Hildegard Behrens 1937-2009
UPDATE, 10:55 pm: The Associated Press confirms that Hildegard Behrens died early Tuesday, according to an email sent to opera officials by Jonathan Friend, artistic administrator of the Metropolitan Opera.
La Cieca has just received an as yet unconfirmed report that Hildegard Behrens died earlier today in Japan, where she was preparing for a Lieder recital and master classes scheduled later this week.
G-d, I hope you’re wrong, La Cieca.
Oh my!
This really breaks my heart. Even though you know you will probably never meet your idols, there is still some part of you that cherishes the hope that some day you will get to meet them and tell them how much they mean to you. Once they leave, you have to give that up.
“Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort…”
I’ll be awfully sad if it’s true. Fond memories of Elektra in Houston on Halloween, 1993.
As of 5 p.m. there has been no other report. However, Behrens suffered a heart attack some years ago when she was scheduled to make a role debut in Cherubini’s “Medea”. She was replaced by Denia Mazzola-Gavazzeni I believe.
My condolences to her husband, son and family and also to MarshiemarkII if this is true.
For those of us who are relatively new to opera loving, could those of you who remember La Behrens please share your memories? What kind of voice did she have? Was there any comparison to any current singers? Did she have signature roles?
I know I could look this up on Wikipedia, but it’ll be so much more interesting and meaningful with your personal touches.
Thanks.
@6:
Many people will have many things to say about Behrens, but you need not look further than these three videos to see (in my opinion) the greatest Elektra of the 20th century:
“Allein,weh Ganz allein”:
“Orest!”:
Final scene:
I feel very sad about this.
#6, I only got to see her fairly late in her career, as Elektra in 1997, then the Walkure Brunnhilde, and also in Erwartung. Her voice was enormous – didn’t always give one that impression because of it’s often rather easy going colour, but it really hit home when I could still hear it through the entire orchestra during a massive climax in the Schoenberg. Possibly the thing I love most about that sound is its child-like colour. For me, this is what made her so convincing as Salome – a 16 year old with the voice of Isolde is what is famously called for, and I think Behrens came the closest.
I may be in a minority on this one, but I’m crazy about her recording of Berlioz’s Les Nuits D’Ete – one of the most atmospheric records there is of anything, in my view. I also love her Isolde for Bernstein – his tempi made it a tougher task than most sopranos who took on the role had to face, yet she achieved something utterly wonderful with it.
I’ll never forget the performances I was lucky enough to see her give, and I’ll cherish her recordings always – a truly unique artist who was so very much more than a great voice.
Like Gualtier M, MarshiemarkII, my thoughts are with you, I will contact you tomorrow.
Gehrens was never one of my favorites in terms of Vocalism, but in terms of commitment, she had no peers in her generation.
I was lucky enough to see her in concert in Indianapolis back in 99 and while vocally it was really sub par, she was incredibly gacious when we met her afterwards and signed my ticket stub.
Let’s hope it is not true.
This is very sad news. I only know Behrens from her recordings and videos. She was my first Elektra (both Strauss and Mozart)!