Contralto Corner
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contralto Profiles
    • A >
      • Daphne Alderson >
        • Daphne Alderson Articles Websites and Resources
        • Daphne Alderson Discography
        • Daphne Alderson YouTube Videos
      • Jean Allister >
        • Jean Allister Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jean Allister Discography
        • Jean Allister YouTube Videos
      • Avery Amereau >
        • Avery Amereau Articles Websites and Resources
        • Avery Amereau YouTube Videos
      • Lindsay Ammann >
        • Lindsay Ammann Articles Websites and Resources
        • Lindsay Ammann YouTube Videos
      • Sanja Anastasia >
        • Sanja Anastasia Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sanja Anastasia YouTube Videos
      • Marian Anderson >
        • Marian Anderson Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marian Anderson Discography
        • Marian Anderson YouTube Videos
      • Ulrike Andersen >
        • Ulrike Andersen Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ulrike Andersen Discography
        • Ulrike Andersen YouTube Videos
      • Elizabeth Anker >
        • Elizabeth Anker Articles Websites and Resources
        • Elizabeth Anker Discography
        • Elizabeth Anker YouTube Videos
      • Elisaveta Antonova >
        • Elisaveta Antonova Articles Websites and Resources
        • Elisaveta Antonova Discography
        • Elisaveta Antonova YouTube Videos
      • Meredith Arwady >
        • Meredith Arwady Articles Websites and Resources
        • Meredith Arwady Discography
        • Meredith Arwady YouTube Videos
    • B >
      • Galina Baranova >
        • Galina Baranova Articles Websites and Resources
        • Galina Baranova Discography
        • Galina Baranova YouTube Videos
      • Tanja Ariane Baumgartner >
        • Tanja Ariane Baumgartner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Tanja Ariane Baumgartner Discography
        • Tanja Ariane Baumgartner YouTube Videos
      • Eula Beal >
        • Eula Beal Articles Websites and Resources
        • Eula Beal Discography
        • Eula Beal YouTube Videos
      • Ursula Boese >
        • Ursula Boese Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ursula Boese Discography
        • Ursula Boese YouTube Videos
      • Romina Boscolo >
        • Romina Boscolo Articles Websites and Resources
        • Romina Boscolo Discography
        • Romina Boscolo YouTube Videos
      • Giovanna Dissera Bragadin >
        • Giovanna Dissera Bragadin Articles Websites and Resources
        • Giovanna Dissera Bragadin YouTube Videos
      • Karin Branzell >
        • Karin Branzell Articles Websites and Resources
        • Karin Branzell Discography
        • Karin Branzell YouTube Videos
      • Carol Brice >
        • Carol Brice Articles Websites and Resources
        • Carol Brice Discography
        • Carol Brice YouTube Videos
      • Birgit Breidenbach >
        • Birgit Breidenbach Articles Websites and Resources
        • Birgit Breidenbach Discography
        • Birgit Breidenbach YouTube Videos
      • Gwendolyn Brown >
        • Gwendolyn Brown Articles Websites and Resources
        • Gwendolyn Brown Discography
        • Gwendolyn Brown YouTube Videos
      • Margrét Brynjars >
        • Margrét Brynjars Articles Websites and Resources
      • Bridget Budge >
        • Bridget Budge Articles Websites and Resources
      • Natalie Burdeny >
        • Natalie Burdeny Articles Websites and Resources
        • Natalie Burdeny YouTube Videos
      • Dame Clara Butt >
        • Dame Clara Butt Articles Websites and Resources
        • Dame Clara Butt Discography
        • Dame Clara Butt YouTube Videos
    • C >
      • Lili Chookasian >
        • Lili Chookasian Articles Websites and Resources
        • Lili Chookasian Discography
        • Lili Chookasian YouTube Videos
      • Karen Clark >
        • Karen Clark Articles Websites and Resources
        • Karen Clark Discography
        • Karen Clark YouTube Videos
      • Belle Cole >
        • Belle Cole Articles Websites and Resources
        • Belle Cole YouTube Videos
      • Ala Coroid >
        • Ala Coroid Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ala Coroid YouTube Videos
      • Sara Couden >
        • Sara Couden Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sara Couden YouTube Videos
      • Emma Curtis >
