This brings back memories. I saw Rysanek in this role at San Francisco in 1976, under Karl Böhm. She was breathtaking, both here and in the Nightmare Scene in Act II. She so totally identified with this character that you forgave her other faults, such as wayward intonation and her distressingly hollow middle register. The problem with the role of the Kaiserin is that it really requires three voices: a light, high, crystalline sound for the first act, the same with a bit more body for the second, and full-on jugendlich power and drama for the third. Gundula Janowitz, in the 1964 Vienna dress rehearsal under Karajan, excels in the light, 'spirit-world' sound, but then is nearly undone by the dramatic and vocal demands of the later acts. Cheryl Studer, on the EMI recording under Sawallisch, is very good as the spirit girl and then convincingly portrays her awakening humanity, but the melodrama of the third act eludes her: the shriek at the sight of the petrified Kaiser is as if she was frightened by a mouse, and 'Versuch mich nicht, Keikobad! Ich bin dein Kind!' sounds for all the world like a Girl Scout selling cookies at the front door. The Kaiserin who best portrays all facets of the character, in my opinion, is Julia Varady on the Solti set. She encompasses all aspects of the role: the childlike attitude with the Amme in Act I, the horror of the Nightmare scene and her refusal to accept the blood-stained shadow in Act II, and the heroic resolve to spare the Dyer couple and the final ecstasy of the apotheosis in Act III. I'm not sure she could have sustained the role in the house, all her Sieglindes notwithstanding, but at least we have the Solti recording to enjoy.
Lohengrin I never heard of Varady singing a live Kaiserin; if she had done, it most likely would have been at Munich. I am not sure I agree that a singer who never sang a role live doesn't have a good grasp of it. After all, Schwarzkopf never sang Gretel or Ariadne on stage, and her recordings of those roles are perfection itself.
Ariadne was not a Schwarzkopf role... it is classic Jugendlich dramatic singing and Schwarzkopf herself had said in the documentary about her voice, My voice is small!!! Ariadne must fill a big House... what makes Schwarzkopf a fantastic studio Ariadne, is Schwarzkopf's ingenious Musicianship but she would need to sing the role in a very small theatre (As Fleming did) to be able to fill the House with her voice. That means she didnt have the role. The same way Gheorghiou didnt have Tosca in her throat although in terms of phrasing was quit good (but what good is it when no one can hear you onstage). A very important part of the Operatic achievement is projection of sound and in there lies the entire Art of vocal Dynamics. If we go down the suggested Gheorgiou path, to use Amplification of Sound for small voices, a huge part of the Operatic Myth will be lost. Singers with tiny voices will be equalled to singers with Voices like Oceans
Lohengrin O Ah, I see what you mean. Yes, you are right. In fact, I have talked to more than one person who never saw Kathleen Battle live, yet praises her 'huge' voice. These people are evidently unaware that a voice can be made to sound any size at all through electronic manipulation on recordings. Battle's voice in the house was tiny, tiny, tiny.
but Ive been told that she could deliver her sound because of the magnificent intonation and distinct sound... no? Battle had a miracle of Beauty inside her throat but I dont think she ever went outside the light lyric / coloratura repertoire. Thats why with all these fantastic new voices I say: Pls give me a bootleg recording made by someone sitting at least in the middle of the house :D
This will always be my favorite opera. This is Strauss at his most exquisite. Pristine, artful vocal lines, but still that glistering dramatic gleam that I love in his music. It's not performed often because there's too much required: the finest singers imaginable, a grand house that can stage the opera in all its grandeur, sublime orchestral playing - Richard Strauss has left a trove of riches that will last us for all time in this opera. It's pure genius. Most Strauss fans love Rosenkavalier (and why not, it's beautiful!). But to me, this will always be his crowning glory.
recently saw my first Elektra in theater (Hogrefe Elektra, Baltsa Klytaemnestra) and I was so moved to tears by the music and the drama that I would never expect something like this to happen to me... he was a God
Jules Manresa I absolutely agree! FRoSCH is my favorite opera as well. I was lucky enough to see it three times at San Francisco, in 1976, 1980 and 1987, in a magical production by Nikolaus Lehnhoff. There is nothing like experiencing the great moments of this work live: the Kaiserin's first entrance, the unborn children calling to the Färberin from the fishes in the frying pan, the Nightmare Scene, the end of Act II, the Amme's banishment by the Bote, the Kaiserin's terrible temptation before the Water of Life...there are so many! Truly a marvelous work, one that you can experience over and over, and still barely scratch the surface.
