Swedish mezzo-soprano
Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a Swedish
mezzo-soprano . Her repertoire encompasses
lieder , operas,
oratorios and also rock and pop songs.
Early life
Von Otter was born in
Stockholm , Sweden. Her father was
Göran von Otter , a Swedish diplomat in Berlin during
World War II .
[1] She grew up in Bonn, London and Stockholm. She studied in Stockholm and at the
Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where her teachers included
Vera Rózsa .
[2] In 1982, she won second prize in the
ARD International Music Competition .
From 1983 to 1985, she was an ensemble member of the
Basel Opera , where she made her professional operatic début as Alcina in
Haydn 's
Orlando paladino . She made her
Royal Opera House , Covent Garden, début in 1985 and her
La Scala debut in 1987. Her
Metropolitan Opera début was in December 1988 as Cherubino in
The Marriage of Figaro .
[3]
Career
Her recording of Grieg songs won the 1993
Gramophone Record of the Year, the first time in the award's history that it had gone to a song recording. In 2001, she released her album with
Elvis Costello , For the Stars ,
[4] for which she won an
Edison Award . She was awarded the
Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo
in 2015 for her album of French songs, Douce France . She is a regular recital and recording partner with Swedish pianist
Bengt Forsberg .
[5]
[6]
[7]
In 2006, von Otter sang the Evangelist in the premiere of
Sven-David Sandström 's
Ordet – en passion . Other work in contemporary music has included singing the role of The Woman in Senza Sangue of
Péter Eötvös .
[8] In other media, she appeared in the film
A Late Quartet .
[9]
In 2007, she released an album of music written by composers imprisoned in the Nazi ghetto of
Theresienstadt concentration camp (also known as Terezin) before their transportation to the death camp of Auschwitz. She collaborated on this project with
Christian Gerhaher (baritone) and chamber musicians. She has stated that the material has special personal meaning for her as her father had attempted unsuccessfully during the war to spread information that he had received from SS officer
Kurt Gerstein about the Nazi death camps.
[10]
In 2016, von Otter sang Leonora in the world premiere of
Thomas Adès '
The Exterminating Angel , and again in 2017 at the
Royal Opera House , Covent Garden. She created the principal role of Charlotte in
Sebastian Fagerlund 's 2017 opera Autumn Sonata , based on the
1979 film by
Ingmar Bergman at the
Finnish National Opera in Helsinki conducted by
John Storgårds .
[11]
Family life
Von Otter was married to
Benny Fredriksson until his suicide on 17 March 2018.
[12]
[13] He was an actor and managing director of The Stockholm House of Culture, including the Stadsteater (Stockholm City Theatre). The couple had two children. She lives in the capital Stockholm.
[2]
Awards and honours
Discography
Selective charting albums
Anne Sofie von Otter, 2013
(Peak positions in
Sverigetopplistan , the Swedish national record chart)
Recordings
Lieder and songs
Complete operas
Aria recordings
Anne Sofie von Otter sings
Offenbach , conducted by
Marc Minkowski – Deutsche Grammophon
Baroque Arias by Handel, Monteverdi, Roman and Telemann, with the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble – Proprius
Ombre de mon amant , French baroque arias conducted by
William Christie – Archiv
Opera Arias by Gluck, Haydn and Mozart, conducted by
Trevor Pinnock – Archiv
Oratorios, symphonies, etc
Bach :
St Matthew Passion English Baroque Soloists, Sir
John Eliot Gardiner
Beethoven :
Symphony No. 9 , with Luba Orgonasova,
Anthony Rolfe Johnson ,
Gilles Cachemaille , the
Monteverdi Choir and the Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique, conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner
Berlioz:
L'Enfance du Christ , Gilles Cachemaille,
Jules Bastin ,
José Van Dam , Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Lyon, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner - Erato 1988
Maurice Duruflé : "
Requiem ", conducted by Michel Plasson – EMI
Elgar :
The Dream of Gerontius , with
Alastair Miles and
David Rendall , conducted by Sir
Colin Davis
Handel :
Jephtha , with
Michael Chance ,
Lynne Dawson and
Stephen Varcoe , with the English Baroque Soloists conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner
Mauricio Kagel :
Sankt-Bach-Passion , conducted by the composer – Naïve
Mahler : Symphony No. 3 , conducted by
Pierre Boulez – Deutsche Grammophon
Mozart :
Requiem :
