Christel Goltz, soprano

Christel Glotz was born in Dortmund, Germany in 1912 and began her studies in piano, dancing and singing with Ornelli-Leeb in Munich in 1930. Five years later she joined the Chorus of Furth Opera, making her solo début as Agathe in Der Freischütz later that season. She then sang in Plauen, which led to to her first appearance at the Staatsoper Dresden as Reiza in Weber's Oberon. She would remain with this company until 1950. In 1947 she also became a member of both Staatsoper and Städtische Oper in Berlin. Her London début at Covent Garden was as Salome, followed by Marie in the British stage première of Berg's Wozzeck under Erich Kleiber. In 1954 she appeared at the Salzburg Festival and then her United States début at the Metropolitan Opera in New York with six performances of Salome. She also appeared in Buenos Aires and sang regularly in Munich, Vienna and Berlin until 1970. A fine actress and performer of great intensity, her voice was both brilliant and clear over a range of three octaves. She appeared in the premières of Carl Orff's Antigone and Liebermann's Penelope. She was particularly admired as Salome, a rôle she recorded three times, in 1950, 1954 and 1963, as Marie and as Elektra.