PROFILE
ANNE SCHWANEWILMS (Extract from programme article for Anne Schwanewilms's Liederabend at L'Opera National du Rhin, Strasbourg, March 8, 2008)
"Anne Schwanewilms belongs to a pedigree of sopranos almost forgotten today: a line which stretches back beyond Elisabeth Grummer to Tiana Lemnitz, Meta Seinemeyer and, above all, to Delia Reinhardt. All of them, by their bearing and control, and without a single unnecessary effect of gesture or voice, understood how to disseminate a radiance from the stage. They were self-effacing and expressed themselves through word and music alone. By the liquidity of their tone and the naturalness of their expression, they created that sympathy which is the truest communication of all.
With Schwanewilms, there were, first of all, the supreme moments at Glyndebourne. [...] In EURYANTHE she rediscovered the lost secret of the heroine whose luminous, silent spirituality is the model for Wagner's Elsa. In IDOMENEO the raging and follies of her Elettra brought into the open, with a controlled desperation, the inner torments of a conflicted soul. No wonder the characters of Richard Strauss, with their spirit and different levels of soul, inspired by the words and feelings given them by Hofmannsthal, should have pressed themselves on an artist born with the inflexion which says everything because it says just enough. Earlier, as a mezzo, she coloured eloquently the full range of her tessitura. As a soprano, she has chosen to float rather then strike, taking the route of Desdemona, not Salome. She has sung Strauss's Chrysothemis (the most youthful and unsophisticated of his heroines), Ariadne and, finally, the Marschallin.
Towards the end of Act One on the unhappy stage of the Bastille [in January 2006], the hyperactive production had finally calmed down and the sublime music of solitude and reflection, conducted with ideal transparency by Philippe Jordan, could finally begin. That was when the real curtain rose on this ROSENKAVALIER, with the monologue in which the magical symbolism of words and music began to take hold and make sense. A rapt silence gripped a house whose acoustic up to that point seemed constructed of metal. Now it was all honey and silk, and the melancholy of a painful rift. Somewhre in heaven, Hofsmannthal must have been weeping, while Strauss smiled. This miracle lasted half an hour.
At Salzburg, as the very different Carlotta Nardi in Schreker's DIE GEZEICHNETEN, equally risky and daring, Schwanewilms created afresh the achievement of Delia Reinhardt in the role. She maintained a classic equilibrium and extraordinary bearing throughout the long act, at first fine and reserved and then, in the baring, and gift, of herself, scorching. When an artist has this rare ability, on stage, to obliterate the supposed borders and contradictions between the internal and the external, then another kingdom lies open: the Lied." by Andre Tubeuf, author of Wagner et Bayreuth; Le Lied Allemand; and Richard Strauss, ou le Voyager et son Ombre
INTERVIEW
ANNE SCHWANEWILMS (Extract from article on 'Heroine Addiction' by James C Whitson, Opera News, October 2009)
"...Schwanewilms's riveting 'Es Gibt ein Reich' is a sterling example of vocal shading and nuance. Her incredible stillness, coupled with a well-deployed straight tone, commands complete attention, and one can sense the entire audience holding its breath."
OPERA
OTELLO (in concert) (London Symphony Orchestra, Barbican Hall, December, 2009)
"Anne Schwanewilms is a great Straussian (when will we see her Marschallin at Covent Garden?)...The Act 3 ensemble was ravishing and Act 4 was simply sublime. Schwanewilms's 'Willow Song' was utterly beautiful, with a still, concentrated sadness that only she among current sopranos can bring..." whatsonstage.com
"Translucent-toned Anne Schwanewilms was cast a little against the Italianate ideal of Desdemona...Still, my old English master...would have approved her poise and sympathy. In short, she was a Pre-Raphaelite madonna rather than Verdi's more fleshly Titian woman. You felt that if anyone could have willed this Otello to engage, she would have managed it...when making chamber music alone with Sir Colin and the LSO in the eeire twilight of the 'Willow Song' and the pure relief of the 'Ave Maria." theartsdesk.com
"Anne Schwanewilms was also unexpected casting as Desdemona - we know her from her outstanding interpretations of Germanic repertoire...However, she does know how to float high pianissimos and has the power needed for the Act Three finale. Dramatically she was extremely convincing, and her Act Four 'Willow Song' and 'Ave Maria' scene was profound." classicalsource.com
"Desdemona's purity and incorruptibility were perfectly evoked in the unearthly silvery soprano of Anne Schwanewilms..." intermezzo.typepad.com
"...the Act IV 'Willow Song' was an extremely poignant mixture of regret, sadness, and courage...Anne Schwanewilms's Desdemona crossed herself at the end of the 'Ave Maria' and 'expired' in her seat to offer a final hint of the real drama of Verdi's great tragedy." musicweb-international.com
"...her 'Willow Song' was exquisite." The Times
ARABELLA (Frankfurt Opera, January, 2009)
"In Anne Schwanewilms as Arabella and Britta Stallmeister as Zdenka, the Frankfurt Opera has singers who not only fulfill the immense demands of their own roles brilliantly, but also harmonize with each other to perfection. The famous duet of the two sisters, "Aber der richtige...", was the first magical moment of many which made this performance musically so exceptional. In the closing scene of the first act ('Mein Elemer!') Schwanewilms made credible the basic theme of Hofmannsthal's libretto, Arabella's transformation from frivolous and pleasure-seeking girl into openly loving woman. Her performance dramatised Arabella's ever-deepening maturity, turning her finally into a younger sister of the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier. She began the evening using a deliberately light, almost dry tone and saved her most blooming legato for the great scene of forgiveness at the end." Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
"Anne Schwanewilms's role-debut as Arabella is a sensation. Her acting is sensitive and subtle, the slender voice-production and brilliant expressiveness entirely convincing. Her freely flowing soprano combines tenderness with intensity and is the emotional focus of the whole evening." Hanauer Anzeiger
ELEKTRA (New York Philharmonic, New York, December 2008)
"... with a cast of singers that the Metropolitan Opera would envy...the soprano Anne Schwanewilms brought her dusky-toned and penetrating voice to her affecting portrayal of Chrysothemis..." New York Times
ELEKTRA (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, November 2008)
"Another triumph is Anne Schwanewilms as a cowering neurotic able to rise to thrilling heights of lyrical fervour." Evening Standard
"Anne Schwanewilms was in superb voice as the wretchedly mewing and whining Chrysothemis." Daily Telegraph
"Anne Schwanewilms is the beautiful-sounding, very frustrated Chrysothemis." The Times
"Acting and singing honours of the evening went to German soprano Anne Schwanewilms...Anne Schwanewilms - returning to the house for the first time since her stunning Ariadne four years ago - is an elegant and repressed Chrysothemis, floating glorious sounds and with a dramatic intensity that wipes everyone else off the stage whenever she appears." musicomh.com
"Schwanewilms's radiant voice and elegantly feminine stage persona are ideally suited to Chrysothemis...as a foil to Elektra's asexualised obsessiveness, she could hardly be bettered." musicalcriticism.com
LOHENGRIN (Amsterdam, February 2008)
"After the performance Anne Schwanewilms could not believe her ears and was almost swept away by the hurricane of bravos. The strength of her expressiveness is so intense that it looks as if she is singing under hypnosis. It is so pure and concentrated that one can only be silent." Telegraaf
"Anne Schwanewilms sang Elsa with a lovely lightness. The audience was mesmerized by notes that sparkled in their pure beauty. She and Klaus Florian Vogt identified themselves completely in their roles and did so in detail. Their final scene was consequently not the mere singing of roles, but became reality. No wonder there were few dry eyes in the house." Gooi en Eemlander
"The performance of LOHENGRIN was a musical experience that one will not forget. Klaus Florian Vogt and Anne Schwanewilms (a mysteriously beautiful Elsa) sang as if in an ethereal dream but both had enough volume and a beautiful high pitch for the heroic outbursts." Trouw
"Varying between feather-like lightness and intense drama, Anne Schwanewilms was a completely convincing Elsa." NRC
LOHENGRIN (Paris, February 2008)
"Klaus Florian Vogt and Anne Schwanewilms make a sumptuous couple. Visionary and determined, evanescent and naive, she draws on a rich palette of qualities, singing with purity and a precise top, colouring subtly and phrasing with ease." Concerto.net
LOHENGRIN (Milan, January 2007)
"An Elsa of angelic timbre and gracious appearance, very measured on stage. Her Elsa is constantly dreaming, even drifting into sleep, to the point of suggesting that much of waht happens is the fruit of her own nocturnal imaginings." Il giornale della musica
DER ROSENKAVALIER (Chicago, January 2006)
"She has a lovely silvery soprano, strong enough to hold its own in the large Civic Opera House but with a soft edge that gives her Marschallin womanly warmth. Slim and graceful, she found a fine balance between self-awareness and imperiousness....Schwanewilms captivated the eye and ear, especially in her Act 1 monologue. Longing to freeze time in its tracks, she seemed to be having a quiet conversation with herself, a touching, poetic one...As she unfurled Strauss's long-lined, wistful phrases, as she compared time to a wind rustling against her face, we could almost feel that unsettling breeze ourselves." Chicago Sun-Times
"With her svelte figure and Elisabeth Schwarzkopfesque beauty, Anne Schwanewilms not only looked the part of the Marschallin but was fully inside the music and words...Her soprano revealed a warm, creamy middle range and lustrous high notes that floated over Strauss's sumptuous orchestrations. This Marschallin wore melancholy like a fine French perfume in her monologue, and her natural dignity and grace rescued the finale from any hint of mawkishness." Opera
"Schwanewilms not only looked the part but sounded it, radiantly so. She commanded a warm, creamy middle range and lustrous high notes that floated over Strauss's sumptuous orchestrations." Chicago Tribune
DIE LIEBE DER DANAE (Dresden, November 2005)
"...first and foremost Anne Schwanewilms in the title role, a warm soprano with a radiant high register...lyrical lustre and sounds of pensive reverie reminiscent of Ariadne. The nuances of her voice ranged from transfigured sweetness in Act 2 via the luxurious vocal splendour of the great monologue at the beginning of Act 3 to melancholy tenderness in the final scene." Opera
DIE GEZEICHNETEN (Salzburg, August 2005)
"...Above all, Anne Schwanewilms was transfixing as Carlotta. With her hotly expressive stage presence and coolly beautiful soprano voice, she caught the ambiguities of Carlotta's character and, by extension, all the fire and ice of Schreker's world." The New Yorker
"As Carlotta, the soprano Anne Schwanewilms was the standout, with an icy radiance to her voice and a mesmerizing stage presence." New York Times
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, June 2004)
"Tall, gainly, commanding, with a voice that can send shivers through you, Schwanewilms is one of the greatest singers on the operatic stage today." The Independent
"...Schwanewilms is a highly intelligent musician, who thinks about what she is singing. And today, that's a rare quality." Daily Telegraph
"Schwanewilms is a singer at the height of her powers, in a role that suits her completely." Opera
"The role fits her like a glove." Financial Times
IDOMENEO (Glyndebourne, June 2003)
"But for sheer vocal thrill the honours go to Anne Schwanewilms in the role of the self-torturing Greek princess Elettra, vainly in love with Idamante. Her sweet, wheedling sound in 'Idol mio' gives way to piercing shrieks and insane laughing in her final furious aria 'D'Oreste.' It's as if she's about to combust with anger, and it's the highlight of the evening." The Independent
"Anne Schwanewilms sings the technically phenomenal Elettra" Der Tagesspiegel
ELEKTRA (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, March 2003)
"But the revelation is the German soprano Anne Schwanewilms as Elektra's sister Chrysothemis, reassuring us that there still exists such a creature as the svelte, sylph-like diva who can act affectingly while singing the most taxing vocal lines with effortless ease and ravishing beauty." The Observer
EURYANTHE (Glyndebourne, June 2002)
"Anne Schwanewilms as Euryanthe is a natural stage star. Her great quality is an ethereal stillness. She brings to the role a lieder singer's inwardness and attention to fine detail, but the voice is possessed of a thrilling reach, too." The Independent
"...the heroine's music is often very beautiful indeed, and as sung by Schwanewilms, an unfailingly expressive, sensual soprano, it was irresistible." The Guardian
"...the performance is carried by Schwanewilms, who looks divine, moves with classical grace and sings with Straussian purity of tone. She is not only technically perfect, she is also very touching." Financial Times
CONCERTS
STRAUSS'S FOUR LAST SONGS (BBC Symphony Orchestra, cond. Jiri Belohlavek, Barbican Centre, London, December, 2009)
"As the evening's centrepiece, Anne Schwanewilms joined the BBCSO for a serene performance of Strauss's 'Four Last Songs'. Her soprano behaved like a solo obbligato instrument, perfectly placed within the translucent orchestra textures, and soaring with entirely human fervour into Strauss's magic sphere of night."The Times
"....sung with cool detachment yet haunting beauty by the soprano Anne Schwanewilms..."Sunday Telegraph
STRAUSS'S FOUR LAST SONGS (Dresden Staatskapelle, cond. Fabio Luisi, Musikverein, Vienna, April, 2009)
"Anne Schwanewilms, who recently sang ARABELLA here, now sang Strauss's FOUR LAST SONGS. The calm work of an older man flowed along broadly, finding its ideal interpreter in Schwanewilms. Her intensely-coloured soprano voice blended perfectly with the warm orchestral sound, particularly in the last song."Wiener Zeitung
"Anne Schwanewilms, who gave her State Opera debut here as recently as last March in the role of Arabella, has a powerfully emotional voice: her intuitive sense for Strauss' musical character is utterly convincing...."Krone
"..the orchestra had rolled out a golden carpet for soloist Anne Schwanewilms, whose phrasing was impeccable against this luxuriating backdrop ...."Die Presse
"The most precious instrument is the human voice when it is completely mastered. Anne Schwanewilms proved this in her interpretation of Strauss's FOUR LAST SONGS. Her soprano voice is perfect for Strauss and Wagner, and it has all the brilliance, warmth, suppleness and technical mastery necessary here. Her intensive performance actually blended so well with the orchestral sound that one may well have considered it a solo instrument."Oesterreich
"Anne Schwanewilms was brilliant, and her soprano voice always perfectly intoned. The artist was always able to make her beautiful voice rise above the sound of the orchestra, even when Maestro Luigi slightly exaggerated the volume."Kurier
VERDI REQUIEM (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/V Petrenko, Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool, September, 2008)
"Soprano Anne Schwanewilms, no stranger to the operatic stage, used that dramatic edge. And she possessed that rare ability to make the music come out of her body - it was not just a performance, it was one which combined both performance ability and spirit."Liverpool Daily Post
STRAUSS'S FOUR LAST SONGS (London Philharmonic Orchestra/S Young, Royal Festival Hall, London, October 2007)
"Schwanewilms...is a very experienced (and eminent) Straussian and sang with a relish of the words (impeccable ennuciation) and the rapturous music that Strauss composed as his 'farewell'. With dignity and restraint, and masterly legato, Schwanewilms, with Young, sustained spacious tempos to mesmerising effect and a glorious sunset without ever indulging in histrionics. The third song, 'Beim Schlafengehen (On Going To Sleep), was brought off with rapt dedication...but then this was a performance of one's dreams." classicalsource.com
"Schwanewilms has made something of a specialisation of the Four Last Songs and has already given performances this year in Madrid, Amsterdam, Stuttgart and Bonn. Tonight her clear soprano floated beautifully over a warm, glowing accompaniment from the London Philharmonic Orchestra." musicomh.com
"...the elegantly imposing figure of Anne Schwanewilms took to the stage. Throughout the songs, she sang with glorious tone, her voice soaring effortlessly...there was no resisting the tonal beauty of Schwanewilms' lustrous soprano..." musicalcriticism.com
MENDELSSOHN "LOBGESANG" (Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra/Riccardo Chailly, September 2005)
"Anne Schwanewilms is spectacular, her voice powerfully soaring over choir and orchestra, yet perfectly balanced and pure." Musicweb International
VERDI REQUIEM (LSO/Colin Davis, New York, September 2005)
"Ms Schwanewilms ...is a very fine soprano with a clear, dusky-toned and focused voice. Her soft sustained high notes, delivered with scant vibrato and true pitch, were ravishing." New York Times
STRAUSS'S FOUR LAST SONGS (Halle/Elder, Manchester, May 2004)
"...From her first few bars it was clear that Schwanewilms is something out of the ordinary, and not merely in terms of her effortlessly virtuosic vocal technique. Her unfailing instinct for the finest details of phrasing and timing lifted this performance into stratospheric reaches of musical experience. Although there are many sopranos who sing these songs beautifully, with Schwanewilms every word counts in a way that communicates with breathtaking intensity." The Guardian
CHRISTMAS CONCERT (LSO/Hickox, London, December 2003)
"...Glyndebourne's German soprano, Anne Schwanewilms, a true star without a whiff of glitz... the meat of the moment...was Miss Schwanewilms's singing of Strauss's Die heiligen drei Könige aus Morgenland...followed by an unbelievable Ave Maria, ascending from quadruple piano to triple forte. Simply sensational." The Independent
HANSEL AND GRETEL (LSO/Hickox, London, 2001)
"Schwanewilms was unusually sympathetic as the Mother, a woman driven to despair by hardship rather than a harridan. Hickox also cast Schwanewilms as the Witch, a dangerous, leggy, Dietrich-like creature in mini-skirt and high boots, who straddled a music stand as though it were a broomstick while flinging out high notes with eruptive glee. She is one hell of a lady...." The Guardian
RECITAL
STRAUSS/MAHLER LIEDERABEND (Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. January 2010)
"...an evening to remember...she sang with flexibility and self-assurance that comes with familiarity with the score and poetry. Her voice is ideally suited to the demands of Strauss, capable of transparent lightness at the top, but with enough weight to power through a long phrase.This soft velvet ribbon of sound, given various colours, served to evoke, among other qualities, the anxiety of a boy's beating heart in "Schlagende Herzen," naive sweetness in "Nachtgang" and wintry gloom in "Mein Herz Ist Stumm." Impressive control of upper and lower registers made for seamless connections between them in the last phrase of the lovely "Die Nacht."...The Mahler songs...offered an even greater range of characterization for Schwanewilms's dramatic skill." The Washington Post
STRAUSS/MAHLER LIEDERABEND (Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, September 2007)
"After the magnificent CD that came out earlier this year, the wish to hear her live increased. Could she realise our hopes that she has become the leading Strauss singer of today, knowing that she has to fight the shadow of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf? Yes, she could!" Parool
"Tuesday evening Schwanewilms showed us again why she is one of the most interesting singers of her generation, ably served by the piano playing of Manuel Lange...The CD she has recorded of Strauss songs is fabulous, but nothing can beat a live performance, especially in the case of Anne Schwanewilms. She really is the classic example of how to combine perfect singing technique with apparent effortlessly produced sounds...Her sound is heavenly, sometimes so real you think you can touch it...A superb recital..." Trouw
STRAUSS/MAHLER LIEDERABEND (Malcolm Martineau, Edinburgh Festival, August 2006)
"German soprano Anne Schwanewilms brought rapturous beauty to the songs of Strauss and Mahler...[she] is both physically and vocally a consummate actress, revealing pathos and poignancy and ambiguity. With a voice as gorgeous as Schwanewilms's, everything sounds fabulous." Glasgow Herald
"...there is no doubting that her voice is well-suited to the Straussian sound world - all long, liquid lines and lustrous floated high notes." The Scotsman
