Ruth-Margret Pütz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruth-Margret Pütz
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Margret Doerkes
26 February 1930 Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany
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| Died | 1 April 2019 (aged 89) Stuttgart, Germany
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Ruth-Margret Pütz (born Margret Doerkes, 1930–2019) was a famous German opera singer. She was known for her amazing high voice, called a coloratura soprano. She also taught singing at a university. For many years, she was a main singer at the Staatsoper Stuttgart in Germany. She also performed often at the Vienna State Opera and in other big opera houses and festivals around the world. One of her most famous roles was Konstanze in Mozart's opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Many people think she was one of the best coloratura sopranos in the 1960s.
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Early Life and Training
Ruth-Margret Pütz was born Margret Doerkes in Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany, on February 26, 1930. She started taking singing lessons in her hometown. Her teacher was a baritone (a male singer with a medium-low voice) named Berthold Pütz.
In 1949, when she was 18, she joined the Cologne Opera as a beginner. Her first performance was as the Page in Verdi's opera Rigoletto. In 1951, she sang the roles of Gretchen in Lortzing's Wildschütz and Nuri in d’Albert's Tiefland. That same year, she married Johannes Pütz and started using her stage name, Ruth-Margret Pütz.
From 1951 to 1957, she was a singer at the Staatsoper Hannover. She sang roles like Blonde in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Marzelline in Beethoven's Fidelio. She also sang Adele in Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss. She continued to take singing lessons with Otto Köhler. He helped her develop her voice into a full coloratura soprano. This allowed her to sing more challenging roles. These included Susanna in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro and Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss.
Becoming a Star Singer
In 1957, Ruth-Margret Pütz performed as a guest singer at the Staatsoper Stuttgart. She sang the role of Gilda in Rigoletto. She also went on tour with the Stuttgart company to the Edinburgh International Festival. There, she performed as Konstanze in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail. After this, she became a permanent member of the Stuttgart Opera.
She became very successful in Stuttgart. On October 6, 1962, she performed as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss. This performance was for the reopening of a special theater hall. The opera had first been performed there 50 years earlier. This show was even broadcast live on television!
She also starred in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. Another famous role was Norina in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore. In this opera, she sang alongside famous tenors like Fritz Wunderlich.
At just 29 years old, she was given the special title of Kammersängerin. This title is given to very honored singers in Germany. She was the youngest female singer in Germany to receive this award at the time.
Ruth-Margret Pütz also performed at the famous Bayreuth Festival. In 1959, she was a Flower Maiden in Parsifal. In 1960, she sang as the Forest Bird in Siegfried.
International Performances
From 1958, she often performed at the Vienna State Opera. She had a special contract there until 1970. She sang nine different roles, including Zerbinetta, Konstanze, and Pamina in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.
In 1961, she performed at the Salzburg Festival as Konstanze. She also toured around Europe and to the Americas. Ruth-Margret Pütz retired from the stage in Stuttgart during the 1994-1995 season.
Teaching and Later Life
After her singing career, Ruth-Margret Pütz shared her knowledge with new singers. She taught at the Musikhochschule Trossingen from 1989 to 1992. She passed away in Stuttgart on April 1, 2019.
Recordings
Ruth-Margret Pütz made many recordings of complete operas. Some of her roles on these recordings include Konstanze, Zerbinetta, and The Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. She also recorded Bertalda in Lortzing's Undine and Frau Fluth in Nicolai's Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor.
In 2011, her recordings were collected and saved by the Hamburger Archiv für Gesangskunst. They were organized into different types of music, like opera, operetta, and concert music.
- Ruth-Margret Pütz Vol. 1: Oper (3 CDs)
- Ruth-Margret Pütz Vol. 2: Spieloper + Operette (2 CDs)
- Ruth-Margret Pütz Vol. 3: Konzert + Oratorium (2 CDs)
- Ruth-Margret Pütz Vol. 4: Lied (2 CDs)
In 2018, a CD called Recital was released. It showed off her amazing singing. It included famous songs like Gilda's aria and Zerbinetta's aria. Reviewers praised her singing, noting how clear and pure her voice was. They also mentioned her ability to sing with great control and express many feelings.
