Waltraud Meier

Waltraud Meier is a Soprano (originally Mezzo-soprano) German.

Born with Würzburg in January 1956, Waltraud Meier grows in a family which practices the music. It belongs to five choral societies and starts studies of languages, which it intends to teach. Passion for the song carries it and Waltraud Meier made its beginnings at 20 years with the opera of its birthplace, in the role of Lola (Cavalleria Rusticana, of Pietro Mascagni).

Two years later, it integrates the troop of the opera of Mannheim and, according to its own terms, sings " all that did not resist pas". It makes its international beginnings in Buenos Aires in 1980, in the role of Fricka (the Gold of the Rhine and the Valkyrie, of Richard Wagner), but the celebrity will come really 3 years later, when it gains a triumph with the Festival of Bayreuth in the role of Kundry (Parsifal, of Wagner). The genesis of its arrival with Bayreuth is interesting, since it starts by gaining an assistance of young singer and gains places for the " Ring" centenary of Patrice Chéreau and Pierre Boulez. She says itself to have contacted the direction of the festival under the blow of the audacity of youth, thinking of being committed for the " Ring" directed by Georg Solti in the role of Fricka or Waltraute. She is convened only one year after its first call. During its hearing, there was to be the partition of " Parsifal" that one invites it to sing. She says whereas it is impossible for her to sing the role of Kundry since Léonie Rysanek carried the title role. Wolfgang Wagner says to him whereas Kundry allows all to show and thus it begins in this role in alternation to only sing it during ten years. In 1993 Waltraud Meier turns to the roles of soprano, of which Isolde that it marks of its print in the setting in scene of Heiner Müller, always in Bayreuth, in company of Siegfried Jerusalem in the role of Tristan. The musical world regards it as Wagnerian exceptional, and the scenes of the whole world invite it (the Covent Garden of London, the Opéra of Paris, the Opera of Nice, the Bayerische Staatsoper, the Staatsoper unter den Linden, the Staatsoper of Vienna, the Chicago Lyric Opera, the Metropolitan Opera New York etc). Waltraud Meier burns the boards by its instinct of actress and accomplished musician.

Put aside Kundry, that it continues to sing, its powerful voice and its exceptional gifts of actress return her Ortrud (Lohengrin), Venus (Tannhäuser), Isolde (Tristan und Isolde), Sieglinde (the Valkyrie) legendary. But Waltraud Meier is not limited to Wagner: Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana), the title role of Carmen (Bizet), Gave Elvira (Don Giovanni, of Mozart), the Type-setter (ARIANE in Naxos, of Richard Strauss), Leonore (Fidelio, of Beethoven), Didon (Troyens, of Berlioz), Jeanne d' Arc (the Maid of Orleans, Tchaïkovski), Giulietta (Tales of Hoffmann, of Offenbach), Marie (Wozzeck, of Alban Berg) like some verdiens roles, like Amneris ( helped) or Eboli (Don Carlos), also form part of its repertory. Demanding and cultivated artist Waltraud Meier is also a large singer of Lied. She devotes herself to it besides during a whole season lyric, in 2002-2003, and perfect her approach with the disc of this repertory intimist, of Schubert with Schumman while passing through Hugo Wolf.

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