Leonie Rysanek (Leonie Rysanek) |

Leonie Rysanek

Debut 1949 (Innsbruck, the part of Agatha in The Free Shooter). Since 1951, she successfully performed in Wagnerian parts at the Bayreuth Festival (Sieglinde in The Walküre, Elsa in Lohengrin, Senta in The Flying Dutchman, Elisabeth in Tannhäuser). Since 1955 she sang at the Vienna Opera. Since 1959 at the Metropolitan Opera (debut as Lady Macbeth, among other parts Tosca, Aida, Leonora in Fidelio, etc.). Among the best roles of the singer Salome, Chrysothemis in “Electra”, the Empress in “Woman Without a Shadow” by R. Strauss.

Rizanek is one of the greatest singers of the second half of the 2th century. She had outstanding acting skills. Her famous Sieglinde exclamation “Oh hehrstes Wunder” became a model for many imitations. In 20, at the Bayreuth Festival, she performed the role of Kundry in Parsifal (in a performance dedicated to the 1982th anniversary of this opera). The last time she sang on the opera stage was in 100 (Salzburg Festival, the part of Clytemnestra in Elektra). In 1996 she toured Moscow with the Vienna Opera. Recordings include the Empress (dir. Böhm, DG), Lady Macbeth (dir. Leinsdorf, RCA Victor), Desdemona (dir. Serafin, RCA Victor), Sieglinde (dir. Solti, Philips).

E. Tsodokov