Irmgard Seefried (9 October 1919 – 24 November 1988) was a distinguished German soprano who sang opera, sacred music, and lieder.
Maria Theresia Irmgard Seefried was born in Köngetried, near Mindelheim, Bavaria, Germany, the daughter of educated Austrian-born parents. She studied at Augsburg University before making her debut in Aachen as the priestess in Verdi's Aida in 1940. She began to sing leading parts in 1942 (Agathe in Weber's Der Freischütz in 1942, and the next year she made her debut at Vienna State Opera with Eva in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg conducted by Karl Böhm). From then on, she remained with the State Opera until her retirement in 1976.
She sang at the Salzburg Festival every year from 1946 to 1964 (except 1955, 1961 and 1962) in operas (Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Marzelline in Fidelio and the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos), concerts and recitals.
She appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London from 1947 to 1949, and also La Scala in Milan, the Edinburgh Festival, etc. She made her Metropolitan Opera in New York City debut in November 1953 as Susanna in Mozart's Nozze di Figaro and appeared there for only one season (1953–54), in five performances, all as Susanna.
One of the outstanding singers to emerge immediately after the Second World War, she was noted for her Mozart and Richard Strauss roles. But she also sang in other composers' operas; the title role in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Marie in Alban Berg's Wozzeck, Eva in Meistersinger, Blanche in Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites, and the title role in Janáček's Káťa Kabanová. She was also a noted lieder singer, and a number of her Salzburg Festival recitals were recorded. She left many recordings of oratorio and sacred music by Bach, Mozart, Haydn (including at least four different renditions of the Archangel Gabriel in Die Schöpfung), Brahms, Fauré, Beethoven, Dvořák, Verdi and Stravinsky.
Although she was a high soprano, she performed, and recorded, both the trouser roles of the Composer and Octavian in Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos and Der Rosenkavalier, respectively. These roles are usually associated with weightier voices, and today are usually sung by mezzo-sopranos.
She often sang with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, who said in interview that Seefried was naturally able to achieve results effortlessly which other singers, including Schwarzkopf herself, had to work hard to produce.She can be seen singing Mahler on a DVD from EMI, with Schwarzkopf and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
She was married to Austrian violinist Wolfgang Schneiderhan, one of the concertmasters of the Vienna Philharmonic, from 1948 until her death. They had three daughters, one of whom is actress Mona Seefried .After retirement, she taught students at the Vienna Academy of Music (Wiener Singakademie) and Salzburg Mozarteum. She died at 69 in Vienna in 1988.
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Some of their strengths
Irmgard Seefried has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Intelligent, Imaginative, Kind, Diplomatic, Independent, Brave, and Honest.
Intelligent and Inquisitive
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Irmgard Seefried is someone who is an intelligent, inquisitive, and imaginative person, who is practical, considerate, kind, and diplomatic in dealings with others. A person who looks for jobs that tend to reflect their identity.
Strong and Resilient
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Irmgard Seefried well know them as someone who can be strong, expansive, and stable like a big tree.
Independent and Organized
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Irmgard Seefried as someone who is independent, organized, inventive, and generous.
A person who is curious and a loves learning, who seems to always know what to say, who has an optimism that can overcome any difficult situation, and who seems to be able to master almost any skill.
Realistic and Skillful
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Irmgard Seefried is someone who is able to separate emotions from reality, see the world in terms of right or wrong, and who is very good at getting things done.
They are also someone who is patient, assertive, and who is a natural leader that likes to help others in need.
Justice-seeking and Peaceful
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Irmgard Seefried tends to be someone who loves peace and is ready to go to any costs to achieve it. Who has a taste for the good things in life, tends to be a good organizer, has a thirst for knowledge, and who tends to have the respect of friends and acquaintances.
Some of Irmgard Seefried's challenges
While Irmgard Seefried has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Irmgard Seefried can be Sensitive, Hesitant, Narcissistic, Short-tempered, Impulsive, Difficult, and Perfectionist.
Hesitant and Narcissistic
One of Irmgard Seefried's key challenges is that they are someone who can be hesitant and narcissistic.
Irmgard Seefried must also exercise caution as they can have a hard time reconciling wants and needs.
Domineering and Impatient
Irmgard Seefried is someone who can be demanding, egotistical, and controlling, can have a lack of judgment regarding personal finances, be argumentative and stubborn, and who can have a tendency to be withdrawn and spend time in self-imposed isolation.
Pleasure-seeking and Indecisive
Finally, Irmgard Seefried also can put others first too much, and hem-and-haw too much when making a decision.
