Christa Ludwig

Christa Ludwig

Christa Ludwig (16 March 1928 – 24 April 2021) was a German mezzo-soprano and sometime dramatic soprano, distinguished for her performances of opera, lieder, oratorio, and other major religious works like masses, passions, and solos in symphonic literature. Her performing career spanned almost half a century, from the late 1940s until the early 1990s. She sang at many international opera houses and festivals, including at the Vienna State Opera from 1955 to 1994, and at the Metropolitan Opera in many roles. She is remembered for roles such as Mozart's Dorabella, Beethoven's Leonore in Fidelio, Wagner's Kundry, and both Octavian and the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss. In Vienna, she created the title role of Gottfried von Einem's Der Besuch der alten Dame in 1971. She is widely recognised as having been one of the most significant and distinguished singers of the 20th century. The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music (2006) stated "Ludwig possessed a voice of exquisite richness and, when needed, breathtaking amplitude. She had the ability to impart dramatic urgency to a performance, the hallmark of a great singer." Ludwig was born in Berlin to a musical family. Her father, Anton Ludwig, who began his singing career as a baritone and later moved into the tenor repertory, was also an opera administrator, and her mother, Eugenie Besalla-Ludwig, was a mezzo-soprano who sang at the Aachen Opera during Herbert von Karajan's period as conductor. Ludwig grew up in Aachen, where her first voice teacher was her mother. At age eight, she sang an aria of the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute. At Aachen Conservatory, she studied piano, cello, flute and music theory. The family moved to Hanau when their home was bombed in 1944. She studied voice at the Musikhochschule Frankfurt. Ludwig made her stage debut in 1946 at the age of 18 as Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss at the Oper Frankfurt, where she sang until 1952. She was a member of the Staatstheater Darmstadt from 1952 to 1954, then sang for the 1954/55 season at the Staatsoper Hannover. She joined the Vienna State Opera in 1955, where she became one of its principal artists and was awarded the title Kammersängerin in 1962. She performed with the company for more than thirty years in 43 opera roles and 769 performances. In 1954, she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival as Cherubino in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, conducted by Karl Böhm, and appeared there regularly until 1981. At the Vienna State Opera, she created the title role of Gottfried von Einem's Der Besuch der alten Dame on 23 May 1971, conducted by Horst Stein and alongside Eberhard Waechter as her lover Alfred Ill. The performance was recorded by Deutsche Grammophon, and reissued on CD by Amadeo and later Orfeo. ... Source: Article "Christa Ludwig" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

  • Title: Christa Ludwig
  • Popularity: 1.366
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1928-03-16
  • Place of Birth: Berlin, Germany
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As:
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Christa Ludwig Movies

  • 2009
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    Faszinierende Frauen - Faszinierende Stimmen

    Faszinierende Frauen - Faszinierende Stimmen

    1 2009 HD

    Documentary about female opera stars.

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  • 2005
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    Mozart Requiem

    Mozart Requiem

    7.5 2005 HD

    Requiem in D minor, K 626 by Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Performer: Walter Berry Gundula Janowitz Christa Ludwig Peter Schreier Orchestra/Ensemble:...

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  • 2020
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    Beethoven · Missa Solemnis - Herbert von Karajan

    Beethoven · Missa Solemnis - Herbert von Karajan

    10 2020 HD

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  • 1990
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    Das Rheingold

    Das Rheingold

    7 1990 HD

    From the gorgeous scene deep in the river Rhine that opens the opera, up to the magic Rainbow Bridge that appears at the end, leading to a glistening...

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  • 1970
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    Von Reinhardt bis Karajan - 50 Jahre Salzburger Festspiele

    Von Reinhardt bis Karajan - 50 Jahre Salzburger Festspiele

    1 1970 HD

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  • 1990
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    Die Walküre

    Die Walküre

    8 1990 HD

    The gorgeous and evocative Otto Schenk/Günther Schneider-Siemssen production continues with this second opera in Wagner’s Ring cycle....

