Astrid Varnay, 88. Opera singer.
- 17 Sep 06, 12:44 AM
During the last two crazy weeks (Blair, iPods, NHS shenannigans) I've been trying to find time to write about Astrid Varnay, who died aged 88 on 4 September. She was a soprano who sang Wagner. At the start of the second world war she had a "Ruby Keeler moment" when, in 1941, she was called on to stand in at short notice as the female lead in Die Walkure at New York's Metropolitan Opera. As in all good "understudy makes good" stories, it just happened to be the performance that was being broadcast live to the nation. The next day Pearl Harbor happened! Thereafter she became, arguably, the greatest female opera singer in the world...
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3 must have played, countless times, recordings of her singing. So it is weird to be writing the the first posting on any Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ website following her death (I have checked).
Anyway you can read about her . But skip that if you have an ipod or any other means of downloading digital music: just search for her singing any Wagner opera, or listen to some of the excerpts . What you are listening to is supreme self-confidence and artistry - a quality to hold on to even if you hate opera. Go on, just click onand listen to what the human voice, and spirit, is capable of.
