Ruth-Margret Pütz
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Ruth-Margret Pütz (born Margret Doerkes, 26 February 1930 – 1 April 2019) was a German operatic
coloratura soprano A coloratura soprano () is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile run (music), runs, leaps and Trill (music), trills. The term ''coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, whi ...
and an academic voice teacher. She was a member of the
Staatsoper Stuttgart The Staatsoper Stuttgart (Stuttgart State Opera) is a German opera company based in Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The Staatsorchester Stuttgart serves as its resident orchestra. History Performances of operas, ballet an ...
for many decades, a frequent guest at the
Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by ...
, and appeared at other major international opera houses and festivals. One of her signature roles was Konstanze in Mozart's ''
Die Entführung aus dem Serail ' () (Köchel catalogue, K. 384; ''The Abduction from the Seraglio''; also known as ') is a singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's . The plot concer ...
''. She is regarded as one of the leading coloratura sopranos of the 1960s.


Career

Born Margret Doerkes in Krefeld-Uerdingen on 26 February 1931, she took voice lessons with the
baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
Berthold Pütz in her hometown. In 1949 at age 18, she was engaged as a beginner () at the
Cologne Opera The Cologne Opera (German language, German: Oper der Stadt Köln or Oper Köln) refers to both the main opera house in Cologne, Germany and its resident opera company. History of the company From the mid 18th century, opera was performed in the ...
, where she made her debut as the Page in Verdi's ''
Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had c ...
''. In 1951, she appeared as Gretchen in Lortzing's '' Wildschütz'' and as Nuri in d’Albert's '' Tiefland''. She married Johannes Pütz that year and took her stage name. From 1951 to 1957, she was a member of the
Staatsoper Hannover Hanover State Opera () is a German opera company based in Hanover, the state capital of Lower Saxony. The company is resident in the Hanover Opera House (), and is part of a publicly-funded umbrella performing arts organisation called Hanover S ...
as a
coloratura Coloratura ( , , ; , from ''colorata'', the past participle of the verb ''colorare'', 'to color') is a passage of music holding elaboration to a melody. The elaboration usually takes the form of runs, trills, wide leaps or other virtuoso ma ...
soubrette A soubrette is a female minor stock character in opera and theatre, often a pert lady's maid. By extension, the term can refer generally to any saucy or flirtatious young woman. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means " ...
, singing roles such as Blonde in Mozart's ''
Die Entführung aus dem Serail ' () (Köchel catalogue, K. 384; ''The Abduction from the Seraglio''; also known as ') is a singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's . The plot concer ...
'', Marzelline in Beethoven's ''
Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...
'', and Adele in ''
Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original literary source for ' was ...
'' by Johann Strauss. She took further voice lessons with Otto Köhler, who developed her voice to a
coloratura soprano A coloratura soprano () is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile run (music), runs, leaps and Trill (music), trills. The term ''coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, whi ...
, allowing her to perform as Susanna in Mozart's ''
Le nozze di Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), 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 premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna ...
'' and Sophie in ''
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 Louvet de Couvrai's novel ''Les amours du cheva ...
'' by Richard Strauss. In 1957, she appeared as a guest artist at the
Staatsoper Stuttgart The Staatsoper Stuttgart (Stuttgart State Opera) is a German opera company based in Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The Staatsorchester Stuttgart serves as its resident orchestra. History Performances of operas, ballet an ...
as Gilda in ''Rigoletto''. She toured with the company to the
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...
, where she appeared as Konstanze in Mozart's ''
Die Entführung aus dem Serail ' () (Köchel catalogue, K. 384; ''The Abduction from the Seraglio''; also known as ') is a singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's . The plot concer ...
'' and became a member of the Stuttgart Opera. She was successful there as Zerbinetta in ''
Ariadne auf Naxos (''Ariadne on Naxos''), Op. 60, is a 1912 opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The opera's unusual combination of elements of low commedia dell'arte with those of high opera seria points up one of the work's ...
'' by
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...
, performed on 6 October 1962 for the reopening of the Kleines Haus of the Staatstheater, where the opera had received its world premiere 50 years earlier. The performance, conducted by Ferdinand Leitner and with
Leonie Rysanek Leopoldine Rysanek (14 November 1926 – 7 March 1998), known professionally as Leonie Rysanek, was an Austrian dramatic soprano. Life Rysanek was born in Vienna as one of six children of a Czech father and an Austrian mother. She entered t ...
in the title role and Jess Thomas as Bacchus, was broadcast live. She appeared in the title role of Donizetti's ''
Lucia di Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...
'' and as Norina in Donizetti's ''
L'elisir d'amore ''L'elisir d'amore'' (; ''The Elixir of Love'') is a (comic melodrama, opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's (1831). ...
'', alongside
Fritz Wunderlich Friedrich "Fritz" Karl Otto Wunderlich (26 September 1930 – 17 September 1966) was a German lyric tenor, famed for his singing of the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart repertory and various lieder. He died in an accident aged 35. Biography Wunde ...
as Nemorino and Raymond Wolansky as Malatesta. In 1965 she took part in the world premiere of Antonio Bibalo's ''Das Lächeln am Fuße der Leiter'' at the
Hamburg State Opera The Hamburg State Opera (in German: ) is a German opera company based in Hamburg. Its theatre is near the square of Gänsemarkt. Since 2015, the current ''Intendant'' of the company is Georges Delnon, and the current ''Generalmusikdirektor'' ...
, and in 1966 she sang in Stuttgart in the world premiere of
Werner Egk Werner Egk (, 17 May 1901 – 10 July 1983), born Werner Joseph Mayer, was a German composer. Early career He was born in the Swabian town of Auchsesheim, today part of Donauwörth, Germany. His family, of Catholic peasant stock, moved to Augsb ...
's ''17 Tage und 4 Minuten'', a revised version of ''
Circe In Greek mythology, Circe (; ) is an enchantress, sometimes considered a goddess or a nymph. In most accounts, Circe is described as the daughter of the sun god Helios and the Oceanid Perse (mythology), Perse. Circe was renowned for her vast kn ...
''. She was named a at age 29, then the youngest in Germany. She appeared at the
Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival () is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special ...
from 1959 as a Flower Maiden in ''
Parsifal ''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is freely based on the 13th-century Middle High German chivalric romance ''Parzival'' of th ...
'' and in 1960 also as the Forest Bird in ''
Siegfried Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace". The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...
''. She appeared at the
Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by ...
from 1958 and later had a guest contract, performing nine roles until 1970, including Zerbinetta, Konstanze, Susanna, Marzelline, Pamina in Mozart's ''
Die Zauberflöte ''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...
'', Gilda and Sophie. At the
Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...
, she performed in 1961 as Konstanze, conducted by István Kertész and again alongside Wunderlich. She toured in Europe and to the Americas. Pütz retired from the stage in Stuttgart in the 1994/95 season. As a concert singer, she recorded Bach's
Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for "y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary or Canticle of Mary, and in the Byzantine Rite as the Ode of the Theotokos (). Its Western name derives from the incipit of its Latin text. This ...
with Hertha Töpper, Gerhard Unger and
Theo Adam Theo Adam (1 August 1926 – 10 January 2019) was a German operatic bass-baritone and bass singer who had an international career in opera, concert and recital from 1949. He was a member of the Staatsoper Dresden for his entire career, and s ...
, conducted by
Hans Grischkat Hans Adolf Karl Wilhelm Grischkat (29 August 1903 – 10 January 1977) was a German conductor, especially a choral conductor, also a church musician and academic teacher. He founded the choir for pioneering concerts and recordings of works by ...
c. 1957. In 1968, she recorded Mozart's
Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...
with Choir and Orchestra of the RAI Turin, conducted by
Sergiu Celibidache Sergiu Celibidache (; ; 13 August 1996) was a Romanian people, Romanian Conducting, conductor, composer, musical theorist, and teacher. Educated in his native Romania, and later in Paris and Berlin, Celibidache's career in music spanned over fi ...
, alongside Julia Hamari, Henrick Gritchnik and Ernst Gerold Schramm. She taught from 1989 to 1992 at the . She died in Stuttgart on 1 April 2019.


