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.
sibiryakov @ 120 – I don’t have the DVDs to verify this, but isn’t it the Gibichung hall that collapses when B. finishes the singing part of the Immolation Scene at the Met and takes her jump? Valhalla is supposed to be seen burning in the distance well after Hagen’s line, by which point B. has been off-stage for quite a while.
120, arianna, you are exactly right, it is the Gibichunghalle that collapses first, and then much later Walhalla burns in the distance, so Valkyrietta is also right in her criticism of the Telegraph. I explained the accident in quite a bit of detail back at the end of last year in these pages, please look it up if you are interested. I would try to repeat it but I get more distraught with each passing day, and feel worse rather than better. Reading the marvellous tributes everywhere warms my heart, and yet makes me sadder to think how much overwhelming love was out there for her, but manifested only with her passing.
Leboyfriend, 69, I was very touched by your beautiful comment, sorry I took so long to acknowledge it, many thanks.
Marshie, how do you send that tribute to fanfaire?
Just out of curiosity: Did any of you guys see Hildegard as Musetta? She did the role in the 1970s in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt. She also did Marenka in “The Bartered Bride”, Fiordiligi, Katia Kabanova, Elisabeth and Elsa during the early years of her career. Any memories, thoughts? Any other unusual roles she did? (as unusual for her as Musetta, I mean) Did she ever do Eva in “Die Meistersinger”?
123 Tristram, I assume you sent it to:
http://www.fanfaire.com/behrens/tributes-behrens.html
They did have some issue at the outset but is is working fine now, many marvellous tributes. Yours is beautiful but maybe a tad too long as a tribute, if you see the others. Maybe you can get an abstracted version with the best. As a full obituary, it is great!
Billy, even I didn’t know about the Musseta!!!!! She did tell me many times about the Tebaldo, Inez and Helmwige though. Don’t think she ever did the Eva, can you imagine how glorious that Quintett would have been? Please send your tribute also.
She told me how she hated her costume when she first did Musetta in Düsseldorf in the 70s. Apparently, it was a gown somewhat reminiscent of Vivien Leigh’s legendary green velvet “curtain dress” from “Gone With The Wind”, with a huge crinoline skirt. Hildegard said that when she entered in Act II, she knocked over several chairs in the Cafe Momus, because the skirt was so huge and difficult to manage. So when she was signed up to sing Musetta in Frankfurt, the first thing she did was go straight to the costume department – and apparently she basically created her own costume for her Musetta entrance, from a dress that she found in the theater’s vast costume collection, liked a lot and altered herself so it would suit her perfectly. It’s more than ten years ago that she told me this story.
I like the principle of Musetta being cast with a heavier voice than Mimi’s, rather than with a tinkly coloratura. I saw Carol Neblett sing it in London in about 1980 (great diminuendo at the end, and great legs too!)
Mattila did it at the Met, didn’t she?
Sorry, yes, I meant that it was the Gibichung Hall that began to collapse early, not Valhalla. I misunderstood the criticism of the article.
Ecco Marshie:
http://www.fanfaire.com/behrens/OcierHBtribute.html
Behrens was breathtakingly intelligent; I can’t be the only person who thinks that her intelligence was a major factor in making her singing so special. I have a soft spot for her in Mozart, especially as Donna Anna, and I really don’t see what the big deal is about her Italian.