Cast
Christa Ludwig — Teacher, mezzo-soprano
Program notes
Born in Berlin in 1928, the mezzo soprano Christa Ludwig celebrated her 80th Birthday in 2008. This film series commemorates the occasion in four parts.
Discover two Christa Ludwig recitals: first Franz Schubert's Winterreise then a varied program of Lieder by Schubert, Strauss, Wolf, Mahler and Bernstein. Last but not least, the great mezzo-soprano shares her talent with the younger generation, giving a two-part masterclass at Vienna's Volkstheater.
Renowned for the perfect homogeneity of her voice, even at the end of her career, Christa Ludwig was at the forefront of the operatic stage for almost forty-eight years. After saying farewell to the stage in 1994, she devoted herself in particular to passing on her art to younger generations. In this masterclass at Vienna's Volkstheater in 1999, Christa Ludwig lavishes friendly advice on talented young singers, who make rapid progress, stimulated by her energy.
This masterclass is devoted to excerpts from operas by Beethoven, Bizet and Massenet.
The program concludes with an excerpt from Verdi's Falstaff, in which Christa Ludwig sings the role of Mrs Quickly, conducted by Herbert von Karajan.