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Lucia Popp (Lucia Poppova) (November 12, 1939â??November 16, 1993) was a popular operatic soprano from Slovakia.
"Miss, you're phenomenal!" cried the great Elisabeth Schwarzkopf upon hearing her for the first time. Lucia Popp made her debut in 1963 in Bratislava, and then appeared at the State Opera of Vienna, Austria, where she remained until her death. Popp began with magnificent portrayals of coloratura soprano roles, and as her career progressed, moved into the light-lyric, and then lyric, repertoire. Every movement gained her notable success.
Popp is perhaps best known for her rendition of the Queen of the Night in the legendary 1963 recording of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Magic Flute directed by Otto Klemperer. Her incredible talent in this midst of the other impressive singers on the recording is still a wonderful reminder of a golden age of operatic singing.
Her timbreâ??both round and warmâ??and her technique are well-loved by opera connoisseurs worldwide. One of the foremost interpreters of coloratura soprano roles since World War II, Popp has sung in the greatest theaters of the world, notably in Salzburg, Munich, and London. "Not really a scholar, but a theatrical sweetheart.", she described herself. Aside her singing, her warm and charming personalities were also lovingly remembered.
She married twice. Her second husband was Peter Seiffert, a famous German tenor. She died of brain cancer suddenly.
Besides the Queen of the Night, Popp is known for her performances as Susanna later the Contessa (The Marriage of Figaro), Pamina (The Magic Flute), Sophie later the Marschallin (R. Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier) and as Eva (Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg). Her operetta performances were also highly praised. Because of her progressions in her career, she would sing various roles in the same opera in different stages: (to name but a few) Zdenka and Arabella (R. Strauss's Arabella), Susanna and Contessa (Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro), Queen of the Night and Pamina (Mozart's Die Zauberflote), Zellina to Donna Elvira, later Donna Anna (Mozart's Don Giovanni), Adele and Rosalinde (J. Strauss II's Die Fledermaus), Annchen and Agathe (Weber's Der Freischutz), and Sophie and the Marschallin (R. Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier).
Recordings
Basically, she didn't record the roles she didn't sing on stage (with few exceptions: i.e. Elisabath in Wagner's Tannhauser and the title role in R. Strauss's Daphne); and not all her favourite roles were recorded. Here is a selection of her recordings:
- Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro (as Susanna), with te Kanawa, von Stade, Allen, Ramey, and Sir Solti (Decca)
- Mozart: Don Giovanni (as Zellina), with Weikl, Sass, M. Price, T. Krause, Sir Solti (Decca)
- Mozart: Die Zauberflote (as Queen of the Night), with Janowitz, Berry, Gedda, Frick, and Klemperer (EMI)
- Mozart: Die Zauberflote (as Pamina), with Jerusalem, Brendel, Zednik, Gruberova and Haitink (EMI)
- Mozart: Idomeneo (as Ilia), with Pavarotti, Baltsa, Nucci, Gruberova, and Sir Pritchard (Decca)
- R. Strauss: Intermezzo (as Christine), with Dallapozza, Fischer-Dieskau, Finke and Sawallisch (EMI) --- without texts, be cautious.
- R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier (as Sophie), with Domingo, Ludwig, G. Jones, Berry and Bernstein (Sony) -- currently not available.
- R. Strauss: Daphne (as Daphne), with Goldberg, Schreier, Wenkel, Moll and Haitink (EMI)
- J. Strauss II: Die Fledermaus (as Adele), with Varady, Weikl, Kollo, Prey and C. Kleiber (DG)
- J. Strauss II: Die Fledermaus (as Rosalinde), with Lind, Baltsa, Seiffert, Brendel, Rydl and Domingo (EMI)
- Beethoven: Fidelio (as Marzelline), with Janowitz, Kollo, Sotin, Fischer-Dieskau, Jungwirth and Berstein (DG)
- Janacek: The Cunning Little Vixen (as the Vixen), with Randova, Jedlicka, Blachut and Sir Mackerass (Decca)
- Humperdinck: Hansel und Gretel (as Gretel), with Schlemm, Fassbaender, Gruberová, Hamari, Burrowes, Berry and Sir Solti (Decca)
Aside these, her complete operatic recordings also include Leoncavallo's La Boheme (as Mimi, Orfeo); Verdi's Rigoletto (as Gilda, RCA); Puccini's Suor Angelica (as Angelica, RCA), Il Tabarro (as Giogetta, RCA); Donizetti's L'elisir D'amore (as Adina, RCA); Flotow's Martha (as the title role, EMI), Mozart's Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (as Blonde, EMI), Mozart's Le Clemenza di Tito (as Vitellia for Harnoncourt, Teldec; and Servilia for Kertetz, Decca); Janacek's Jenufa (for Decca, but not title role); and Lehar's Der Graf von Luxemburg (EMI) etc.
She also sang Lieder. Hyperion's Schubert Edition contains an album from her (one of her last recordings). She recorded R. Strauss's "Four Last Songs" twice (with Tennstedt for EMI, and Tilson Thomas for Sony, this is also her last recording), Mahler's "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" twice (with Weikl, Tennstedt for EMI, and Schimidt, Berstein for DG). EMI also issued two albums in the company's 'Red Line' series (Slavonic Arias, and Operetta Arias).
Orfeo also has issued several 'live' recordings of her.
External links
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