Anja Silja "Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du hin?" Fidelio

Hamburg, 1968

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Opera
• Beethoven
• Fidelio
• Leonora
• Anja
• Silja

[willrobinson1229]

Wow, what wonderfully clear, open, uncomplicated singing and yet totally expressive. Am I prejudiced to say "It's rare to find such singing today..."? Well, call me prejudiced :) This clip was a real pleasure to watch and hear.

[drbarbarabaker]

I hear nothing in this performance that I would say could be improved by voice teaching. Rather I hear a singer who lets her voice find its own true weight, something often ruined by voice teaching.

[lapinbizarre]

Heard her in this role in 1969 (Covent Garden, Klemperer conducting), She was memorable, tho' Klemperer was a tad past it. Thanks for posting.

[paulprocopolis]

Wonderful vocal control and artistry. The young Silja was quite something!

[LoudCitizen]

It is such a shame that Silja had to have her uterus removed after Riccardo Muti gave her the clap. Until she was diagnosed, she gave it to a few others, including Wieland Wagner (which is how it really got around in opera circles). She later forgave Muti, but her uterine contractions were bogus ever since.

[55werther]

Una autentica artista, todo terreno, tanto en lo vocal, como, en lo artistico. Lo mul-

tifacetica, que ella era, le permitia abordar una cerie de roles con amplicima y

gran ductiliad, todos roles de distintos estilos y escuela. Realmente una Gran

artista y muy imprescindible recordarla y apreciarla. Gran Talento.

[jhb134]

@moghedien13 - True, and Silja wasn't GREAT, here; it's interesting, anyway. We could add Sena Jurinac, Gundula Janowitz, and the enduring, great Kirsten Flagstad, in this singular opera ... IMO.

[moghedien13]

@Azzenstudent you can have both. ludwig, varnay, jones, rysanek, matilla, along with oh a dozen others.

[ekonvollm]

Ich habe Anja Silja oft in Stuttgart gehört und gesehen. Die Fidelio-Inszenierung von Wieland Wagner war einmalig, im Gegensatz zu der unsäglichen Inszenierung, die vor etwa 3 Jahren dort von Martin Kusej verbrochen wurde. Diese und viele andere Inszenierungen von wohl geistesgestörten Regisseuren bewogen mich, mein Abonnement nach 35 Jahren aufzugeben.

[steffino2]

@RobNYNY1957 It seems to be a competion among "dramatic sopranos", the worse their pronounciation and the bigger their wobble is, the more they are esteemed as "great professional singers". Sorry I am German and I like to understand what people are singing in my language. Brava Anja!

[willrobinson1229]

Exactly.