Ibolyka Astrid Maria Varnay (25 April 1918 – 4 September 2006) was a Swedish-born American dramatic soprano of Hungarian descent. She spent most of her career in the United States and Germany. She was one of the leading Wagnerian heroic sopranos of her generation. Her voice on record is readily recognisable by its fiery tone and seemingly limitless upper register.
Astrid Varnay American soprano 1918-2006
Background
Both her parents were Hungarian and born in small towns in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but she was born in Stockholm, where her parents were living during part of World War I. During a Da Capo interview in 1988 Varnay claimed that although she was born in Stockholm, her ancestry was Hungarian, French and German. Her mother, Maria Junghans (who changed her name to Javor when she took to the stage as a singer), born October 15, 1889, was a noted coloratura soprano with acoustic recordings to her credit.
Her father was Alexander Varnay (born September 11, 1889), a spinto tenor. Opera was the family business, and Varnay grew up backstage at the world’s opera houses. Her father founded, and both parents ran, the Opera Comique in Kristiania (later Oslo), (1918–1921). During one performance, she was swaddled in the lower drawer of the dressing room chest of drawers of the young Kirsten Flagstad.
The family moved to Argentina, then New York City, where her father died at age 35 in 1924. Two years later her mother married tenor Fortunato de Angelis and the family settled in New Jersey. Varnay had been studying to be a pianist but decided at age eighteen to become a singer and had intensive vocal lessons with her mother.
Career
A year later, Flagstad arranged for her to start preparing roles with Metropolitan Opera staff conductor and coach Hermann Weigert (1890–1955). By the age of 22 she knew Hungarian, German, English, French and Italian and her repertoire consisted of fifteen leading dramatic soprano roles, eleven of which were Wagnerian parts. She also had formidable mezzo-soprano capability, which she displayed in performances as Ortrud in Lohengrin and Klytemnestra in Elektra.
She made her sensational debut at the Metropolitan Opera on 6 December 1941 in a broadcast performance singing Sieglinde in Wagner’s Die Walküre, substituting for the indisposed Lotte Lehmann with almost no rehearsal. This was her first appearance in a leading role, and it was a triumph. Six days later she replaced the ailing Helen Traubel as Brünnhilde in the same opera. Varnay and Weigert became closer and were married in 1944. It was also at this time that she had lessons with former Metropolitan Opera tenor, Paul Althouse.
In 1948, she made her debut at Covent Garden and in 1951 in Florence as Lady Macbeth. In that year she also made her debut at Bayreuth after Flagstad, who had declined the invitation to Bayreuth, recommended that Wieland Wagner engage Varnay. She sang at Bayreuth for the next seventeen years, and appeared regularly at the Metropolitan until 1956.
She left when it was clear that the Met director Rudolf Bing did not appreciate her, and went on to become a mainstay of the world’s other great opera houses, especially in Germany, in Wagner and Strauss but also several Verdi and other roles. She had already made Munich her home, where audiences liked her. ]
In 1969, she gave up her repertoire of heavy dramatic soprano roles and began a new career singing mezzo roles. After being the world’s leading Elektra for over twenty years, she now established herself as a great interpreter of Klytemnestra. The role of Herodias in Salome became her most often-performed role: 236 performances. She returned to the Metropolitan in 1974 and last appeared there in Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny in 1979. In 1975 she appeared as Herodias in the production of Salome with Teresa Stratas which was filmed with the Vienna Philharmonic and directed by Gotz Friedrich.
In the mid-1980s, character roles now became Varnay’s metier. Her last appearance on stage was in Munich in 1995, fifty-five years after her Metropolitan debut. In 1998, she published her autobiography Fifty-Five Years in Five Acts: My Life in Opera, written with Donald Arthur (German title is Hab’ mir’s gelobt).
In 2004, a documentary about her life and first New York career entitled Never Before received acclaim in the USA. Her recordings of Strauss heroines such as Elektra and Salome along with the Wagnerian roles are among the treasures of the medium, while transcriptions of broadcast performances of her great roles document her art in sound, and a few video recordings of her late career preserve evidence of her acting ability. Varnay died in Munich on 4 September 2006 at age 88.
