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Ursula Buckel (Soprano) |
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Born: February 11, 1926 - Lauscha, Thuringia, Germany
Died: December 5, 2005 - Geneva, Switzerland |
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The German soprano, Ursula Buckel, appeared in many performances of J.S. Bach's masses and cantatas on record and in the concert hall. She was highly regarded as a specialist in the works of W.A. Mozart, Haydn, J.S. Bach and Monteverdi.
Already at the age of 13, Ursula Buckel played the organ in a church of her hometown. However, in 1947 she turned to study singing in the Church School of Music in Braunschweig, and in 1948 she moved her domicile to Konstanz. Afterwards she studied with Hans Höfflin in Freiburg, later with Ria Ginster in Zürich and in Hilversum.
Ursula Buckel became famous when she sang in Kreuzlingen (Switzerland) the soprano solo in Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) by J.S. Bach without previous experience. Since 1954 she lived in Geneva. Soon she was considered as one of the prominent concert and oratorio soprano singers of her generation. She proved herself as important Bach interpreter at the Internationales Bachfest Schaffhausen and Bachwoche Ansbach, where she appeared regularly from 1959 onwards. She often appeared with the Zurich Bach Choir and co-operated for many years with such eminent Bach musicians as Karl Richter and his Münchener Bach-Chor, Diethard Hellmann and his Mainzer Bach-Chor, and Karl Ristenpart. Extended tours brought her success all over the world. She sang in Switzerland, in Germany, in Italy, France, Austria, Finland and England, and she was especially admired for her concerts in Moscow and Leningrad. High points of her career were an expanded tour in the east and Japan with the Deutsche Bachsolisten under Helmut Winschermann, appearances at the Festivals of Athens in the Amphitheater of the Herodes Atticus, concerts in Israel, where she performed works by the contemporary Swiss composer Franc Martin. In 1958 she sang in Basel a solo part in the premiere of Gilgamesch-Epos by B. Martinù. She appeared on the opera stage only once, in 1970 as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.
Since 1971 Ursula Buckel has been a teacher of voice at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève, where she has conducted many master-classes. She died after longer illness on December 5, 2005 in Geneva at the age of 79 years.
The beautifully shaped voice of Ursula Buckel is retained by a big number of recordings. In addition to her many Bach recordings (on DGG, Harmonia Mundi, Vox, Da-Capo, etc.), she recorded W.A. Mozart's Requiem and Felix Mendelssohn's Elias with Roland Bader (on Vox), W.A. Mozart's Missa brevis no. 11 with Ferenc Fricsay, Haydn's Missa brevis Sancti Joannis Deo with Fricsay (Resonance), and Frank Martin's In Terra Pax with Ernest Ansermet. In 1968 she performed in J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor (BWV 232) under Karl Richter's direction in Moscow (avail on disc: Melodiya - LRI S 3X). Other recordings include on Vox (German Requiem of Johannes Brahms), Cantate (Weihnachts-Oratorium of Heinrich Schütz), Intercord (Coronation Mass of W.A. Mozart). On Vox she participated in the recording of opera L'Incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi under Rudolf Ewerhart, although she did not actually performed the opera on stage. |
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The right picture in the upper raw showing from left to right: Ursula Buckel, Hertha Töpper, Maurice André in Helsinki 1966, with Karl Richter for B minor Mass |
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Sources:
Zurich Bach Choir Website
Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (July 2001)
Walter Roth (December 2005)
Contributed by Eric Spicer (July 2001), Aryeh Oron (July 2001, December 2005), Walter Roth (December 2005) |
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Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works |
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Conductor |
As |
Works |
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Ulrich Bremsteller |
Soprano |
[V-1] (1966): BWV 247 |
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Victor Desarzens |
Soprano |
[CR-51] (before 1959, Radio recording): BWV 51 |
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Eric Ericson |
Soprano |
BWV 244 |
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Rudolf Ewerhart |
Soprano |
BWV 202, BWV 212 |
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Diethard Hellmann |
Soprano |
BWV 27, BWV 94, BWV 101, BWV 119, BWV 127, BWV 129, BWV 137, Psalm 51 BWV 1083
[D-8] (1968?, Radio recording): BWV 86
[CR-9] (1971, Radio recording): BWV 9
[CR-21] (1973, Radio recording): BWV 21
[CR-42] (Before 1970, Radio recording): BWV 42
[CR-80a] (Late 1960's?, Radio recording): BWV 80a
[CR-163] (1972?, Radio recording): BWV 163
[CR-180] (Late 1960's?, Radio recording): BWV 180
[CR-183] (Late 1960's?, Radio recording): BWV 183 |
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Erich Hübner |
Soprano |
BWV 84 |
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Karl Richter |
Soprano |
BWV 8, BWV 26, BWV 78, BWV 147
[CR-1] (1969, Audio): BWV 30, BWV 243
BWV 232 [3rd], BWV 232 [4th], BWV 244 [3rd], BWV 245 [2nd] |
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Karl Ristenpart |
Soprano |
BWV 57 [2nd], BWV 140 [2nd], BWV 209 [2nd]
Radio: BWV 52 [2nd], BWV 58 [2nd] |
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Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden |
Soprano |
[CR-151] (c1964, Radio recording): BWV 151 |
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Kurt Thomas |
Soprano |
BWV 23 |
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Helmut Winschermann |
Soprano |
BWV 210; Aria for Soprano - Unschuld! Kleinod reiner Seelen |
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Klaus Martin Ziegler |
Soprano |
BWV 68, BWV 172 |
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Links to other Sites |
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The Jury (DJSG) [German]
Bach-Sängerin Ursula Buckel Gestorben (Neue Press Coburg) [German] |
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