Gundula Janowitz | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1937-08-02)2 August 1937 (age 88) Berlin, Germany |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Occupation | Soprano singer |
| Years active | 1959–1997 |
| Organisation | Vienna State Opera |
| Title | Kammersängerin |
| Awards | Austrian Decoration for Science and Art |
Gundula Janowitz (born 2 August 1937)[1] is an Austrianlyric soprano singer of operas, oratorios, lieder, and concerts. She is one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century and was pre-eminent in the 1960s and 1970s.
Janowitz was born in Berlin, Germany, but grew up inGraz, Austria, where she became anaturalised Austrian.[2] She studied at theGraz Conservatory in Austria,[3] and had already begun to sing at the highest level by the end of the 1950s (Haydn'sThe Creation, withHerbert von Karajan in 1960). In 1959, Karajan engaged her as Barbarina inMozart'sThe Marriage of Figaro at theVienna State Opera, of which she became a permanent member in 1962.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Janowitz became one of the most popular singers in her field internationally and she developed a comprehensive discography of works ranging fromBach toRichard Strauss. Those eminent conductors with whom she performed included Karajan, but alsoOtto Klemperer,Eugen Jochum,Leonard Bernstein,Rafael Kubelík,Karl Böhm,Georg Solti, andCarlos Kleiber.
One of the emphases of Janowitz's work was the development of song recitals, which she gave several times at theSalzburg Festival. Following her vocal career, she was active as a vocal teacher. In 1990, she temporarily took over the position of Opera Director in Graz.[3]
Janowitz appeared on many of the great stages of the world, including theGlyndebourne Festival Opera, theBayreuth Festival, theSalzburg Easter Festival, theMetropolitan Opera, theParis Opera,La Scala and theRoyal Opera House. In 1980, she sang the part of the Countess in a now legendary new production ofThe Marriage of Figaro (with Georg Solti as conductor,Giorgio Strehler as director andEzio Frigerio as set designer). Her recording of Schubert'sLieder for female voice has been twice awarded Germany'sDeutscher Schallplattenpreis.[4]
Janowitz's farewell to the operatic stage was on 18 May 1990, at the Vienna State Opera in the title role ofAriadne auf Naxos (withHeinrich Hollreiser as conductor, andFilippo Sanjust [de] as director and designer). She kept singingLieder recitals until 1997, when she completely retired from performing. As well as being an honorary member of the Vienna State Opera and of the Academy of Music in Graz, she was appointed an honorary member of theRoyal Academy of Music in London in 2000.
Janowitz's voice is recognizable by its pure,[5][6] "creamy"[7] tone, and rapid vibrato.[8] Like her predecessorMaria Stader, who had a similartimbre to hers, and like her contemporary,Elizabeth Harwood, Janowitz mastered first and foremost the high and middle register and lyrical-emotional expression. Despite her comparatively weak sound projection, she occasionally performed in dramatic roles (Sieglinde,Leonore,Elsa) or comic roles (Marzelline,Rosalinde), but she was most highly regarded asFiordiligi,Countess Rosina Almaviva,Pamina,Agathe,Arabella,Ariadne,Countess Madeleine, and in sacred music (the Angel Gabriel,The Creation).[1] Of her interpretation ofFour Last Songs by Richard Strauss,David Bowie wrote: "AlthoughEleanor Steber andLisa Della Casa do fine interpretations of this monumental work, Janowitz’s performance [...] has been described, rightly, as transcendental. It aches with love for a life that is quietly fading. I know of no other piece of music, nor any performance, which moves me quite like this."[9] With a few exceptions, she avoided foreign-language roles (although recordings exist of her singingDon Carlos and Verdi'sRequiem and all three Mozart/DaPonte operas in Italian). An excerpt of her portrayal of theFigaro Countess in the duettino "Canzonetta sull'aria" with Swiss sopranoEdith Mathis features prominently in the 1994 filmThe Shawshank Redemption.[10]
Concerts
Operas