Bayreuther Festspiele
1951-67
Metropolitan Opera
[Met Performance] CID:132140    Die Walküre {326} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/6/1941 Debuts: Astrid Varnay, Mary Van Kirk, Maria Van Delden Broadcast Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:132220 Die Walküre {327} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/12/1941 |
| [Met Performance] CID:132550 Lohengrin {446} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/9/1942 Debut: Lothar Wallerstein Reviews |
| [Met Performance] CID:132640 Lohengrin {447} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/17/1942 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:132720 Tannhäuser {328} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/23/1942 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:132770 American Red Cross Festival Performance Phoebus and Pan {3} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/27/1942 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:132800 Lohengrin {448} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/29/1942 |
| [Met Performance] CID:132860 Lohengrin {449} American Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 02/3/1942 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:132940 Lohengrin {450} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/9/1942 |
| [Met Performance] CID:132990 Tannhäuser {329} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/14/1942 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:133070 World Premiere Pagliacci {356} The Island God {1} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/20/1942 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:133180 Pagliacci {357} The Island God {2} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/2/1942 |
| [Met Performance] CID:133270 The Island God {3} La Bohème {356} Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 03/10/1942 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:133290 Pagliacci {358} The Island God {4} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/12/1942 |
| [Met Performance] CID:133320 Lohengrin {452} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/14/1942 |
| [Met Performance] CID:133370 Lohengrin {453} Metropolitan Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts; 03/19/1942 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:133420 Die Walküre {329} Metropolitan Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts; 03/24/1942 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:133520 Lohengrin {454} Cleveland Auditorium, Cleveland, Ohio; 04/7/1942 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:134410 Lohengrin {455} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/2/1943 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:134460 Tannhäuser {332} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/7/1943 |
| [Met Performance] CID:134520 Lohengrin {456} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/13/1943 |
| [Met Performance] CID:134690 Lohengrin {457} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/28/1943 |
| [Met Concert/Gala] CID:135220 Gala Program Metropolitan Opera House; 03/14/1943 |
| [Met Concert/Gala] CID:136130 Gala Sunday Night Program Metropolitan Opera House; 12/5/1943 |
| [Met Performance] CID:136150 Die Walküre {334} American Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 12/7/1943 Debut: Christine Johnson |
| [Met Concert/Gala] CID:136270 Gala Sunday Night Program Metropolitan Opera House; 12/19/1943 |
| [Met Performance] CID:136500 Tannhäuser {338} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/12/1944 |
| [Met Concert/Gala] CID:136550 Gala Program Metropolitan Opera House; 01/16/1944 |
| [Met Performance] CID:136750 Tannhäuser {339} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/5/1944 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:136870 Die Walküre {336} Ring Cycle [73] Uncut Metropolitan Opera House; 02/15/1944 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:137030 Götterdämmerung {153} Ring Cycle [73] Uncut Metropolitan Opera House; 02/29/1944 Reviews |
| [Met Performance] CID:137330 Parsifal {159} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/29/1944 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:137430 Tannhäuser {341} Metropolitan Opera House; 04/6/1944 |
| [Met Performance] CID:137470 Götterdämmerung {154} Ring Cycle [74] Metropolitan Opera House; 04/8/1944 |
| [Met Performance] CID:138120 Götterdämmerung {155} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/8/1944 Review |
| [Met Concert/Gala] CID:138150 Gala Program Metropolitan Opera House; 12/10/1944 |
| [Met Performance] CID:138640 Lohengrin {462} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/26/1945 |
| [Met Performance] CID:138750 Tristan und Isolde {310} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/3/1945 Debut: Frederic Gynrod Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:138930 Götterdämmerung {156} Ring Cycle [75] Uncut Metropolitan Opera House; 02/20/1945 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:138970 Lohengrin {463} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/24/1945 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:139130 Das Rheingold {92} Ring Cycle [76] Metropolitan Opera House; 03/10/1945 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:139180 Lohengrin {464} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/15/1945 |
| [Met Performance] CID:139210 Die Walküre {342} Ring Cycle [76] Metropolitan Opera House; 03/17/1945 |
| [Met Performance] CID:139390 Götterdämmerung {158} Ring Cycle [76] Metropolitan Opera House; 03/31/1945 |
| [Met Performance] CID:139640 Tristan und Isolde {314} Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 04/24/1945 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:139660 Die Walküre {343} Northrup Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 04/27/1945 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:139690 Die Walküre {344} Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 04/29/1945 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:140240 Tannhäuser {346} American Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 12/18/1945 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:140280 Lohengrin {468} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/22/1945 Broadcast Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:140330 Tannhäuser {347} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/27/1945 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:140660 Die Walküre {345} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/25/1946 |
| [Met Performance] CID:140790 Die Walküre {346} American Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 02/5/1946 |
| [Met Performance] CID:140850 Götterdämmerung {159} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/11/1946 |
| [Met Concert/Gala] CID:140910 Gala Performance Metropolitan Opera House; 02/17/1946 Lauritz Melchior’s 20th Anniversary Reviews |
| [Met Performance] CID:141010 Tannhäuser {349} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/27/1946 |
| [Met Concert/Gala] CID:141060 Gala Program Metropolitan Opera House; 03/3/1946 |
| [Met Performance] CID:141160 Götterdämmerung {160} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/14/1946 |
| [Met Performance] CID:141280 Tannhäuser {350} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/23/1946 |
| [Met Performance] CID:141320 Götterdämmerung {161} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/27/1946 |
| [Met Performance] CID:141360 Die Walküre {347} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/30/1946 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:141390 Tannhäuser {351} Lyric Theater, Baltimore, Maryland; 04/2/1946 |
| [Met Performance] CID:141500 Die Walküre {348} Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts; 04/12/1946 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:141810 Die Walküre {349} Civic Opera House, Chicago, Illinois; 05/10/1946 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:143240 Die Walküre {350} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/5/1946 |
| [Met Performance] CID:143410 Die Walküre {351} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/21/1946 Review |
[Met Performance] CID:143450  Lohengrin {470} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/26/1946 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:143580 Tristan und Isolde {321} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/4/1947 |
| [Met Performance] CID:143600 Siegfried {203} American Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 01/7/1947 Review |
[Met Performance] CID:143720  Die Walküre {352} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/17/1947 Debut: Mihály Székely Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:143880 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {243} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/1/1947 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:143890 Die Walküre {353} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/3/1947 |
| [Met Performance] CID:144000 Lohengrin {473} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/14/1947 |
| [Met Performance] CID:144030 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {244} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/17/1947 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:144060 Siegfried {205} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/20/1947 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:144110 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {245} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/26/1947 |
| [Met Performance] CID:144230 Die Walküre {354} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/8/1947 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:144250 Tristan und Isolde {324} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/10/1947 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:146040 Tannhäuser {358} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/13/1947 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:146120 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {246} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/21/1947 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:146220 Tannhäuser {359} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/1/1947 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:146510 Tannhäuser {360} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/27/1947 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:146890 Tannhäuser {361} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/30/1948 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:147050 Tannhäuser {362} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/13/1948 |
| [Met Performance] CID:147140 Tristan und Isolde {328} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/20/1948 |
| [Met Performance] CID:147310 Tannhäuser {364} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/6/1948 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:147330 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {251} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/8/1948 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:147370 Tannhäuser {365} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/12/1948 |
| [Met Performance] CID:149580 Tristan und Isolde {334} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/22/1949 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:149980 Siegfried {212} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/28/1949 |
| [Met Performance] CID:152040 Simon Boccanegra {21} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/28/1949 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:152160 Simon Boccanegra {22} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/9/1949 |
| [Met Performance] CID:152190 Die Walküre {364} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/12/1949 Debut: Ferdinand Frantz Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:152280 Die Walküre {365} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/21/1949 Debut: Helena Braun Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:152370 Lohengrin {480} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/30/1949 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:152410 Simon Boccanegra {24} American Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 01/3/1950 |
| [Met Performance] CID:152450 Lohengrin {481} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/7/1950 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:152510 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {253} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/12/1950 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:152600 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {254} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/20/1950 |
| [Met Performance] CID:152660 Gianni Schicchi {47} Salome {32} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/26/1950 Debut: Paul Schöffler Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:152680 Simon Boccanegra {25} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/28/1950 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:152720 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {255} American Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 01/31/1950 |
| [Met Performance] CID:153010 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {257} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/27/1950 |
[Met Performance] CID:153020  Tosca {290} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/28/1950 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:153030 Simon Boccanegra {26} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/1/1950 |
| [Met Performance] CID:153180 Lohengrin {486} Lyric Theatre, Baltimore, Maryland; 03/15/1950 |
| [Met Performance] CID:153630 Lohengrin {490} Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia; 04/25/1950 |
| [Met Performance] CID:153720 Lohengrin {491} City Auditorium, Houston, Texas; 05/2/1950 |
| [Met Performance] CID:153750 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {259} Northrup Memorial Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 05/5/1950 |
| [Met Performance] CID:153820 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {260} Civic Opera House, Chicago, Illinois; 05/11/1950 |
[Met Performance] CID:155010  New production Der Fliegende Holländer {45} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/9/1950 Debut: Hans Hotter, Sven Nilsson, Charles Elson Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:155040 Der Fliegende Holländer {46} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/13/1950 |
| [Met Performance] CID:155100 Der Fliegende Holländer {47} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/18/1950 |
| [Met Performance] CID:155360 Der Fliegende Holländer {49} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/14/1950 |
[Met Performance] CID:155520  Opera NewsDer Fliegende Holländer {50} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/30/1950 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:155670 Der Fliegende Holländer {52} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/12/1951 |
| [Met Performance] CID:155890 Die Walküre {370} Ring Cycle [79] Metropolitan Opera House; 02/1/1951 Debut: Günther Treptow Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:155910 Die Walküre {371} Ring Cycle [80] Metropolitan Opera House; 02/3/1951 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:155990 Cavalleria Rusticana {344} Pagliacci {383} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/9/1951 |
| [Met Performance] CID:156100 Tristan und Isolde {346} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/19/1951 |
| [Met Performance] CID:156210 Tristan und Isolde {347} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/28/1951 |
| [Met Performance] CID:156340 Siegfried {215} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/12/1951 |
| [Met Performance] CID:156350 Cavalleria Rusticana {348} Pagliacci {387} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/13/1951 |
| [Met Performance] CID:156710 Tristan und Isolde {350} Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts; 04/15/1951 |
| [Met Performance] CID:156780 Cavalleria Rusticana {350} Pagliacci {389} Cleveland Public Auditorium, Cleveland, Ohio; 04/21/1951 |
| [Met Performance] CID:158330 Götterdämmerung {172} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/17/1951 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:158430 Cavalleria Rusticana {356} Pagliacci {395} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/27/1951 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:158720 Götterdämmerung {174} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/22/1952 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:158820 Götterdämmerung {175} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/1/1952 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:158990 Elektra {15} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/18/1952 Debut: Walburga Wegner Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:159050 Opera News Elektra {16} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/23/1952 Broadcast Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:159200 Elektra {17} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/7/1952 |
| [Met Performance] CID:159250 Elektra {18} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/12/1952 |
| [Met Performance] CID:159340 Elektra {19} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/20/1952 |
| [Met Performance] CID:159500 Parsifal {183} Metropolitan Opera House; 04/4/1952 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:159570 Parsifal {185} Metropolitan Opera House; 04/11/1952 |
| [Met Performance] CID:159650 Gianni Schicchi {56} Salome {41} Music Hall, Cleveland, Ohio; 04/18/1952 Debut: Gloria Lyons |
| [Met Performance] CID:159690 Gianni Schicchi {57} Salome {42} Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts; 04/22/1952 |
| [Met Performance] CID:161700 Der Rosenkavalier {144} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/22/1953 Debuts: Endre Koreh, Adelino Palomanos, Rudolf Mayreder Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:161750 Der Rosenkavalier {145} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/26/1953 |
| [Met Performance] CID:161860 Der Rosenkavalier {146} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/4/1953 |
| [Met Performance] CID:162040 Der Rosenkavalier {147} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/21/1953 Debut: Dorothy Shawn |
| [Met Performance] CID:162120 Der Rosenkavalier {148} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/28/1953 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:162240 Der Rosenkavalier {149} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/12/1953 |
| [Met Performance] CID:162330 Der Rosenkavalier {150} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/20/1953 |
| [Met Performance] CID:162360 Parsifal {187} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/23/1953 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:162480 Parsifal {189} Metropolitan Opera House; 04/3/1953 |
| [Met Performance] CID:162660 Der Rosenkavalier {151} Public Auditorium, Cleveland, Ohio; 04/18/1953 |
| [Met Performance] CID:162720 Der Rosenkavalier {152} Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts; 04/23/1953 |
| [Met Performance] CID:162910 Der Rosenkavalier {153} Fair Park Auditorium, Dallas, Texas; 05/9/1953 |
| [Met Performance] CID:162970 Der Rosenkavalier {154} Northrup Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 05/15/1953 |
| [Met Performance] CID:164390 New production Tannhäuser {366} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/26/1953 Dresden version Reviews |
| [Met Performance] CID:164410 Tannhäuser {367} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/29/1953 |
| [Met Performance] CID:164520 Opera News Tannhäuser {368} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/9/1954 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:164580 Tannhäuser {369} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/14/1954 |
| [Met Performance] CID:164800 Die Walküre {372} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/4/1954 Debut: Mariquita Moll Reviews |
| [Met Performance] CID:164890 Die Walküre {373} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/13/1954 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:164990 Die Walküre {374} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/23/1954 Debut: Rosalind Elias Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:165120 Tannhäuser {370} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/8/1954 |
| [Met Performance] CID:165210 Die Walküre {375} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/17/1954 |
| [Met Performance] CID:165320 Parsifal {190} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/26/1954 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:165370 Tannhäuser {371} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/31/1954 |
| [Met Performance] CID:165400 Cavalleria Rusticana {373} Pagliacci {412} Metropolitan Opera House; 04/2/1954 |
| [Met Performance] CID:165440 Tannhäuser {372} The American Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 04/6/1954 |
| [Met Performance] CID:165550 Parsifal {191} Metropolitan Opera House; 04/16/1954 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:165560 Parsifal {192} Metropolitan Opera House; 04/17/1954 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:165590 Tannhäuser {373} Public Auditorium, Cleveland, Ohio; 04/20/1954 |
| [Met Performance] CID:165710 Tannhäuser {374} Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts; 04/30/1954 |
| [Met Performance] CID:167780 Tannhäuser {375} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/26/1955 Debut: Rudolf Kempe Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:167810 Tannhäuser {376} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/29/1955 Broadcast Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:168150 Tristan und Isolde {358} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/3/1955 Debut: Albert Da Costa Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:168260 Tristan und Isolde {359} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/12/1955 |
| [Met Performance] CID:168280 Tristan und Isolde {360} Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 03/15/1955 |
| [Met Performance] CID:168330 Opera News Tristan und Isolde {361} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/19/1955 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:168370 Parsifal {193} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/23/1955 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:168560 Parsifal {194} Metropolitan Opera House; 04/8/1955 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:171410 Parsifal {196} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/30/1956 |
| [Met Performance] CID:171480 Parsifal {197} Metropolitan Opera House; 04/6/1956 |
| [Met Performance] CID:184510 Parsifal {203} Metropolitan Opera House; 03/21/1960 Review |
[Met Performance] CID:187140   Elektra {20} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/13/1961 Debuts: Frances Yeend, Mary MacKenzie Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:187740 Parsifal {208} Metropolitan Opera House; 04/7/1961 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:208610 Elektra {34} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/24/1966 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:239600 New Production Jenufa {7} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/15/1974 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:239650 Jenufa {8} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/20/1974 |
| [Met Performance] CID:239750 Jenufa {9} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/30/1974 Debut: Margaret Tynes |
| [Met Performance] CID:239800 Jenufa {10} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/5/1974 |
| [Met Performance] CID:239870 Jenufa {11} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/12/1974 |
| [Met Performance] CID:239920 Jenufa {12} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/17/1974 |
| [Met Performance] CID:239960 Opera News Jenufa {13} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/21/1974 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:243440 Elektra {45} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/25/1975 Debuts: Danica Mastilovic, Heinrich Hollreiser Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:243500 Elektra {46} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/1/1975 Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:243560 Elektra {47} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/6/1975 |
| [Met Performance] CID:243590 Elektra {48} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/10/1975 |
| [Met Performance] CID:243650 Elektra {49} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/16/1975 |
| [Met Performance] CID:243900 Opera News Elektra {50} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/10/1976 Debuts: Roberta Knie Broadcast Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:243950 Elektra {51} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/15/1976 |
| [Met Performance] CID:243990 Elektra {52} Metropolitan Opera House; 01/19/1976 |
| [Met Performance] CID:248190 Salome {105} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/2/1977 |
| [Met Performance] CID:248240 Salome {106} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/7/1977 |
| [Met Performance] CID:248290 Opera News 1 Opera News 2 Salome {107} Metropolitan Opera House; 02/12/1977 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:259570 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny {1} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/16/1979 Debut: Michael Best Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:259600 Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny {2} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/19/1979 |
| [Met Performance] CID:259650 Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny {3} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/24/1979 |
| [Met Performance] CID:259680 Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny {4} Metropolitan Opera House; 11/27/1979 Broadcast / Telecast Review |
| [Met Performance] CID:259730 Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny {5} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/1/1979 |
| [Met Performance] CID:259760 Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny {6} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/5/1979 |
| [Met Performance] CID:259800 Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny {7} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/8/1979 |
| [Met Performance] CID:259850 Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny {9} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/14/1979 |
| [Met Performance] CID:259910 Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny {10} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/19/1979 |
| [Met Performance] CID:259940 Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny {11} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/22/1979 Broadcast |
| [Met Performance] CID:282880 Lohengrin {591} Metropolitan Opera House; 12/20/1985 Debuts: Gary Lorentzson, Timothy Murtha, Zachary Taylor Review |
Selected recordings
Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer – Chorus and Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival
- Conductor: Joseph Keilberth
- Principal singers: Hermann Uhde (Dutchman); Astrid Varnay (Senta); Ludwig Weber (Daland); Rudolf Lustig (Erik); Josef Traxel (Helmsman); Elisabeth Schärtel (Mary)
- Recording location & date: Bayreuth Festspielhaus, 7, 15, & 19 August 1955 (stereo)
- Label: Testament SBT2 1384 (2 CDs)
Wagner: Lohengrin – Chorus and Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival
- Conductor: Eugen Jochum
- Principal singers: Wolfgang Windgassen (Title role); Birgit Nilsson (Elsa); Astrid Varnay (Ortrud); Theo Adam (Konig Heinrich); Hermann Uhde (Telramund); Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Heerrufer)
- Recording location & date: Bayreuth Festspielhaus, 1954
- Label: Archipel
Wagner: Götterdämmerung – Chorus and Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival
- Conductor: Hans Knappertsbusch
- Principal singers: Astrid Varnay (Brünnhilde); Josef Greindl (Hagen); Wolfgang Windgassen (Siegfried); Otto Wiener (Gunther)
- Recording location & date: Bayreuth Festspielhaus, 1958
- Label: Walhall Eternity Series WLCD 0249 (4 CDs)
