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Anne Sofie von Otter

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For the violinist, seeAnne-Sophie Mutter.

Anne Sofie von Otter
Anne Sofie von Otter (2011)
Born(1955-05-09)9 May 1955(age 69)
Stockholm
Alma materGuildhall School of Music and Drama
OccupationMezzo-sopranosinger
Spouse
​
​
(m.1989; died 2018)​
Websiteannesofievonotter

Anne Sofie von Otter(born 9 May 1955) is a Swedishmezzo-soprano.Her repertoire encompasseslieder,operas,oratoriosand also rock and pop songs.

Early life[edit]

Von Otter was born inStockholm,Sweden. Her father wasGöran von Otter,a Swedish diplomat in Berlin duringWorld War II.[1]She grew up in Bonn, London and Stockholm. She studied in Stockholm and at theGuildhall School of Music and Dramain London, where her teachers includedVera Rózsa.[2]In 1982, she won second prize in theARD International Music Competition.

From 1983 to 1985, she was an ensemble member of theBasel Opera,where she made her professional operatic début as Alcina inHaydn'sOrlando paladino.She made herRoyal Opera House,Covent Garden, début in 1985 and herLa Scaladebut in 1987. HerMetropolitan Operadébut was in December 1988 as Cherubino inThe Marriage of Figaro.[3]

Career[edit]

Her recording of Grieg songs won the 1993GramophoneRecord of the Year, the first time in the award's history that it had gone to a song recording. In 2001, she released her album withElvis Costello,For the Stars,[4]for which she won anEdison Award.She was awarded theGrammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Soloin 2015for her album of French songs,Douce France.She is a regular recital and recording partner with Swedish pianistBengt Forsberg.[5][6][7]

In 2006, von Otter sang the Evangelist in the premiere ofSven-David Sandström'sOrdet – en passion.Other work in contemporary music has included singing the role of The Woman inSenza SangueofPéter Eötvös.[8]In other media, she appeared in the filmA Late Quartet.[9]

In 2007, she released an album of music written by composers imprisoned in the Nazi ghetto ofTheresienstadt concentration camp(also known as Terezin) before their transportation to the death camp of Auschwitz. She collaborated on this project withChristian Gerhaher(baritone) and chamber musicians. She has stated that the material has special personal meaning for her as her father had attempted unsuccessfully during the war to spread information that he had received from SS officerKurt Gersteinabout the Nazi death camps.[10]

In 2016, von Otter sang Leonora in the world premiere ofThomas Adès'The Exterminating Angel,and again in 2017 at theRoyal Opera House,Covent Garden. She created the principal role of Charlotte inSebastian Fagerlund's 2017 operaAutumn Sonata,based on the1979 filmbyIngmar Bergmanat theFinnish National Operain Helsinki conducted byJohn Storgårds.[11]

Family life[edit]

Von Otter was married toBenny Fredrikssonuntil his suicide on 17 March 2018.[12][13]He was an actor and managing director of The Stockholm House of Culture, including the Stadsteater (Stockholm City Theatre). The couple had two children. She lives in the capital Stockholm.[2]

Awards and honours[edit]

Discography[edit]

Selective charting albums[edit]

Anne Sofie von Otter, 2013

(Peak positions inSverigetopplistan,the Swedish national record chart)

Year Album Peak positions
SWE
[17] 		AUS
[18] 		GER
[19] 		NED
[20] 		NOR
[21]
1993 GriegSongs(DG) 46 – – – –
1994 Speak Low 25 – – – –
1999 Home for Christmas 16 – – 72 –
2001 For the Stars
(Anne Sofie von Otter meetsElvis Costello) 		25 81 59 80 33
2006 I Let the Music Speak 13 – – 63 –
Noël
(Anne Sofie von Otter &Bengt Forsberg) 		59 – – – –
2007 Terezín / Theresienstadt
(Anne Sofie von Otter / Bengt Forsberg) 		56 – – – –
2010 Ombre de mon amant 32 – – – –
Love Songs
(Anne Sofie von Otter /Brad Mehldau) 		34 – – – –
2013 Douce France 58 – – – –

