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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Mozart: Don Giovanni
Eberhard Wächter, Dame Joan Sutherland, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Carlo Maria Giulini, Philharmonia Orchestra
Opera - Released by Warner Classics on 1 jul. 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Closing Scene from "Capriccio" & Four Last Songs
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 jan. 1953
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: 12 Lieder by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Edwin Fischer (2023 Remastered, London 1952)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Edwin Fischer
Klassiek - Released by Alexandre Bak - Classical Music Reference Recording on 19 jun. 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Purcell: Didon et Énée (Mono Version)
Kirsten Flagstad, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, The Mermaid Orchestra, Geraint Jones
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1953
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonie n° 4 - Lieder
Otto Klemperer, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, Philharmonia Orchestra
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 mrt. 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stille Nacht
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 17 okt. 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Highlights from Der Rosenkavalier
Otto Edelmann, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig
Opera - Released by Stage Door on 24 mrt. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart : Così fan tutte
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 jan. 1963
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Very Best of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 4 aug. 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hugo Wolf Recital - Salzburg, 12/08/1953
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 22 feb. 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Songs You Love
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Gerald Moore
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 3 jul. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Song Book, Vol. 1
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Gerald Moore
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 nov. 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Lehár: Die Lustige Witwe
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 jul. 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Così fan tutte
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 jan. 1963
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Very Best of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Giuseppe Taddei, Fiorenza Cossotto
Opera - Released by Past Classics on 11 jan. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Mass in B Minor, BWV 232
Kathleen Ferrier, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Wiener Symphoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 16 okt. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn
George Szell, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, London Symphony Orchestra
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 16 mei 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Scenes from Arabella, Op. 79
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 30 aug. 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert : Lieder
Liederen (Duitsland) - Released by Warner Classics on 2 okt. 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
An Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Song Book, Vol. 3
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Geoffrey Parsons
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 nov. 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Messe en si mineur
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 26 sep. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo