Abbado soprano ends career at 50
OperaThe leading Swiss soprano Rachel Harnisch has announced her retirement.
Given her 2004 debut by Abbado in Ferrara as Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, she enjoyed a limelight opera career in Paris, Berlin and Munich. In 2017 she sang three roles in the premiere of Aribert Reimann’s opera L’invisible at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
She has also enjoyed an extensive recital career and made numerous recordings for Swiss labels.
Is she now going to become a conductor?
Why would she become a conductor? Is that something she has done previously?
As a member of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in 2003, I had the pleasure to share the stage with the very fine soprano Rachel Harnisch : Her performance in Abbado’s own suite of “Le Martyre de Saint-Sébastien” by Debussy led to a memorable concert, thankfully preserved on video.
This inaugural concert also featured Wagner’s “Wotans Abschied” by the great Bryn Terfel (the very first notes ever played by this great orchestra, unforgettable memories from the first rehearsal), and Debussy’s “La mer” that Claudio rehearsed and performed the previous summer on tour with the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. Great memories !
Thank you, Sylvain Bertrand, for sharing your happy memories. Great memories of great musicians.
I was wondering about an London S O. performance I saw in melb Australia many years back. Abbado was conducting Mahler’s 1st symphony and I had the impression that Mr Abbado gave great consideration to the temperature and atmosphere of the hall which had a memorable impact. I’ve wondered ever since if Mr. Abbado really did go that deeply into other performances? Could you comment on that impression?
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Interesting choice. She gave us a wonderful Pamina a few years back (2012, 2013?). It surprised me back then that she was not better known. Good luck to her and her future career/life.
Well, the singing profession in any country has never been the same since the pandemic, and people wake up to what is more important in life. Really wish her well. Beautiful singer.
;I admire her decision. Some continue to reach embarrassment