German soprano Ruth-Margret Putz made her debut in Cologne in 1950 as Nuri in Tiefland by Eugen d’Albert. She sang at Hannover Opera from 1951 to 1957; in Stuttgart from 1957 notably as Gilda and Zerbinetta; at the Beyreuth Festival in 1960 as Waldvogel, and at the Salzburg Festival in 1961. She made a Russian tour in 1961 as well, and was on the roster of the Hamburg Staatsoper from 1963 to 1968. As far as commercial recordings go, however, not many exist. It is all the more rewarding, therefore, that this album offers twenty-first century listeners the opportunity of acquainting themselves with Ruth-Margret Putz’s wide-ranging vocal ability and artistic attributes. Here is a singer who now enjoys a quiet life in a retirement home near Stuttgart, but remains mentally alert, and who still has much to impart to us.