        • Emma Curtis Articles Websites and Resources
        • Emma Curtis Discography
        • Emma Curtis YouTube Videos
      • Bonnie Cutsforth-Huber >
        • Bonnie Cutsforth-Huber Articles Websites and Resources
        • Bonnie Cutsforth-Huber YouTube Videos
    • D >
      • Jess Dandy >
        • Jess Dandy Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jess Dandy Discography
        • Jess Dandy YouTube Videos
    • E >
      • Marion Eckstein >
        • Marion Eckstein Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marion Eckstein Discography
        • Marion Eckstein YouTube Videos
    • F >
      • Ursula Ferri >
        • Ursula Ferri Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ursula Ferri Discography
        • Ursula Ferri YouTube Videos
      • Kathleen Ferrier >
        • Kathleen Ferrier Articles Websites and Resources
        • Kathleen Ferrier Discography
        • Kathleen Ferrier YouTube Videos
      • Arabella Fields Short Profile
      • Birgit Finnilä >
        • Birgit Finnilä Articles Websites and Resources
        • Birgit Finnilä Discography
        • Birgit Finnilä YouTube Videos
      • Bernadett Fodor >
        • Bernadett Fodor Articles Websites and Resources
        • Bernadett Fodor YouTube Videos
      • Patricia Forbes >
        • Patricia Forbes Articles Websites and Resources
        • Patricia Forbes YouTube Videos
      • Maureen Forrester >
        • Maureen Forrester Articles Websites and Resources
        • Maureen Forrester Discography
        • Maureen Forrester YouTube Videos
      • Noa Frenkel >
        • Noa Frenkel Articles Websites and Resources
        • Noa Frenkel Discography
        • Noa Frenkel YouTube Videos
    • G >
      • Delphine Galou >
        • Delphine Galou Articles Websites and Resources
        • Delphine Galou Discography
        • Delphine Galou YouTube Videos
      • Martine Gaspar >
        • Martine Gaspar Articles Websites and Resources
        • Martine Gaspar YouTube Videos
      • Jeanne Gerville-Réache >
        • Jeanne Gerville-Réache Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jeanne Gerville-Réache Discography
        • Jeanne Gerville-Réache YouTube Videos
      • Anne Gjevang >
        • Anne Gjevang Articles Websites and Resources
        • Anne Gjevang Discography
        • Anne Gjevang YouTube Videos
      • Gráinne Gillis >
        • Gráinne Gillis Articles Websites and Resources
        • Gráinne Gillis YouTube Videos
      • Candida Guida >
        • Candida Guida Articles Websites and Resources
        • Candida Guida YouTube Videos
    • H >
      • Alice Habellion >
        • Alice Habellion Articles Websites and Resources
        • Alice Habellion Discography
        • Alice Habellion YouTube Videos
      • Victoria Hart >
        • Victoria Hart Articles Websites and Resources
        • Victoria Hart YouTube Videos
      • Ruby Helder >
        • Ruby Helder Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ruby Helder Discography
        • Ruby Helder YouTube Videos
      • Aafje Heynis >
        • Aafje Heynis Articles Websites and Resources
        • Aafje Heynis Discography
        • Aafje Heynis YouTube Videos
      • Jennifer Hines >
        • Jennifer Hines Articles Websites and Resources
      • Alfreda Hodgson >
        • Alfreda Hodgson Articles Websites and Resources
        • Alfreda Hodgson Discography
        • Alfreda Hodgson YouTube Videos
      • Marga Höffgen >
        • Marga Höffgen Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marga Höffgen Discography
        • Marga Höffgen YouTube Videos
      • Louise Homer >
        • Louise Homer Articles Websites and Resources
        • Louise Homer Discography
        • Louise Homer YouTube Videos
      • Wiebke Hoogklimmer >
        • Wiebke Hoogklimmer Articles Websites and Resources
        • Wiebke Hoogklimmer Discography
        • Wiebke Hoogklimmer YouTube Videos
      • Claudia Huckle >
        • Claudia Huckle Articles Websites and Resources
        • Claudia Huckle YouTube Videos
    • J >
      • Louise Jones >
        • Louise Jones Articles Websites and Resources
        • Louise Jones YouTube Videos
    • K >
      • Raisa Kotova >
        • Raisa Kotova Articles Websites and Resources
        • Raisa Kotova Discography
        • Raisa Kotova YouTube Videos
      • Biljana Kovac >
        • Biljana Kovac Articles Websites and Resources
