Rosemarie Lang (Mezzo-soprano)

Born: May 21, 1947 - Grünstädtel by Schwarzenberg (Erzgebirge), Germany

The German mezzo-soprano, Rosemarie Lang, studied in Leipzig singing and was there pupil of Elisabeth Breul, Eva Schubert-Hoffmann and later of Helga Forner. In 1969 she won the Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau, and in 1972 the Bach Competition.

After singing first at the National Theatre of Altenburg (Thuringia), Rosemarie Lang joined in 1972 the Opera House of Leipzig, at which she appeared through a career of many years. Appearances led her to the State Operas of Dresden and Berlin (where she appeared in 1987 as Klytaemnestra in Iphigenie in Aulis by Gluck, in 1988 as Brangaene in Tristan) and on more stages in East Germany. Since 1987 she was a regular member of the State Opera of Berlin. In addition she had a versatile, successful concert career. The high points in her stage repertoire were roles such as Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Sesto in La clemenza di Tito by Mozart, Romeo in I Capuleti od I Montecchi by Bellini, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini, Octavian in Rosenkavalier and Clairon in Capriccio by R. Strauss. In July 1989 she sang at the State Opera Berlin in the premiere of the opera Graf Mirabeau by S. Mathus. At the Salzburg Festival she sang in 1990 the alto solo in the Stabat Mater of Dvorák. In 1996 she made guest appearance at the Opera of Oslo as Fricka and as Waltraute in the Nibelungen Ring. In 2004 she sang Elegie für junge Liebende at Kirchstätten in Berlin.

Rosemarie Lang was an estimated Lieder singer (Frauenliebe und –leben by R. Schumann, Winterreise by Schubert, Wesendonck-Lieder by R. Wagner).

Recordings: Philips (Alto solo in Paulus by Felix Mendelssohn), DGG (Larina in Eugen Onegin, Der feurige Engel by Prokofieff, 8^th Symphony by Gustav Mahler), Ars vivendi (Deutsche Sinfonie by Hanns Eisler, Lieder by R. Schumann and Johannes Brahms, Te Deum by Bruckner), BGM (Silla in Palestrina by Hans Pfitzner).

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (July 2001)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2001, October 2004); Manfred Krugmann (Photo 03, July 2011)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Hans-Joachim Rotzsch

Alto

BWV 26, BWV 106, BWV 198, BWV 244 [Video]

Peter Schreier

Alto

BWV 247

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