Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a Swedish

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middl ...

. Her repertoire encompasses

lied In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French s ...

er, operas,

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...

s and also rock and pop songs.

Early life

Von Otter was born in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...

, Sweden. Her father was Göran von Otter, a Swedish diplomat in Berlin during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. 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 Rózsa. In 1982, she won second prize in the

ARD International Music Competition The ARD International Music Competition (german: link=no, Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD) is the largest international classical music competition in Germany. It is organised by the Bayerischer Rundfunk and held once a year in Munich. S ...

. From 1983 to 1985, she was an ensemble member of the Basel Opera, where she made her professional operatic début as Alcina in Haydn's ''

Orlando paladino ''Orlando paladino'' (English: ''The Paladin Orlando''), Hob. 28/11, is an opera in three acts by Joseph Haydn which was first performed at Eszterháza on 6 December 1782. The libretto by is based on another libretto, ''Le pazzie d'Orlando'', ...

''. She made her

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal ...

, Covent Garden, début in 1985 and her

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

debut in 1987. Her

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is opera ...

début was in December 1988 as Cherubino in ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( it, Le nozze di Figaro, links=no, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premi ...

''.

Career

Her recording of Grieg songs won the 1993 ''

Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

'' 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 Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...

, ''For the Stars'', for which she won an Edison Award. She was awarded the

Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo The Grammy Award – Best Classical Vocal Solo has been awarded since 1959. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award over this time: *From 1959 to 1960 and from 1962 to 1964 the award was known as Best Classical Performanc ...

in 2015 for her album of French songs, ''Douce France''. She is a regular recital and recording partner with Swedish pianist

Bengt Forsberg Bengt Forsberg (born 1952) is a Swedish concert pianist most famous for his numerous collaborations with the mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter. He participated in her project to record songs written in the concentration camp of Terezín. Forsberg ...

. In 2006, von Otter sang the Evangelist in the premiere of

Sven-David Sandström Sven-David Sandström (30 October 1942, in Motala – 10 June 2019) was a Swedish classical composer of operas, oratorios, ballets, and choral works, as well as orchestral works. Life and career Sandström studied art history and musicology at ...

's ''

Ordet – en passion ''Ordet – en passion'' (''The Word – a Passion'') is a work for soloists, chorus and orchestra in three parts with words from the Bible and by Katarina Frostenson, and music by Sven-David Sandström. ''Ordet'' was first performed on 24 March ...

''. Other work in contemporary music has included singing the role of The Woman in ''Senza Sangue'' of

Péter Eötvös Péter Eötvös ( hu, Eötvös Péter, ; born 2 January 1944) is a Hungarian composer, conductor and teacher. Eötvös was born in Székelyudvarhely, Transylvania, then part of Hungary, now Romania. He studied composition in Budapest and C ...

. In other media, she appeared in the film ''

A Late Quartet ''A Late Quartet'' (released in Australia as ''Performance'') is a 2012 American drama film directed by Yaron Zilberman and co-written by Zilberman and Seth Grossman. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, Ma ...

''. In 2007, she released an album of music written by composers imprisoned in the Nazi ghetto of

Theresienstadt concentration camp Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia ( German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstadt served as a waystation to the extermination ca ...

(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. In 2016, von Otter sang Leonora in the world premiere of Thomas Adès' '' The Exterminating Angel'', and again in 2017 at the

, Covent Garden. She created the principal role of Charlotte in

Sebastian Fagerlund Sebastian Fagerlund (born 6 December 1972) is a Finnish composer. He is described as “a post-modern impressionist whose sound landscapes can be heard as ecstatic nature images which, however, are always inner images, landscapes of the mind”.S ...

's 2017 opera ''Autumn Sonata'', based on the 1979 film by

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film director, screenwriter, producer and playwright. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, his films are known as "profoun ...

at the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki conducted by

John Storgårds John Gunnar Rafael Storgårds (born 20 October 1963 in Helsinki) is a Finnish violinist and conductor. Biography Storgårds studied violin with Esther Raitio and Jouko Ignatius at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and continued his violin studie ...

