Jean Madeira
Jean Madeira (1918-1972) was an American mezzo-soprano and contralto, especially associated with Wagner and dramatic repertory. She sang for many seasons at the Metropolitan Opera.
In the Pristine catalogue she appears repeatedly in Leinsdorf’s Met Ring cycle and Knappertsbusch’s 1956 Bayreuth Ring.
Madeira’s singing brought dark colour, vocal strength and theatrical authority to Wagner’s lower female roles. She could make ensem...
WAGNER Der Ring Des Nibelungen: 1. Das Rheingold
Live broadcast performance, 1961
Total duration: 2hr 27:46 (includes radion announcements)
Wotan - George London
Fricka - Irene Dalis
Alberich - Ralph Herbert
Mime - Paul Kuen
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus
conducted by Erich Leinsdorf
WAGNER Der Ring Des Nibelungen: 3. Siegfried
Live broadcast performance, 1962
Total duration: 3hr 49:17 (includes radio announcements)
Siegfried - Hans Hopf
Brünnhilde - Birgit Nilsson
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus
conducted by Erich Leinsdorf
WAGNER Der Ring Des Nibelungen: 4. Götterdämmerung
Live broadcast performance, 1962
Total duration: 4hr 05:15 (includes radio announcements)
Siegfried - Hans Hopf
Brünnhilde - Birgit Nilsson
Gunther - Norman Mittelmann
Gutrune - Gladys Kuchta
Hagen - Gottlob Frick
Waltraute - Irene Dalis
Alberich - Ralph Herbert
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus
conducted by Erich Leinsdorf
WAGNER Die Walküre
Live performance, 1956
Total duration: 3hr 50:30
Siegmund - Wolfgang Windgassen
Sieglinde - Gré Brouwenstijn
Wotan - Hans Hotter
Brünnhilde - Astrid Varnay
Hunding - Josef Greindl
Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra
conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch
WAGNER Das Rheingold
Live performance, 1956
Total duration: 2hr 37:32
Wotan - Hans Hotter
Alberich - Gustav Neidlinger
Mime - Paul Kuen
Fasolt - Josef Greindl
Fricka - Georgine von Milinkovic
Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra
conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch
WAGNER Der Ring Des Nibelungen: 1. Das Rheingold
WAGNER Der Ring Des Nibelungen: 2. Die Walküre
WAGNER Der Ring Des Nibelungen: 3. Siegfried
WAGNER Der Ring Des Nibelungen: 4. Götterdämmerung
Recorded in 1961/62
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus
conducted by Erich Leinsdorf
WAGNER GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG
Live performance, 1956
Total duration: 4hr 33:28
Brünnhilde - Astrid Varnay
Siegfried - Wolfgang Windgassen
Hagen - Josef Greindl
Alberich - Gustav Neidlinger
Gunther - Hermann Uhde
Gutrune - Gré Brouwenstijn
Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra
conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch
WAGNER Siegfried
Live performance, 1956
Total duration: 4hr 10:55
Siegfried - Wolfgang Windgassen
Mime - Paul Kuen
Brünnhilde - Astrid Varnay
Wanderer - Hans Hotter
Alberich - Gustav Neidlinger
Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra
conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch