Elisabeth Söderström

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Lola in Cavalleria rusticana , Stockholm Royal Opera , 1954

Elisabeth Söderström (born May 7, 1927 in Stockholm ; † November 20, 2009 there ) was a Swedish opera and concert singer ( soprano ).

Life

Elisabeth Söderström, the daughter of the director Emanuel Söderström and the Russian Anna Palasova, first took private singing lessons with Adelaide von Skilondz before she attended the Royal Music Academy in Stockholm from 1947 to 1949 . Her debut was in 1947 as Bastienne in Bastien und Bastienne at the Drottningholm Theater , where she in 1948 parlant Le tableau of Grétry occurred. In the course of her career she often returned to this theater, which she also directed from 1993-1996.

In 1949 Söderström celebrated her first major successes at the opera house of which she was a member until 1980: the Royal Stockholm Opera . Here she took part in the world premiere of Heinrich Sutermeister's Der rote Stiefel on November 22, 1951 and in the Stockholm premieres of Katja Kabanowa (1976), The Makropulos Case (1965) and Doctor Faust (1969). Her repertoire also included Pamina in Die Zauberflöte , Octavian (later also Marschallin) in Rosenkavalier , the title role in Charpentier's Louise , Traviata , the four soprano parts in Hoffmann's Stories and Regina in the Swedish premiere of Mathis der Maler

From 1957 to 1979 Söderström interpreted numerous roles at the Glyndebourne Festival , such as the composer in Ariadne auf Naxos , Octavian in Rosenkavalier , the Countess in Capriccio and Christine in Intermezzo , Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro , Leonore in Fidelio and the Elisabeth Zimmer in Elegy for Young Lovers by Henze . In 1959 she was invited to the Edinburgh Festival for the first time , where she appeared in the title role of Jenůfa in 1974 and in Poulenc's La Voix humaine in 1992 .

In 1955 she sang Ighino in Palestrina at the Salzburg Festival . Appearances at all major European opera houses followed. The 1959/60 season brought her her debut at the Metropolitan Opera with Susanna in Figaro's wedding , at which she appeared regularly until 1964. In 1983 she returned to this house for four seasons, beginning with her appearance on the anniversary evening for the 100th anniversary of the "Met" as Marschallin in the finale of the Rosenkavalier with Kathleen Battle and Frederika von Stade. She also played the Countess in Figaro's wedding and Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes . In 1999 Söderström gave her official farewell performance from the opera stage here with the Countess in Pique Dame .

Since the Stockholm Opera guest performance at Covent Garden Opera in 1960, she has also been heard there often, for example in the modern Swedish opera Aniara von Blomdahl , as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte and, with particular success, in 1969 as Mélisande in Pelléas et Mélisande .

At world premieres at the Stockholm Opera she appeared in 1970 as Laura in the opera Hus med dubbel ingang by Hilding Rosenberg and in 1978 as Clitoria in Le Grand Macabre . In 1988 she sang at the Dallas Opera in the world premiere of The Aspern Papers by Dominick Argento , and in 1992 in Stockholm in the Swedish premiere.

The highlights of her wide-ranging operatic repertoire were Marguerite in Faust , Marie in Wozzeck , Traviata and the three female roles - Marschallin, Sophie and Octavian - in Rosenkavalier .

At the same time she was also an important concert singer and, since her first recital in Stockholm in 1947, also a world-renowned song interpreter. Since 1958 she has often performed in duets with the Swedish contralto Kerstin Meyer.

Söderström published her autobiography in 1978 under the title I min Tonart . 1991–96 she was the musical director of the Drottningholm Festival. Since 1950 she was married to Sverker Olow and lived in Lidingö .

Awards

  • Awarded the title “Swedish Court Singer” in 1959.
  • Member of the Stockholm Music Academy in 1965.
  • Awarded the "Litteris et Artibus" order in 1969.
  • Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 1973.
  • Awarded the title of professor in 1996.

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Söderström, Elisabeth
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish opera and concert singer (soprano)
DATE OF BIRTH May 7, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Stockholm
DATE OF DEATH November 20, 2009
Place of death Stockholm