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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The Great Conductors: Herbert von Karajan Conducts Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45
Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien, Hans Hotter, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
Klassik - Erschienen bei Jube Classic am 04.11.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Singers of the Century: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Oper - Erschienen bei Jube Classic am 07.10.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Masterpieces Presents Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Herbert Von Karajan
Klassik - Erschienen bei MASTERPIECES - Classical am 04.04.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Cantata, BWV 202 - Mahler: Kindertotenlieder
George London, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Hermann Schey
Klassik - Erschienen bei Urania am 11.08.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Presentation of the Rose
Modern Jazz - Erschienen bei Black Sheep Music am 20.12.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Oper - Erschienen bei Past Classics am 15.01.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sings Operetta Vol. 3
Oper - Erschienen bei Ap music am 26.09.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sweet Bird
Modern Jazz - Erschienen bei Black Sheep Music am 20.12.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Otto Edelmann, Christa Ludwig
Oper - Erschienen bei Unchained Melodie am 31.08.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Ultimate Collection
Vokalmusik (weltlich und geistlich) - Erschienen bei Unchained Melodie am 01.07.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert Song Recital
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Edwin Fischer
Klassik - Erschienen bei Ancien Prodige am 16.02.2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Les grandes sopranos de la musique classique : Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Vol. 1
Pop - Erschienen bei Mon patrimoine musical am 07.04.2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Milestones of a Conductor Legend: Otto Ackermann, Vol. 10
Oper - Erschienen bei Intense Media GmbH am 04.02.2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Four Elements, Vol. 1
Kammermusik - Erschienen bei Intense Media GmbH am 20.05.2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
More Songs You Love
Vokalmusik (weltlich und geistlich) - Erschienen bei PnR am 30.04.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Orff: Die Kluge
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Marcel Cordes, Philharmonia Orchestra
Klassik - Erschienen bei Discover Classical Music am 01.08.2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Die Lustige Witwe
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nicolai Gedda, Erich Kunz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Sinetone PCA am 29.01.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Franz Lehár: Highlights from Das Land Des Lächelns
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nicolai Gedda, Erich Kunz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Sinetone PCA am 29.01.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Sings Operetta
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Otto Ackerman, The Philharmonia Orchestra
Oper - Erschienen bei Violet Hill Records am 01.01.1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Sings Operetta
Oper - Erschienen bei Sunday Club Records am 27.11.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo