Hildegard Behrens (Soprano)
Born: 9th February 1937, Varel, Germany
Died: 18th August 2009, Tokyo, Japan
Nationality: German
HILDEGARD BEHRENS built her reputation singing the most demanding soprano roles in the operatic repertory. She is most renowned for her portrayals of the heroines of Wagner and Strauss. Indeed to many of today's audiences she is the greatest living Brünnhilde and the "most riveting Salome," the role that catapulted her to stardom and a brilliant operatic career. But she has not limited herself to German opera - her repertory includes roles as diverse as Puccini's Tosca, Berlioz' Cassandra and Janacek's Emilia Marty. Her operatic debut was as the Countess in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, and she debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Giorgetta in Puccini's Il Tabarro.