Photo: photographer Andrzej Świetlik · Public domain · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
Jadwiga Rappé
Person · female · Poland · Toruń · born 1952 · died 2025 · recording since 1993
Polish opera vocalist
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Also known as ヤドヴィガ・ラッペ
Timeline
9 events▣ Album 6◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1† Death 1
1950s
1990s
· Debut release
Debut release: Symphony no. 2 in C minor “Resurrection”
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
2000s
2010s
2020s
Biography
English biography906 words · 7 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1376925451
Biography
Jadwiga Rappé (24 February 1952 – 16 May 2025) was a Polish contralto who made an international career in concert and opera, performing a wide range of repertoire. She was based at the Grand Theatre, Warsaw, and taught voice at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music. Her signature role was Erda in Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, a character that she portrayed first at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 1988 and then in several other European capitals. Many compositions were written for her voice.
Life and career
Rappé was born in Toruń on 24 February 1952. She first studied Slavic philology at the University of Warsaw. During these studies she began voice studies with Zofia Brégy at the Warsaw school of music, studying further at the Wrocław Academy of Music with Jerzy Artysz; she graduated with distinction. In 1980, she was awarded first prize at the International Bach Competition in Leipzig, and the following year a gold medal at the Festival of Young Soloists in Bordeaux.
Concert
Rappé focused on oratorio, songs and large-scale concerts, performing a wide range of repertoire from Baroque to contemporary music. She began her career as a singer in concerts, first in Poland, then from 1984 also abroad. She premiered works by Krzysztof Penderecki, including the Seven Gates of Jerusalem, conducted by Lorin Maazel in 1997. She performed in the world premiere of Wojciech Kilar's Missa pro pace at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, conducted by Kazimierz Kord in 2001. In 2008 she sang in the first performance of Ladislav Kubík's Gong. Sinfonietta. for mezzo-soprano, mixed choir and orchestra in Prague. She sang works composed especially for her voice by Juliusz Łuciuk, Piotr Moss and Krzysztof Baculewski, including the premiere on 1 July 2011 of Paweł Mykietyn's Symphony No. 3 at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw.
Opera
Rappé made her professional opera debut in 1983 at the Grand Theatre, Warsaw, in the first performance at the house of Handel's Amadigi di Gaula. She remained a regular artist at the theatre. She performed leading roles with other opera houses internationally; she appeared at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe in 1984, at the Ludwigsburg Festival in 1985, in 1988 in Paris and at the Cologne Opera, at the Orange Festival in 1988, at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna in 1989, and in Amsterdam in 1990. She sang the role of Cieca in Ponchielli's La Gioconda for a Dutch broadcaster in 1990, and Gaea in a concert performance of Daphne by R. Strauss at the Grand Théâtre de Genève in 1991. Her stage roles included Juno in Handel's Semele, Orfeo in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, and Ulrica in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera.
In 1988, she appeared as Erda in Wagner's Ring cycle at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. It became her signature role that she performed also at the Royal Opera House the same year, in the Warsaw Ring cycle in 1989/90, at the Oper Frankfurt in 1995, at La Monnaie in Brussels and the Vienna State Opera.
Teaching
Rappé taught voice at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and the Academy of Music Gdańsk. She often took part in vocal competitions as a member of the jury of vocal competitions both in Poland and abroad. She taught master courses. She was head of the board of the Witold Lutosławski Society from 2006 to 2009.
She passed to her students not only vocal technique, but "sensitivity, respect for the arts and an ethos of creative work". She is remembered by students as a modest personality with a "genuine dedication to others".
Death
Rappé died after a long illness on 16 May 2025, at the age of 73.
Recordings
Rappé made around 60 recordings. Her recording of Szymanowski's 3 Fragments of Poems by J. Kasprowicz with pianist Maja Nosowska earned her the Polish Radio Award in 1982.