Discography

Pütz recorded complete operas, with roles including Konstanze, Zerbinetta, Amor in Gluck's ''
Orfeo ed Euridice (; 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 ...
'', The Queen of the Night in Mozart's ''
Die Zauberflöte ''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...
'', Bertalda in Lortzing's ''
Undine Undines (; also ondines) are a category of elemental beings associated with water, stemming from the alchemical writings of Paracelsus. Later writers developed the undine into a water nymph in its own right, and it continues to live in modern l ...
'', and Frau Fluth in Nicolai's ''
Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor ''Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor'', or ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'', is an 1849 opera in three acts by Otto Nicolai to a German libretto by Salomon Hermann Mosenthal based on Shakespeare's play. Published as a comical-fantastical work in thre ...
''. Her recordings were archived by the Hamburger Archiv für Gesangskunst in 2011, grouped by the genres opera, '' spieloper'' and operetta, concert and oratorio, and
lied In the Western classical music tradition, ( , ; , ; ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German and Dutch, but among English and French speakers, is often used interchangea ...
. *''Ruth-Margret Pütz Vol. 1: Oper'' (3 CDs) *''Ruth-Margret Pütz Vol. 2: Spieloper + Operette'' (2 CDs) *''Ruth-Margret Pütz Vol. 3: Konzert + Oratorium'' (2 CDs) *''Ruth-Margret Pütz Vol. 4: Lied'' (2 CDs) A 2018 CD, ''Recital'', provides an overview of her singing: Gilda's aria, Norina's aria, Frau Fluth's aria, a concert aria by Mozart, K. 416, three excerpts from ''Die Entführung'', and Zerbinetta's aria. All opera arias are sung in German in the custom of the time. A reviewer noted the perfect accuracy and purity of her singing, and her embellishments in repeats which were not customary at the time. Another reviewer wrote about her controlled voice in all registers, rich in overtones and with exquisite ''
legato In music performance and notation, legato (; Italian for "tied together"; French ''lié''; German ''gebunden'') indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly, such that the transition from note to note is made with no intervening si ...
'', in dynamic flexibility and with freely floating top notes. A third reviewer described her "fluid delivery", with an "extraordinary projection of her brilliant high notes", and noted her intelligible diction in all registers, and her "ability to communicate a wide range of emotion", especially a "tender expressive quality".


Notes


References


Further reading

* Klaus Ulrich Spiegel: ''Brava, brava, bricconcella! Ruth-Margret Pütz – eine deutsche Virtuosa''. Hamburger Archiv für Gesangskunst, 2011. *
Klaus Umbach Klaus Umbach (24 April 1936 – 28 January 2018) was a German culture journalist, who became known through his trenchant articles and glosses in the magazine ''Der Spiegel'', but also as an author of books. Life Umbach studied law. He subsequ ...
and Karl Schumann: booklets of recordings (Columbia) EMI SMC 91-426/28 S and C 197-30 191/93.


External links


Ruth-Margret Putz (Soprano)
on Bach Cantatas Website * *

classicalmusicdaily.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Putz, RuthMargret 1930 births 2019 deaths People from Krefeld German operatic sopranos German voice teachers 20th-century German women opera singers