Lohengrin O Elektra is one of my favorites too! I only saw it once, with Helga Dernesch as Klytämnestra and Gwyneth Jones in the name part. It was overwhelming and wonderful!
I was so very fortunate to be at the Metropolitan Opera premier performance of Die Frau ohne Schatten on October 2, 1966, with Leonie Rysanek, Birgit Nilsson, Christa Ludwig and Walter Berry conducted by Karl Bohn. It was a once-in-a-lifetime performance.
Absolutely incredible! From 8:20 on I simply flipped. It's so powerful, modern and fearless. I felt overwhelmed. Strauss was in a different dimension. Rysanek sounds possessed. Bravo!
This IS what the man wrote. Rysanek onstage exuded a presence that cast a long shadow that equaled the sweep of her voice in the theatre. I saw her at the Met as Clytemnestra in Elektra. Spellbinding, even in the last tier. Thank you for this upload.
Absolutely breath taking! I had never heard any of Frau Ohne Schatten before...only because I've never been much of a Strauss fan. But I see from this that I've missed a LOT. Especially wonderful cuz I've always loved Leonie Rysanek! Makes me now want to listen to the whole opera!
if u try to listen at once an entire Strauss or Wagnerian opera u will find yourself being not attracted to them to say the least... break to them into pieces before u listen to all of them... difficult music to digest!!! but of Unspeakable Beauty when done so... that is the main reason I always upload short clips... to attract, to seduce... it seems I succeeded with u in this case :D
Lohengrin O ... Thank you for that suggestion. Makes total sense. First Strauss I ever heard was in 74 (I was in High School). I saw on TV for the Bing Gala when he retired, Nilsson doing the final aria from Salome. That's probably what turned me off Strauss for the next several decades! Not because of her performance, but just the music itself. But THIS is truly gorgeous! So any specific reccomendations you have would be much appreciated.
Lohengrin O ... and yes. You did succeed with me. What really caught my eye was seeing the name Leonie Rysanek, and the phrase "dramatic coloratura". Made me want to at least give it a listen. Really glad I did!
This was too beautiful not to return to it this morning over my coffee. I have the Solti set with Julia Varady. I think I’ll pull that out this week. I always think the first act of this opera so perfect in every way, so much the masterpiece, I am tempted to stop right there, and put aside the other two acts. I feel the same way about Die Liebe der Danae. As great as this opera is, my heart belongs to Daphne. So moved by it, I feel transformed myself after hearing it.
I saw the opera in San Francisco but had to turn to their archives to determine the year. What I remember from the performance is Anja Silja as the nurse. She was the vivid one for me. I also remember the very beautiful production. I can still visualize parts of it. The year was 1989 or 1990.
The year was 1987. I too was at those performances, with Gwyneth Jones as the Färberin. I had attended the earlier revivals in 1976 and 1980, and it was disappointing to see that certain 'improvements' had been made, including Silja's drab and colorless pyjama costume in Act II, complete with WW II camouflage cap and ear flaps, as well as the ludicrous idea of having the great unwashed crawling all over a hill at the very end. The 1976 rendition in particular was overwhelming and awe-inspiring.
C'est stupéfiant .Je ne connais pas cet Opéra ,étant peu attiré par le répertoire germanique d'habitude .Mais là ,c'est une révélation : d'abord la musique dont on sent les influences de Wagner ,mais aussi de Verdi ( par moment on croirait entendre le cri de Kundry , et aussi les sauts d'Octave d'Abigaille ,à 8,30 précisément .Quelle musique mystérieuse ,envoûtante ! Et l'interprète ,Léonie Rysanek : fabuleuse !! Une vraie initiation pour moi ! Merci pour ce document !
Leonie is stunning;it is unlikely that she will ever be surpassed in this role. Heer gleaming top register was a marvel but her involvement in character has not been matched. It is unlikely that Frau woukd be as performed as often as it is today without her 1955 recording as well as later performances, A pity that she never made a recording with Borkh, but then who to cast as the Kaiser and Barak? A glorious opera!
davy91101 I agree! Perhaps my desert island opera. I never tire of it. I love your idea of a recording with Rysanek and Borkh, and the answer to your male casting dilemma is simple: Windgassen, who sang the Kaiser onstage many times, and Ludwig Weber, who was the Barak in the Vienna stage performances that occurred during the same period as the Decca recording sessions. The Amme would have to be Elisabeth Hoengen; her vivid portrayal, incisive musicality and palpable malevolence have never been equalled, in my experience.
@@edwardtodd9734 I agree. I was fortunate to see Heather Harper as the Empress twice at the ROH, I think in 1975 and 1976. Solti conducted, and James King was the Emperor, with Donald McIntire/ Walter Berry as Barak, Helga Dernesh as his wife, and Ruth Hesse as the Nurse. They were wonderful performances, and Heather Harper sang very beautifully. I first heard her in the War Requiem in York Minster in 1963. She was a very fine artist, and it is a scandal that she has never been made a Dame.
Evidemment, ce rôle restera marqué à jamais par l'interprétation de LR, sa voix longue, son souffle, son humanité, son timbre adamantin et moiré, ses aigus triomphant. Pourtant, elle est loin d 'être la seule à l'avoir fait de façon géniale. Merci pour ce moment magique.
This brings back memories. I saw Rysanek in this role at San Francisco in 1976, under Karl Böhm. She was breathtaking, both here and in the Nightmare Scene in Act II. She so totally identified with this character that you forgave her other faults, such as wayward intonation and her distressingly hollow middle register. The problem with the role of the Kaiserin is that it really requires three voices: a light, high, crystalline sound for the first act, the same with a bit more body for the second, and full-on jugendlich power and drama for the third. Gundula Janowitz, in the 1964 Vienna dress rehearsal under Karajan, excels in the light, 'spirit-world' sound, but then is nearly undone by the dramatic and vocal demands of the later acts. Cheryl Studer, on the EMI recording under Sawallisch, is very good as the spirit girl and then convincingly portrays her awakening humanity, but the melodrama of the third act eludes her: the shriek at the sight of the petrified Kaiser is as if she was frightened by a mouse, and 'Versuch mich nicht, Keikobad! Ich bin dein Kind!' sounds for all the world like a Girl Scout selling cookies at the front door. The Kaiserin who best portrays all facets of the character, in my opinion, is Julia Varady on the Solti set. She encompasses all aspects of the role: the childlike attitude with the Amme in Act I, the horror of the Nightmare scene and her refusal to accept the blood-stained shadow in Act II, and the heroic resolve to spare the Dyer couple and the final ecstasy of the apotheosis in Act III. I'm not sure she could have sustained the role in the house, all her Sieglindes notwithstanding, but at least we have the Solti recording to enjoy.
Varady never sang this live? when not live, it is impossible to know whether the singer had the role
Lohengrin I never heard of Varady singing a live Kaiserin; if she had done, it most likely would have been at Munich. I am not sure I agree that a singer who never sang a role live doesn't have a good grasp of it. After all, Schwarzkopf never sang Gretel or Ariadne on stage, and her recordings of those roles are perfection itself.
Ariadne was not a Schwarzkopf role... it is classic Jugendlich dramatic singing and Schwarzkopf herself had said in the documentary about her voice, My voice is small!!! Ariadne must fill a big House... what makes Schwarzkopf a fantastic studio Ariadne, is Schwarzkopf's ingenious Musicianship but she would need to sing the role in a very small theatre (As Fleming did) to be able to fill the House with her voice. That means she didnt have the role. The same way Gheorghiou didnt have Tosca in her throat although in terms of phrasing was quit good (but what good is it when no one can hear you onstage). A very important part of the Operatic achievement is projection of sound and in there lies the entire Art of vocal Dynamics. If we go down the suggested Gheorgiou path, to use Amplification of Sound for small voices, a huge part of the Operatic Myth will be lost. Singers with tiny voices will be equalled to singers with Voices like Oceans
Lohengrin O Ah, I see what you mean. Yes, you are right. In fact, I have talked to more than one person who never saw Kathleen Battle live, yet praises her 'huge' voice. These people are evidently unaware that a voice can be made to sound any size at all through electronic manipulation on recordings. Battle's voice in the house was tiny, tiny, tiny.
but Ive been told that she could deliver her sound because of the magnificent intonation and distinct sound... no? Battle had a miracle of Beauty inside her throat but I dont think she ever went outside the light lyric / coloratura repertoire. Thats why with all these fantastic new voices I say: Pls give me a bootleg recording made by someone sitting at least in the middle of the house :D
This will always be my favorite opera. This is Strauss at his most exquisite. Pristine, artful vocal lines, but still that glistering dramatic gleam that I love in his music. It's not performed often because there's too much required: the finest singers imaginable, a grand house that can stage the opera in all its grandeur, sublime orchestral playing - Richard Strauss has left a trove of riches that will last us for all time in this opera. It's pure genius. Most Strauss fans love Rosenkavalier (and why not, it's beautiful!). But to me, this will always be his crowning glory.
recently saw my first Elektra in theater (Hogrefe Elektra, Baltsa Klytaemnestra) and I was so moved to tears by the music and the drama that I would never expect something like this to happen to me... he was a God
Jules Manresa I absolutely agree! FRoSCH is my favorite opera as well. I was lucky enough to see it three times at San Francisco, in 1976, 1980 and 1987, in a magical production by Nikolaus Lehnhoff. There is nothing like experiencing the great moments of this work live: the Kaiserin's first entrance, the unborn children calling to the Färberin from the fishes in the frying pan, the Nightmare Scene, the end of Act II, the Amme's banishment by the Bote, the Kaiserin's terrible temptation before the Water of Life...there are so many! Truly a marvelous work, one that you can experience over and over, and still barely scratch the surface.
Lohengrin O Elektra is one of my favorites too! I only saw it once, with Helga Dernesch as Klytämnestra and Gwyneth Jones in the name part. It was overwhelming and wonderful!
@@jasonhurd4379I saw those two in elektra also (London, Covent Garden, 1980s). I also saw them in Frau in the same house.
I was so very fortunate to be at the Metropolitan Opera premier performance of Die Frau ohne Schatten on October 2, 1966, with Leonie Rysanek, Birgit Nilsson, Christa Ludwig and Walter Berry conducted by Karl Bohn. It was a once-in-a-lifetime performance.
The Färberin at the 1966 Met premiere was Christa Ludwig. Nilsson did not take the role into her repertoire until 1975.
And the magnificent Irene Dalis as the Amne. She actually could sing this treacherous music.
@@stephengoldman553 She was sensational. Almost too much--but not too much--perfect!
Absolutely incredible! From 8:20 on I simply flipped. It's so powerful, modern and fearless. I felt overwhelmed. Strauss was in a different dimension. Rysanek sounds possessed. Bravo!
Strauss was writing musical lines that people still don't understand. What a genius.
I worship this scene... the Genious in the music... the emotions... and it is SO HARD TO sing
This IS what the man wrote. Rysanek onstage exuded a presence that cast a long shadow that equaled the sweep of her voice in the theatre. I saw her at the Met as Clytemnestra in Elektra. Spellbinding, even in the last tier. Thank you for this upload.
Absolutely breath taking! I had never heard any of Frau Ohne Schatten before...only because I've never been much of a Strauss fan. But I see from this that I've missed a LOT. Especially wonderful cuz I've always loved Leonie Rysanek! Makes me now want to listen to the whole opera!
if u try to listen at once an entire Strauss or Wagnerian opera u will find yourself being not attracted to them to say the least... break to them into pieces before u listen to all of them... difficult music to digest!!! but of Unspeakable Beauty when done so... that is the main reason I always upload short clips... to attract, to seduce... it seems I succeeded with u in this case :D
Lohengrin O ... Thank you for that suggestion. Makes total sense. First Strauss I ever heard was in 74 (I was in High School). I saw on TV for the Bing Gala when he retired, Nilsson doing the final aria from Salome. That's probably what turned me off Strauss for the next several decades! Not because of her performance, but just the music itself. But THIS is truly gorgeous! So any specific reccomendations you have would be much appreciated.
Lohengrin O ... and yes. You did succeed with me. What really caught my eye was seeing the name Leonie Rysanek, and the phrase "dramatic coloratura". Made me want to at least give it a listen. Really glad I did!
@@LohengrinO she has quite a voice.
This was too beautiful not to return to it this morning over my coffee.
I have the Solti set with Julia Varady. I think I’ll pull that out this week.
I always think the first act of this opera so perfect in every way, so much the masterpiece, I am tempted to stop right there, and put aside the other two acts. I feel the same way about Die Liebe der Danae.
As great as this opera is, my heart belongs to Daphne. So moved by it, I feel transformed myself after hearing it.
...and to think most people think opera is o mio bambino caro and la donna e mobile :D
Lohengrin O Once I discovered Richard Strauss through Elektra in my early 20’s, I never looked back, but only into the future of creative possibility.
