Barbara Hannigan
The Canadian coloratura soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan, born in 1971 in Waverley, Nova Scotia, really isn’t like any other artist. Her home country, where they sing all kinds of music without any preconception, has probably helped her follow a musical path unlike any other, whose originality couldn’t fail to inspire the numerous composers who have written and still continue to write works for her.
She’s a special artist. Vocally first of all: her voice is unique, as much by its technical virtuosity, always expressive, as by the various colours she dons it, which allows her to sing everything with a formidable versatility. Second of all, synthetically: by letting her fiery theatrical temperament explode, Barbara Hannigan also knows how to bring her body and fascinating stage presence into play. And last of all, by combining genres as well, because this gifted all-around artist proves to be equally at ease conducting an orchestra, by triumphing as much in London, Munich, Brussels (at the Théâtre de La Monnaie), Milan (at the Scala), New York (at the Lincoln Center), etc., as in France at the Opéra de Paris, at the Châtelet, in Aix-en-Provence, where we see her stand at the side of great figures like Pierre Boulez, Henri Dutilleux or the greatest directors—an extremely rare occurrence for a singer at such an international level (we saw Placido Domingo, José Cura, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Peter Schreier try their hand at this, but only for a few limited attempts). Since 2011, Barbara Hannigan has had a privileged relationship with the “Ludwig” orchestra, composed of the best instrumentalists coming from various Dutch and international formations.
If Barbara Hannigan is first and foremost a great performer of the repertoire from the 20th and 21st centuries (Ligeti, Stockhausen, Andriessen, Knussen…) and a regular of the places that bring it to life (Manifesto Festival, Ircam…), she tackles the repertoire from the previous centuries—from Handel to Britten, to Gluck, Mozart, Janáček or even Stravinsky—, but always having her own take on it to make it an almost new creation. Because everything she sings is in close affinity with her soul and sensibility. To accompany her, some beautiful phalanges and conductors fight over her (the London Sinfonietta, Bamberger Symphoniker, Berliner Philharmoniker, Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre National de France…, conducted by Peter Eötvös, Jonathan Nott, Sir Simon Rattle, Reinbert de Leeuw, Peter Rundel, Michael Gielen…).
© Qobuz / GG (2017)
Discography
17 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Infinite Voyage
Emerson String Quartet, Barbara Hannigan, Bertrand Chamayou
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on Sep 8, 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Vienna : Fin de Siècle (Webern, Berg, Schönberg, Mahler...)
Barbara Hannigan, Reinbert de Leeuw
Lieder (German) - Released by Alpha Classics on Aug 24, 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
La Passione. Grisey, Nono, Haydn
Barbara Hannigan, Ludwig Orchestra
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on Mar 20, 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sehnsucht (Live in Rotterdam)
Barbara Hannigan, Raoul Steffani, Camerata RCO, Rolf Verbeek
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on Oct 21, 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Crazy Girl Crazy
Barbara Hannigan, Ludwig Orchestra
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on Sep 1, 2017
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Chin: Le silence des Sirènes
Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle, Barbara Hannigan
Concertos - Released by Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings on Feb 2, 2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Messiaen
Barbara Hannigan, Bertrand Chamayou
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on May 24, 2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Dance With Me
Ludwig Orchestra, Barbara Hannigan
Classical - Released by Alpha Classics on Mar 11, 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Britten
Barbara Hannigan, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Candida Thompson
Classical - Released by Channel Classics on Jan 1, 2012
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Written on Skin
Opera - Released by Nimbus Records on Feb 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Visman: Sables, Oxygène, Septet, New Heaven!
Schönberg Kwartet, Limburgs Symfonie Orkest, Barbara Hannigan
Classical - Released by Etcetera on Sep 1, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Defoort: House of the Sleeping Beauties
Asko Schönberg, Patrick Davin, Omar Ebrahim, Barbara Hannigan
Classical - Released by Fuga Libera on Nov 5, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Luca Francesconi: Etymo
Barbara Hannigan, Pablo Márquez, Benny Sluchin, IRCAM, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Susanna Mälkki
Classical - Released by KAIROS on Jan 1, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dutilleux: Correspondances
Barbara Hannigan, Anssi Karttunen, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Esa-Pekka Salonen
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 22, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ayres : In the Alps
Classical - Released by NBELive on Sep 3, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gerald Barry: The Importance of Being Earnest (Live)
Barbara Hannigan, Peter Tantsits, Katalin Károlyi, Joshua Bloom, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Thomas Adès
Opera - Released by NMC Recordings on Sep 22, 2014
Gramophone Editor's Choice24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rage d'amours
Asko Schönberg, Reinbert de Leeuw, Claron McFadden, Barbara Hannigan, Young Hee Kim
Classical - Released by Attacca on Oct 3, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo