'Anne Sofie von Otter' (born
9 May 1955) is an
opera singer and concert recitalist. She is particularly known for her
trouser roles.
Biography
Von Otter was born in
Stockholm,
Sweden. Her father was the diplomat
Göran von Otter and she grew up in Bonn, London and Stockholm. After studying in Stockholm and
Guildhall School of Music and Drama in
London, she was engaged by the
Basel Opera, where she made her operatic début in 1983 as Alcina in
Haydn's ''Orlando paladino''. She made her
Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden début in 1985 and her
Metropolitan Opera début in 1988 as Cherubino. In 1987, she made her
La Scala debut. She has had notable success in roles of
Mozart,
Handel, and
Monteverdi. In recitals, she excels in the music of
Mahler,
Brahms,
Grieg,
Wolf and
Sibelius. In 2001 she released an album with
Elvis Costello, for which she won an Edison Award.
Among the
conductors she has worked with repeatedly are
William Christie,
Marc Minkowski,
Claudio Abbado,
John Eliot Gardiner, and
Myung-Whun Chung. Most of her recitals and many of her recordings have been collaborations with Swedish pianist
Bengt Forsberg.
She is married to Benny Fredriksson, an actor and theatre director, and has two children.
Lieder and songs
★ ''
Johannes Brahms Lieder'' with Bengt Forsberg (1991)
Deutsche Grammophon
★ ''
Grieg Songs'' with Bengt Forsberg (1993)
Deutsche Grammophon
★ ''Speak Low: Songs by
Kurt Weill'' conducted by John Eliot Gardiner (1995)
Deutsche Grammophon
★ ''Frauenliebe und –leben'' by
Schumann with Bengt Forsberg (1996)
Deutsche Grammophon
★ ''
Schubert: Lieder, with Bengt Forsberg (1997)
Deutsche Grammophon
★ ''
Des Knaben Wunderhorn'' (with
Thomas Quasthoff) by
Mahler conducted by Claudio Abbado (1999)
Deutsche Grammophon
★ ''
Mahler: ''Kindertotenlieder'', conducted by
Pierre Boulez (2005)
Deutsche Grammophon
★ ''
Chaminade Lieder and other works'' with Bengt Forsberg (2002)
Deutsche Grammophon
★ ''
Berlioz: Mélodies'' and ''Les nuits d'ete'', with Cord Garben (piano) and conducted by
James Levine
Operas
★ ''
Der Rosenkavalier'' by
Richard Strauss conducted by Bernard Haitink (1991) EMI Classics
★ ''
Agrippina'' by
Handel conducted by
John Eliot Gardiner (1997)
Philips
★ ''
Werther'' by
Massenet conducted by Kent Nagano (1997) Elektra
★ ''
Ariodante'' by Handel conducted by Marc Minkowski (1999) Archiv
★ ''
Ariadne auf Naxos'' by Richard Strauss conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli (2002)
★ ''
Hercules'' by Handel conducted by Marc Minkowski (2002) Archiv
★ ''
Giulio Cesare'' by Handel conducted by Marc Minkowski (2003) Archiv
★ ''
Serse'' by Handel conducted by William Christie (2004) Virgin Classics
★ ''
Idomeneo by
Mozart conducted by
John Eliot Gardiner (1991)
Deutsche Grammophon
★ ''
La clamenza di Tito by
Mozart conducted by
John Eliot Gardiner (1993)
Deutsche Grammophon
Other Recordings
★ ''For The Stars'', a collection of rock and pop songs (by the likes of
Brian Wilson and
Lennon/McCartney), with
Elvis Costello
★ ''
Handel:
Messiah'', with
Arleen Auger,
Michael Chance,
Howard Crook and
John Tomlinson, with
Trevor Pinnock and the
English Concert
★ ''
Handel:
Messiah'', with
Sylvia McNair,
Michael Chance,
Jerry Hadley and
Robert Lloyd, with the
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields conducted by Sir
Neville Marriner
★ ''
Beethoven:
Symphony no. 9, with Luba Orgonasova,
Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Gilles Cachemaille, the
Monteverdi Choir and the Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique, conducted by Sir
John Eliot Gardiner
★ ''
Mahler: ''Symphony no. 3'', conducted by
Pierre Boulez
★ ''
Berlioz: ''The Damnation of Faust'', with
Bryn Terfel, conducted by
Myung-Whun Chung
★ ''Theresienstadt'', with Bengt Forsberg and others
★ ''
Elgar:
The Dream of Gerontius, with
Alastair Miles and
David Rendall, conducted by
Sir Colin Davis
External links
★
Anne-Sofie von Otter's website