Fassbänder, Brigitte
Fassbänder, Brigitte
Fassbänder, Brigitte, noted German mezzo-soprano, opera producer, and Intendant, daughter of Willi Domgraf-Fassbänder; b. Berlin, July 3, 1939. She studied with her father and attended the Nuremberg Cons. (1952–61). In 1961 she made her operatic debut as Nicklausse in Les Conies d’Hoffman at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, where she became one of its most esteemed members. In 1970 she was honored as a Bavarian Kammersangerin. She appeared as Carmen at the San Francisco Opera in 1970, as Octavian at London’s Covent Garden in 1971, and as Brangäne at the Paris Opera in 1972. From 1972 to 1978 she appeared regularly at the Salzburg Festivals. On Feb. 16, 1974, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. as Octavian, returning there as Fricka in Die Walkure in 1986. In 1989 she sang Clytemnestra at the Salzburg Festival, returning in 1990 as Clairon in Capriccio. On Jan. 9, 1994, she made her N.Y. recital debut at Alice Tully Hall. In 1995 she retired from singing. From 1999 she was the Intendant of the Innsbruck Opera. While her operatic repertoire ranged from Gluck to contemporary scores, she won special distinction for her roles in operas by Mozart and Strauss. She also pursued a distinguished concert career.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire