FanFaire Celebrates Hildegard Behrens, Supersoprano

Click any part of image to learn about a signature role.

Saddened by her passing, we celebrate her life.

HILDEGARD BEHRENS: SUPERSOPRANO*
She makes music worth seeing!

On the 1st Anniversary of Her Passing...>
The HILDEGARD BEHRENS FOUNDATION:
helping young artists reach their true artistic
and humanitarian potential

Read Ken Noda's 1st Anniversary TRIBUTE

ELEKTRA DVD RELEASED
one of 21 DVDs celebrating James Levine's 40th Anniversary
as Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera; now available
as a SINGLE DISC

VIEW A VIDEO OF MS. BEHRENS' 1994 GUEST APPEARANCE
on CBS MORNING NEWS the day before
the PBS telecast of Strauss'ELEKTRA.

WRITE A TRIBUTE READ THE TRIBUTES MET OVATIONS: BRÜNNHILDE ELEKTRA

A MUSICAL JOURNEY¹    "CD: THE VERY BEST"         KUSATSU FESTIVAL 2009

* ... a soaring ''Mild und leise"...
...hurling out the high notes with shining, seemingly tireless tones...
...only a SUPER SOPRANO can hope to deliver the Liebestod in such superb fashion.
Ms. Behrens is a SUPER SOPRANO in almost every sense."
- from the New York Times review of Ms. Behrens' performance as Isolde
in the Metropolitan Opera production of Tristan und Isolde,
Richard Wagner's celebration of death as the passage to the ultimate union,
as we celebrate Ms. Behrens' ascent into a state of "supreme bliss" (höchste Lust!)
"... undivided, one forever without end" (um ungetrennt, ewig einig, ohne End)
with her Maker who dearly blessed and loved her in life.
READ full quote.

"...by beautiful and eloquent gesture, movement and bearing,
a fine artist can make not only her voice but her body,
as much a part of a great music-drama
as any instrument in the score."
- George Bernard Shaw
(who, if he were living today, surely could sing the same praise
of Hildegard Behrens as he did of the German soprano
who sang Elektra in his time.)
READ full quote.

¹A beautifully written account by Ms. Behrens about her musical activities in 2007

CURRENTLY STREAMING:
- FREE and under license from OPERA TODAY:
FIDELIO with HILDEGARD BEHRENS in title role, Karl Böhm conducting
(includes complete downloable libretto)

EMAIL THIS PAGE!

THE ARTIST:    PROFILE     PORTRAITS     PERFORMANCES     DISCOGRAPHY     AWARDS     BEHRENS ON BEHRENS
SIGNATURE ROLES:     BRÜNNHILDE     ELEKTRA     SALOME     FIDELIO     ISOLDE     MARIE     SENTA
NEW ROLES:      THE KOSTELNICKA     THE WOMAN 'R'       KUNDRY     DIE LUSTIGE WITWE
CONCERTS: OLDENBURG     PHILADELPHIA     LOS ANGELES     TEMPLE OF DENDUR (NY)     BOSTON     INDIANAPOLIS    MADRID

about FANFAIRE        AUDIOFILES NEW RELEASES    FOOD & MUSIC      VIDEO    EMAIL UPDATE

Photo credits: Misako Uryu (Fidelio & Senta - Metropolitan Opera 1992-93); Ken Friedman* (Marie - San Francisco Opera, 1999); Winnie Klotz* (Elektra - Metropolitan Opera 1994); Winnie Klotz* (Brunnhilde - Metropolitan Opera 1997); Ken Howard* (Salome - Los Angeles Opera 1998); C. McKinnon (Isolde - Prinzregententheater, Munich 1999); FC ("R" - Salzburg Festival 1999). * Photo courtesy of the opera company. All others are courtesy of the photographers.

* Note: "She makes music worth seeing" is borrowed from the San Diego Opera motto "We make music worth seeing" originated by General Director Ian Campbell.

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