Family life

Von Otter was married to Benny Fredriksson until his suicide on 17 March 2018. He was an actor and managing director of The Stockholm House of Culture, including the Stadsteater (Stockholm City Theatre). The couple had two children. She lives in the capital Stockholm.

Awards and honours

*1995: appointed Hovsångerska by King

Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. He ascended the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, D ...

*2003: Rolf Schock Prize in the musical arts category *2013: Honorary Degree, University Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris

Discography

Selective charting albums

Anne Sofie von Otter på Grammisgalan 2013

(Peak positions in

Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. M ...

, the Swedish national record chart)

Recordings

Lieder and songs

Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( , ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sm ...

: ''Sieben frühe Lieder &

Der Wein "" (The Wine) is a concert aria for soprano and orchestra, composed in 1929 by Alban Berg. The lyrics are from Stefan George's translation of three poems from Charles Baudelaire's ', as is the secret text of Berg's '' Lyric Suite''.Pople, Anthony ( ...

'' conducted by Claudio Abbado (1995)

Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...

Hector Berlioz In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

: ''Mélodies'' with Cord Garben (piano) (1994) and ''Les nuits d'été'' conducted by James Levine (1995) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''

Les nuits d'été ''Les nuits d'été'' (''Summer Nights''), Op. 7, is a song cycle by the French composer Hector Berlioz. It is a setting of six poems by Théophile Gautier. The cycle, completed in 1841, was originally for soloist and piano accompaniment. Berlio ...

'' conducted by

Marc Minkowski Marc Minkowski (born 4 October 1962) is a French conductor of classical music, especially known for his interpretations of French Baroque works, and is the current general director of Opéra national de Bordeaux. His mother, Mary Anne (Wade), i ...

(2011) Naïve *

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...

: ''Lieder'' with

(piano) (1990) Deutsche Grammophon * Cécile Chaminade: ''Mots d'amour'' with Bengt Forsberg (piano) (2001) Deutsche Grammophon * Edvard Grieg: ''Songs/Lieder'' with Bengt Forsberg (piano) (1993) Deutsche Grammophon * Erich Wolfgang Korngold: ''Rendezvous with Korngold'' with Bengt Forsberg (piano) & Friends (1999) Deutsche Grammophon * Ingvar Lidholm: ''Songs and Chamber Music'' conducted by Björn Sjögren (1996) Caprice Records *

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

: '' Des Knaben Wunderhorn'' with Thomas Quasthoff conducted by Claudio Abbado (1999) Deutsche Grammophon ** '' Kindertotenlieder'' conducted by

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mo ...

(2004) Deutsche Grammophon *

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

: '' Shéhérazade'' conducted by Pierre Boulez (2002) Deutsche Grammophon *

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...

: ''

Gurre-Lieder ' is a large cantata for five vocal soloists, narrator, chorus and large orchestra, composed by Arnold Schoenberg, on poems by the Danish novelist Jens Peter Jacobsen (translated from Danish to German by ). The title means "songs of Gurre", ref ...

'' conducted by

Simon Rattle Sir Simon Denis Rattle (born 19 January 1955) is a British-German conductor. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rattle was principa ...

(2002) EMI *

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wo ...

: ''Lieder'', with Bengt Forsberg (piano) (1997) and ''Lieder with Orchestra'' conducted by Claudio Abbado (2003) Deutsche Grammophon *

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

: ''

Frauen-Liebe und Leben ''Frauen-Liebe und Leben'' (''A Woman's Love and Life'') is a cycle of poems by Adelbert von Chamisso, written in 1830. They describe the course of a woman's love for her man, from her point of view, from first meeting through marriage to his dea ...

'' with Bengt Forsberg (piano) (1995) Deutsche Grammophon *

Jean Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

: ''Anne Sofie von Otter sings Sibelius'' with Bengt Forsberg (piano) BIS *

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

: ''Speak Low: Songs by Kurt Weill'' conducted by John Eliot Gardiner (1994) Deutsche Grammophon *

Hugo Wolf Hugo Philipp Jacob Wolf (13 March 1860 – 22 February 1903) was an Austrian composer of Slovene origin, particularly noted for his art songs, or Lieder. He brought to this form a concentrated expressive intensity which was unique in late Ro ...

