Astrid Varnay in interview

German Television

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Opera
• Astrid
• Varnay

[osvaldito55]

The ever fascinating Astrid Varnay. It's wonderful to hear from her the fascinating mélange of languages and influences in her life. Imagine having to step in for Lotte Lehmann as Sieglinde, with little notice, in her first major role, and during a Met broadcast. What a woman, what a soprano!

[operafan85]

Her performance in Götz Friedrich's Elektra film as Kluthaimnestra is demonical....

[Rysanekfan]

I had the good fortune to hear Varnay sing Herodias opposite Rysanek's Salome in a production staged by the San Francisco Opera. Her entrance still plays in my mind and the sound of her voice...it had such presence. I relished the greatness of it all....

[manthasagittarius]

@RVP57 Yes, perfectly clear. I was just thinking that same thing -- I can understand her! She still has the same noble cast of features too, as in her young photos. Amazing.

[marlyharris]

How wonderful to see Varnay. She's so beautiful and animated and her speech is so clear. Great artist and great woman.

[einherzundeineseele]

Astrid Varnay hatte eine dramatische Stimme und war zugleich eine fantastische Schauspielerin, die ihre Rolle mit Bravour beherrschte, Sie sang Vieles, Wagner vornehmlich. Ich erinnere michnoch sehr an Kommunikationen, die ich mit dieser wunderbaren Opernsängerin hatte.

[TommyHaegin]

How beautiful she is/was see 3:30

[papoocanada]

such a great artist.......and to think that she returned to the Met in 1979 as Leocadia Begbick.

[timopragod]

That's the plain truth! Five days aweek for 2-3 hours a day. With that kind of teaching you did not need to go home and practice. You studied your music, but you had your teacher for the majority of your singing hours. That makes a BIG difference. Each voice is different and should find it's own time and path.

[RVP57]

And that was December 6th, 1941. The next day the US was at war with Japan. I have that performance on CD, it is fantastic. She was stunning. I understand German far better than I speak it, but it's as if I can understand every word Mme speaks in this interview. They don't make 'em like this anymore!

[rrgallo]

And sang for 50 years, which to me belies the fact that you have to be 30ish to start singing big stuff. Roberta Peters, Licia Albanese and so many others started that young and lasted so long and DIDN?T get an hour a week of singing at a mussic school..They studied the old way, three, four five years daily...

[bobzeschin]

...And all of 23 years old!