Swiss soprano Edith Mathis passes away aged 87

Lucerne soprano Edith Mathis passes away Keystone-SDA

Swiss soprano Edith Mathis died on February 9 at the age of 87, according to the Lucerne Theater website. She was considered an outstanding interpreter of Mozart.

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The Swiss soprano has sung on the world’s greatest stages, and her voice has been recorded on numerous discs. Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan wanted to hire the young soprano for the Vienna State Opera at the very start of her career.

She refused, however, because she did not yet feel ready for the job. Von Karajan was offended, but that didn’t stop him from later recording Mozart’s Magic Flute with her.

Mathis took part in some 30 opera recordings. Born in Lucerne in 1938, she made her debut in her home town in 1957, then went on to sing in Cologne, Hamburg for many years, Covent Garden Opera in London and the Met in New York.

From 1992 to 2006, she was a professor at Vienna’s University of Music and Dramatic Arts. German soprano Diana Damrau was one of her students.

Mathis’s many honours include the Mozart Medal of the International Mozarteum Foundation Salzburg, Switzerland’s highest distinction, the Hans Reinhart Ring in 1978, the City of Lucerne’s Art and Culture Prize and the World Record Award.

Translated from French by DeepL/mga

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