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The Czech mezzo-soprano, Eva Randová, studied teaching and became a teacher for mathematics and sport. She was several times Czech champion in swimming competitions. For six years she studied singing with Mrs. J. Svábová in Ustí nad Labem (Aussig), then attended the Conservatory of Prague for one year.
She found her first commitment at the National Theatre of Ostrava (Mährisch Ostrau), where she made her debut in 1962 and already sang the major roles suitable for her voice: Eboli in Verdi’s Don Carlo, Ortrud in Lohengrin, Carmen, Amneris in Aida, Azucena in Il Trovatore, Küsterin in Jenufa by Janácek and the Princess in Rusalka by Dvorák. At this time she already made guest appearances at Prague National Opera, to which she became appointed in 1969. After the Opera House of Nürnberg she came in 1971 to the State Opera of Stuttgart, whose member she remained since then, and where since 1979 she also lived. Appearances at the State Operas of Hamburg and Munich, at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, at the Grand Opéra Paris, in San Francisco and Zürich as well as at the Deutsche Oper am Rhine Düsseldorf-Duisburg. Since 1973 she participated in the Festival of Bayreuth, where she performed Gutrune (1973-1975), Fricka (1976-1977), Waltraute (1973-1975) in the Nibelung Ring, in 1973 Blumenmädchen and in 1975-1977 and 1981 she sang Kundry in Parsifal with sensational success. In 1975 she replaced at the Salzburg Festival Christa Ludwig in the role of Eboli in Verdi’s Don Carlo, which she sang in Salzburg until 1978. At the Covent Garden Opera London she appeared very successfully as a guest since 1977, among other things as Ortrud in Lohengrin, as Venus in Tannhäuser, as Marina in Boris Godunow and in 1986-1987 as Küsterin in Janácek’s Jenufa. In 1981 she sang her first role at the Metropolitan Opera New York as Fricka in Walküre; in 1987 she could be heard there as Venus in Tannhäuser. At the Vienna State Opera she appeared as a guest in 1987 as Rusalka by Dvorák; already in 1978 at the Munich Opera Festival as Ortrud in Lohengrin. In 1984 she participated at the festival in the Arena of Verona; in 1985 she sang at the Festival of Orange Marina in Boris Godunow; in 1986 at the Stuttgart Opera Küsterin in Jenufa. In Dvorák’s Rusalka she gladly sang the parts of the Princess and the Witch as double role. In 1990 she appeared in that role at to Hamburg state opera; in 1992 at the New Music Hall Athens (Megaron Mousikis Athenon) as Klytämnestra in Elektra by R. Strauss; at the Teatro Liceo Barcelona in 1990 as Marina in Boris Godunow; at the Covent Garden Opera London in 1994 as Kabanicha in Katja Kabanowa by Janácek, in Stuttgart in 1995 as Clarissa in L'Amour des trois oranges by Prokofieff. She was also important concert and oratorio singer. Since 1994 she led the State Opera (formerly Smetana Theatre) Prague.
Recordings: CLV (Bach Cantatas), HMV-Electrola (Cavalleria Rusticana), Supraphon (2nd Symphony of Gustav Mahler, Marfa in Dimitrij by Dvorák, Glagolitische Messe by Janácek, the complete opera Sarka by Fibich), Decca (Das schlaue Füchslein and Jenufa by Janácek, Ortrud in Lohengrin); Philips-Video (Kundry in Parsifal). |