: ''Spanisches Liederbuch'' with Olaf Bär (baritone) and Geoffrey Parsons (piano) (1995) EMI * Various: '' Boldemann Gefors Hillborg'' conducted by Kent Nagano (2008) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''La Bonne chanson – French Chamber Songs'' with Bengt Forsberg (piano) and others (1996) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''Brahms / Schumann'' with Barbara Bonney (soprano), Kurt Streit (tenor), Olaf Bär (baritone),

Helmut Deutsch Helmut Erich Deutsch (born 24 December 1945) is an Austrian classical pianist, specialising in chamber music and lieder accompaniment. Deutsch was born in Vienna, where he studied piano, composition and musicology at the Vienna Music Academy from ...

and Bengt Forsberg (piano duet) (1994) EMI ** ''Douce France'' – classical French songs (disc 1) and chansons (disc 2) with Bengt Forsberg (piano) and others (2013) Naive ** ''Folksongs'' with Bengt Forsberg (piano) (2000) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''Lieder / Mélodies by Beethoven Meyerbeer

Spohr Louis Spohr (, 5 April 178422 October 1859), baptized Ludewig Spohr, later often in the modern German form of the name Ludwig, was a German composer, violinist and conductor. Highly regarded during his lifetime, Spohr composed ten symphonies, ...

'' with Melvyn Tan (fortepiano) (2001) Archiv ** ''Lieder by Wolf and Mahler'' with

Ralf Gothóni Ralf Georg Nils Gothóni (born 2 May 1946, Rauma) is a Finnish-German pianist and conductor. He is also active as a chamber musician, professor, composer, and author. Born in Rauma, Finland he made his orchestra debut at age 15. Besides his worl ...

(piano) (1989) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''Love's Twilight – Late Romantic Songs by Berg Korngold Strauss'' with Bengt Forsberg (piano) (1994) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''Mahler Zemlinsky Lieder'' conducted by John Eliot Gardiner (1996) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''Mozart – Haydn: Songs & Canzonettas'' with Melvyn Tan (

fortepiano A fortepiano , sometimes referred to as a pianoforte, is an early piano. In principle, the word "fortepiano" can designate any piano dating from the invention of the instrument by Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1698 up to the early 19th century. M ...

) (1995) Archiv ** ''Music for a While – Baroque Melodies'' (2004) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''Terezín / Theresienstadt'' with Bengt Forsberg (piano), Christian Gerhaher, Gerold Huber (piano) and others (2007) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''Watercolours – Swedish Songs'' with Bengt Forsberg (piano) (2003) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''Wings in the Night – Swedish Songs'' with Bengt Forsberg (piano) (1996) Deutsche Grammophon

Complete operas

* Bartók: '' Bluebeard's Castle'' conducted by Bernard Haitink (1996) EMI * Berlioz: ''

La Damnation de Faust ''La damnation de Faust'' (English: ''The Damnation of Faust''), Op. 24 is a work for four solo voices, full seven-part chorus, large children's chorus and orchestra by the French composer Hector Berlioz. He called it a "''légende dramatique'' ...

'' conducted by Myung-whun Chung (1998) Deutsche Grammophon *

Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', which has become on ...

: ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the ...

'' conducted by Philippe Jordan (2003) BBC/

Arte Arte (; (), sometimes stylized in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE, plu ...

: Autumn Sonata (opera) conducted by

(2018) BIS *

Gluck Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire, he ...

: '' Alceste'' conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner (1990)

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters is ...

** '' Iphigénie en Aulide'' conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner (1990) Erato ** ''

Orphée et Eurydice ' (; French: '; English: ''Orpheus and Eurydice'') is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck, based on the myth of Orpheus and set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the '' azione teatrale'', meaning an ...

'' conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner (1989) EMI *

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

: ''

Agrippina Agrippina is an ancient Roman cognomen and a feminine given name. People with either the cognomen or the given name include: Cognomen Relatives of the Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa: * Vipsania Agrippina (36 BC–20 AD), first wife of the ...

'' conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner (1997) Philips ** '' Ariodante'' conducted by

(1999) Archiv ** '' Giulio Cesare'' conducted by Marc Minkowski (2003) Archiv ** ''

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

'' conducted by Marc Minkowski (2002) Archiv ** '' Serse'' by conducted by William Christie (2004) Virgin Classics * Humperdinck: '' Hänsel und Gretel'' conducted by Jeffrey Tate(1989/1990) EMI * Massenet: ''

Werther ''Werther'' is an opera (''drame lyrique'') in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann (who used the pseudonym Henri Grémont). It is loosely based on Goethe's epistolary novel '' Th ...

'' conducted by Kent Nagano (1997) Elektra * Monteverdi: ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' conducted by John Eliot Gardiner (1996) Archiv ** ''L'Orfeo'' conducted by John Eliot Gardiner (1987) Archiv *

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

: '' La clemenza di Tito'' conducted by John Eliot Gardiner (1993) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''Così fan tutte'' conducted by

Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...

(1996)

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...

** '' Idomeneo'' conducted by John Eliot Gardiner (1991) Deutsche Grammophon ** '' Le nozze di Figaro'' conducted by James Levine (1992) Deutsche Grammophon * Purcell: ''Dido and Aeneas'' conducted by Trevor Pinnock (1989) Archiv * Rachmaninoff: '' Aleko'' conducted by Neeme Järvi (1997) Deutsche Grammophon *

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...

: '' Ariadne auf Naxos'' conducted by

Giuseppe Sinopoli Giuseppe Sinopoli (; 2 November 1946 – 21 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer. Biography Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin ...

(2002) Deutsche Grammophon ** ''

Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel ''Les amours du chevalier de Faublas'' ...

'' conducted by Bernard Haitink (1991) EMI ** ''Der Rosenkavalier'' conducted by Carlos Kleiber (1995) Deutsche Grammophon DVD only *

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

: ''

The Rake's Progress ''The Rake's Progress'' is an English-language opera from 1951 in three acts and an epilogue by Igor Stravinsky. The libretto, written by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, is based loosely on the eight paintings and engravings '' A Rake's Prog ...

'' conducted by John Eliot Gardiner (1999) Deutsche Grammophon * Tchaikovsky: ''

Eugene Onegin ''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' (Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Евгений Оне́гин, ромáн в стихáх, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ɐˈnʲeɡʲɪn, r=Yevgeniy Onegin, roman v stikhakh) is ...

'' conducted by James Levine (1988) Deutsche Grammophon

Aria recordings

* ''Anne Sofie von Otter sings Offenbach'', conducted by

– 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

* Bach: ''

St Matthew Passion The ''St Matthew Passion'' (german: Matthäus-Passion, links=-no), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It se ...

'' English Baroque Soloists, Sir John Eliot Gardiner ** ''

'' Chicago Symphony, Sir Georg Solti;

Kiri Te Kanawa Dame Kiri Jeanette Claire Te Kanawa , (; born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron, 6 March 1944) is a retired New Zealand opera singer. She had a full lyric soprano voice, which has been described as "mellow yet vibrant, warm, ample and unforced". Te ...

, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Tom Krause,

Hans Peter Blochwitz Hans Peter Blochwitz (born 28 September 1949) is a German lyric tenor, who is known internationally in opera and concert, especially for singing parts in Mozart operas. Career Born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on 28 September 1949, Blochwitz first ...

, Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus, Chicago Symphony Chorus *

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

: '' Symphony No. 9'', with Luba Orgonasova, Anthony Rolfe Johnson,

Gilles Cachemaille The Gilles are the oldest and principal participants in the Carnival of Binche in Belgium. They go out on Shrove Tuesday from 4 am until late hours and dance to traditional songs. Other cities, such as La Louvière and Nivelles, have a traditio ...

, the Monteverdi Choir and the Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique, conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner *Berlioz: ''

L'Enfance du Christ ''L'enfance du Christ'' (''The Childhood of Christ''), Opus 25, is an oratorio by the French composer Hector Berlioz, based on the Holy Family's flight into Egypt (see Gospel of Matthew 2:13). Berlioz wrote his own words for the piece. Most of i ...

,'' Gilles Cachemaille, Jules Bastin, José Van Dam, Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Lyon, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner - Erato 1988 * Maurice Duruflé: "

Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

", conducted by Michel Plasson – EMI * Elgar: ''

The Dream of Gerontius ''The Dream of Gerontius'', Op. 38, is a work for voices and orchestra in two parts composed by Edward Elgar in 1900, to text from the poem by John Henry Newman. It relates the journey of a pious man's soul from his deathbed to his judgment b ...

'', with

Alastair Miles Alastair Miles (born 11 July 1961, Harrow, England) is a British operatic and concert bass who has had an international career since the late 1980s. Biography Education Alastair Miles was educated at The John Lyon School, Harrow, and subseq ...

and

David Rendall David Rendall (born 11 October 1948) is an English operatic tenor. Personal life and education Although he sang in a skiffle group while in secondary school, Rendall originally had no intention to sing opera professionally. He was "discovered" w ...

, conducted by Sir

Colin Davis Sir Colin Rex Davis (25 September 1927 – 14 April 2013) was an English conductor, known for his association with the London Symphony Orchestra, having first conducted it in 1959. His repertoire was broad, but among the composers with whom h ...

: ''

Jephtha Jephthah (pronounced ; he, יִפְתָּח, ''Yīftāḥ''), appears in the Book of Judges as a judge who presided over Israel for a period of six years (). According to Judges, he lived in Gilead. His father's name is also given as Gilead, ...

'', with Michael Chance, Lynne Dawson and

Stephen Varcoe Christopher Stephen Varcoe (born 19 May 1949 in Lostwithiel, Cornwall) is an English classical bass-baritone singer, appearing internationally in opera and concert, known for Baroque and contemporary music and a notable singer of Lieder. Profes ...

, with the English Baroque Soloists conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner ** ''

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

'', with Arleen Auger, Michael Chance, Howard Crook and John Tomlinson, with Trevor Pinnock and

The English Concert The English Concert is a baroque orchestra playing on period instruments based in London. Founded in 1972 and directed from the harpsichord by Trevor Pinnock for 30 years, it is now directed by harpsichordist Harry Bicket. Nadja Zwiener ha ...

** Messiah, with Sylvia McNair, Michael Chance,

Jerry Hadley Jerry Hadley (June 16, 1952 – July 18, 2007) was an American operatic tenor. He received three Grammy awards for his vocal performances in the recordings of ''Jenůfa'' (2004 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording), '' Susannah'' (1995 Grammy Awa ...

and Robert Lloyd, with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Sir

Neville Marriner Sir Neville Marriner, (15 April 1924 – 2 October 2016) was an English violinist and "one of the world's greatest conductors". Gramophone lists Marriner as one of the 50 greatest conductors and another compilation ranks Marriner #14 of the ...

Mauricio Kagel Mauricio Raúl Kagel (; 24 December 1931 – 18 September 2008) was an Argentine-German composer. Biography Kagel was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, into an Ashkenazi Jewish family that had fled from Russia in the 1920s . He studied music, his ...

: ''

Sankt-Bach-Passion ''Sankt-Bach-Passion'' (Saint Bach Passion) is an oratorio composed by Mauricio Kagel in 1985 for the tricentenary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach. It follows the model of Bach's Passions, but the topic is not biblical, rather refers to Bach ...

'', conducted by the composer – Naïve * Mahler: ''Symphony No. 3'', conducted by

– Deutsche Grammophon *

: Barbara Bonney, Anne Sofie von Otter, English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner – Archiv **

Great Mass in C minor ''Great Mass in C minor'' (german: Große Messe in c-Moll, links=no), K. 427/417a, is the common name of the musical setting of the mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which is considered one of his greatest works. He composed it in Vienna in 1782 ...