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  • 2020
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    Eine Stadt als Bühne - 100 Jahre Salzburger Festspiele

    Eine Stadt als Bühne - 100 Jahre Salzburger Festspiele

    1 2020 HD

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  • 1963
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    Fidelio

    Fidelio

    1 1963 HD

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  • 1974
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    Madama Butterfly

    Madama Butterfly

    9.5 1974 HD

    Mirella Freni, Placido Domingo, Christa Ludwig, and Robert Kerns star in this Jean-Pierre Ponnelle-directed version of the Puccini opera, with...

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  • 1990
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    Götterdämmerung

    Götterdämmerung

    8 1990 HD

    The stupendous climax to Wagner’s four-part Ring cycle is brilliantly realized by the Otto Schenk/Günther Schneider-Siemssen production...

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  • 2005
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    Karajan · Die Symphonien

    Karajan · Die Symphonien

    1 2005 HD

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  • 1991
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    Candide

    Candide

    7 1991 HD

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  • 2008
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    Karajan: Beauty As I See It

    Karajan: Beauty As I See It

    1 2008 HD

    With a career that includes a 35-year tenure as composer of the Berlin Philharmonic and record sales topping 200 million, Herbert von Karajan is one...

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  • 2019
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    Karajan: Portrait of a Maestro

    Karajan: Portrait of a Maestro

    7 2019 HD

    An account of the life and work of controversial German orchestra conductor Herbert von Karajan (1908-89), celebrated as one of the greatest...

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  • 1976
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    Bernstein Mahler Rehearsal

    Bernstein Mahler Rehearsal

    7 1976 HD

    "Four Ways to Say Farewell" is a personal introduction to Mahler and his Ninth Symphony, during which Leonard Bernstein is seen and heard rehearsing...

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  • 1973
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    Mahler - Symphonies Nos. 1, 2 & 3

    Mahler - Symphonies Nos. 1, 2 & 3

    10 1973 HD

    Beginning with the First Symphony, Bernstein reveals Mahler's position at the hinge of modernism, while emphasizing his emotional extremism. The...

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  • 1985
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    The Little Drummer Boy: An Essay on Mahler by Leonard Bernstein

    The Little Drummer Boy: An Essay on Mahler by Leonard Bernstein

    8 1985 HD

    This television essay from 1985 was written by Leonard Bernstein to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Gustav Mahler's birth. Recorded in Israel,...

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  • 1989
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    Leonard Bernstein - Bernstein - Candide

    Leonard Bernstein - Bernstein - Candide

    1 1989 HD

    This is the historic concert performance of the final operatic version of Bernstein's Candide. It was recorded on December 13, 1989 at the Barbican...

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  • 1970
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    Così fan tutte

    Così fan tutte

    1 1970 HD

    Wiener Philharmoniker and Wiener Philharmonia Chor Conducted by Karl Böhm Directed by Vaclav Kaslik

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  • 1977
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    Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms Symphony No's 1 & 2

    Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms Symphony No's 1 & 2

    1 1977 HD

    Leonard Bernstein performs three of his own compositions with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the Philharmonic in Berlin.

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  • 2008
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    Karajan - Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies DVD

    Karajan - Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies DVD

    1 2008 HD

    Symphonien Nos. 1 - 9 Gundula Janowitz · Christa Ludwig · Jess Thomas · Walter Berry Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin Berliner...

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  • 1970
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    Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

    Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

    8 1970 HD

    Wagner's communal drama on film.

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  • 1972
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    Das Lied von der Erde: A Personal Introduction

    Das Lied von der Erde: A Personal Introduction

    1 1972 HD

    During a break in rehearsals with the Israel Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein sat down at the piano to film an introduction to the poetry and music of...

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  • 1971
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    Dalli Dalli

    Dalli Dalli

    8 1971 HD

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  • 1994
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    alfredissimo! Kochen mit Bio

    alfredissimo! Kochen mit Bio

    5 1994 HD

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  • 1979
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    Zeugen des Jahrhunderts

    Zeugen des Jahrhunderts

    1 1979 HD

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  • 1987
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    Le monde est à vous

    Le monde est à vous

    1 1987 HD

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  • 2010
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    Erlesen

    Erlesen

    1 2010 HD

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  • 1955
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    Was bin ich?

    Was bin ich?

    6.5 1955 HD

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