Biserka Cvejić

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Biserka Cvejić (born November 5, 1923 in Krilo-Jesenice near Dugi Rat , then Kingdom of Yugoslavia ; † January 7, 2021 in Belgrade , Serbia ) was a Yugoslav opera singer ( mezzo-soprano / alto ).

Life

Training and beginnings

Biserka Cvejić, born as Biserka Katušić in the Dalmatian coastal town of Krilo-Jesenice, 15 km southeast of Split , came to Liege with her parents when she was one year old . After the Second World War , she returned to her Yugoslav homeland in 1946, where she initially worked as an interpreter . Her voice was discovered by the Spanish tenor José Riavez (1890-1958), who was also her teacher.

During her studies at the Belgrade Music Academy (today: Music Faculty), she jumped in 1950 at the Belgrade Opera House for a sick colleague as Maddalena in Rigoletto . She made her official debut in 1954 at the Belgrade Opera House as Charlotte in Werther . She remained a permanent member of the Belgrade Opera ensemble until 1959 and, as part of the ensemble, also gave her first guest performances abroad, for example at the Wiesbaden International May Festival (1959) and at the Nice Opera House (1960).

International career

In October 1959 she made her debut at the Vienna State Opera as Amneris in Aida . From 1960 to 1978 Cvejić was a permanent member of the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera, at which she could be heard in a total of 372 performances in 25 different roles until May 1978. She sang there next to the Amneris and others. Carmen , Eboli , Azucena , Ulrica , Brangäne , Herodias and Adelaide in Arabella .

She made guest appearances in Europe, among others. at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona (1961), at the Covent Garden Opera in London (1962), at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels (1963 as Carmen), at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples (1963 as Brangäne, 1968-69 and 1971 as Amneris), at the Teatro Regio di Torino (1964 as Brangäne, 1969 as Azucena), at the Teatro Massimo Palermo (1964 as Amneris) and at the Bavarian State Opera Munich (1969 as Amneris).

She also sang at the Edinburgh Festival and the Arena di Verona (1968-69 as Amneris, 1971 as Azucena). In the 1969/70 season she sang the female title role in Samson et Dalila at La Scala in Milan . In 1972 she appeared again at the Teatro Liceu, this time as Charlotte in Werther . In 1977 she sang with Régine Crespin in Paris in Marie-Magdeleine by Jules Massenet .

In April 1961 she made her debut as Amneris in Aida at the Metropolitan Opera in New York , where she performed eight different roles until October 1967, in addition to Amneris as Azucena, Ulrica, Eboli, Dalila, Laura in La Gioconda , as Principessa di Bouillon in Adriana Lecouvreur and when Giulietta was heard in Les contes d'Hoffmann .

Cvejić also sang overseas several times between 1963 and 1968 at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires (Dalila, Marina , Octavian , Amneris). In 1967 she made a guest appearance in Tokyo as Eboli in Don Carlos .

Later years and private matters

From 1978 onwards, Cvejić devoted himself increasingly to singing lessons and training. She taught as a professor of solo singing at the Belgrade Music Academy and later at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad . In 1979 she was appointed Austrian Chamber Singer . In 1990 she finally ended her stage and singing career. Her students included the tenor Nikola Kitanovski , the mezzo-sopranos Milena Kitić and Monika Bohinec and the international baritone Željko Lučić .

For her services she was awarded the Serbian Medal for Art. In 2001 she became a member of the French Legion of Honor . In 2014 she received the Dositej Obradovic Prize for her life's work ( Nagrada Dositej Obradović za životno delo ).

Biserka Cvejić was married to the doctor and lecturer Dusan Cvejić from Belgrade, who also acted as a singer (tenor) and had appeared with her at the World Youth Congress in Belgrade in 1958. She died in Belgrade in January 2021 at the age of 97.

Repertoire and audio documents

Biserka Cvejić has appeared in a total of 77 mezzo-soprano roles in over 1,800 performances on stages around the world. She sang mainly the dramatic mezzo-soprano and alto parts in the operas of Giuseppe Verdi (Amneris, Azucena, Eboli, Ulrica, Preziosilla , Maddalena). She also appeared in Italian verismo operas .

She has also interpreted roles in the French (Carmen, Dalila), Russian (Marina und Amme in Boris Godunow , Olga in Eugen Onegin , Paulina in Pique Dame ) and the German repertoire ( Fricka , Brangäne, Herodias, Adelaide).

Biserka Cvejić had "a dark timbred, beautifully formed alto voice". (Carriage / belt). Her voice is documented on several complete opera recordings, including published by Decca ( Snow Maiden , Eugene Onegin , Pique Dame ) and on MGM-Heliodor. A recital with opera arias was published at Jugoton .

Directed by Arthur Maria Rabenalt, she sang and played the role of the gypsy Czipra in a 1975 operetta adaptation of the Strauss operetta The Gypsy Baron . She also sang this role in a 1969 EMI recording of the operetta with Grace Bumbry and Nicolai Gedda .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Mezzo-soprano Biserka Cvejic died at the age of 97 . Obituary. The standard of January 7, 2021. Accessed January 8, 2021.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h Mezzo-soprano Biserka Cvejic has died . Obituary. Klassik.com from January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Preminula primadona Biserka Cvejić . Obituary at rs.n1info.com on January 7, 2021. Accessed January 9, 2021.
  4. ↑ AIDA . Occupation. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  5. ↑ SANSONE E DALILA . Cast archive of La Scala in Milan . Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  6. ↑ E DALILA . Cast archive of La Scala in Milan . Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  7. ↑ Aida . Metropolitan Opera House: 04/14/1961. Cast archive of the Metropolitan Opera . Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  8. ↑ La Gioconda . Metropolitan Opera House: 10/27/1967. Cast archive of the Metropolitan Opera . Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  9. ↑ Cvejic, Biserka: Mezzosoprano . Cast archive of the Metropolitan Opera . Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  10. ↑ a b BISERKA CVEJIC . Obituary of the Vienna State Opera . Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  11. ↑ The Gypsy Baron . Production details and cast. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  12. ↑ BUMBRY / GEDDA / CVERJIC "ZIGEUNERBARON" -1969 trio 2 ACT . Retrieved January 8, 2021.
personal data
SURNAME Cvejić, Biserka
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Katusić, Biserka (maiden name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION Yugoslav opera singer (mezzo-soprano / alto)
DATE OF BIRTH November 5, 1923
PLACE OF BIRTH Krilo-Jesenice near Dugi Rat , then Kingdom of Yugoslavia
DATE OF DEATH January 7, 2021
Place of death Belgrade , Serbia