Search - Georges Bizet, Umberto Giordano, Charles Gounod :: The Art of Meta Seinemeyer

Astonishingly Affecting Artist

Doug - Haydn Fan | California | 07/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Meta Seinemeyer remains one of the legends of not only German opera, but all of opera. She recorded for only a short time during the twenties, dying very young under tragic circumstances. Her repetoire was essentially that of the lyric soprano, but she added a great deal of intensity through a tightly controlled vibrato. "Seinemeyer Nights" as her appearances in late 1920's Berlin came to be called were among the highlights of that brief exalted creative epoch, the period right before the Nazi takeover when an unparalleled number of major artists in music and the visual arts appeared.

This set, released by Preiser of Austria, offers a full measure of Seinemeyer's art. One hears a singer who achieves a remarkable balance between melody and passion. In some selections, such as the over-familiar Visse d'arte from Puccini's Tosca, she wrings out as much passion as any of her contemporary Italian verisomo peers. Yet Seinemeyer always holds to the long line and brings out the classical elements in even the most fiery works. Her voice itself was rich yet tremulous, that vibrato again, and she exploited it with an uncanny sense of just where to push and where to relax. She is, with Muzio, the greatest dramatic lyric of the twenties, and should be known by far more opera-lovers.

Many of her recordings are in German, but not all. Frequently she sings duets with lesser partners, but in the aggravate there is nothing but glory here.

I find it amazing that no one has reviewed this CD set. This is an important issue."