Soprano Hildegard Behrens Dies at 72

Hildegard Behrens, a soprano noted for her performances in operas by Richard Wagner, has passed away. She was 72.

At the time of her death, Behrens was traveling in Japan where she was to have offered classes in conjunction with the Kusatsu Summer Festival. Her funeral will be held in Vienna.

Behrens first came to prominence for her performances in Strauss’ Salome. From the Wagnerian canon, the singer performed in roles ranging from Brunhilde in Die Walküre and Siegfried to Isolde in Tristan und Isolde, which she performed with Peter Hoffman under the direction of Leonard Bernstein in concert in 1981 in Munich. She would later perform the role throughout Europe and the U.S.

Behrens appeared frequently in New York with the Metropolitan Opera. She debuted with the company during the 1976-1977 season playing Giorgetta in Puccini’s Il Tabarro. Her last appearance at the Met was during the 1998-99 season when she played Marie in Berg’s Woyzeck.