Mezzo-soprano Hanna Schwarz, born on August 15, 1943, has had a successful career that hasn’t always seen her in the limelight. 

She studied psychology and voice in Hamburg, before becoming a member of the Staatsoper Hannover. 

In a career marked by her interpretations of Wagner, it is surprising to see her first major success come as Maddalena in “Rigoletto.” But before time, she was earning greater repute, making her Hamburg State Opera debut in 1973. 

But her big career moment came in 1975 when she made her Bayreuth Festival debut. Many singers feel lucky to get one performance at the legendary festival. She would go on to sing there until 1998. Her most famed set of performances came in 1976 when she took on the roles of Fricka and Erda in “Der Ring des Nibelungen” in Patrice Chéreau’s centenary production. 

She appeared in the US for the first time in 1977 and would go on to sing at the Met Opera, the Salzburg Festival, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Covent Garden, among major houses. 

Major Roles

The German mezzo was renowned for her work in the repertoire of Wagner. Much of her career was defined by her appearances in the German master’s operas. She made her San Francisco debut in a Wagner opera. The same happened for her Staatsoper Hannover debut where she appeared as Siegrune in “Die Walküre.” 

Watch and Listen

Here is Schwarz in Wagner’s “Das Rheingold.”

And here she is as Brangäne in “Tristan und Isolde.”