# Renate Behle

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{{short description|Austrian opera singer (born 1945)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Renate Behle
| image       = Renate Behle Copyright Borggreve.jpg
| image_upright = 0.8
| alt         = 
| caption     = Behle in 2010
| birth_name  = Renate Summer
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1945|04|03|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [Graz](/source/Graz), Austria
| education   = [University of Graz](/source/University_of_Graz)
| occupation  = {{plainlist|
* Operatic mezzo-soprano and soprano
* Academic
}}
| organizations = [Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg](/source/Hochschule_f%C3%BCr_Musik_und_Theater_Hamburg)
| awards      = 
| website     = [https://www.renatebehle.de/index.php/home-44.html renatebehle.de]
}}
'''Renate Behle''' (née '''Summer'''; born 3 April 1945)<ref name="Nowotny" /> is an Austrian operatic [mezzo-soprano](/source/mezzo-soprano) and [soprano](/source/soprano) who made an international career, based in Germany. She was professor of voice at the [Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg](/source/Hochschule_f%C3%BCr_Musik_und_Theater_Hamburg) from 2000 to 2010.

== Career ==
Born in [Graz](/source/Graz), Behle studied voice there and in Rome for six years. In parallel, she also studied history and philosophy at the [University of Graz](/source/University_of_Graz). Her first engagement as a lyric mezzo-soprano was in 1968 at the [Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe](/source/Badisches_Staatstheater_Karlsruhe), where she performed several [trousers role](/source/trousers_role)s.<ref name="Kutsch" /> In 1971, she married an oboist of the NDR and only performed in guest roles, such as Dorabella in Mozart's ''[Così fan tutte](/source/Cos%C3%AC_fan_tutte)'' at the [Stadttheater Klagenfurt](/source/Stadttheater_Klagenfurt), as Cherubino in his ''[Le nozze di Figaro](/source/Le_nozze_di_Figaro)'' at the [Theater Hagen](/source/Theater_Hagen), and as the Gymnasiast (schoolboy) in Berg's ''[Lulu](/source/Lulu_(opera))'' in Lisbon and Graz. When their son [Daniel](/source/Daniel_Behle) was born in 1974, she took a position as first alto in the [NDR Chor](/source/NDR_Chor) to have more time for her family.<ref name="Salzburg" /> During that period, she performed as a soloist in concerts and recitals.<ref name="Kutsch" />

From 1979, she was again a lyric mezzo-soprano, now at the [Musiktheater im Revier](/source/Musiktheater_im_Revier) in Gelsenkirchen, where she performed roles such as Penelope in Monteverdi's ''[Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria](/source/Il_ritorno_d'Ulisse_in_patria)'', the title role of Bizet's ''[Carmen](/source/Carmen)'', Maddalena in Verdi's ''[Rigoletto](/source/Rigoletto)'', Olga in Tchaikovsky's ''[Eugen Onegin](/source/Eugene_Onegin_(opera))'', the Composer in ''[Ariadne auf Naxos](/source/Ariadne_auf_Naxos)'' by Richard Strauss, Hänsel in Humperdinck's ''[Hänsel und Gretel](/source/Hansel_and_Gretel_(opera))'', and Rosina in Rossini's ''[Der Barbier von Sevilla](/source/The_Barber_of_Seville)''<ref name="Kutsch" /> which she also sang at the [Hamburgische Staatsoper](/source/Hamburgische_Staatsoper), stepping in for [Agnes Baltsa](/source/Agnes_Baltsa). From 1981, she performed as a member of the [Staatsoper Hannover](/source/Staatsoper_Hannover) where she stayed for 15 years, singing more dramatic roles such as Eboli in Verdi's ''[Don Carlos](/source/Don_Carlos)''.<ref name="Salzburg" /> In 1987, she appeared at the [Landestheater Detmold](/source/Landestheater_Detmold) as Sieglinde in Wagner's ''[Die Walküre](/source/Die_Walk%C3%BCre)'', her first soprano role.<ref name="Kutsch" />

