Anita Välkki

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Anita Välkki, 1955

Anita Kaarina Välkki (born October 25, 1926 in Sääksmäki ; † April 27, 2011 in Helsinki ) was a Finnish opera singer ( soprano ).

Life

Välkki began her stage career as an actress and operetta singer at the city theaters in Kokkola (1946–1951) and in Vaasa (1952–1955). During this phase of her career she appeared in the title role of the operetta Countess Mariza . She then completed a vocal course in Helsinki, where she had her “natural voice” trained professionally. Her singing teachers were the Finnish singing teacher Tyyne Haase , the tenor Jorma Huttunen and the Finnish coloratura soprano Lea Piltti .

In 1954 she made her debut as a concert singer; In 1955 she was engaged to the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki, where she was a permanent member of the ensemble until 1963. From 1960 Välkki made regular guest appearances with the ensemble of the Finnish National Opera at the Royal Opera in Stockholm . There she had great success in 1960 in the title role of the opera Tosca and as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana . Later she appeared in Stockholm in Aida and as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre . At the Finnish National Opera, Välkki sang in addition to the Wagner subject: Aida, Tosca, Santuzza, Turandot and the title role in Katja Kabanowa .

From 1961 she also made guest appearances outside Scandinavia. She sang at the Covent Garden Opera in London (1961 as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre , 1962 and 1964), at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo (1962, also as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre ), at the Philadelphia Opera House (1963) and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York (debut: January 1962 as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre ); there she later sang the Kundry in Richard Wagner's Parsifal stage consecration several times in the 1965/66 season .

In 1963 and 1964 Välkki sang at the Bayreuth Festival . She took over Brünnhilde in Die Walküre and the Third Norn in Götterdämmerung . From 1962 to 1964 Vällki sang regularly at the Vienna State Opera . There she appeared as Senta in The Flying Dutchman , as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre and in the title role of the opera Turandot .

Until the early 1980s Välkki appeared as a soprano; she sang mainly the highly dramatic role subject and was particularly valued as a Wagner singer. In the Wagner subject she also sang Elisabeth and Venus in Tannhäuser and Isolde in Tristan and Isolde . Later she changed her subject to the mezzo-soprano . She sang the mezzo-soprano part of Mary in Richard Wagner's romantic opera The Flying Dutchman at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in 1983, 1985 and 1989 .

Välkki also took part in two important world premieres: 1975 as the merchant's wife in the opera Der Reitersmann by Aulis Sallinen (Savonlinna Opera Festival) and in 1986 in the opera Juha by Aarre Merikanto (Helsinki National Opera).

She officially ended her career in 1986, but continued to perform occasionally on the opera stage and in concerts. Välkki has been teaching singing at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki since 1982 . Välkki has received several awards for her artistic work: the Pro Finlandia Medal (1965), the Lea Piltti Award (2002) and the Finland Prize for Art and Culture (2004). In 1971 she presented her autobiography Taiteen vuoksi .

Välkki died after a long illness.

Audio documents

Anita Välkki's voice is preserved on some audio documents. Overall, however, there are only relatively few recordings.

Välkki's only official record was for a long time Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen at Decca under the musical direction of Georg Solti ; in it Välkki sang the Third Norn in Götterdämmerung . Later excerpts from Finnish operas and from Wagner operas were published on the Finnish label Finlandia .

Live recordings of the operas Der Reitersmann (world premiere, Savonlinna Opera Festival 1975) and The Flying Dutchman (Savonlinna Opera Festival, 1989) have been preserved. The live recording of the Flying Dutchman has now also been released on DVD .

A live recording of the opera Turandot (with Välkki in the title role) from 1966 from New York, Aida (with Välkki in the title role) from 1960 from Stockholm (Opera Depot), Die Walküre (with Välkki as Brünnhilde) from Bayreuth 1963 ( Opera Depot), Die Walküre (with Välkki as Brünnhilde) from Bayreuth 1964 (Opera Depot) and Die Walküre from London 1966 (Premiere Opera).

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Anita Välkki Vita on the homepage of the Bayreuth Festival
  2. ↑ List of roles by Anita Välkki in: Chronik der Wiener Staatsoper 1945–2005 , p. 796. Löcker Verlag, Vienna 2006. ISBN 3-85409-449-3
  3. ↑ Opera Singer Anita Välkki Has Died Death Message YLE Uutiset
  4. ↑ Oopperalaulaja Anita Välkki on kuollut obituary in: Ilta-Sanomat from April 28, 2011
personal data
SURNAME Välkki, Anita
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Välkki, Anita Kaarina
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Finnish opera singer (soprano)
DATE OF BIRTH October 25, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH Sääksmäki
DATE OF DEATH April 27, 2011
Place of death Helsinki