Waltraud Meier
Though she has achieved much acclaim for her Wagnerian roles -- and rightly so, mezzo-soprano Waltraud Meier possesses a vast repertory -- not to mention a consummate skill -- in Italian, French, and even Russian opera, from Bizet's Carmen and Tchaikovsky's Jeanne d'Arc to Verdi's Azucena (Il Trovatore) and Saint-Saëns' Dalila (Samson and Dalila). She has also sung a fair number of soprano roles, including Wagner's Isolde and Mascagni's Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana). Among other Wagner roles she has interpreted with distinction are Kundry (Parsifal), Waltraute (Götterdämmerung), Sieglinde and Fricka (Die Walküre), Venus (Tannhäuser), and Otrud (Lohengrin). But Meier's repertory extends to concert work and the recital hall, as well, taking in lieder of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, and Richard Strauss; the Requiems of Verdi and Mozart; Beethoven's Missa Solemnis; Mahler's Symphonies No. 2 and No. 8 and Das Lied von der Erde; and much else. She has appeared on numerous CDs and DVDs, many of which are available on DG, EMI, Erato, Sony, Virgin Classics, Warner Classics, Teldec, OpusArte, and Unitel.
Waltraud Meier was born in Würzburg, Germany, on January 9, 1956. She sang in numerous choruses as a child and teen. Her initial studies were in English and Romance languages, but she also took voice lessons privately with Dietger Jacob in Cologne.
In 1976 she debuted at the Würzburg Opera singing Lola in Cavalleria. From 1976-1978 she was a member of the Mannheim Opera, where she sang many roles.
1980 was a pivotal year for Meier: she made her international debut as Fricka in Buenos Aires at the famed Teatro Colon, and she was also taken on as a member of the Dortmund Opera, serving until 1983.
Meier's 1983 Bayreuth debut as Kundry was a sensation, catapulting her to international renown. She sang at Hanover for a season (1983-1984) and at Stuttgart for three (1985-1988). Meanwhile, she made a string of important debuts: Covent Garden (1984) as Princess Eboli (Verdi's Don Carlos); the Met (1987), again as Fricka; and the Vienna State Opera (1988) as Venus.
From her highly acclaimed 1993 Bayreuth appearance as Isolde, Meier has regularly sung dramatic soprano roles. At the 2001 Munich Opera Festival she gave her debut performance of Didon in Berlioz's Les Troyens, again drawing rave notices. Meier reprised Isolde at La Scala in 2007, with Daniel Barenboim conducting. In 2009 a recording based on the La Scala Tristan und Isolde performances was issued on Virgin Classics.
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Discography
10 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Strauss, R.: Elektra (Live At Philharmonie, Berlin / 2014)
Evelyn Herlitzius, Anne Schwanewilms, Waltraud Meier, René Pape, Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann
Klassiek - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 jan. 2014
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
Daniel Barenboim, Siegfried Jerusalem, Waltraud Meier, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO)
Vocale muziek (wereldlijk en religieus) - Released by Warner Classics International on 1 jan. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berg: Wozzeck, Op. 7
Waltraud Meier, Franz Grundheber, Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 jan. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Waltraud Meier Sings Wagner
Klassiek - Released by RCA Red Seal on 11 mrt. 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Meeting Venus (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Highlights from Wagner’s Tannhäuser]
Kiri Te Kanawa, René Kollo, Hakan Hagegard, Waltraud Meier, Philharmonia Orchestra, Marek Janowski
Originele soundtracks - Released by Warner Classics on 1 jan. 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms, Schubert, Schumann: Lieder
Klassiek - Released by RCA Red Seal on 1 feb. 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss, R.: Elektra (Live At Philharmonie, Berlin / 2014)
Evelyn Herlitzius, Anne Schwanewilms, Waltraud Meier, René Pape, Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann
Klassiek - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 jan. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler, Wagner & Wolf : Orchestral Songs (- Elatus)
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics International on 1 feb. 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
Daniel Barenboim, Siegfried Jerusalem, Waltraud Meier, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO)
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics International on 1 jan. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila, Op. 47
Myung-Whun Chung, Waltraud Meier, Plácido Domingo, Orchestre de l'Opéra Bastille
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 dec. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo