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
-
Capriccio (Intégrale)
Classical - Released by Naxos on Mar. 18, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Recital of Duets by Monteverdi, Carissimi & Dvořák
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Irmgard Seefried, Gerald Moore
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Sep. 20, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro (Mono Version)
Philharmonia Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Giuseppe Taddei
Classical - Released by BNF Collection on Jan. 1, 2013
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Christmas Album, Chants de Noël, Weihnachten (Original Album)
Christmas Music - Released by GazzaLadra on Jan. 1, 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Il Flauto Magico
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Giuseppe Taddei, Mario Petri
Opera - Released by Twilight Music on Mar. 15, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hugo Wolf Recital - Salzburg, 12/08/1953 (Live)
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Feb. 22, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
SCHUBERT; BRAHMS; MOZART
Classical - Released by Nar Classical on Apr. 12, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro (1950)
Erich Kunz, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, George London
Classical - Released by Classical Moments on Oct. 29, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
12 Lieder - 6 Moments musicaux
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Edwin Fischer
Chamber Music - Released by Warner Classics on Nov. 28, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert, Schumann & Strauss: Lieder
Lieder (German) - Released by Warner Classics on Sep. 28, 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Airs d'opéras de Mozart (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on Jan. 1, 1953
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: Requiem
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Classical - Released by Past Classics on Jan. 2, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mélodies de toujours, vol. 2 (Orchestrated by Charles Mackerras, Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on Jan. 1, 1958
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf live in Strasbourg, Vienna and Hannover
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Jacqueline Bonneau, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Hermann Reutter, Bruno Walter
Classical - Released by Archipel on Jun. 28, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Cantatas
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Jan. 1, 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wolf: Songs from the Romantic Poets
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Gerald Moore
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Aug. 30, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Songs I Love
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Geoffrey Parsons
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Jan. 1, 1975
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: 4 Letzte Lieder (Live at Royal Festival Hall, 1956)
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Jul. 12, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf sings Operetta
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Orchestra Philharmonia, Otto Ackermann
Opera Extracts - Released by Musical Concepts on Jun. 14, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Don Giovanni
Dame Joan Sutherland, Eberhard Wächter, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Luigi Alva, The Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Past Classics on Jan. 10, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weber & Wagner: Airs d'opéras (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on Jan. 1, 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo