Anne Sofie von Otter

Anne Sofie von Otter
Anne Sofie von Otter (2011)
Born (1955-05-09) May 9, 1955
Stockholm
Occupation Mezzo-soprano singer
Spouse(s)
Benny Fredriksson
(m. 1989; d. 2018)
Website annesofievonotter.com

Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a Swedish mezzo-soprano. Her repertoire encompasses lieder, operas, oratorios and also rock and pop songs.

Early life

Von Otter was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her father was the diplomat Göran von Otter, a Swedish diplomat in Berlin during World War II.[1] She grew up in Bonn, London and Stockholm. She studied in Stockholm and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where her teachers included Vera Rozsa.[2] She made her professional operatic début in 1983 at the Basel Opera, as Alcina in Haydn's Orlando paladino. She made her Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, début in 1985 and her La Scala debut in 1987. Her Metropolitan Opera début was in December 1988 as Cherubino.[3]

Career

Her recording of Grieg songs won the 1993 Gramophone Record of the Year, the first time in the award's history that it had gone to a song recording. In 2001, she released her album with Elvis Costello, For the Stars,[4] for which she won an Edison Award. She was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo in 2015 for her album of French songs, Douce France. She is a regular recital and recording partner with Swedish pianist Bengt Forsberg.[5][6][7]

In 2006, von Otter sang the Evangelist in the premiere of Sven-David Sandström's Ordet – en passion. Other work in contemporary music has included singing the role of The Woman in Senza Sangue of Péter Eötvös.[8] In other media, she appeared in the film A Late Quartet.[9]

In 2007, she released an album of music written by composers imprisoned in the Nazi "model" ghetto of Theresienstadt concentration camp (also known as Terezin) prior to their transportation to the death camp of Auschwitz. She collaborated on this project with Christian Gerhaher (baritone) and chamber musicians. She has stated that the material has special personal meaning for her as her father had attempted unsuccessfully during the war to spread information that he had received from SS officer Kurt Gerstein about the Nazi death camps.[10]

In 2016, von Otter sang Leonora in the world premiere of Thomas Adès' The Exterminating Angel, and again in 2017 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She created the principal role of Charlotte in Sebastian Fagerlund's 2017 opera Autumn Sonata, based on the 1979 film by Ingmar Bergman at the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki conducted by John Storgårds.[11]

Family life

Von Otter was married to Benny Fredriksson until his suicide on March 17, 2018.[12][13] He had been an actor and managing director of The Stockholm House of Culture, including the Stadsteatern. The couple has two children and live in Stockholm.[2]

Awards and honours

Discography

Selective charting albums

Anne Sofie von Otter, 2013

(Peak positions in Sverigetopplistan, the Swedish national record chart)

Year Album Peak positions
SWE GER NED NOR
1993 Grieg Songs (DG) 46  –  –  –
1994 Speak Low 25  –  –  –
1999 Home for Christmas 16  – 72  –
2001 For the Stars
(Anne Sofie von Otter meets Elvis Costello)		 25 59 80 33
2006 I Let The Music Speak 13  – 63  –
Noël
(Anne Sofie von Otter & Bengt Forsberg)		 59  –  –  –
2007 Terezín / Theresienstadt
(Anne Sofie von Otter / Bengt Forsberg)		 56  –  –  –
2010 Ombre de mon amant 32  –  –  –
Love Songs
(Anne Sofie von Otter / Brad Mehldau)		 34  –  –  –
2013 Douce France 58  –  –  –

Recordings

Lieder and songs

Complete operas

Aria recordings

  • Anne Sofie von Otter sings Offenbach, conducted by Marc Minkowski – Deutsche Grammophon
  • Baroque Arias by Handel, Monteverdi, Roman and Telemann, with the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble – Proprius
  • Ombre de mon amant, French baroque arias conducted by William Christie – Archiv
  • Opera Arias by Gluck, Haydn and Mozart, conducted by Trevor Pinnock – Archiv

Oratorios, symphonies, etc

Other music

References

  1. ↑ Paldiel, Mordecai, Saving the Jews: Amazing Stories of Men and Women Who Defied the "Final Solution". Schreiber Publishing ( ISBN 1-887563-55-5), p. 45 (2000).
  2. 1 2 Stephen Moss (2005-08-05). "Super von trouper". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  3. ↑ Donal Henehan (1988-12-17). "Reviews/Music; 'Figaro' Among Towering Columns". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  4. ↑ Neil Strauss (2001-05-21). "Worlds of Mezzo and Pop Star Meet Somewhere in Between; Anne Sofie von Otter: Fresh Start". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  5. ↑ Anthony Tommasini (1998-05-09). "Music Review: Von Otter, From Lieder to Blues". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  6. ↑ Anthony Tommasini (2005-04-19). "Vibrant Singing at the Nice Price". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  7. ↑ Steve Smith (2009-05-04). "Resilience of the Human Spirit, in Song". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  8. ↑ Anthony Tommasini (2015-05-10). "Review: A Peter Eotvos Premiere and Schubert at the New York Philharmonic". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  9. ↑ Stephen Holden (2012-11-01). "The Strings Play On; The Bonds Tear Apart". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  10. ↑ David Bartal (2007-09-17). "A Different Aria". Forward. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  11. ↑ Dammann, Guy. The brilliant sound of gnawing anxiety. Financial Times, Friday 15 September 2017, p. 10.
  12. ↑ "High-profile death prompts backlash against #MeToo in Sweden". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  13. ↑ "Famed Swedish opera singer blames #MeToo for her husband's suicide: 'You can break a person'". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  14. ↑ "Anne Sofie von Otter". Upmc.fr. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  15. ↑ Fiona Maddocks (2013-11-09). "Various: Douce France – review". The Observer. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  16. ↑ Anne Midgette (2005-01-16). "Classical Recordings: Anne Sofie von Otter Sinks Her Teeth Into the Baroque". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  17. ↑ John Fordham (2010-11-18). "Brad Mehldau/Anne Sofie von Otter: Love Songs – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
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