In 1995, she appeared in the title role of ''[Salome](/source/Salome_(opera))'' at [La Scala](/source/La_Scala) in Milan and in 2001 at the [Metropolitan Opera](/source/Metropolitan_Opera) in New York City in the title role of Beethoven's ''Fidelio'',<ref name="Kutsch" /> a role which she also performed at the [Vienna State Opera](/source/Vienna_State_Opera), the [Semperoper](/source/Semperoper) in Dresden, and the [Salzburg Festival](/source/Salzburg_Festival). She returned to mezzo-soprano roles in 2007.<ref name="Salzburg" />

On 9 February 1992, she participated in the premiere of Wolfgang Rihm's ''[Die Eroberung von Mexico](/source/Die_Eroberung_von_Mexico)'' at the Hamburgische Staatsoper.<ref name="Kutsch" /> Other roles in contemporary opera included Regine in the German premiere of [Rolf Liebermann](/source/Rolf_Liebermann)'s ''La Forêt'' (The Forest) at the [Schwetzingen Festival](/source/Schwetzingen_Festival) in 1988 and repeated at the [Oper Frankfurt](/source/Oper_Frankfurt), Kassandra in Aribert Reimann's ''[Troades](/source/Troades_(opera))'', and Agave in Henze's ''[Die Bassariden](/source/Die_Bassariden)'' in Hamburg and the Bavarian State Opera.<ref name="Salzburg" /> In 2017, she appeared as Sara in the premiere of [Giorgio Battistelli](/source/Giorgio_Battistelli)'s opera ''Lot'' at the Staatsoper Hannover, alongside [Franz Mazura](/source/Franz_Mazura) as Abraham.<ref name="Schalz-Laurenze" />

Since 1971, Behle has lived in Hamburg, where she taught as professor of voice at the [Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg](/source/Hochschule_f%C3%BCr_Musik_und_Theater_Hamburg) from 2000 to 2010.<ref name="Kutsch" />

== Recordings ==
Recordings by Behle are held by the German National Library, including several CDs:<ref>[https://portal.dnb.de/opac.htm?method=simpleSearch&reset=true&cqlMode=true&query=intRef%3D134324927&selectedCategory=any Recordings by Renate Behle] German National Library</ref>
* Zemlinsky: ''[Der Kreidekreis](/source/Der_Kreidekreis_(opera))'', conducted by [Stefan Soltész](/source/Stefan_Solt%C3%A9sz)
* Louis Spohr: ''[Jessonda](/source/Jessonda)'' ([Gerd Albrecht](/source/Gerd_Albrecht))
* Schumann: ''[Genoveva](/source/Genoveva)'' (Gerd Albrecht)
* Schoeck: ''[Penthesilea](/source/Penthesilea_(opera))'' ([Mario Venzago](/source/Mario_Venzago))
* Wolfgang Rihm: ''[Die Eroberung von Mexico](/source/Die_Eroberung_von_Mexico)'' ([Ingo Metzmacher](/source/Ingo_Metzmacher))
* Beethoven: [Ninth Symphony](/source/Symphony_No._9_(Beethoven)) ([Michael Gielen](/source/Michael_Gielen))

She appears on two DVDs of Stuttgart opera productions:
* Beethoven: ''[Fidelio](/source/Fidelio)'' (Michael Gielen, staged by [Martin Kušej](/source/Martin_Ku%C5%A1ej))<ref>Claus Spahn: [https://www.zeit.de/1998/13/Klopfzeichen_im_Kerker/komplettansicht "Klopfzeichen im Kerker / Beethovens ''Fidelio'' ist das Stück der Saison. Martin Kuse und Michael Gielen zeigen die Oper in Stuttgart als desolates Endspiel"], ''[Die Zeit](/source/Die_Zeit)'' 19 March 1998</ref>
* Wagner: ''[Die Walküre](/source/Die_Walk%C3%BCre)'' ([Lothar Zagrosek](/source/Lothar_Zagrosek), [Christof Nel](/source/Christof_Nel))<ref>{{Discogs release|12525245|Die Walküre}}; by Richard Wagner / [Robert Gambill](/source/Robert_Gambill), Attila Jun, Jan-Hendrik Rootering, Angela Denoke, Renate Behle, [Tichina Vaughn](/source/Tichina_Vaughn), Eva-Maria Westbroek, Wiebke Göetjes, Stella Kleindienst, Helene Ranada, Magdalena Schafer, Nidia Palacios, Maria Theresa Ullrich, Margit Diefenthal, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Lothar Zagrosek</ref><ref>[http://nrw-buehnen.de/buehnen/ensembledetail.php?id_event_cluster=&id_event_date=&id_text=&id_adr=&event_account=&event_category=&event_type=&event_sonderfall=&date_from=&date_to=&id_user=59579&print=ja "Renate Behle"], nrw-buehnen.de</ref>

== References ==
<references>

<ref name="Kutsch">{{cite book
 |editor1-last  = Kutsch
 |editor1-first = Karl-J.
 |editor1-link  = Karl-Josef Kutsch
 |editor2-last  = Riemens
 |editor2-first = Leo
 |editor2-link  = Leo Riemens
 |chapter-url   = https://books.google.com/books?id=dsfq_5dFeL0C&pg=PA317
 |chapter       = Behle, Renate
 |title         = [Großes Sängerlexikon](/source/Gro%C3%9Fes_S%C3%A4ngerlexikon)
 |volume        = 4
 |publisher     = [Walter de Gruyter](/source/Walter_de_Gruyter)
 |year          = 2004
 |isbn          = 978-3-59-844088-5
 |pages         = 317–318
 |language      = de
}}</ref>

<ref name="Nowotny">{{cite web
| last = Nowotny
| first = Walter
| url = https://onlinemerker.com/geburtstage-im-april-2015/
| title = Geburtstage im April 2015 – 3.4. Renate Behle wird 70
| date = 6 April 2015
| website = Online Merker
| location = Vienna
| language = de
| access-date = 1 December 2018
}}</ref>

<ref name="Schalz-Laurenze">{{cite magazine
 |last          = Schalz-Laurenze
 |first         = Ute
 |url           = https://www.nmz.de/online/mit-oder-ohne-gott-giorgio-battistellis-oper-lot-an-der-niedersaechsischen-staatsoper-uraufge
 |title         = Mit oder ohne Gott? – Giorgio Battistellis Oper ''Lot'' an der Niedersächsischen Staatsoper uraufgeführt
 |magazine      = [Neue Musikzeitung](/source/Neue_Musikzeitung)
 |date          = 2017
 |language      = de
}}</ref>

<ref name="Salzburg">{{cite web
 |url           = https://www.osterfestspiele-salzburg.at/kuenstler-datenbank-/renate-behle.html
 |title         = Renate Behle
 |publisher     = [Salzburg Easter Festival](/source/Salzburg_Easter_Festival)
 |language      = de
 |access-date   = 11 October 2018
}}</ref>

</references>

== Further reading ==
* Jörg Loskill: "Renate Behle. Porträt". ''[Opernwelt](/source/Opernwelt)'', March 1983, pp.&nbsp;26–27.
* Wolfgang Denker: "Renate Behle. Ich mache Nägel mit Köpfen. Interview und Porträt". ''[Orpheus](/source/Orpheus_%E2%80%93_Oper_und_mehr)'', May 1986, pp.&nbsp;332–336.

== External links ==
* {{official|https://www.renatebehle.de/index.php/home-44.html}}
* {{discogs artist}}
* [http://operabase.com/a/Renate_Behle/14534 "Renate Behle"], [Operabase](/source/Operabase)
* [http://www.fmb-hochschulwettbewerb.de/behle-kammersaengerin-prof-renate/ "Renate Behle"], fmb-hochschulwettbewerb.de

{{Portal bar|Biography|Opera}}
{{authority control|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Behle, Renate}}
Category:Austrian operatic mezzo-sopranos
Category:Austrian operatic sopranos
Category:Musicians from Graz
Category:Living people
Category:1945 births

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Renate Behle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renate_Behle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renate_Behle?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.