Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
This great and legendary voice of the post-1945 period remains for many the incarnation of the world of German music, specifically for the operas of Richard Strauss, the performances of which remain a model of singing, of style, of perfect diction and emotion, qualities which are rarely found together in a single artist. She has also left us two recordings of Vier letzte Lieder (with Otto Ackermann, and later, with George Szell) which are absolute works of reference. 13 year separate these two versions which every music lover will want to get to know: the first, with a more ductile, supple voice, more enchanting than the second, darker and more sombre, with dulled mid-range notes. But one shouldn't pin her to a single composer, because Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was also a great recitalist, in particular with the famous English pianist Gerald Moore. Together, they recorded a number of albums dedicated to the German Lied, from Mozart to Hugo Wolf. An accomplished Mozartian, Schwarzkopf also sang Italian opera (a Turandot appears, with Maria Callas).
We must also not forget the field of the operetta, to which Elisabeth Schwarzkopf brought such a noble bearing. She sparkled with particular shine in Johan Strauss's Die Fledermaus or One Night in Venice. In a less typical register, we also find her performing Pelléas et Mélisande, Debussy's masterpiece, where she sang under Karajan's direction and in Stravinsky's Rake's Progress, in the role of Anne Trulove, which she performed at Venice's La Fenice, directed by the composer, in 1951.
With Christa Ludwig and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf gave us immortal recordings of the Lieder of Hugo Wolf, to whose fame she contributed immensely.
The singer was also known for her inflexible personality, and an ardour for her work which allowed her a long career that spanned over three decades. At her height, in full command of her abilities, she cut down her roles, choosing only to keep those that she could absolutely master: Fiordiligi (Cosi fan tutte), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), the Countess (The Marriage of Figaro), Countess Madeleine (Capriccio), and her signature role, the Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier). Her art seduces or appals, depending on whether or not you like her finely-chiselled work, which is as multi-layered as a Viennese whirl. At the opera, her collaborations with Wilhelm Furtwängler or Herbert von Karajan were the perfect marriage of intelligence and the most heightened sensibility. It is perhaps in the Lieder, with dream partners such as Edwin Fischer, Furtwängler, Gieseking or Moore that Elisabeth Schwarzkopf reveals the most intimate, highest secrets of her art. Thanks to her husband and manager, Welter Legge, famous musical producer at the British firm EMI, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf has created a large number of recordings which today form an inimitable ensemble.
© FH / Qobuz
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Schwarzkopf & Karajan Live at the Royal Festival Hall
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Herbert von Karajan
Classical - Released by Urania on Feb 7, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel (Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Sena Jurinac, Rolando Panerai, Vittoria Palombini, Bruna Ronchini, Rita Streich, RAI Symphony Orchestra, RAI Symphony Chorus, Herbert von Karajan)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Sena Jurinac, Rolando Panerai, Vittoria Palombini, Bruna Ronchini, Rita Streich
Opera - Released by Opera d'Oro on Jul 2, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johann Strauss II : Eine Nacht in Venedig (A Night in Venice) (1954), Volume 1
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nicolai Gedda
Classical - Released by Classical Moments on Dec 17, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wolf: Lieder
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Kathleen Ferrier, Irmgard Seefried
Classical - Released by Past Classics on Feb 1, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Abu Hassan
Chorus of Radio Berlin, Symphony Orchestra of Radio Berlin, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Erich Witte, Michael Bohnen
Opera - Released by Past Classics on Jun 18, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hugo Wolf Recital - Salzburg, 12/08/1953
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Feb 22, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Sings Lieder
Classical - Released by Regis Records on Jan 1, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: La Betulia Liberata [The Liberation of Bethulia] (1952)
Turin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mario Rossi, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Classical - Released by Classical Moments on Apr 30, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart - Don Giovanni
Cesare Siepi, Elisabeth Grümmer, Anton Dermota, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Opera - Released by Classical Masters on Jul 1, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 'Choral'
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Elsa Cavelti, Ernst Häfliger, Otto Edelmann, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Philharmonia Orchestra -Lucerne Festival Choir
Symphonic Music - Released by Infinity on Jul 27, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht
Opera - Released by Blue Pie Records USA on Jan 1, 1949
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Igor Markevitch
Amedeo Berdini, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Igor Markevitch, Orchestre National de France, Ottovon Rohr, Berliner Philharmoniker
Classical - Released by Tahra on May 19, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hänsel und Gretel
The Philharmonia Orchestra, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Elisabeth Grümmer
Classical - Released by Past Classics on Feb 26, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Cantata, BWV 202 - Mahler: Kindertotenlieder
George London, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Hermann Schey
Classical - Released by Urania on Aug 11, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Otto Edelmann, Christa Ludwig
Opera - Released by Unchained Melodie on Aug 31, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Ultimate Collection
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Unchained Melodie on Jul 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo