Marion Briner - Die schöne Helena (Jacques Offenbach, 1969)

Описание: Marion Briner (28.12.1935, Zürich – 29.01.1974, München) was an exceptionally gifted artist whose life and career were cut tragically short. Strikingly beautiful and endowed with a warm, velvety soprano voice, she embodied a rare synthesis in the performing arts: the graceful elegance of a professional ballet dancer united with the vocal refinement of a trained classical singer.

She began her career as a ballerina and quickly rose to prominence. From 1953 to 1960 she was engaged as a solo dancer at the Hamburg State Opera, followed by appointments at the Stadttheater Lucerne (1960–61) and the Theater in Graz (1961–63). Although she had already achieved a successful career as a dancer, she later turned to singing and specialized in operetta roles. After appearing in a few operetta films, she performed at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna in 1968–69 and was subsequently engaged by the Theater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich. There she made her debut in 1969 in the operetta Gasparone by Millöcker and went on to achieve major successes as Hanna Glawari in Lehár’s Die lustige Witwe and as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. A versatile artist and gifted stage actress, her repertoire was wide-ranging, encompassing leading operetta roles as well as comprimario roles in both opera and operetta.

In early 1974, Marion Briner had just completed her preparation of the role of the Knusperhexe in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel. Before she could bring it to the stage, her life and career were abruptly ended by a fatal car accident near Munich. She was only thirty-eight years old. Her tragic and premature death was a profound loss to the world of operetta, which was deprived of one of its most talented stars.

Marion Briner appeared as Lisa in the acclaimed 1964 film version of Das Land des Lächelns (alongside Rudolf Christ as Sou-Chong), a film that is unfortunately no longer available. She may be seen in the 1966 film version of Polenblut, appropriately cast in the role of the dancer Wanda. She also appeared in several TV programs, performing selected scenes from operettas. In this clip she appears as Helena in Offenbach’s Die schöne Helena (La belle Hélène), where her physical and vocal beauty and charm are clearly evident. Paris is performed by José Maria Perez. Other performers include Fritz Muliar, Theo Lingen and Herbert Prikopa.

This video is posted on the 90th birthday of Marion Briner, in remembrance of an extraordinary singer-dancer whose light was extinguished far too soon, yet whose presence endures whenever she is seen and heard.

Marion Briner wurde Balletttänzerin und war 1953-60 als Solotänzerin an der Hamburger Staatsoper, dann 1960-61 am Stadttheater von Luzern und 1961-63 am Theater von Graz engagiert. Obwohl sie als Tänzerin eine erfolgreiche Karriere hatte, wechselte sie ins Gesangsfach und spezialisierte sich auf Operettenpartien. Sie trat als Operettensängerin zuerst 1968-69 am Theater an der Wien in Wien auf und wurde dann an das Theater am Gärtnerplatz in München verpflichtet. Hier debütierte sie 1969 in der Operette »Gasparone« von C. Millöcker und hatte dann als Hanna Glawari in Lehárs »Die lustige Witwe« und als Rosalinde in der »Fledermaus« ihre großen Erfolge in München. Ihr Repertoire war vielseitig und umfasste auch Comprimario-Rollen im Bereich der Oper wie der Operette. Dabei galt sie als begabte Darstellerin auf der Bühne. Sie hatte die Partie der Knusperhexe in »Hänsel und Gretel« gerade einstudiert, als sie durch einen tödlichen Verkehrsunfall 1974 bei München aus ihrer Karriere gerissen wurde.