Portrait of a Legend

Never released before recordings from 1950 - 1982 Wilhelm Furtwengler aptly referred to her as a "magic box", because her voice changed with every character she portrayed on stage. It was that absolute identification with her roles and the inseparable unity of singing, personality and acting that made Martha Modl a star. Wieland Wagner compared her with Wilhelmine Schroder-Devrient, his grandfather's favorite interpreter. 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Martha Modl's birth, and this release celebrates her six-decade career. Modl was a triumph of Bayreuth, mastering the biggest and most difficult Wagner roles with her instinct, her intuition and the unique voice she was born with.