Recordings[edit]

Lieder and songs[edit]

Complete operas[edit]

Aria recordings[edit]

  • Anne Sofie von Otter singsOffenbach,conducted byMarc Minkowski– Deutsche Grammophon
  • Baroque Ariasby Handel, Monteverdi, Roman and Telemann, with the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble – Proprius
  • Ombre de mon amant,French baroque arias conducted byWilliam Christie– Archiv
  • Opera Ariasby Gluck, Haydn and Mozart, conducted byTrevor Pinnock– Archiv

Oratorios, symphonies, etc[edit]

Other music[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Paldiel, Mordecai,Saving the Jews: Amazing Stories of Men and Women Who Defied the "Final Solution".Schreiber Publishing (ISBN1-887563-55-5), p. 45 (2000).
  2. ^abStephen Moss (5 August 2005)."Super von trouper".The Guardian.Retrieved22 June2016.
  3. ^Donal Henahan(17 December 1988)."Reviews/Music;FigaroAmong Towering Columns ".The New York Times.Retrieved22 June2016.
  4. ^Neil Strauss(21 May 2001)."Worlds of Mezzo and Pop Star Meet Somewhere in Between; Anne Sofie von Otter: Fresh Start".The New York Times.Retrieved22 June2016.
  5. ^Anthony Tommasini(9 May 1998)."Music Review: Von Otter, From Lieder to Blues".The New York Times.Retrieved22 June2016.
  6. ^Anthony Tommasini(19 April 2005)."Vibrant Singing at the Nice Price".The New York Times.Retrieved22 June2016.
  7. ^Steve Smith (4 May 2009)."Resilience of the Human Spirit, in Song".The New York Times.Retrieved22 June2016.
  8. ^Anthony Tommasini(10 May 2015)."Review: A Peter Eotvos Premiere and Schubert at the New York Philharmonic".The New York Times.Retrieved22 June2016.
  9. ^Stephen Holden(1 November 2012)."The Strings Play On; The Bonds Tear Apart".The New York Times.Retrieved22 June2016.
  10. ^David Bartal (17 September 2007)."A Different Aria".Forward.Retrieved22 June2016.
  11. ^Dammann, Guy. The Brilliant Sound of Gnawing Anxiety.Financial Times,Friday 15 September 2017, p. 10.
  12. ^"High-Profile Death Prompts Backlash Against #MeToo in Sweden".The Irish Times.Retrieved30 July2018.
  13. ^"Famed Swedish Opera Singer Blames #MeToo for Her Husband's Suicide: 'You Can Break a Person'".MSN.Retrieved30 July2018.
  14. ^"Anne Sofie von Otter".Nationalencyklopedin.Retrieved22 April2019.
  15. ^"Rolf Schock Prize Laureates".Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.Retrieved22 April2019.
  16. ^"Anne Sofie von Otter".Upmc.fr.Retrieved18 January2018.
  17. ^"Discography Anne Sofie von Otter".swedishcharts.Retrieved27 October2022.
  18. ^Ryan, Gavin (2011).Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010(PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 295.
  19. ^"Discographie von Anne Sofie von Otter".offiziellecharts.de(in German).Retrieved27 October2022.
  20. ^"Discografie Anne Sofie von Otter".dutchcharts.nl(in Dutch).Retrieved27 October2022.
  21. ^"Discography Anne Sofie von Otter".norwegiancharts.Retrieved27 October2022.
  22. ^Fiona Maddocks(9 November 2013)."Various: Douce France – review".The Observer.Retrieved22 June2016.
  23. ^Anne Midgette(16 January 2005)."Classical Recordings: Anne Sofie von Otter Sinks Her Teeth Into the Baroque".The New York Times.Retrieved22 June2016.
  24. ^John Fordham(18 November 2010)."Brad Mehldau/Anne Sofie von Otter:Love Songs– Review ".The Guardian.Retrieved22 June2016.

External links[edit]

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