        • Biljana Kovac YouTube Videos
      • Dalma Krajnyak >
        • Dalma Krajnyak Articles Websites and Resources
        • Dalma Krajnyak YouTube Videos
    • L >
      • Anna Larsson >
        • Anna Larsson Articles Websites and Resources
        • Anna Larsson Discography
        • Anna Larsson YouTube Videos
      • Guadalupe Larzabal
      • Katerina Lavrinyuk Short Profile
      • Oksana Lazareva >
        • Oksana Lazareva Articles Websites and Resources
        • Oksana Lazareva Discography
        • Oksana Lazareva YouTube Videos
      • Wiebke Lehmkuhl >
        • Wiebke Lehmkuhl Articles Websites and Resources
        • Wiebke Lehmkuhl Discography
        • Wiebke Lehmkuhl YouTube Videos
      • Emmi Leisner >
        • Emmi Leisner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Emmi Leisner Discography
        • Emmi Leisner YouTube Videos
      • Marie-Nicole Lemieux >
        • Marie-Nicole Lemieux Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marie-Nicole Lemieux Discography
        • Marie-Nicole Lemieux YouTube Videos
      • Nan Li Short Profile
      • Christel Lindstat >
        • Christel Lindstat Articles Websites and Resources
        • Christel Lindstat YouTube Videos
      • Marjana Lipovšek >
        • Marjana Lipovšek Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marjana Lipovšek Discography
        • Marjana Lipovšek YouTube Videos
      • Ariana Lucas >
        • Ariana Lucas Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ariana Lucas YouTube Videos
      • Angharad Lyddon Short Profile
    • M >
      • Jean Madeira >
        • Jean Madeira Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jean Madeira Discography
        • Jean Madeira YouTube Videos
      • Bernadette Manca di Nissa >
        • Bernadette Manca di Nissa Articles Websites and Resources
        • Bernadette Manca di Nissa Discography
        • Bernadette Manca di Nissa YouTube Videos
      • Emily Marvosh >
        • Emily Marvosh Articles Websites and Resources
        • Emily Marvosh YouTube Videos
      • Marijana Mijanovic >
        • Marijana Mijanovic Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marijana Mijanovic Discography
        • Marijana Mijanovic YouTube Videos
      • Antonina Minecan-Parghel Short Profile
      • Sara Mingardo >
        • Sara Mingardo Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sara Mingardo Discography
        • Sara Mingardo YouTube Videos
      • Nicole Mitchell >
        • Nicole Mitchell Articles Websites and Resources
        • Nicole Mitchell YouTube Videos
      • Lina Mkrtchyan >
        • Lina Mkrtchyan Articles Websites and Resources
        • Lina Mkrtchyan Discography
        • Lina Mkrtchyan YouTube Videos
      • Maura Moreira >
        • Maura Moreira Articles Websites and Resources
        • Maura Moreira Discography
        • Maura Moreira YouTube Videos
      • Rachelle Moss >
        • Rachelle Moss Articles Websites and Resources
        • Rachelle Moss YouTube Videos
      • Dilyara Muravitskaya >
        • Dilyara Muravitskaya Articles, Websites & Resources
        • Dilyara Muravitskaya YouTube Videos
      • Sharmay Musacchio >
        • Sharmay Musacchio Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sharmay Musacchio YouTube Videos
    • N >
      • Makiko Narumi >
        • Makiko Narumi Articles Websites and Resources
        • Makiko Narumi YouTube Videos
    • O >
      • Sigrid Onégin >
        • Sigrid Onégin Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sigrid Onégin Discography
        • Sigrid Onégin YouTube Videos
    • P >
      • Kismara Pessatti >
        • Kismara Pessatti Articles Websites and Resources
        • Kismara Pessatti Discography
        • Kismara Pessatti YouTube Videos
      • Elizabeth Petillot >
        • Elizabeth Petillot Articles Websites and Resources
        • Elizabeth Petillot Discography
        • Elizabeth Petillot YouTube Videos
      • Ewa Podles >
        • Ewa Podles Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ewa Podles Discography
        • Ewa Podles YouTube Videos
      • Bally Prell >
        • Bally Prell Articles Websites and Resources
        • Bally Prell Discography
        • Bally Prell YouTube Videos
      • Sonia Prina >
        • Sonia Prina Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sonia Prina Discography
        • Sonia Prina YouTube Videos
      • Norma Procter >
        • Norma Procter Articles Websites and Resources
        • Norma Procter Discography
        • Norma Procter YouTube Videos
    • R >
      • Ellen Rabiner >
        • Ellen Rabiner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ellen Rabiner Discography
        • Ellen Rabiner YouTube Videos
      • Maria Radner >
        • Maria Radner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Maria Radner YouTube Videos
      • Rebecca Raffell >
        • Rebecca Raffell Articles Websites and Resources
        • Rebecca Raffell YouTube Videos
      • Marion Ramsay >
        • Marion Ramsay Articles Websites and Resources
      • Jadwiga Rappé >
        • Jadwiga Rappé Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jadwiga Rappé Discography
        • Jadwiga Rappé YouTube Videos
      • Helena Rasker >
        • Helena Rasker Articles Websites and Resources
        • Helena Rasker Discography
        • Helena Rasker YouTube Videos
      • Lois Raye Short Profile
      • Monica Reinagel >
        • Monica Reinagel Articles Websites and Resources
      • Hilde Rössel-Majdan >
        • Hilde Rössel-Majdan Articles Websites and Resources
        • Hilde Rössel-Majdan Discography
        • Hilde Rössel-Majdan YouTube Videos
    • S >
      • Cindy Sadler >
        • Cindy Sadler Articles Websites and Resources
        • Cindy Sadler YouTube Videos
      • Ernestine Schumann-Heink >
        • Ernestine Schumann-Heink Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ernestine Schumann-Heink Discography
        • Ernestine Schumann-Heink YouTube Videos
      • Thalie Séféris >
        • Thalie Séféris Articles Websites and Resources
        • Thalie Séféris YouTube Videos
      • Tamara Sinyavskaya >
        • Tamara Sinyavskaya Articles Websites and Resources
        • Tamara Sinyavskaya Discography
        • Tamara Sinyavskaya YouTube Videos
      • Judith Skinner >
        • Judith Skinner Articles Websites and Resources
      • Angela Christine Smith >
        • Angela Christine Smith Articles Websites and Resources
        • Angela Christine Smith YouTube Videos
      • Samantha Stiner >
        • Samantha Stiner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Samantha Stiner YouTube Videos
      • Nathalie Stutzmann >
        • Nathalie Stutzmann Articles Websites and Resources
        • Nathalie Stutzmann Discography
        • Nathalie Stutzmann YouTube Videos
      • Hilary Summers >
        • Hilary Summers Articles Websites and Resources
        • Hilary Summers Discography
        • Hilary Summers YouTube Videos
      • Susanna Sundberg >
        • Susanna Sundberg Articles Websites and Resources
        • Susanna Sundberg Discography
        • Susanna Sundberg YouTube Videos
    • T >
      • Kerstin Thorborg >
        • Kerstin Thorborg Articles Websites and Resources
        • Kerstin Thorborg Discography
        • Kerstin Thorborg YouTube Videos
      • Claramae Turner >
        • Claramae Turner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Claramae Turner Discography
        • Claramae Turner YouTube Videos
    • V >
      • Lydia Vierlinger >
        • Lydia Vierlinger Articles Websites and Resources
        • Lydia Vierlinger Discography
    • W >
      • Elsa Waage >
        • Elsa Waage Articles Websites and Resources
        • Elsa Waage Discography
        • Elsa Waage YouTube Videos
      • Helen Watts >
        • Helen Watts Articles Websites and Resources
        • Helen Watts Discography
        • Helen Watts YouTube Videos
      • Ortrun Wenkel >
        • Ortrun Wenkel Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ortrun Wenkel Discography
        • Ortrun Wenkel YouTube Videos
      • Jasmin White >
        • Jasmin White Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jasmin White YouTube Videos
      • Ewa Wolak >
        • Ewa Wolak Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ewa Wolak Discography
        • Ewa Wolak YouTube Videos
    • Y >
      • Jiansheng Yang Short Profile
    • Z >
      • Mira Zakai >
        • Mira Zakai Articles Websites and Resources
        • Mira Zakai Discography
        • Mira Zakai YouTube Videos
      • Ulrike Zech >
        • Ulrike Zech Articles Websites and Resources
      • Qiu Lin Zhang >
        • Qiu Lin Zhang Articles Websites and Resources
        • Qiu Lin Zhang YouTube Videos
  • Resources
    • Arias
    • Interview with Ewa Podleś
  • Contact

Hilde Rössel-Majdan

Austrian contralto Hilde Rössel-Majdan was a famous interpreter of Bach and Strauss, who possessed a huge voice capable of great tenderness and warmth, while being able to cope easily with the demands of Wagner, Strauss and Mahler.

Return to Contralto Profiles
HOME > CONTRALTO PROFILES > HILDE RÖSSEL-MAJDAN
Hilde Rössel-Majdan (30 January 1921 – 15 December 2010) was an Austrian contralto in opera and concert. She was a member of the Vienna State Opera and is known for early recordings of Bach's music including his cantatas. She was an influential voice teacher in Graz and Vienna.

She was born Hildegard Figl in Moosbierbaum.[2] She attended a business school in the Josefstadt of Vienna and performed then already as a soloist in church services and church concerts. She studied voice at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, from 1945 to 1949, with her father-in-law, Karl Rössel-Majdan (1885–1948),[3] and Helene Wildbrunn.[4] Her deep contralto voice had a unique timbre particularly suited for Baroque music. She substituted in 1947 in Bach's St Matthew Passion, conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler.[5] She made her operatic debut on 18 September 1951 as the voice of Antonia's mother in Les Contes d'Hoffmann at the Theater an der Wien. In 1951 she was engaged at the Vienna State Opera, and was a member of the ensemble from 1955 to 1976. She appeared at the State Opera in 62 parts, in a total of 1,553 performances, singing the role of Mercedes in Carmen 65 times, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro 194 times, and Annina in Der Rosenkavalier 172 times. Her last appearance on stage was on 22 November 1976 in Schoenberg's Moses und Aron.[6]

Rössel-Majdan also appeared at La Scala and Covent Garden, among others. At the Salzburg Festival, she performed the roles of Dryad in Ariadne auf Naxos in 1954, Lucrezia in Palestrina in 1958 and Annina and Marcellina in 1960.[7] She was also invited to the Edinburgh Festival and the Aix-en-Provence Festival.[5] On 20 September 1962 she was awarded the title Kammersängerin.[4] In 1982 she was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class (Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst I. Klasse).[4]

From 1966 she taught at the Musikhochschule in Graz,[4] where she was appointed professor of Lieder and oratorio singing in 1970. From 1972 until her retirement in 1991, she taught at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, appointed professor of Sologesang (solo singing) in 1976.[4] Among her students were Wolfgang Holzmair and Alexander Kaimbacher (de).

She was married in 1945 to Karl Rössel-Majdan (de) (1916–2000).[3] She died in Vienna and was buried at the cemetery of the Feuerhalle Simmering

She recorded opera, especially works by Richard Strauss (Der Rosenkavalier, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Ariadne auf Naxos) and Mozart (Le nozze di figaro, Die Zauberflöte).[5]

Starting in the early 1950s, she recorded works by Bach, including his Magnificat, conducted by Felix Prohaska, with Mimi Coertse, Anton Dermota,Frederick Guthrie. Hermann Scherchen, who was known for contemporary music, conducted Bach's solo cantatas Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde, BWV 53, and Widerstehe doch der Sünde, BWV 54, and in 1953 the St Matthew Passion, with the Wiener Akademie-Kammerchor, the Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera, Hugues Cuénod (Evangelist), Heinz Rehfuss (vox Christi), Magda László, Petre Munteanu and Richard Standen, and the young Kurt Equiluz as the second witness. She also recorded the Passion with Mogens Wöldike, with Uno Ebrelius as the Evangelist, Hans Braun (vox Christi), Teresa Stich-Randall, Waldemar Kmentt and Walter Berry. She recorded three Bach cantatas with Michael Gielen, two others with Prohaska, six with Scherchen and two with Wöldike.[5]

She appeared in a concert of the ORF on 8 April 1968 with the Stabat mater by Karol Szymanowski and that by Tommaso Traetta, conducted by Dietfried Bernet (de), with Mimi Coertse and Ladislaus Anderko.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Hilde Rössel-Majdan", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

Articles, Websites & Resources

Picture

Discography

Picture

YouTube & Multimedia


© James Edward Hughes 2012

No Intellectual Property Rights are claimed to the material on this website, unless stated.