Elvira Dressen (Mezzo-soprano)

Born: April 23, 1957 - Herzberg, Saxony, Germany

The German mezzo-soprano, Elvira Dressn [Dreßen], was a student in Leipzig of the two famous singers Maria Croonen and Hanne-Lore Kuhs.

In 1978 she made her debut at the Landestheater of Altenburg in Thuringia as Narcissus in George Frideric Handel's opera Agrippina. In 1979-1980, she was engaged at the Leipzig Opera House, and from 1980 to 1983 she worked at the Nationaltheater in Weimar. In 1983, she was engaged at the Berliner Staatsoper. Here she appeared as a guest in numerous roles with great success: as Dorabella in Così fan tutte, as Annio in La clemenza di Tito by Mozart, as Frau Reich in Lustigen Weibern von Windsor by Nicolai, as Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck and as Olga in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. In 1987 she worked at the Berliner Staatsoper in the premiere of the opera Büchner by Friedrich Schenker. She also had great success at the Staatsoper Dresden and Leipzig Opera House, where she was a regular guest. Not least, she was a famous concert singer.

Recordings: Bayer Records ( Christ by Draeseke), Decca (Flammen by E. Schulhoff), CPO (Vertrauenssache by E. Krenek).

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (April 2009)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (April 2009); Manfred Krugmann (Photo 01, May 2011)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Martin Krumbiegel

Alto

BWV 248/4-6

Links to other Sites