Erna Berger – Singers of the Century (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

Erna Berger (19 October 1900 – 14 June 1990) was a German lyric coloratura soprano. She was best known for her Queen of the Night and her Konstanze.

Born in Dresden, Germany, Berger spent some years as a child in India and South America. She lived there later on as well, working as a clerk and a piano teacher, before borrowing enough money for the trip back to Germany. At age 26, she secured a position as a soubrette soprano at the Semperoper in Dresden and had her first success as Hannele in Paul Graener’s opera Hanneles Himmelfahrt,[citation needed] based on Gerhart Hauptmann’s play The Assumption of Hannele. She later held leading positions at the Vienna State Opera, the Berlin State Opera, and the Deutsche Oper Berlin. She gave concerts in Japan, the United States, and Australia.

Her discography features complete recordings of Die Zauberflöte (as the Queen of Night, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, 1937–38, for EMI), and Rigoletto, with Jan Peerce and Leonard Warren, conducted by Renato Cellini (1950) which was the first complete opera recording (with a few minor cuts) made in the United States by RCA Victor for commercial release on the then-new LP format.

Berger appeared at the Metropolitan Opera during the 1949/50 and 1950/51 seasons, in Der Rosenkavalier (opposite Eleanor Steber and Risë Stevens, conducted by Fritz Reiner and directed by Herbert Graf), Rigoletto (with Warren, then Enzo Mascherini), Die Zauberflöte, and Il barbiere di Siviglia (with Giuseppe Valdengo). She also sang Woglinde and the Waldvogel in Der Ring des Nibelungen, with Kirsten Flagstad and Helen Traubel alternating as Brünnhilde.

She sang the role of Zerlina in the 1954 Salzburg Festival production of Don Giovanni conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler, filmed by Paul Czinner and released on DVD by Deutsche Grammophon. As an interpreter of Lieder, she often performed with the German pianist Sebastian Peschko.

Tracklist:
1-1. Erna Berger – No. 2, Auf Flügeln des Gesanges, MWV K 86 (02:38)
1-2. Erna Berger – No. 4, Neue Liebe, MWV K 70 (01:50)
1-3. Erna Berger – No. 5, Der Mond, MWV K 122 (02:00)
1-4. Erna Berger – No. 6, Es weiß und rät es doch keiner, MWV K 112 (02:23)
1-5. Erna Berger – No. 8, Hexenlied, MWV K 33 (02:27)
1-6. Erna Berger – No. 2, Schlafloser Augen Leuchte, MWV K 85 (02:14)
1-7. Erna Berger – No. 10, Romanze, MWV K 35 (02:16)
1-8. Erna Berger – Gott im Frühlinge, D. 448 (02:29)
1-9. Erna Berger – Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, Op. 129, D. 965 (10:30)
1-10. Erna Berger – Gretchen am Spinnrade, Op. 2, D. 118 (03:21)
1-11. Erna Berger – No. 1, Mir glänzen die Augen (01:10)
1-12. Erna Berger – No. 2, Ich fürcht’ nit Gespenster (01:27)
1-13. Erna Berger – No. 3, Du milchjunger Knabe (01:02)
1-14. Erna Berger – No. 4, Wandl’ ich dem Morgentau (02:09)
1-15. Erna Berger – No. 5, Singt mein Schatz wie ein Fink (01:16)
1-16. Erna Berger – No. 6, Röschen biß den Apfel an (00:36)
1-17. Erna Berger – No. 7, Tretet ein, hoher Krieger (02:29)
1-18. Erna Berger – No. 8, Wie glänzt der helle Mond so kalt und fern (03:44)
1-19. Erna Berger – No. 1, An die Nacht (03:11)
1-20. Erna Berger – No. 2, Ich wollt ein Sträußlein binden (02:32)
1-21. Erna Berger – No. 3, Säusle, liebe Myrte! (04:20)
1-22. Erna Berger – No. 4, Als mir dein Lied erklang (03:20)
1-23. Erna Berger – No. 5, Amor (03:05)
1-24. Erna Berger – No. 6, Lied der Frauen (08:00)