AGNES BALTSA
Dr David C F Wright
Some time ago I asked for information about Agnes Baltsa. A steady
flow of replies and recordings came my way and I acknowledge the
kindness of those many people.
Agnes Baltsa is the most exciting mezzo
of our day. As with fellow Greek, Maria
Callas, she has tremendous energy and
a simply gorgeous voice.
She was born on 19 November 1944 on
the island of Lefkas in the Ionian sea.
She had piano lessons from the age of
six and tried composition writing little
pieces, apparently sad in context. She
also kept a diary indicating that from
an early age she was methodical.
In 1959, at the age of fourteen, the
family moved to Athens where Agnes studied
at the Conservatoire graduating with
the highest marks and winning the Maria
Callas scholarship by which she could
continue her studies in Munich. Here
she took coaching in drama and learned
the German language. Her period of study
was three years. In 1968 she auditioned
for the Frankfurt Opera under their
new director, Christoph von Dohnanyi,
and that year she made her debut as
Cherubino in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro.
She was with the Frankfurt Opera for
two years. In 1970 she made her debut
with the Vienna Opera as Octavian in
Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier.
In 1971 she joined the Deutsche Opera
and also made her American debut in
the title role of Bizet's Carmen. In
1976 she returned to America with the
Vienna State Opera under Karl Böhm
performing in Washington in the role
of Dorabella in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte.
With the same forces she made her debut
at La Scala, again as Dorabella. That
year also saw her debuts at Covent Garden
and the Paris Opera as Cherubino. She
also sang in a concert hall in New York
under Karajan.
Karajan was important to her in her early career mainly due to
his wide experience.
Baltsa is a very wise singer in that she groups performances
together which call for the same type of voice and style. She
will put all her bel canto roles in sequence and allows herself
several days to recover after performances particularly after
a taxing dramatic role like Carmen.
Riccardo Muti has often been called
a martinet when conducting but Baltsa
responded well to him as she did to
Claudio Abbado with whom she first worked
in January 1985 as Carmen and, in 1987
and 1988, in Rossini's The Italian Girl
in Algiers and in 1989 in Verdi's Don
Carlos. With Muti she sang the role
of Romeo in Bellini's The Capulets and
the Montagues, her most famous bel canto
role.
Karajan was different. Baltsa first worked with him and the Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra in 1974 in Beethoven's Miss solemnis. She
sang the part of Herodias in Richard Strauss's Salome with Hildegard
Behrens in the title role.
In 1979 Baltsa sang Eboli in Don Carlos under Karajan in the
Salzburg Festival and in 1983 at Salzburg , again under Karajan,
she sang Octavian.
But the megalomania of Karajan displayed
itself. Engaged to sing Carmen under
his direction, Karajan wanted her to
sing it completely differently from
the score and from the many times she
had previously sung it so successfully.
His demands did not make sense musically,
or in any other way.
Baltsa was not happy.
Karajan's attitude was, ‘you do it my way because I say so’.
His way was often absurd and many suffered at his hands.
Rehearsing Carmen with Karajan was horrendous. She had performed
Carmen many times before with unbridled success and now to be
told that she was wrong and also told by Karajan, "You will do
it my way because my way is right" which was typical of his arrogance.
Baltsa was troubled and sure that the maestro was wrong. Karajan
sacked her. There is no doubt that Karajan was in the wrong completely.
His extreme arrogance and narcissism was the foundation of the
appalling way he treated Baltsa and others. To her credit she
tried to resolve the difficulties and heal the breach and she
sang in the performance of Mozart's Requiem in Salzburg Cathedral
in memory of Karajan who died in the summer of 1989.
Her first performance in Saint-Saëns's
Samson and Delilah was at Covent Garden
in 1985 which role she repeated there
in 1991. It was universally acclaimed.
That year she sang Charlotte in Massenet's
Werther following a great success as
Elisabetta in Mary Stuart by Donizetti.
Her first verismo role was as Santuzza
in Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni.
It brought out the remark from that
fine conductor, Giuseppe Sinopoli, who
was 'overwhelmed by her incomparable
talent.'
She is a truly great singer with a compelling stage presence.
Someone has remarked that she could never be dull even if she
tried. She is as great a singer as Callas at her best writes another.
She adores her work and lives life to the full.
David C F Wright
Copyright David C F Wright, 2003. This article or any part of
it must not be used, quoted, copied, stored in any retrieval system
or downloaded without the prior written consent of the author.
Failure to comply will be a breach of copyright and actionable
at law.
Agnes Baltsa recordings
BACH Magnificat, 3 Motets DG 4630102
BEETHOVEN Symphony no. 9 (Choral) DG 4390062
do. Video DG 0721333
BELLINI The Capulets and the Montagues EMI 7648462
BIZET Carmen DG 0724093/Levine
do. DVD/Video DGG 0730009/Levine
do. DG 4100882 /Karajan
Highlights DG 4133222
CHERUBINI Requiem with VERDI Requiem / Muti EMI Forte
5686132
DONIZETTI Mary Stuart PHILIPS 4262332
GLUCK Orfeo ed Eurydice EMI 5665072
MAHLER Symphony no. 3 & Kindertotenlieder SONY
SB2K89893
Symphony no. 8 & Adagio ( Symphony no. 10)
DG 4351022
MASSENET Herodiade RCA 74321795972
Therese. ORFEO C387961A
MASSCAGNI Cavalleria Rusticana DG 4295682
MOZART Ascanio in Alba PHILIPS 4225302
Cosi fan tutte. Arthaus Musick 100012
Don Giovanni DG 4191792 ( 1999)
do. DG 41979
Marriage of Figaro PHILIPS 4163702
Highlights PHILIPS 4168702
Requiem DG 4198672
Requiem, Mass in C minor, Mass no. 10, Missa
brevis DG 4594092
Idomeneo DECCA 4118052
OFFENBACH Les Contes de Hoffman Warner DVD Video 0630193922
do Warner DVD Video 0630193923 (earlier
version).
ROSSINI Barber of Seville DECCA 4704342
La Cenerentola DECCA 4705802
Italian Girl in Algiers DG 4273312
Stabat Mater EMI Spiritus 5658452 with VERDI
and SCHUBERT
Stabat Mater EMI Red Line 5732792
Miscellaneous Arias SONY SK 45964
SAINT SAENS Samson and Delilah Phillips 4262432
SCHUBERT Stabat Mater D 383 EMI Spiritus 5658452
STRAUSS J Die Fledermaus EMI 7474808
Highlights EMI Red Line 5698392
STRAUSS R Ariadne auf Naxos DG 4531122
Der Rosenkavalier DG 4238502
do. DVD/Video SVD48313
Highlights DG 4152842
Salome EMI 5670802
VERDI Aida EMI 7693002
Don Carlos DVD/Video Sony SVD48312
Don Carlos EMI 7693042
Force of Destiny DG 4192032
Highlights from above DG 4632612
Requiem DG 4390332 /Karajan
Requiem RMI Forte 5686132 with CHERUBINI Requiem
Stabat Mater EMI Spiritus 5658452
WAGNER Excerpts from Tannhäuser DG 4297892
MISCELLANEOUS Ten Top Mezzos DECCA 4364622 Baltsa has
one solo
FAMOUS ARIAS Donizetti, Mascagni, Mercadante, Mozart,
Rossini, Verdi ORFEO C171881A Solo recital
SONGS MY COUNTY
TAUGHT ME DG 4192362. Solo recital Greek songs 1190
The author wishes to thank Judy at Crotchet for her kind help.
These discs and videos are available from them at crotchet.co.uk
or you can phone them on 0121 459 5566
