Arleen Auger - Mozart: GREAT MASS IN C MINOR, Et incarnatus est, Amsterdam 1979

THE SONGBIRD: Arleen Auger (1939 - 1993) is one of the most respected sopranos of the 20th century, and was one of the most recorded. She is known for her impeccable musicianship, interpretive expressivity, and versatility. Auger was born in Los Angeles and played violin and piano as a child. She graduated from college in Long Beach, and after privates studies and competition wins, relocated to Europe. The Vienna State Opera signed her with a debut in 1967 as Queen of the Night, followed by 47 more performances of the role over five seasons. Additional roles in Vienna included Konstanze, Gilda, and Olympia. In the U.S., her debut came in 1969 at New York City Opera, again as Queen of the Night, and she sang just four performances at The Met (Marzelline in "Fidelio" in 1978). Countless operatic, concert, and recital appearances all over the world made up Auger's career, but her largest audience (estimated at 700 million!) was singing "Exsultate, Jubilate" at the royal wedding of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, which was televised worldwide in 1986.

THE MUSIC: Mozart's "Great Mass in C Minor" is considered one of his greatest works. It was composed in Vienna in 1782 and 1783 to fulfill a promise Mozart made to himself that he would compose a mass after his marriage to Constanze, who sang one of the soprano solos at its first performance in Salzburg in 1783. The soprano aria "Et incarnatus est" appears in the Credo section and is one of Mozart's most heavenly creations with its sublime melody, gentle filigree, delicate orchestration, and lingering cadenza. Pope Francis was quoted as saying it "lifts you to God."