Edith Mathis - Lieder Recital in Lucerne Festival (1975)

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Edith Mathis, who celebrated her 80th birthday last year, is one of Lucerne’s most famous “daughters”. The 1960s saw her firmly establish herself on the international opera stage. She enthused audiences in New York and London, in Munich, Vienna and Paris, at Glyndebourne and Salzburg, working alongside all major conductors of her time, from Karl Böhm to Herbert von Karajan. The grace and natural charm of her iridescent, silvery soprano voice was inescapable. Mozartian roles in particular, such as Cherubino, Susanna and Pamina, found their ideal representation in Edith Mathis: she shaped the Mozart sound of her time. But her performances of the Bach passions, Haydn oratorios, as Ännchen in Weber’s Der Freischütz or as Sophie in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier were met with equal enthusiasm. She also set the benchmark as a song recitalist, including in the summer of 1975 in her home city of Lucerne. The live recording of this Lucerne song recital, now released for the first time, demonstrates the entire span of her expressive vocal artistry, from the great naturalness (resulting from the highest virtuosity) of her Mozart through to the elaborately crafted folk-like tone in the Village Scenes by Béla Bartók and the German Folk Songs of Johannes Brahms. Edith Mathis’ partner at the piano is the exceptionally gifted Swiss accompanist Karl Engel. The 28-page booklet in three languages contains a portrait of the singer by Jürgen Kesting, providing extensive information about her work in Lucerne, as well as previously unpublished photos from the festival archives.