Her recordings include:
Honegger: Le Roi David, conducted by Hager, with soloists, Munich Radio Orchestra and Choir (1991)
Mozart: Coronation Mass, Vesperae solennes de confessore, conducted by Peter Schreier, with Edith Mathis, Hans Peter Blochwitz, Thomas Quasthoff, MDR Rundfunkchor, Staatskapelle Dresden (1993)
Mozart: Requiem, Ave verum corpus, conducted by Peter Schreier, with Edith Mathis, Francisco Araiza, Theo Adam, MDR Rundfunkchor, Staatskapelle Dresden (1993)
Penderecki: Seven Gates of Jerusalem, conducted by Kazimierz Kord, with soloists, Filharmonia Narodowa (2000)
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection", conducted by Antoni Wit, with Hanna Lisovska, Cracow Radio and Television Choir, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (2001)
Lutosławski: Twenty Polish Christmas Carols, conducted by Antoni Wit, with Olʹha Pasichnyk, Piotr Nowacki, Cracow Radio and Television Choir, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (2005)
Szymanowski: Stabat Mater, Demeter, conducted by Wit, with Jadwiga Gadulanka and Andrzej Hiolski, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (2002)
Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, conducted by Colin Davis, with Sharon Sweet, Paul Frey, Franz Grundheber, Staatskapelle Dresden (2005)
Penderecki: Polish Requiem, conducted by Antoni Wit, with Izabella Kłosińska, Ryszard Minkiewicz, Piotr Nowacki, Filharmonia Narodowa Chór, Filharmonia Narodowa (2006)
Mahler: Symphony No. 8, conducted by Antoni Wit, with soloists, Warsaw Boys Choir, Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra (2006)
Mozart: Mass in C minor, K. 139 "Waisenhaus", Exsultate, jubilate, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, with Barbara Bonney, Josef Protschka, Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien (2011)
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde, conducted by Michael Zilm, with Piotr Kusiewicz, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (2011)
Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen, conducted by Bernard Haitink, with soloists, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (2012)
Mahler: Symphony No. 3, conducted by Heinz Rögner , Berliner Rundfunk Sinfonie-Orchester (2021)
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 13 | 67.6th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 6 | 79.7th |
| Studio albums | 6 | 86.1th |
| Awards recorded | 4 | 96.3th |
| Timeline events | 9 | 85.5th |
| Recording span (years) | 20 | 45.6th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (6 release groups · 6 studio albums)
Albums · 6
Symphony no. 2 in C minor “Resurrection”
1993 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 1:25:19
Disc 11Symphony no. 2 in C minor “Resurrection”: I. Allegro maestoso. Mit durchaus ernstem und feierlichem Ausdruck21:422Symphony no. 2 in C minor “Resurrection”: II. Andante moderato. Sehr gemächlich10:43Disc 21Symphony no. 2 in C minor “Resurrection”: III. In ruhig flieẞender Bewegung10:542Symphony no. 2 in C minor “Resurrection”: IV. Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht6:093Symphony no. 2 in C minor “Resurrection”: V. Im Tempo des Scherzo. Wild herausfahrend35:511993 · studio album
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Tracklist · 13 tracks · 53:43
1Missa in C, KV 317 <<Coronation>> Mass: Kyrie2:482Missa in C, KV 317 <<Coronation>> Mass: Gloria4:423Missa in C, KV 317 <<Coronation>> Mass: Credo6:174Missa in C, KV 317 <<Coronation>> Mass: Sanctus1:435Missa in C, KV 317 <<Coronation>> Mass: Benedictus3:026Missa in C, KV 317 <<Coronation>> Mass: Agnus Dei6:097Vesperae solennes de Confessore, KV 339: Dixit4:038Vesperae solennes de Confessore, KV 339: Confitebor5:049Vesperae solennes de Confessore, KV 339: Beatus vir4:3010Vesperae solennes de Confessore, KV 339: Laudate pueri3:2811Vesperae solennes de Confessore, KV 339: Laudate Dominum4:0712Vesperae solennes de Confessore, KV 339: Magnificat4:4713Ave verum corpus, KV 6183:03Missa Solemnis, op. 123 / Choral Fantasy, op. 80
1993 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 1:48:26
Disc 11Missa solemnis, op. 123: Kyrie11:202Missa solemnis, op. 123: Gloria19:353Missa solemnis, op. 123: Credo22:44Disc 21Missa solemnis, op. 123: Sanctus & Benedictus17:482Missa solemnis, op. 123: Agnus Dei18:203Choral Fantasy/Chorfantasie, op. 8018:391998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 1:02:26
