release.html

Astrid Varnay

CLosing The Door Of Her Career

Having screened my documentary, "Never before: The Life, Art & First New York Career Of Astrid Varnay" to various Wagner Societies across the country, I have decided to make available to a wider audience the clips of Mme Varnay that were used in the documentary. I have included some of her singing and also chose to include two narratives - her letter of introduction to the Met and the saga of saving a Met Götterdämmerung, which are read by me.

As you will hear, Mme Varnay exhibited great insight into all things operatic, displayed a sparkling sense of humor and, at the same time, was touchingly poetic.

An all-too-brief 15-second silent and somewhat motionless video taken with my digital camera on the day of my conversation with Astrid Varnay at the home of Donald Arthur in Munich, Germany on May 22, 2903.

December 6, 1941

...on April 25, 1918, Alexander Várnay and Maria Jávor gave birth to a daughter named:

An important addition to the family in the mid-1930s was: a radio.

The ultimate decision to change from piano to singing came about when Astrid Varnay was walking past Steinway Hall in New York one day. When she heard the horrific noises of practicing singers - she said they sounded like cattle in an abbatoir - she decided then and there to ask her mother for singing lessons so she could prove she was better than that.

Kirsten Flagstad recommended that Varnay work with an authentic Wagner expert, Hermann Weigert, and he became Varnay's conservatory. Thus began a flourishing artistic and personal relationship:.

After her initial Met audition, Johnson asked her to write a letter of introduction, including information about her studies and repertoire. Keeping in mind that she was all of 22 years old, the letter read as follows
(DONALD COLLUP):

Edward Johnson directed her to discuss her contract with Columbia Artists manager Andre Mertens. He waived all commission charges except for concert work, but he also thought the name Violet Varnay was not appropriate.

Edward Johnson now helped take care of Astrid Varnay's vocal capital.

Traubel as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre.

In February of 1942, she sang the first of three non-Wagner/Strauss roles, participating in the world premiere of Menotti's The Island God in the role of Telea. Having sung this and performances of Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, Ms.Varnay had now performed five roles that she had never sung before in the space of a little over two months.

Paul Althouse:

Charisma: