Gerlinde Sämann
Encyclopedia
Gerlinde Sämann is a German soprano
known for her performances in concerts and opera
s. She is particularly associated with the works of Johann Sebastian Bach
. Her concert repertoire also includes lieder, oratorio
and contemporary music.
with Karl-Heinz Jarius, Henriette Meyer-Ravenstein and Selma Aykan. She also completed a course as a Respiratory therapist
according to the method of Ilse Middendorf. In 2000 she received a scholarship from the city of Munich.
In 1999 she performed Poulenc's La voix humaine
, at the Opernfestspiele Schloß Rheinsberg and in 2000 at the Stadttheater Aachen
. She has collaborated with Dresdner Kreuzchor
. In the 2002-2003 season Sämann appeared in Pergolesi
's Stabat mater at the Theater Neumarkt, Zürich
, and also performed in St. Petersburg and Moscow. In 2004 she appeared as Euridice in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice
at the Rostock
opera.
She recorded Bach's St Matthew Passion in 1997 with Horst Meinardus conducting the Philharmonischer Chor Köln, Jörg Dürmüller
as the Evangelist
and Klaus Mertens
as the Vox Christi
(voice of Jesus).
In the field of historically informed performance
, she has worked with the choir Junge Kantorei in Eberbach Abbey
in works of Handel, Hercules in 2006, Alexander's Feast
and Ode for St. Cecilia's Day in 2008, and Messiah
in 2009. She has collaborated regularly with Sigiswald Kuijken
and La Petite Bande
in concerts and recordings of works of Bach
, the soloists also singing the choral parts. She performed the soprano part in Bach's St Matthew Passion and in several of his cantatas
, including Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich, BWV 17, written for the 14th Sunday after Trinity
. She recorded Bach's Mass in B minor both with La Petite Bande and with the SebastianChor Munich, conducted by Michaela Prentl. With Prentl, she recorded Bach's St John Passion in 2006, with Hubert Nettinger as the Evangelist, Christa Bonhoff
, Thomas Hamberger and Tim Hennis. In 2009 she recorded in Trogen
a DVD
of Bach's cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191
with Rudolf Lutz conducting the Vokalensemble der Schola Seconda Pratica and tenor Johannes Kaleschke.
In 2010 she performed with the RIAS Kammerchor
Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine at the Rheingau Musik Festival
in Eberbach Abbey, with María Cristina Kiehr
, James Elliott, Andreas Karasiak
, Harry van der Kamp
, and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
, conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademann.
Gerlinde Sämann is blind.
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
known for her performances in concerts and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s. She is particularly associated with the works of Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
. Her concert repertoire also includes lieder, oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
and contemporary music.
Professional career
Gerlinde Sämann studied the piano and singing at the Richard-Strauss-Konservatorium in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
with Karl-Heinz Jarius, Henriette Meyer-Ravenstein and Selma Aykan. She also completed a course as a Respiratory therapist
Respiratory therapy
Respiratory therapy is a healthcare profession in which specialists work with patients suffering from either acute or chronic respiratory problems. These specialists are termed Respiratory Therapists in most places internationally but may also be referred to as Respiratory Scientists or...
according to the method of Ilse Middendorf. In 2000 she received a scholarship from the city of Munich.
In 1999 she performed Poulenc's La voix humaine
La voix humaine
La voix humaine is a one-act opera for one character, with music by Francis Poulenc to a libretto by Jean Cocteau, based on his 1930 play. La voix humaine was first performed at the Opéra-Comique, Salle Favart in Paris on 6 February 1959...
, at the Opernfestspiele Schloß Rheinsberg and in 2000 at the Stadttheater Aachen
Theater Aachen
Theater Aachen is a theatre in Aachen, Germany. It is the principal venue in that city for operas, musical theatre, plays, and concerts. It is the home of the Aachen Symphony Orchestra. Construction on the original theatre began in 1822 and it opened on 15 May 1825...
. She has collaborated with Dresdner Kreuzchor
Dresdner Kreuzchor
The Dresdner Kreuzchor is the boys' choir of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden. It has a seven century history. Today the choir has about 150 members from the age of 9-19 from Dresden and the surrounding region. Most of the boys live in a boarding school. The Choir Boys are also called "Kruzianer". The...
. In the 2002-2003 season Sämann appeared in Pergolesi
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi was an Italian composer, violinist and organist.-Biography:Born at Iesi, Pergolesi studied music there under a local musician, Francesco Santini, before going to Naples in 1725, where he studied under Gaetano Greco and Francesco Feo among others...
's Stabat mater at the Theater Neumarkt, Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, and also performed in St. Petersburg and Moscow. In 2004 she appeared as Euridice in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice
Orfeo ed Euridice
Orfeo ed Euridice is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck based on the myth of Orpheus, set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the azione teatrale, meaning an opera on a mythological subject with choruses and dancing...
at the Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
opera.
