Arditi - Parla waltz, 1962 High E
THE SONGBIRD: German soprano Erika Köth (1925 - 1989) was one of the most admired high coloratura sopranos of her era. Her debut came as Philine in 1945, and she quickly rose to success throughout Europe and was featured frequently in commercial recordings of opera, operetta, concert works, and lieder. She first appeared in Vienna in 1953 as Queen of the Night; other roles over many seasons until 1977 included Konstanze, Despina, Zerlina, Zerbinetta, Sophie, Musetta, Olympia, Gilda, Rosina, and Lucia. She was a frequent guest at the Salzburg Festival (1955-64) as the Queen of the Night, Konstanze, and Sophie. She also made guest appearances in Berlin, Milan, Paris, and London.
THE MUSIC: Luigi Arditi (1822 - 1903) was an Italian composer, conductor, and violinist. He performed and conducted all over the world in his prime (Cuba, America, Germany, Turkey, Great Britain, Spain, Austria, Russia). Though he composed a few operas that were modest successes, he is only remembered today for his handful of jaunty concert waltzes that were favorite florid showpieces of prima donna sopranos: "Parla" and "Il Bacio" are the most frequently revived.