: Barbara Bonney, Anne Sofie von Otter, English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner *

: ''

Rosamunde ''Rosamunde, Fürstin von Zypern'' (''Rosamunde, Princess of Cyprus'') is a play by Helmina von Chézy, which is primarily remembered for the incidental music which Franz Schubert composed for it. Music and play premiered in Vienna's Theater an d ...

'' with the

Chamber Orchestra of Europe The Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE), established in 1981, is an orchestra based in London. The orchestra comprises about 60 members from across Europe. The players pursue parallel careers as international soloists, members of chamber groups a ...

, conducted by Claudio Abbado *

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...

, '' Oratorio de Noël,'' Royal Opera Theater, Orchestra, The Michael Chamber Choir, conducted by Anders Eby. CD Proprius Musik AB 1994

Other music

* ''Home for Christmas'', classical works and popular tunes for Christmas (1999) Deutsche Grammophon * ''

For the Stars ''For the Stars'' is a 2001 album by classically trained Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and Elvis Costello. Track listing # "No Wonder" (3:37) (Elvis Costello) # "Baby Plays Around" (3:13) (Cait O'Riordan, Declan MacManus) # "Go Le ...

'', a collection of rock and pop songs (by the likes of

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop music, pop composition, ex ...

, Andersson– Ulvaeus and

Lennon–McCartney Lennon–McCartney was the songwriting partnership between English musicians John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney (born 1942) of the Beatles. It is the best-known and most successful musical collaboration ever by records sold, with the ...

), with

and

Svante Henryson Svante Henryson (born 22 October 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a composer, cellist, bass guitarist and double bassist, active within jazz, classical music, and hard rock. Biography Childhood and studies Svante Henryson grew up in Umeå in n ...

(2001) Deutsche Grammophon * Peter Sculthorpe: ''Island Dreaming'', with the

Brodsky Quartet The Brodsky Quartet is a British string quartet, formed in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, in 1972 as the "Cleveland Quartet". Only Ian Belton and Jacqueline Thomas remain as original members. In addition to performing classical music, and in par ...

(2001) Challenge Records * ''I Let the Music Speak'' – Songs of

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The grou ...

including " Money, Money, Money" and " The Winner Takes It All" (2006) Deutsche Grammophon * ''Noel'', classical Christmas music with Bengt Forsberg (2006) Deutsche Grammophon * ''Love Songs'', with Brad Mehldau (2010) Naïve *

Ottorino Respighi Ottorino Respighi ( , , ; 9 July 187918 April 1936) was an Italian composer, violinist, teacher, and musicologist and one of the leading Italian composers of the early 20th century. His compositions range over operas, ballets, orchestral su ...

: ''Il tramonto'', with the Brodsky Quartet – Vanguard * ''

The Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991 ''The Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991'' was a four-hour concert staged by the Metropolitan Opera on 23 September 1991 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its opening night in its second home at Lincoln Center. It was televised by Cablevision, and ...

'', Deutsche Grammophon DVD, 00440-073-4582 * ''

James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala ''James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala'' was a concert, lasting (including intermissions) approximately eight hours, that the Metropolitan Opera staged in 1996 in honour of its then principal conductor and artistic director. Exc ...

'' (1996), Deutsche Grammophon DVD, B0004602-09

References

External links

* * * *
Review by Lisa Hirsch in San Francisco Classical Voice

Swedish Charts.com search on Anne Sofie von Otter

Dutch Charts.nl search on Anne Sofie von Otter

Norwegian Charts.com search on Anne Sofie von Otter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Otter, Anne-Sofie 1955 births Living people Singers from Stockholm Expatriates in England Swedish nobility Swedish operatic mezzo-sopranos Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Edison Classical Music Awards winners Grammy Award winners Rolf Schock Prize laureates Deutsche Grammophon artists Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music Litteris et Artibus recipients 20th-century Swedish women opera singers 21st-century Swedish women opera singers Prize-winners of the ARD International Music Competition