Ingeborg Hallstein - Mozart: MAGIC FLUTE, Queen of the Night arias, 1962, High Fs

THE SONGBIRD: Ingeborg Hallstein was born in Munich in 1936 and was taught singing by her mother. Her debut role was Musetta in 1957 and she quickly booked coloratura roles in major opera houses and festivals, such as Salzburg in 1960 (several operas and concerts over six seasons), Vienna in 1961, Munich in 1961 (as the leading coloratura until 1973), and Covent Garden in 1962. She made dozens of recordings in the studio, television, and radio of opera, lieder, concert waltzes, light music, operetta, musical theater, and even an album of songs for children. These two arias of the Queen of the Night are from a production in Vienna in 1962, conducted by Karajan.
THE MUSIC: "The Magic Flute" ("Die Zauberflöte") K. 620 premiered on September 30, 1791 in Vienna, just two months before Mozart's death. It was a success right out of the gate and has consistently been one of the most popular and produced operas in the world. The iconic role of the Queen of the Night was composed specifically for Josepha Hofer, Mozart's sister-in-law, and a vocal virtuosa. It's a short role with only two arias and one ensemble, but the extreme vocal demands of the role have made it a defining role in the coloratura soprano repertoire. The Queen's first aria "O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn" introduces the character as empathetic and righteous -- its noble opening recitative is followed by a somber, grief-laden section "Zum Leiden bin ich auserkoren" in G-minor, then concludes with a swift, commanding allegro moderato with complex coloratura figures culminating in one short High F. The second aria is the well-known "Der hölle rache kocht in meinem Herzen" where the character's extreme rage is uniquely expressed in the music, including a sequence of furious staccato figures topped with four High Fs.

[@PieroIvanMontemaggioreschreibe]

Delightful masterpiece.

[@oliviero.m750]

I. Hallstein always sings her scales by saying “yahhhhh” insteas of “ahhhhh”, even when she sings in Italian which is odd, but here it works, and of course her nightingale voice with pristine coloratura is honey to one’s ears.

[@jasonhurd4379]

Singing yah rather than aah avoids the necessity of a glottal stop, which closes the throat temporarily. The yah syllable is vocally healthier than the aah syllable.

[@wolfhardmuller8462]

Einzigartig schön und perfekt in Ausdruck, Artikulation und Technik - meine Göttin der Koloraturen

[@theosah2428]

All the beauty technique and feelings

[@alwaysnew189]

There are coloraturas, and - there are Geszty and Hallstein. 🌟🌟🌟

[@jimbuxton2187]

I totally agree. These two for absolute accuracy in articulation and intonation are unmatched!

[@JesusChrist-DeusFilius]

Wonderful.

[@AnaLuiza-rl9ee]

Está senhora é de extrema elegância e talento vocal...

[@johnboy8576]

WOW!!!!!! 😍😍😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️

[@stefanneubauer956]

We are talking about 1962

[@ThisisColoratura]

Ruth Welting🙏🏻

[@tttd904]

i think this was not Welting's voice. Hallstein's voices is thicker

[@luine8984]

Hi! I'd like to ask where you got the first image of hers from?

[@songbirdwatcher]

I scanned that photo in myself from the inside of the gatefold album cover on her "Singt aus Deutschen Opern" album. The little caption on this photos says "OBERON, Titania (Bayer, Staatsoper Münich). I don't know Weber's opera Oberon, but Wikipedia says Titania as a mute character, so ... Either she was another character (Reiza is the soprano lead, but she is a human and written for a bigger voice) or It's another opera?

[@luine8984]

@@songbirdwatcher oh, thank you! I thought I could look for the image on the Internet for future reference in digital drawings (which I haven’t started learning yet lol) as her look, just like her voice, is nothing short of magnificent!

[@OperaMyWorld]

In the studio she was amazing! But live her voice was quite small and without strength!

[@jimbuxton2187]

That's not what I've heard. Her voice had tremendous carrying power. Her lower notes were weak below the staff live, but her brilliance cut through just fine.

[@oliviero.m750]

I. Hallstein always sings her scales by saying “yahhhhh” insteas of “ahhhhh”, even when she sings in Italian which is odd, but here it works, and of course her nightingale voice with pristine coloratura is honey to one’s ears.

[@songbirdwatcher]

Totally. I always thought because she was German is was like she was singing "ja" ("yes") -- still doesn't make sense (especially in Italian or French music!).