Diana Damrau's Operetta Concert
‘Liebe, du Himmel auf Erden'
Diana Damrau is an old favourite with the Müpa Budapest audience: we have heard the world-famous German coloratura soprano sing alongside her French baritone husband, Nicolas Testé, as well as in the company of the uncrowned king of tenors, Jonas Kaufmann. A versatile singer with a rich repertoire, it is no surprise that this time it is to the muse of a lighter genre that she is paying tribute with her interpretations of operetta excerpts. This is something of a source of pride for us, as two of the composers of the classics of the genre listed on the programme are Hungarian: Franz (Ferenc) Lehár and Emmerich (Imre) Kálmán.
It is not the case with every singer that the public is aware of what childhood experience they owe their later career to. Diana Damrau decided to dedicate her life to performing opera when, at the age of twelve, she saw Franco Zeffirelli's film version of La Traviata, starring Teresa Stratas and Plácido Domingo. Awarded the title Kammersängerin of the Bavarian State Opera, the singer has been a regular guest at the world's most important opera houses for two decades. The title of her show is a quote from one of the arias from Lehár's operetta Paganini: Liebe, du Himmel auf Erden - (‘Love, you heaven on earth'). In addition to the two Hungarian composers, the programme features excerpts from the works of Johann Strauss II, Robert Stolz, Paul Lincke and André Messager, meaning that the Hungarian, Austrian, German and French ‘dialects' of the genre are all included. Partnering with Damrau this time is the Graz-born heldentenor Nikolai Schukoff, who ever since completing his studies in Salzburg has been enjoying decades of success everywhere from Paris and Vienna to New York, and who in 2009 sang the title role of Parsifal at the Budapest Wagner Days festival here at Müpa Budapest. Austrian conductor Ernst Theis can boast plenty of experience in the genre of operetta, as can the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra.
Conductor: Ernst Theis
soprano - Diana Damrau
Featuring:
tenor: Nikolai Schukoff
Hungarian State Opera Orchestra
Presented by: Müpa Budapest
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