I thought that was staggering. Incredibly hard vocal line, the amount of sheer body needed to sustain it and let it grow. Amazing.
this is one of the most difficult Dramatic Coloratura roles ever... too bad Callas and Sutherland never sang this...
A realy beautiful Rysanek in One of the most drammatic arias I have ever heard😨🌪️⚡
I saw the opera in San Francisco but had to turn to their archives to determine the year. What I remember from the performance is Anja Silja as the nurse. She was the vivid one for me. I also remember the very beautiful production. I can still visualize parts of it. The year was 1989 or 1990.
The year was 1987. I too was at those performances, with Gwyneth Jones as the Färberin. I had attended the earlier revivals in 1976 and 1980, and it was disappointing to see that certain 'improvements' had been made, including Silja's drab and colorless pyjama costume in Act II, complete with WW II camouflage cap and ear flaps, as well as the ludicrous idea of having the great unwashed crawling all over a hill at the very end. The 1976 rendition in particular was overwhelming and awe-inspiring.
C'est stupéfiant .Je ne connais pas cet Opéra ,étant peu attiré par le répertoire germanique d'habitude .Mais là ,c'est une révélation : d'abord la musique dont on sent les influences de Wagner ,mais aussi de Verdi ( par moment on croirait entendre le cri de Kundry , et aussi les sauts d'Octave d'Abigaille ,à 8,30 précisément .Quelle musique mystérieuse ,envoûtante ! Et l'interprète ,Léonie Rysanek : fabuleuse !! Une vraie initiation pour moi ! Merci pour ce document !
Leonie Rysanek as Die Kaiserin in Die Frau ohne Schatten. the aria is "Vater, bist du?" from act finale.
Paulo Lima thx. that's whose in the picture?
Christopher, i guess on picture you may see Rysanek's Elsa.
Paulo Lima thx.
Paulo, who is the Guardian here? Lotte?
Lohengrin, I think so. Probably it's the 1977 recording by Karl Böhm.
Beautiful!
Leonie is stunning;it is unlikely that she will ever be surpassed in this role. Heer gleaming top register was a marvel but her involvement in character has not been matched. It is unlikely that Frau woukd be as performed as often as it is today without her 1955 recording as well as later performances, A pity that she never made a recording with Borkh, but then who to cast as the Kaiser and Barak? A glorious opera!
Rysanek and Borkh in Elektra, MET 1961. A CD is coming to me this September =)
davy91101 I agree! Perhaps my desert island opera. I never tire of it. I love your idea of a recording with Rysanek and Borkh, and the answer to your male casting dilemma is simple: Windgassen, who sang the Kaiser onstage many times, and Ludwig Weber, who was the Barak in the Vienna stage performances that occurred during the same period as the Decca recording sessions. The Amme would have to be Elisabeth Hoengen; her vivid portrayal, incisive musicality and palpable malevolence have never been equalled, in my experience.
@@edwardtodd9734 I agree. I was fortunate to see Heather Harper as the Empress twice at the ROH, I think in 1975 and 1976. Solti conducted, and James King was the Emperor, with Donald McIntire/ Walter Berry as Barak, Helga Dernesh as his wife, and Ruth Hesse as the Nurse. They were wonderful performances, and Heather Harper sang very beautifully. I first heard her in the War Requiem in York Minster in 1963. She was a very fine artist, and it is a scandal that she has never been made a Dame.
@@jasonhurd4379 I was about to answer exactly the same! Windgassen and Weber...
Evidemment, ce rôle restera marqué à jamais par l'interprétation de LR, sa voix longue, son souffle, son humanité, son timbre adamantin et moiré, ses aigus triomphant. Pourtant, elle est loin d 'être la seule à l'avoir fait de façon géniale.
Merci pour ce moment magique.
Mein Vater hat von einer solchen Stimme geträumt - so sagte der Sohn von Richard Strauss
Leonie Rysanek
What's the aria and artist?
David Simmons “Vater, bist du’s?” From last act Die Frau ohne Schatten
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yep
holy ...... O_O
that was my reaction to this when I first heard it about 10 years ago :p
Wagner was a genius, but the melody of true, genuine longing, belongs to R. Strauss
I think R Strauss' Melodies equal those of Bellini and Massenet
@@LohengrinO Yes. For late 20th century ears
Eva Marton in the MET's 1981 revival for Birgit Nilsson was a spectacular Kaiserin! ruclips.net/video/1bNZ8le-Lgw/видео.html