Martha Modl: The Portrait of a Legend / Wagner, Strauss

Never released before recordings from 1950 - 1982 Wilhelm Furtwängler aptly referred to her as a "magic box", because her voice changed with every character she portrayed on stage. It was that absolute identification with her roles and the inseparable unity of singing, personality and acting that made Martha Mödl a star. Wieland Wagner compared her with Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient, his grandfather's favorite interpreter. 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Martha Mödl's birth, and this release celebrates her six-decade career. Mödl was a triumph of Bayreuth, mastering the biggest and most difficult Wagner roles with her instinct, her intuition and the unique voice she was born with.

American Record Guide, July / August 2012
The incredibly lengthy career of Martha Mödl (1942-1999, age 87) has been well documented. In that time she sang it all: beginning as a mezzo (Hansel, Eboli, Carmen, Azucena), then soprano (Isolde, Brünnhilde, Kundry), then in the 1960s returning to mezzo and some great character roles (Klytemnestra, Die Amme, Waltraute). In the 1970s she adapted to secondary character roles (Widow Begbick, Grandmother Burya, the Old Countess in Queen of Spades), some of which were rechristened "Mödl-Rollen" in her honor. She was often called the "German Maria Callas" with her dramatic intensity, excitement, unique, colorful mezzo-tinted soprano voice. She was one of the singers very important to the re-establishment of the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth in the 1950s. She appeared in several world premieres, creating roles in operas by Fortner, Cerha, and Von Einem. There is a little- known video of an interview with Mödl, Astrid Varnay, and Birgit Nilsson - great Wagnerians all. Varnay and Nilsson defer to Mödl!

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Works Details

Wagner, Richard : Rienzi :: Act 3. Szene des Adriano. Gerechter Gott

Performer: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Heinrich Hollreiser
Running Time: 7 min. 29 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1838-1840

Wagner, Richard : Tristan und Isolde :: Act 1. Erzählung und Fluch der Isolde

Performers: Hertha Topper (Voice); Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Joseph Keilberth
Running Time: 10 min. 23 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1857-1859

Wagner, Richard : Tristan und Isolde :: Act 1. Begehrt, Herrin was Ihr wünscht

Performers: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano); Ludwig Suthaus (Tenor)
Conductor: Joseph Keilberth
Running Time: 7 min. 20 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1857-1859

Wagner, Richard : Tristan und Isolde :: Act 1. War Morold dir so wert

Performers: Ludwig Suthaus (Tenor); Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Joseph Keilberth
Running Time: 9 min. 25 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1857-1859

Wagner, Richard : Tristan und Isolde :: Act 2. Nicht Hörnerschall tönt so hold

Performers: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano); Grace Hoffmann (Voice)
Conductor: Ferdinand Leitner
Running Time: 6 min. 17 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1857-1859

Wagner, Richard : Tristan und Isolde :: Act 2. Dein Werk? O tör'ge Magd!

Performers: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano); Grace Hoffmann (Voice)
Conductor: Ferdinand Leitner
Running Time: 3 min. 26 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1857-1859

Wagner, Richard : Tristan und Isolde :: Act 2. So stürben wir, um ungetrennt

Performers: Grace Hoffmann (Voice); Gustav Neidlinger (Bass Baritone); Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano); Wolfgang Windgassen
Running Time: 8 min. 26 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1857-1859

Wagner, Richard : Tristan und Isolde :: Act 3. Isoldes Liebestod. Mild und leise

Performer: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Joseph Keilberth
Running Time: 6 min. 20 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1857-1859

Wagner, Richard : Wesendonck Lieder

Performer: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Joseph Keilberth
Running Time: 19 min. 11 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: 1857-1858

Wagner, Richard : Die Walküre :: Act 1. Der Männer Sippe

Performer: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Joseph Keilberth
Running Time: 4 min. 29 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1854-1856

Wagner, Richard : Die Walküre :: Act 1. Du bist der Lenz

Performer: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Joseph Keilberth
Running Time: 2 min. 8 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1854-1856

Wagner, Richard : Götterdämmerung :: Act 3. Brunnhildes Schlussgesang. Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort

Performer: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Georges Sebastian
Running Time: 7 min. 40 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1869-1874

Wagner, Richard : Götterdämmerung :: Act 3. Brunnhildes Schlussgesang. Meine Erbe nun nehm' ich zu eigen

Performer: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Georges Sebastian
Running Time: 3 min. 25 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1869-1874

Wagner, Richard : Götterdämmerung :: Act 3. Brunnhildes Schlussgesang. Grane, mein Roß, sei mir gegrüßt

Performer: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Georges Sebastian
Running Time: 5 min. 58 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1869-1874

Strauss, Richard : Elektra :: Was willst du? Seht doch dort!

Performers: Rosemarie Ronisch (Voice); Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano); Elisabeth Rose (Soprano); Ingrid Steger (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Otmar Suitner
Notes: Composition written: 1906-08.
Running Time: 16 min. 25 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1906-1908

Fortner, Wolfgang : Bluthochzeit :: Act 2. Schlussszene der Mutter. Nachbarinnen! Mit einem Messer

Performer: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Ferdinand Leitner
Running Time: 3 min. 39 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Form: Opera/Operetta

Reimann, Aribert : Melusine :: Act 3. Szene der Pythia. Heut, hier und jetzt wird es entschieden

Performers: Josef Greindl (Bass); Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Reinhard Peters
Running Time: 8 min. 13 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1970
Studio/Live: Live

Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich : Pique Dame :: Act 2. Chor und Szene der Gräfin. Schweigt doch endlich! Alles Lüge. Ich bin m

Performer: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Niksa Bareza
Running Time: 7 min. 52 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1890

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Songs (6) for voice & piano, Op. 48

Performers: Martha Mödl (Mezzo Soprano); Michael Raucheisen (Piano)
Running Time: 18 min. 34 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Written: 1802

Martha Mödl: The Portrait of a Legend / Wagner, Strauss, Fortner, Reimann

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