’t Studer study some with Irmgard Seefried, among others? Kudos to the younger soprano for carving her own niche, sound and style without aping her elder(s). And no one can mention *the other* Agathe aria (Und ob die Wolke) without acknowledging the outstanding contribution by Margarete Teschemacher.

  on May 19, 2008 at 9:30 AM
• Cocky Kurwenal says:

  I really like Behrens in Leise Leise. Call me what you will.

  Tiana Lemnitz was fabulous though, I adore her in Mozart too.

  Sanford – I second your curiosity!

  on May 19, 2008 at 9:55 AM