Find Music / Performers / Kerstin Meyer

Kerstin Meyer

Overview
Available Recordings

Composers

Biography

Born: April 3, 1928; Stockholm, Sweden

Swedish mezzo-soprano Kerstin Meyer enjoyed a full and rewarding career through great intelligence and with a voice of good, if not quite first-rate, quality. Her instrument, not huge but somewhat dark in coloration, was sometimes betrayed by an uneven and pronounced vibrato. Yet her stage presence was riveting enough to make that issue all but disappear, especially in leading roles of dramatic stature. Meyer was also a persuasive recitalist. Read more

Meyer's studies were extensive, first in Stockholm with Andreyeva von Skoldonz and Arne Sunnegaardh, and later in Salzburg, Rome, Siena, and Vienna. Upon her 1952 debut as Azucena at Stockholm's Royal Opera, she joined the permanent company. When Wieland Wagner's 1959 Hamburg production of Carmen created a stir in the world press, it was as much for Meyer's intellectually dangerous protagonist as for Wagner's innovations. Her attractive, slender appearance and histrionic gifts led to several leading roles in world premieres. In three successive years beginning in 1966, she sang Mrs. Claiborne in Gunther Schuller's The Visitation, Alice in Alexander Goehr's Arden Must Die, and Gertrude in Humphrey Searle's Hamlet, all in the dramatically progressive Hamburg company. Meyer's Dido at Covent Garden in 1960 had been less successful: histrionically, it was compelling, but vocally it was short of poised, classical singing. Still, her career brought even more premieres and growing appreciation among leading conductors. In 1961, Meyer had made herself welcome at the Glyndebourne Festival as Carolina in Henze's Elegy for Young Lovers. She subsequently appeared in roles ranging from Octavia in Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea to Clairon in Strauss' Capriccio. In 1966, Meyer was Agave in the world premiere of Henze's The Bassarids at Salzburg. She was chosen for Elisabeth in the 1970 premiere of Nicholas Maw's The Rising of the Moon at Glyndebourne, and in 1973, she sang for Glyndebourne a memorable Old Woman title role in the first English production of Einem's Der Besuch der alten Dame. In the early '60s, Meyer appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, which offered her less dramatically appropriate fare. Her Orfeo, like her London Dido, was found wanting in vocal polish. From 1962 to 1965, she was a regular at the Bayreuth Festival. Meyer's 1962 San Francisco Octavian (to Schwarzkopf's Marschallin) was both well sung and ardently acted. Read less

Featured Kerstin Meyer CDs & DVDs:

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex / Solti, Pears, Meyer, Davies

Release Date: 04/09/2007 Label: London/Decca Enterprise
Catalog: 430001 Number of Discs: 1

On sale! ~~$17.98~~

ArkivCD $13.99

Special Order

BUY

On sale! $17.98 ArkivCD: $13.99 Add to Cart

Browse 1-17 of 17 Available Recordings

Sort By: View:

1.

Strauss: The Great Operas

Label: Warner Classics Catalog: 3179923 Release Date: 01/14/2014 Number of Discs: 22
Composer: Richard Strauss
Performer: Gerd Nienstedt, José Van Dam, Agnes Baltsa, Horst Nitsche ...
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Rudolf Kempe, Marek Janowski ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Chorus ...

On sale! ~~$110.98~~

CD: $73.49
In Stock

BUY

On sale! $110.98 CD: $73.49 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
2.

BBC Legends - Great Recordings from the Archive

Label: Ica Classics Catalog: 5113 Release Date: 10/29/2013 Number of Discs: 20
Composer: Gustav Mahler, Dmitri Shostakovich, Robert Schumann, Johann Sebastian Bach ...
Performer: Beryl Hatt, Agnes Giebel, Joyce Barker, Kerstin Meyer ...
Conductor: Jascha Horenstein, Yevgeny Mravinsky, Arturo Toscanini, Kiril Kondrashin ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra, Orpington Junior Singers, Goldsmiths' Choral Union ...

CD: $98.99
Special Order

BUY

CD: $98.99 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
3.

Beethoven: Les 9 Symphonies / Cluytens, Berlin Philharmonic

Label: Emi Classics Catalog: 483032 Release Date: 05/07/2013 Number of Discs: 5
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer: Frederick Guthrie, Kerstin Meyer, Gré Brouwenstijn, Nicolai Gedda
Conductor: André Cluytens
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

On sale! ~~$27.98~~

CD: $17.99
On Order

BUY

On sale! $27.98 CD: $17.99 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
4.

Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde / Bohm, Windgassen, Et Al

Label: Myto Records Catalog: 328 Release Date: 04/30/2013 Number of Discs: 3
Composer: Richard Wagner
Performer: Wolfgang Windgassen, Birgit Nilsson, Kerstin Meyer, Eberhard Wächter ...
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Bayreuth Festival Chorus

On sale!

CD: $13.99
Special Order

BUY

On sale! CD: $13.99 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
5.

Berg: Lulu / Ludwig, Rothenberger, Unger, Borg, Meyer

Label: Emi Classics Catalog: 123302 Release Date: 04/02/2013 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Alban Berg
Performer: Anneliese Rothenberger, Kim Borg, Erwin Wohlfahrt, Kerstin Meyer ...
Conductor: Leopold Ludwig
Orchestra/Ensemble: Hamburg State Philharmonic Orchestra
Recommendation

CD: $24.99
In Stock

BUY

CD: $24.99 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
6.

Voices Of German Opera

Label: Warner Classics Catalog: 40497 Release Date: 07/31/2012 Number of Discs: 5
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Carl Maria von Weber, Heinrich Marschner ...
Performer: Natalie Dessay, Edda Moser, Kurt Moll, Walter Berry ...
Conductor: Louis Langrée, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Berislav Klobucar, Rudolf Moralt ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Bavarian State Opera Orchestra, Berlin Symphony Orchestra ...

