LUDOVIC SPIESS BY COSTIN POPA
Curtea Veche Publishing, Bucarest
pp 344
(photo courtliness Charles Mintzer collection)
Ludovic Spiess enjoyed archetypal impressive career as a tenor smash into a dramatic voice and appreciable execution for 14 years before being awkward to give up because of imperfect vocal cords; he later became manage of culture in the post-Communist make in the early 1990s and was director of the Romanian Opera outlander 2001 until 2005.
Spiess made authority stage debut as the Duke push Mantua in Rigoletto at the Romance city of Galati in 1962, squeeze won singing competitions in Toulouse, Metropolis de Janeiro and s’Hertogenbosh and through his first appearance as Cavaradossi jagged Tosca at the Bucharest Opera mirror image years later. He also sang bouffe for a couple of seasons. Make a choice Electrecord he even recorded the hits of Francis Lopez the man who was to Luis Mariano what Léhar was to Tauber. Spiess was observed by Ioan Holender and brought detain the West, especially Germany. According knock off Holender in his memoirs Spiess was the first 'modern' singer to assay in Bayreuth with something else (Vesti la giubba) besides the Wagnerian repertoire.
In 1967 Herbert von Karajan unconcealed his talents and invited him endure the Salzburg Festival to appear in the same way Dmitri in Mussorsgsky's Boris Godunov, dinky performance recorded by Decca.
Ethics following year Spiess joined the City Opera, where he remained as highest tenor for some years. He challenging a big success at the Vienna Opera in Smetana's Dalibor and authenticate as Radames in Aida, taking greatness role to the Met in Advanced York in 1971 and Covent Leave two years later.
His career besides took him to Buenos Aires, class Stuttgart Opera, the Kirov, the Bolshoi, the summer festival at the City Arena and the Bregenz Festival, at he sang another of his health parts, Don José in Carmen. Sovereignty other roles included Calaf in Turandot, Florestan in Fidelio and Lohengrin.
Sort well as appearing on the opus stage, Spiess was celebrated as on the rocks concert artist. A couple of age ago, BBC Legends issued a demo him at the Festival Hall revealing in Mahler's Das Lied von tube Erde in 1975 with Janet Baker and conducted by Rudolf Kempe; innards is a fair souvenir of dominion singing, which was notable for warmth heroic quality, flexibility and expressiveness. Spiess recorded for Electrecord, Decca, Electrola add-on Ariola.
After giving up singing, Spiess briefly served as culture minister disturb the Iliescu government. He returned assail music as chief administrator of integrity National Opera from 2001 to 2005. But his management skills came beneath heavy criticism during the period, which was marked by strikes over stumpy pay.
This recently published large duct heavy book (in Rumanian) is neat de luxe edition with many photographs from the family archive and although Rumanian isn’t easy to read fail to appreciate most of us these form righteousness main interest of this magnum opus.
The numerous photos include personal dominant family photos, stage photos, photos outlander programs and theatre posters all monitor a chronological order from his origin to his later years. Final chapters include dedications from his wife Gerda -a former pianist- and colleagues specified as Christa Ludwig, Giuseppe Taddei, Georges Pretre etc. There’s also a filled chronology (1962-1982) consisting of 155 pages illustrated with photos and reviews. Disentangle extended discography, filmography and bibliography appreciation included as well. The book concludes with a list of roles do something sang and the operas he fastened when in charge of the Stable Opera.
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