Barbara Bonney , Anne Sofie von Otter,
English Baroque Soloists ,
Monteverdi Choir , conducted by
John Eliot Gardiner – Archiv
Great Mass in C minor : Barbara Bonney, Anne Sofie von Otter, English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner
Franz Schubert :
Rosamunde with the
Chamber Orchestra of Europe , conducted by
Claudio Abbado
Camille Saint-Saëns ,
Oratorio de Noël , Royal Opera Theater, Orchestra, The Michael Chamber Choir, conducted by Anders Eby. CD Proprius Musik AB 1994
Other music
Home for Christmas , classical works and popular tunes for Christmas (1999) Deutsche Grammophon
For the Stars , a collection of rock and pop songs (by the likes of
Brian Wilson ,
Andersson –
Ulvaeus and
Lennon–McCartney ), with
Elvis Costello and
Svante Henryson (2001) Deutsche Grammophon
Peter Sculthorpe : Island Dreaming , with the
Brodsky Quartet (2001) Challenge Records
I Let the Music Speak – Songs of
ABBA including "
Money, Money, Money " and "
The Winner Takes It All " (2006) Deutsche Grammophon
Noel , classical Christmas music with Bengt Forsberg (2006) Deutsche Grammophon
Love Songs , with
Brad Mehldau (2010) Naïve
[24]
Ottorino Respighi : Il tramonto , with the Brodsky Quartet – Vanguard
The Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991 , Deutsche Grammophon DVD, 00440-073-4582
James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala (1996), Deutsche Grammophon DVD, B0004602-09
References
^ Paldiel, Mordecai, Saving the Jews: Amazing Stories of Men and Women Who Defied the "Final Solution" . Schreiber Publishing (
ISBN
1-887563-55-5 ), p. 45 (2000).
^
a
b Stephen Moss (5 August 2005).
"Super von trouper" . The Guardian . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
^
Donal Henahan (17 December 1988).
"Reviews/Music; Figaro Among Towering Columns" .
The New York Times . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
^
Neil Strauss (21 May 2001).
"Worlds of Mezzo and Pop Star Meet Somewhere in Between; Anne Sofie von Otter: Fresh Start" .
The New York Times . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
^
Anthony Tommasini (9 May 1998).
"Music Review: Von Otter, From Lieder to Blues" .
The New York Times . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
^
Anthony Tommasini (19 April 2005).
"Vibrant Singing at the Nice Price" .
The New York Times . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
^ Steve Smith (4 May 2009).
"Resilience of the Human Spirit, in Song" . The New York Times . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
^
Anthony Tommasini (10 May 2015).
"Review: A Peter Eotvos Premiere and Schubert at the New York Philharmonic" .
The New York Times . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
^
Stephen Holden (1 November 2012).
"The Strings Play On; The Bonds Tear Apart" .
The New York Times . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
^ David Bartal (17 September 2007).
"A Different Aria" . Forward . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
^ Dammann, Guy. The Brilliant Sound of Gnawing Anxiety.
Financial Times , Friday 15 September 2017, p. 10.
^
"High-Profile Death Prompts Backlash Against #MeToo in Sweden" . The Irish Times . Retrieved 30 July 2018 .
^
"Famed Swedish Opera Singer Blames #MeToo for Her Husband's Suicide: 'You Can Break a Person' " .
MSN . Retrieved 30 July 2018 .
^
"Anne Sofie von Otter" .
Nationalencyklopedin . Retrieved 22 April 2019 .
^
"Rolf Schock Prize Laureates" . Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 22 April 2019 .
^
"Anne Sofie von Otter" . Upmc.fr . Retrieved 18 January 2018 .
^
"Discography Anne Sofie von Otter" . swedishcharts.com . Retrieved 27 October 2022 .
^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 295.
^
"Discographie von Anne Sofie von Otter" . offiziellecharts.de (in German). Retrieved 27 October 2022 .
^
"Discografie Anne Sofie von Otter" . dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 October 2022 .
^
"Discography Anne Sofie von Otter" . norwegiancharts.com . Retrieved 27 October 2022 .
^
Fiona Maddocks (9 November 2013).
"Various: Douce France – review" . The Observer . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
^
Anne Midgette (16 January 2005).
"Classical Recordings: Anne Sofie von Otter Sinks Her Teeth Into the Baroque" .
The New York Times . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
^
John Fordham (18 November 2010).
"Brad Mehldau/Anne Sofie von Otter: Love Songs – Review" .
The Guardian . Retrieved 22 June 2016 .
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