Soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is one of the most celebrated and iconic opera singers of the 20th century. Born in 1915 in Jarocin, Poland, she grew up in a musical family, with her father being a conductor and her mother a pianist. As a child, she sang in choirs and studied the violin, but soon realized her true passion lay in singing. She trained at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik, studying with Lula Mysz-Gmeiner and later with Maria Ivogün, learning a wide range of styles and techniques. Her first professional engagement was at the Berlin State Opera, in 1941, where she became an immediate sensation. She made her operatic debut as the Countess in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. Her voice was described by the critics as a “velvet glove” – a combination of warmth and power that captivated audiences. She sang many of the great roles of the German repertoire, including the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier and the title roles in Ariadne auf Naxos and Salome. Although Schwarzkopf was primarily a stage performer, she was also a highly respected recording artist. Her international career began in 1947, when she signed a recording contract with EMI and released her first album, An Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Recital, an instant success which launched her onto the international stage. She went on to become one of the most recorded classical singers of all time, with over 200 EMI albums to her name. She was a passionate advocate for the promotion and preservation of classical music and opera, and today many of her recordings of Strauss, Mozart, Verdi or Wagner, are considered classics and have been released in multiple formats. Soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf had a distinguished career that spanned six decades, during which she became one of the world’s most celebrated sopranos. From 1944 to 1956, she was a member of the Vienna State Opera, and in 1956, she moved to London to join the Royal Opera House.
During this period, she worked with some of the world’s most renowned conductors and musical directors, including Sir Georg Solti, Herbert von Karajan, and Sir Thomas Beecham. Also, throughout the 1950s, Schwarzkopf was a regular guest at many of the world’s great opera houses, including La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. Her recordings with the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Otto Klemperer, are particularly celebrated for their beauty and artistry. In the later years of her career, Schwarzkopf became a voice teacher, mentoring many of the top opera singers of the time. She was also a prolific author, publishing five books on the subject of singing, as well as a number of volumes of poetry. Schwarzkopf was known for her exquisite voice and her ability to deliver powerful, emotional performances. Her most famous roles included Strauss’s Arabella, Mozart’s Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, and Wagner’s Brünnhilde in The Ring Cycle. Her other notable performances include roles in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Verdi’s Aida, and Puccini’s Tosca. She was awarded numerous honors and awards, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1981, the Order of the British Empire in 1978, and the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Gold Medal in 1982. I cannot overlook that she was also awarded honorary doctorates from Cambridge University and Oxford University. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf died on August 3, 2006, in Schruns, Austria. She is remembered as one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century and her influence on the world of opera can still be felt today. We cannot forget that her legacy continues to inspire and influence aspiring singers and classical music lovers around the world.
