Elizabeth Connell

Elizabeth Connell ( born October 22, 1946 in Port Elizabeth, † February 18, 2012 in London) was a South African soprano.

Career

She studied at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and the London Opera Centre. In 1972, she debuted at the Wexford Festival Opera and sang in 1973 in the opening of the Sydney Opera House.

Connell sang at major opera houses around the world, eg Covent Garden, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, the Bavarian State Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Vienna State Opera.

At the Vienna State Opera, she sang from 1985 to 2000 a total of 51 performances in eight different roles. Also at the Salzburg Festival, she was heard, for example, as Elettra in Mozart's Idomeneo with Luciano Pavarotti. What was remarkable was the range of subjects they sang last she appeared predominantly in highly dramatic games on, including Elektra, Isolde and Brünnhilde.

Her last operatic appearance was in February 2011 as Turandot at the Prague State Opera, in October and November 2011, they were still arias and lieder recitals in Germany, where they about the aria of Mistress Ford in Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor for lyric coloratura soprano afforded.

Connell died of a lung ailment at the age of 65 years.

Known roles

She was particularly known for her performances of Wagner and Strauss heroines.

Recordings (selection)

• Volume 5 The complete recording of Schubert Lieder with pianist Graham Johnson.