Arleen Auger

Initially active across opera and Lieder, Augér gradually redirected her energies toward the song repertoire, drawn to the close connection of recitals over the commotion of staged productions. Her singing combined purity and sweetness with notable warmth and expressive depth. She earned equal recognition as an instructor; among her pupils was Renée Fleming, who later remarked that a longer life would surely have ranked her among the foremost Lieder teachers. Though her career ended prematurely, a substantial body of recordings remains.

Augér earned her degree from the University of California in 1963 after studying piano and violin alongside voice. She next moved to Chicago for lessons with Ralph Errole. Upon returning to Los Angeles she won the I. Victor Fuchs Competition, which brought an audition at the Vienna State Opera; director Josef Krips offered a contract despite her lack of stage experience. Her first operatic appearance occurred there in 1967 as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, followed by a Salzburg Festival debut in 1969. In 1970 Erik Werba engaged her for the soprano songs of Hugo Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch in performances presented at the composer’s summer house. Increasing concentration on Lieder, oratorio, and church music led her to leave the Vienna State Opera in 1974. Appearances at La Scala in 1975 and the Met in 1978 therefore felt almost incidental as she distanced herself from opera. Worldwide recognition arrived in 1986 with her performance of Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of York, viewed by an estimated television audience of 300 million. The couple had entrusted the choice of music and performers to Simon Preston, director of music at Westminster Abbey. Cancer claimed her life in 1993.

Numerous recordings preserve her work in Lieder, sacred music, and opera. Her portrayal of Constanze under Böhm in Die Entführung aus dem Serail (DG 429 868-2) stands out, as does her selection of Handel and Bach arias on Delos 3026. Sensitivity to nuance and emotional expression is evident in her Schumann Lieder collection issued by Berlin Classics (0021862BC).