# MEZZO/CONTRALTO TOURNAMENT (Quarterfinal 2): Ludwig vs Anday



## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Christa Ludwig, Germany, 1928-2021 (defeated Thebom 14-3)






Rosette Anday, Hungary, 1899-1977 (defeated Onegin 7-4)






'Weiche Wotan' from Wagner's _Das Rheingold_.

Who's singing did you prefer and why?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Being no expert with these singers and actually never having heard of Anday, I can only go with my gut. Anday's pure chest tones got me.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Ludwig is a great mezzo but Anday,being a contralto, is a much better fit for this. Anday is superb here. Ludwig is much better at Fricka/ Waltraude.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Ludwig is a great mezzo but Anday,being a contralto, is a much better fit for this. Anday is superb here. Ludwig is much better at Fricka/ Waltraude.


My thoughts exactly! I'm glad that we can hear Ludwig in this aria though as her word painting is so masterly.

N.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Erda needs a dark timbre and a resonant chest voice, and Anday provides them. Ludwig does bring a nice expressive variety to it, but Anday makes a more authoritative earth goddess. Ludwig would have benefitted from more orchestral presence; apparently they hung microphones over the singers and left the orchestra to fend for itself. There must have been a last minute program change from _Sonnambula_ to _Rheingold._


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Love Ludwig though I do, she is a mezzo-soprano and Erda calls out for a real contralto, which is what Anday sounds like to me. Anday wins, though this particular contest is a little unfair to Ludwig, who was a wonderful Waltraute and Brangäne, and even at one time considered singing Isolde, which wouldn't have even been a remote possibility for Anday.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Nothing to add - Ludwig is great mezzo-soprano, but Anday's contralto better matches the part requirements. Not quite fair comparison!

P.S. The way Anday stresses the final consonants is a bit... unusual.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Azol said:


> P.S. The way Anday stresses the final consonants is a bit... unusual.


It's the earth goddess accent, characteristic of the subterranean linguistic group. When you hear it you know you'd better pay attention.


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