By the time that Schwarzkopf had whittled her repertoire to only six roles
you have to consider that she sang an enormous repertoire, and in English when
she was singing at Covent Garden. Even at La SCala when von Karajan was in a
position of power she sang Elsa, Elizabeth and Melisande.

She sang excerpts from Traviata, Boheme and Bartered Bride. All in all she
sang a very large volumn of roles. She maintained that she would only sing
Ariadne if a large amount of time was allowed for rehearsal. And while she sang
a
large amount of lied when she was a student (allegedly she didn't know that
this time spent in the studio was being recorded) Ivogun was training her as
lyric colorature and roles such as Rosina and Zerbinetta.

Schwarzkopf was immensely self critical so that as she dropped roles she felt
the decision was based on technique (hers) and the appropriateness for her as
a performer. That she retained those wonderful six roles was probably due to
the fact that she enjoyed singing them and retained sufficient technique to
bring them off.

Fisher-Dieskau sang (and recorded) many roles for which he was manifestly
inappropriate. Yet even in the Dutchman and Sachs to take only two examples he
can convince you while you are listening that he can trump the competition.
Nothing, however, can convince me that he should have sung and recorded
Rigoletto, Scarpia, Falstaff, and Iago, in orther words the Italian rep. He
wisely
never sang in opera outside Germany and Austria. I seriously doubt that any
record
executive (even Legge) could have convinced FD into a role or recording that
he didn't want to make. It is very tiresome to refer to Legge as a Svengali as
regards his wife's career. She knew her limitations, the size of the voice
and what it was capable of. If anything Legge introduced his wife to many roles
and voices that were terra incognita. Afterall recordings were not a part of
her life until she met Legge.

David Dollinger


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