Yvonne Minton & Judith Blegen - "Mir ist die Ehre widerfahren" DER ROSENKAVALIER (R. Strauß) 1973

Without exception, Yvonne Minton, is the finest - and internationally recognised - Australian mezzo-soprano of the last century. Born in Sydney in 1938, she studied voice on a scholarship at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music and won the National Eisteddfod in Canberra - as well as a number of other singing competitions, including as the £1000 Shell Aria in 1960. The following year, she left for studies in London and soon won the Kathleen Ferrier Prize for the best contralto. This live recording from the audience captures her debut at New York's Metropolitan Opera House. Her debut role was Octavian and we hear her in the Act II "Presentation of the Rose" with Judith Blegen as Sophie. The conductor is Christoph Von Dohnányi for this performance from Friday March 16th 1973.