German Soprano Legend Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Dies

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's powerful voice box wowed audiences for four decades both in operatic works -- ranging from Mozart to Strauss -- and in her widely celebrated recital interpretations of Lieder -- German songs of a lyrical, and often popular, character. This is what most people will remember Elisabeth Schwarzkopf for. Still, it was the character behind the fabulous voice that made Schwarzkopf such a vivid and interesting person.

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf made her professional debut at Berlin's State Opera in 1938. Shortly after the war, the German born star signed to the record label HMV, after meeting the famous British producer Walter Legge. The two had a stormy relationship, and although Legge never lavished praise on the opera star, they apparently shared a relationship of mutual respect and love.

A self-aware diva

Gerald Moore, who long provided Schwarzkopf's pianist accompaniment, described her as "the most cruelly self-critical person imaginable." And while she may have set high standards, Schwarzkopf also clearly felt she had achieved them.

When she appeared on the BBC Four's well-loved and long-running show Desert Island Discs, Schwarzkopf picked eight of her own recordings as her essential companions in the case of abandonment in isolation -- an unprecedented move for a guest on the program.

But perhaps more shocking for many was Schwarzkopf's revelation shortly after her retirement that she had been a member of the Nazi party in Germany in 1939. Back then, she was a young star in the Deutsche Oper ensemble in Berlin. The Opera star insisted that it was merely a move to further her career, and compared it to "joining any union."

Critics across Europe are now joining in praise of the soprano diva for the unique timbre of her voice, her beauty and charisma. One critic even bestowed the utmost honor on Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's career saying: "perhaps never again will there be a recitalist like her."