(This HMV Review is for new items and is only for reference. Novelty will NOT be available for used items despite mentioned bellow.)
Lucia Popp - Queen of Night, Maiden of Light
Lucia Popp (born Lucia Poppova) entered the Academy in Bratislava primarily to study drama. Her voice was a mezzo-soprano but her musical lessons developed a high upper register to such a degree that her professional debut was as Queen of the Night in Mozart's opera Die Zauberflote in Bratislava. In 1963 Otto Klemperer heard her and she duly recorded this role with him in 1964. Also in 1963 Herbert von Karajan invited her to join the State Opera in Vienna where her first role was Barbarina in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro.
In June 1965 she recorded the soprano role in Orff's Carmina Burana with Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos who, at the age of 31, had already made a fine impression as a conductor of choral works. She made her debut at Covent Garden as Oscar in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera in 1966 and in New York in the following year as Queen of the Night. That year also saw her making her first solo recital recording - a selection of Handel and Mozart arias conducted by Georg Fischer.
The soubrette coloratura roles were then gradually replaced by lyric ones during the 1970s and ten years later these were supplemented by heavier roles such as Eva in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg; (she also agreed to record two roles she had not performed on stage: Elisabeth in Wagner's Tannhauser and the eponym in Strauss's Daphne). As a result of this vocal progression, she sang various roles in the same opera at different stages in her career - notably recording the role of Pamina, the Queen of the Night's daughter, ten years after recording that of her mother!
Besides opera she loved Lieder and she made recital discs of Schubert and Strauss for EMI Classics as well as the latter's Vier letzte Lieder with Klaus Tennstedt. Furthermore her stunning good looks, radiant smile and bubbling personality also meant she was ideal in operetta.
In December 1989 Czechoslovakia finally threw off the yoke of Soviet domination and at a celebratory concert in the Wenceslas Hall in Prague's Castle she was invited to sing the eponym's “Song to the Moon” from Dvorak's Rusalka. Tragedy for her, alas, was just round the corner as she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and died in Munich a mere four days after her 54th birthday on 16th November 1993. She was buried in Cintorin Slavicie udolie, Bratislava, which is now the resting-place of modern-day Slovak heroes including Alexander Dubcek. ( EMI )
CD1
Handel: Operas
1 Ombre, piante, urne funeste! (Rodelinda; Rodelinda, Act 1) 4.38
2 Un cenno leggiadretto (Atalanta: Serse or Xerxes, Act 1) 3.45
3 Ho perduto il caro sposo (Rodelinda; Rodelinda, Act 1) 4.54
4 Vinto e l'amor (Ottone; Ottone, Act 1) 3.56
5 E our cosi in un giorno...Piangero la mia sorte
(Cleopatra; Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Act III) 6.38
Handel: Oratorios
6 O had I Jubal's Lyre (Achsah; Joshua, Part III) 2.50
7 Wohlan, frohlocke, du Tochter Zion! (Der Messias, Part I) 4.31
8 Wie lieblich ist der Boten Schritt (Der Messias, Part II) 2.20
9 Ich weis das mein Erloser lebet (Der Messias, Part III) 5.19