She recorded Bach's St Matthew Passion in 1997 with Horst Meinardus conducting the Philharmonischer Chor Köln, Jörg Dürmüller
Jörg Dürmüller
Jörg Dürmüller is a Swiss classical tenor in concert and opera.- Biography :Dürmüller studied violin and voice at the conservatory of Winterthur and took voice master classes with Edith Mathis, Christa Ludwig and Hermann Prey....
as the Evangelist
Evangelist (Bach)
The Evangelist in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach is the tenor part in his oratorios and Passions who narrates the exact words of the Bible, translated by Martin Luther, in recitative, namely in the works St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, and the Christmas Oratorio, also in the St Mark...
and Klaus Mertens
Klaus Mertens
Klaus Mertens is a German bass and bass-baritone singer who is known especially for his interpretation of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach.-Professional career:Klaus Mertens took singing lessons while attending school...
as the Vox Christi
Vox Christi
Vox Christi, Latin for Voice of Christ, is a term for the bass voice representing Jesus in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and others. This part appears prominently in Bach's Passions...
(voice of Jesus).
In the field of historically informed performance
Historically informed performance
Historically informed performance is an approach in the performance of music and theater. Within this approach, the performance adheres to state-of-the-art knowledge of the aesthetic criteria of the period in which the music or theatre work was conceived...
, she has worked with the choir Junge Kantorei in Eberbach Abbey
Eberbach Abbey
Eberbach Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery near Eltville am Rhein in the Rheingau, Germany. On account of its impressive Romanesque and early Gothic buildings it is considered one of the most significant architectural heritage sites in Hesse, Germany...
in works of Handel, Hercules in 2006, Alexander's Feast
Alexander's Feast (Handel)
Alexander's Feast is an ode with music by George Frideric Handel set to a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton. Hamilton adapted his libretto from John Dryden's ode Alexander's Feast, or the Power of Music which had been written to celebrate Saint Cecilia's Day...
and Ode for St. Cecilia's Day in 2008, and Messiah
Messiah (Handel)
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
in 2009. She has collaborated regularly with Sigiswald Kuijken
Sigiswald Kuijken
Sigiswald Kuijken is a Belgian violinist, violist, and conductor known for playing on authentic instruments.-Biography:Kuijken was born in Dilbeek, near Brussels. He was a member of the Alarius Ensemble of Brussels between 1964 and 1972 and formed La Petite Bande in 1972...
and La Petite Bande
La Petite Bande
La Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in Baroque music played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, and Bach.-History:...
in concerts and recordings of works of Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, the soloists also singing the choral parts. She performed the soprano part in Bach's St Matthew Passion and in several of his cantatas
Bach cantata
Bach cantata became a term for a cantata of the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach who was a prolific writer of the genre. Although many of his works are lost, around 200 cantatas survived....
, including Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich, BWV 17, written for the 14th Sunday after Trinity
Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity...
. She recorded Bach's Mass in B minor both with La Petite Bande and with the SebastianChor Munich, conducted by Michaela Prentl. With Prentl, she recorded Bach's St John Passion in 2006, with Hubert Nettinger as the Evangelist, Christa Bonhoff
Christa Bonhoff
- Professional career :Christa Bonhoff was born in Westphalia. Sie studied singing at the Hochschule für Musik Hamburg with Annie Schoonus. Already as a student she joined the choir NDR Chor and worked as a guest for the Hamburgische Staatsoper...
, Thomas Hamberger and Tim Hennis. In 2009 she recorded in Trogen
Trogen
Trogen is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. The town is the seat of the canton's judicial authorities.-History:...
a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of Bach's cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191
Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191
Gloria in excelsis Deo , BWV 191, is a sacred cantata written by the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach, and the only one of his church cantatas set to a Latin text. It was likely first performed in Leipzig at Christmas of 1745 to celebrate the end of the Second Silesian War...
with Rudolf Lutz conducting the Vokalensemble der Schola Seconda Pratica and tenor Johannes Kaleschke.
In 2010 she performed with the RIAS Kammerchor
RIAS Kammerchor
The RIAS Kammerchor is a professional chamber choir of the RIAS in Berlin, founded originally for contemporary music, with an international reputation.-History:...
Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine at the Rheingau Musik Festival
Rheingau Musik Festival
The Rheingau Musik Festival is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres...
in Eberbach Abbey, with María Cristina Kiehr
Maria Cristina Kiehr
María Cristina Kiehr is a soprano vocalist associated with Baroque music. After receiving her early musical training in Argentina, she moved in 1983 to Europe and studied under René Jacobs at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, specializing in the Baroque repertoire. She performs and records for the...
, James Elliott, Andreas Karasiak
Andreas Karasiak
- Biography :Andreas Karasiak studied voice at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz with Claudia Eder. He studied Baroque music at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with René Jacobs in Basel....
, Harry van der Kamp
Harry van der Kamp
Harry van der Kamp is a Dutch bass singer in opera and concert.- Singing career :Van der Kamp studied first law and psychology in Amsterdam...
, and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin is a German chamber orchestra founded in East Berlin in 1982...
, conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademann.
Gerlinde Sämann is blind.
External links
- Gerlinde Sämann website
- Frau mit wandlungsfähiger Stimme - Die Sopranistin Gerlinde Sämann im Porträt Interview of DeutschlandradioDeutschlandradioDeutschlandradio is a national German public broadcasting radio broadcaster. It operates four national networks, Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandradio Kultur, Dokumente und Debatten and DRadio Wissen....
17 December 2009 - Entries for recordings by Gerlinde Sämann on WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...