CD: $19.99
In Stock

BUY

CD: $19.99 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
7.

Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier / Schwarzkopf, Karajan

Label: Warner Classics Catalog: 66824 Release Date: 11/17/2009 Number of Discs: 3
Composer: Richard Strauss
Performer: Eberhard Wächter, Teresa Stich-Randall, Kerstin Meyer, Erich Majkut ...
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble: Loughton Girls School Chorus, Philharmonia Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra
Recommendation

On sale! ~~$46.98~~

CD: $31.99
On Order

BUY

On sale! $46.98 CD: $31.99 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
8.

Puccini: Il Trittico / Albrecht, Bruson, Zschau, Atlantov

Label: Orfeo Catalog: 768093 Release Date: 05/26/2009 Number of Discs: 3
Composer: Giacomo Puccini
Performer: Kerstin Meyer, Pilar Lorengar, Margarita Lilova, Sona Ghazarian ...
Conductor: Gerd Albrecht
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Recommendation

On sale! ~~$54.99~~

CD: $47.49
In Stock

BUY

On sale! $54.99 CD: $47.49 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
9.

Best Karajan 100

Label: Emi Classics Catalog: 15206 Release Date: 10/28/2008 Number of Discs: 6
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Ludwig van Beethoven, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky ...
Performer: Bernard Walton, Dennis Brain, Lothar Koch, Maurice André ...
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra ...

CD: $19.99
In Stock

BUY

CD: $19.99 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
10.

Penderecki: Utrenja; Persichetti: Symphony No 9 / Ormandy

Label: Rca Victor Red Seal Catalog: 38303 Release Date: 01/30/2008 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Krzysztof Penderecki, Vincent Persichetti
Performer: Peter Lagger, Seth McCoy, Kerstin Meyer, Stefania Woytowicz ...
Conductor: Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble: Temple University Concert Choir, Philadelphia Orchestra

ArkivCD $16.99
Low Stock

BUY

ArkivCD: $16.99 Add to Cart

WISH LIST
11.

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex / Solti, Pears, Meyer, Davies

Label: London/Decca Enterprise Catalog: 430001 Release Date: 04/09/2007 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Performer: Benjamin Luxon, Stafford Dean, Donald McIntyre, Alec McGowan ...
Conductor: Sir Georg Solti
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra, John Alldis Choir

On sale! ~~$17.98~~

ArkivCD $13.99
Special Order

BUY

On sale! $17.98 ArkivCD: $13.99 Add to Cart

WISH LIST
12.

Strauss: Arabella, Four Last Songs / Keilberth, Della Casa, Fischer-dieskau

Label: Orfeo D'or Catalog: 651053 Release Date: 10/25/2005 Number of Discs: 3
Composer: Richard Strauss
Performer: Georg Stern, Lisa Della Casa, Kurt Ruesche, Anneliese Rothenberger ...
Conductor: Joseph Keilberth, Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Chorus
Recommendation

CD: $54.49
In Stock

BUY

CD: $54.49 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
13.

Henze: Die Bassariden / Dohnányi, Paskalis, Lagger, Et Al

Label: Orfeo D'or Catalog: 605032 Release Date: 05/25/2004 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Hans Werner Henze
Performer: Ingeborg Hallstein, Kostas Paskalis, Peter Lagger, Helmut Melchert ...
Conductor: Christoph von Dohnányi
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Chorus

On sale! ~~$39.99~~

CD: $37.99
In Stock

BUY

On sale! $39.99 CD: $37.99 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
14.

Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier / Karajan, Schwarzkopf, Ludwig

Label: Emi Great Recordings Of The Century Catalog: 67609 Release Date: 09/11/2001 Number of Discs: 3
Composer: Richard Strauss
Performer: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Anny Felbermayer, Nicolai Gedda, Paul Kuen ...
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble: Philharmonia Chorus, Bancroft School Boys' Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra ...
Recommendation

On sale! ~~$59.98~~

ArkivCD $49.99
CD not available

BUY

On sale! $59.98 ArkivCD: $49.99 Add to Cart

WISH LIST
15.

R. Strauss: Elektra / Mitropoulos, Borkh, Della Casa, Et Al

Label: Orfeo D'or Catalog: 456972 Release Date: 01/25/1999 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Richard Strauss
Performer: Inge Borkh, Jean Madeira, Lisa Della Casa, Max Lorenz ...
Conductor: Dimitri Mitropoulos
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Chorus

On sale! ~~$39.99~~

CD: $37.99
In Stock

BUY

On sale! $39.99 CD: $37.99 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
16.

Elisabeth Söderström & Kerstin Meyer / Jan Eyron

Label: Bis Catalog: 17 Release Date: 10/11/1994 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Gioachino Rossini, Gunnar Wennerberg, Erik Gustaf Geijer, Henry Purcell ...
Performer: Jan Eyron, Kerstin Meyer, Elisabeth Söderström

CD: $21.49
In Stock

BUY

CD: $21.49 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST
17.

Verdi: Rigoletto / Ehrling, Gedda, Hallin, Hasslo, Et Al

Label: Bis Catalog: 296 Release Date: 01/04/1994 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Performer: Kerstin Meyer, Barbro Ericson, Georg Svedenbrandt, Anders Näslund ...
Conductor: Sixten Ehrling
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Stockholm Opera Chorus, Royal Stockholm Opera Orchestra

On sale! ~~$21.99~~

CD: $18.49
In Stock

BUY

On sale! $21.99 CD: $18.49 Add CD to Cart

WISH LIST