10 Ist Gott mit uns, wer sollte uns schaden? (Der Messias, Part III) 4.41
Mozart: Religious works
Exsultate, jubilate, K. 165
11 Exsultate, jubilate 4.57
12 Fulget amica 0.49
13 Tu virginum 6.58
14 Alleluia 2.57
15 Laudate Dominum (Vesperae solemnes de confessore, K. 339) 5.17
16 Laudate Dominum (Vesperae de Dominica, K. 321) 5.30
Rossini: Petite Messe Solenelle
14 IX. Crucifixus 3.00
15 XIII. O Salutaris hostia 5.57
CD2
Mozart:
Il re pastore, K. 208
1 L'amero, saro costante (Aminta, Act II) 6.22
Idomeneo, K. 366
2 Solitudini amiche...Zeffiretti lusinghieri (Ilia, Act III) 6.25
Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, K. 384
3 Durch Zartlichkeit und Schmeicheln (Blonde, Act II) 3.18
4 Welche Wonne, welche Lust (Blonde, Act II) 2.29
5 Welcher Kummer...Traurigkeit ward mir zum Lose (Konstanze, Act II) 8.51
Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492
6 Porgi amor (Countess, Act II) 3.48
7 Voi che sapete che cosa e amor (Cherubino, Act II) 2.48
8 Giunse alfin il momento...Deh vieni non tardar (Susanna, Act IV) 4.54
Don Giovanni, K. 527
9 In quali eccessi...Mi tradi quell'alma ingrate (Donna Elvira, Act 2) 6.03
10 Crudele?...Non mi dir (Donna Anna, Act 2) 6.36
Cosi fan tutte, K. 588
11 Come scoglio (Fiordiligi, Act I) 4.32
12 Una donna a quindici anni (Despina, Act II) 4.09
Die Zauberflote, K. 620
13 O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn...Zum Leiden bin ich auserkoren
(Konigin der Nacht, Act I) 5.08
14 Der Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (Konigin der Nacht, Act II) 3.12
15 Ach, ich fuhl's, es ist entschwunden (Pamina, Act II) 4.12
La Clemenza di Tito, K.621
16 Non piu di fiori vaghe catene (Vitelia, Act II) 6.42
CD3
Wagner: Tannhauser
1 Dich, teure Halle, grus' ich wieder (Elisabeth, Act II) 4.51
2 All'macht'ge Jungfrau (Elisabeth, Act III) 5.23
Strauss, R.: Daphne
3 O bleib, geliebter Tag! (Daphne) 8.33
4 Unheilvolle Daphne (Daphne) 9.59
5 Ich komme...ich komme grunende Bruder (Daphne) 11.00
Strauss, R.: Vier letzte Lieder
6 1. Fruhling (Hesse) 3.52
7 2; September (Hesse) 5.16
8 3. Beim schlafengehen (Hesse) 6.20
9 4. Im Abendrot (Eichendorff) 8.23
CD4
Strauss, R.: Lieder
8 LIEDER, Op. 10 (Hermann von Gilm zu Rosenegg)
1 1. Zueignung 1.48
2 2. Nichts 1.24
3 3. Die Nacht 2.57
4 4. Die Georgine 3.59
5 5. Geduld 5.11
6 6. Die Verschwiegene 1.13
7 7. Die Zeitlose 1.30
8 8. Allerseelen 3.05
3 LIEBESLIEDER
9 1. Rote Rosen (Karl Stieler) 2.20
10 2. Die erwachte Rose (Friedrich von Sallett) 3.16
11 3. Begegnung (Friedrich Gruppe) 1.48
AUSGEWAHLTE LIEDER
12 Schlagende Herzen, Op. 29 Nr. 2 (Otto Julius Bierbaum) 2.44
13 Heimkehr, Op, 15 Nr. 5 (Adolf Friedrich Graf von Schack) 2.23
14 Weiser Jasmin, Op. 31 Nr. 3 (Carl Busse) 2.27
15 Wiegenlied, Op. 41 Nr. 1 (Richard Dehmel) 4.25
16 Meinem Kinde, Op. 37 Nr. 3 (Gustav Falke) 2.48
17 Leise Lieder, Op. 41 Nr. 5 (Christian Morgenstern) 2.38
18 Leises Lied, Op. 39 Nr. 1 (Richard Dehmel) 2.34
19 Schlechtes Wetter, Op. 69 Nr. 5 (Heinrich Hesse) 2.31
20 Fur funfzehn Pfennige, Op. 36 Nr. 2 (aus “Das Knaben Wunderhorn) 2.21
21 Hat gesagt - bleibt's nicht dabei, Op. 36 Nr. 3 (aus “Das Knaben Wunderhorn) 2.02
Grieg: Peer Gynt
22 Arabian Dance* 4.47
23 Solveig's Song 5.45
24 Solveig's Cradle Song 4.52
Orff: Carmina Burana
25 17. Stetit puella 2.00
26 21. In trutina 2.07
27 23. Dulcissime 0.32
CD5
Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin
1 Pooskai pogibnoo ya (Tatiana, Act I) 12.05
Tatiana's letter scene
Tchaikovsky: Pikovaya dama (The Queen of Spades)
2 Uzh polnoch blizitsya (Liza, Act III) 5.16
Prokofiev: Volna I Mir (War and Peace)
3 Kakoye pravo oni imyeyut (Natasha, Scene III) 3.14
Smetena: Prodana Nevesta (The Bartered Bride)
4 Kdybych se co takoveho (Marenka, Act I) 3.49
5 O, jaky zal! Jaky to zal (Marenka, Act III) 6.00
Smetena: Dalibor
6 Jak je mi? (Milada, Act II) 2.27
Dvorak: Rusalka
7 Mesicku na nebi hlubokem (Rusalka, Act I) 5.52
Rusalka's Song to the Moon
8 Mladosti sve pozbavena (Rusalka, Act III) 4.52
Dvorak: Armida
9 Za stihlou gazelou (Armida, Act I) 3.42
Janacek: Jenufa
10 To je mamincina jizba (Jenufa, Act II) 3.25
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn
11 2. Das irdische Leben 2.34
12 4. Rheinlegendchen 3.22
13 7. Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht? 2.00
14 12. Wo die schonen Trompeten blasen 8.41
Mahler: Symphony No. 4
15 IV. Sehr behaglich 9.08
CD6
Suppe: Boccaccio
1 Hab' ich nur deine Liebe (Fiametta, Act I) 3.35
Strauss, J. II: Die Fledermaus
2 Klange der Heimat (Rosalinde, Act II) c4.14
Strauss, J. II: Casanova arr. Benatzky
3 O Madonna, auf uns sieh (Nonnenchor/Nun's chorus)... O Marie, wie entflieh ich dem Kloster (Laura, Act I)* 4.23
Strauss, J. II: Die Tanzerin Fanny Eisler arr. Stalla
4 Drausen in Sievering (Fanny, Act II) 4.20
Zeller: Der Obersteiger
5 Sei nicht bos (Obersteiger, Act II) 4.35
Mackeben after Millocker: Die Dubarry
6 Ich schenk' mein Herz (Jeanne, Scene 5) 3.48
Lehar: Die lustige Witwe
7 Es lebt' eine Vilja (Hanna Glawari, Act II)* 5.44
Lehar: Der Graf von Luxemburg
8 Heut' noch werd' ich Ehefrau...Unbekannt, deshalb nicht minder interessant (Angele, Act I) 3.38
9 Ich danke, meine Herrn und meine Damen+ (Angele, Act II) 3.21
Lehar: Giuditta
10 Meine Lippen, sie kussen so heis (Giuditta, Scene 4)* 5.25
Lehar: Das Land des Lachelns
11 Ich mocht wieder einmal die Heimat seh'n (Lisa, Act II) 1.48
Lehar: Friedericke
12 Warum hast du mich wachgekust (Friedericke, Act II) 3.00
Lincke: Frau Luna
13 Schlosser, die im Monde liegen (Marie, Act I) 5.02
Stolz: Der Favorit
14 Du sollst der Kaiser meiner Seele sein (Manon, Act I) 4.44
Stolz: Fruhjahrsparade
15 Wien wird bei Nacht erst schon (Hansi Gruber, Act I) 5.07
Dostal: Die Ungarische Hochzeit
16 Spiel mir das Lied von Gluck und Treu (Janka, Act II) 6.27
Fall: Die Kaiserin
17 Du mein Schonbrunn (Maria Theresia mit Chor, Act II) 3.16
Kunneke: Liselott
18 Glucklich am Morgen (Liselott, Scene 1) 2.59
CD7
Schubert:
1 An mein Herz, D. 860 (E. Schulze) 3.15
2 Der Flus, D. 693 (F. von Schlegel) 5.04
3 Der Knabe, D. 692 (F. von Schlegel) 2.26
4 Die Rose, D. 745 (F. von Schlegel) 3.09
5 Der Schmetterling, D. 633 (F. von Schlegel) 1.23
6 Die Forelle, D. 550 (Schubart) 2.10
7 Der Wanderer an den Mond, D.870 (Seidl) 2.28
8 Der Einsame, D. 800 (Lappe) 4.11
9 Fulle der Liebe, D.854 (F. von Schlegel) 6.07
10 Die junge Nonne, D. 828 (Craigher) 4.27
11 Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D. 774 (Stolberg) 3.44
12 Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118 (J. W. von Goethe) 3.40
13 Fischerweise, D.881 (Schlechta) 3.19
14 Der Jungling an der Quelle (Salis) 1.52
15 An Sylvia, D. 891 (Shakespeare, trans.: Bauernfeld) 2.50
16 Seligkeit, D. 433 (Holty) 2.06
