Moser, Edda (Elisabeth)

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Moser, Edda (Elisabeth)

Moser, Edda (Elisabeth), prominent German soprano, daughter of Hans Joachim Moser; b. Berlin, Oct. 27, 1938. She studied with Hermann Weissenborn and Gerty König at the Berlin Cons. She made her debut as Kate Pinkerton at the Berlin Städtische Oper (1962); after singing in the Würzburg Opera chorus (1962–63), she sang opera in Hagen and Bielefeld; subsequently appeared with the Frankfurt am Main Opera (1968–71) before joining the Vienna State Opera; also sang in Berlin, Salzburg, Hamburg, and other major music centers. She made her U.S. debut as Wellgunde in Das Rheingold at the Metropolitan Opera in N.Y. on Nov. 22, 1968, and later appeared there as Donna Anna, the Queen of the Night, and Liù. Her last appearance there was in 1984. She maintained an extensive repertoire, singing both coloratura and lyrico-dramatic roles, being equally successful in standard and contemporary works; also sang widely as a concert artist.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire