A leading Viennese soprano has died at 61
RIPThe death has been reported, after a long illness, of the outstanding Austrian soprano Gabriele Lechner.
Born in Vienna, Lechner was given her 1986 Vienna Opera breakthrough by Claudio Abbado in Un Ballo in Maschera. She went on to perform at major European festivals and houses. In 2004, she took up a professorship at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.
She was posting about her pupils up to last week.
Much too young.
She was almost always the gorgeous sounding Chrysothemis in Berlin in the 80s and 90s.
I’m very sad to hear this. I was a fan of hers as teenager and not only saw her a lot in Vienna, but also often travelled to Zurich to hear her as 16 year old boy.
The baritone Bernhard Hansky met with her for hidd Podcast parlando erarlier this month, so we can expect a long interview about her career soon. (https://parlando.podigee.io/)
By the way, she died of heart failure so “after long illness” is not necessarily incorrect, but gives perhaps a wrong impression.
Doesn’t everyone ultimately die of heart failure?
No – heart failure has a specific medical definition and is not simply a case of the heart ceasing to beat.
What a lovely video clip. Yes, Lechner was outstanding. Good to see Pavarotti so animated and in such good voice. And to capture them live is a bonus. I think someone in the audience is shouting “Bis”. One wonders what Pavarotti is saying to her at the end. No doubt it was complimentary.