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Soprano Schwarzkopf dead

London: Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, arguably the greatest soprano of the post-war years, died peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday night at her home in Schruns in Austria, aged 90. She was known for her matchless Lieder singing; in the opera house, she was particularly feted for her Mozart roles. According to Edward Greenfield, the Guardian's music critic emeritus: ``She was one of the very greatest of all singers. She combined every quality you wanted in a great soprano. What made her so special was the unique timbre of her voice - together with her great charisma and beauty. She was also a wonderful actress.'' Her unflinching brand of perfectionism was well-known. Her longtime recital partner, pianist Gerald Moore, called her ``the most cruelly self-critical person imaginable'', marking her scores with ``arrows, stabs, slashes and digs''. She met Walter Legge, the British record producer, who signed her to the label HMV. She later made a prodigious number of great records under his auspices. ``They had some amazing rows, but it was true love between them,'' said Mr. Greenfield. ``He never openly praised her.''

— © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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Soprano Schwarzkopf dead

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