Due to technical reasons, the masterclass will take place in autumn 2022.
The Hungarian State Opera and internationally renowned Kossuth Award recipient opera singer, awarded the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary and recognised as a National Artist of Hungary, is hosting a masterclass for soprano singers on Richard Strauss’s two operas, Die Frau ohne Schatten and Ariadne auf Naxos for artists singing, covering or studying the roles. The deadline for applying to the training to be held between 7 and 11 March 2022 at the Erkel Theatre, is 31 January 2022.
When the Hungarian State Opera reopens next March, it will again be able to perform the full stage version of Richard Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten. On this occasion, as a sort of prelude to the performances, Éva Marton will be holding a five-day training at Erkel Theatre. Over the course of her long and illustrious career, between 1974 and 2003 Ms Marton has played the two dramatic soprano roles, The Empress and The Dyer’s Wife (Barak’s Wife), on famous stages in Frankfurt as well as Hamburg, Geneva, Buenos Aires (Teatro Colón), New York (MET), Chicago, Milan (Scala), Vienna, Salzburg (Easter Festival and the Salzburg Festival), Berlin, Barcelona, and Athens (Athens Festival).
In addition to helping singers learn their own parts, the masterclass aims to give them a comprehensive overview of the piece, the musical world of Richard Strauss, and Hugo von Hofmannstahl’s symbolic storytelling. An important part of the course is the thorough analysis of the roles, which makes it easier to learn the director’s and the conductor’s approaches later on. As an aid, the singer will use the recording of the 1992 Salzburg Festival where Éva Marton played the role of The Dyer’s Wife alongside Cheryl Studer, Marjana Lipovšek, Thomas Moser, Robert Hale, Andrea Rost, and Bryn Terfel, with György Solti conducting and Friedrich Götz directing.
In the course of the masterclass, Éva Marton will also work together with each of the active participants, and there will be a possibility for the performance of certain excerpts with piano accompaniment. Plans also include a performance by András Almási-Tóth, the Hungarian State Opera’s Artistic Director, and the conductor for next season’s performances of the piece.
Organisers expect applications from singers who sing or perform covers of any roles in Richard Strauss’s operas Die Frau ohne Schatten or Ariadne auf Naxos, or feel that they would be able to do so over time. Although there is no age limit for applying and applicants do not have to know their roles by heart, a higher education degree in singing is required, or the applicant has to be an MA student, and knowledge of the German-language parts is also a must. The masterclass is also available for passive participation. New, active singer applicants should submit a short CV; artists of the Hungarian State Opera do not have to. The Opera will notify participants by 18 February 2022.
Please submit your application to martonkurzus@opera.hu.
Registration deadline: 14 February 2022