1Das klagende Lied: Waldmärchen "Es war eine stolze Königin"8:432Das klagende Lied: Waldmärchen "Zwei Bruder zogen zum Walde hin"3:373Das klagende Lied: Waldmärchen "Der Junge zieht durch Wald und Haid"5:514Das klagende Lied: Waldmärchen "Du wonnigliche Nachtigall"5:135Das klagende Lied: Waldmärchen "Ihr Blumen, was seid ihr vom Thau so schwer?"3:566Das klagende Lied: Der Spielmann "Beim Weidenbaum im kühlen Tann"5:587Das klagende Lied: Der Spielmann "Ein Spielmann zog einst des Weges vorbei"2:368Das klagende Lied: Der Spielmann "Der Spielmann setzt die Flöte an"8:109Das klagende Lied: Hochzeitsstück "Vom hohen Felsen erglänzt das Schloß"3:5710Das klagende Lied: Hochzeitsstück "Was ist der Konig so bleich und stumm!"4:5711Das klagende Lied: Hochzeitsstück "Ach Spielmann, lieber Spielmann mein!"9:28Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand"
2006 · studio album
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Tracklist · 26 tracks · 1:20:47
Disc 11Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part One: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus: I. Allegro impetuoso: "Veni Creator Spiritus"1:242Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part One: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus: II. A tempo. Etwas (aber unmerklich) gemäßigter; immer sehr fließend: "Imple superna gratia"4:053Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part One: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus: III. Etwas drängend - Noch einmal so langsam. (Nicht schleppend): "Infirma nostri corporis"2:214Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part One: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus: IV. Tempo I (Allegro, etwas hastig)1:185Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part One: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus: V. Sehr fließend - Noch einmal so langsam als vorher. Nicht schleppend: "Infirma nostri corporis"3:096Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part One: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus: VI. Plötzlich sehr breit und leidenschaftlichen Ausdrucks - Mit plötzlichem Aufschwung: "Accende lumen sensibus"5:017Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part One: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus: VII. "Veni Creator Spiritus"3:538Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part One: Hymnus: Veni, Creator Spiritus: VIII. Wieder frisch: "Gloria sit Patri Domino"2:43Disc 21Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': I. Poco adagio5:442Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': II. Piu mosso (Allegro moderato)2:573Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': III. Wieder langsam. Chor und Echo: "Waldung, sie schwankt heran"4:144Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': IV. Moderator. Pater Ecstaticus: "Ewiger Wonnebrand"1:285Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': V. Allegro (Allegro appassionato). Pater Profundus: "Wie Felsenabgrund mir zu Füßen"4:276Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': VI. Allegro deciso (Im Anfang noch nicht eilen). Chor der Engel: "Gerettet ist das edle Glied der Geisterwelt vom Bösen. Chor seliger Knaben: "Hände verschlinget euch"0:527Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': VII. Molto leggiero. Chor der jüngeren Engel: "Jene Rosen, aus den Händen"1:468Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': VIII. Schon etwas langsamer und immer noch mäßiger - Wie die gleiche Stelle im I. Teil. Die vollendeteren Engel: "Uns bleibt ein Erdenrest"2:119Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': IX: Im Anfang (die ersten vier Takte) noch etwas gehalten. Die jüngeren Engel: "Ich spür' soeben nebelnd um Felsenhöh". Doctor Marianus: "Hier ist die Aussicht frei". Chor Seligen Knaben: "Freudig empfangen wir"1:0910Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': X. Sempre l'istesso tempo. Doctor Marianus: "Höchste Herrscherin der Welt!"4:2811Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': XI. Außerst langsam. Adagissimo: "Dir, der Unberuhrbaren". Chor der Büßerinen und Una poenitentium: "Du schwebst zu Hohen der ewigen Reiche"3:5112Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': XII. Fließend. Magna Peccatrix: "Bei der Liebe, die den Füßen"0:5513Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': XIII. Mulier Samaritana: "Bei dem Bronn, zu dem schon weiland"1:2414Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': XIV. Maria Aegyptiaca: "Bei dem hochgeweihten Orte"2:3415Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': XV. Una poenitentium: "Neige, neige, du Ohnegleiche"0:5216Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': XVI. Unmerklich frischer werden. Selige Knaben: "Er uberwachst uns schon". Una poenitentium: "Vom edlen Geisterchor umgeben"3:2617Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': XVII. Sehr langsam. Mater Gloriosa: "Komm! Hebe dich zu hohern Spharen!". Hymnenartig (Ungefahr im selben Zeitmaß weiter). Doctor Marianus: "Blicket auf zum Retterblick, alle reuig Zarten"8:1018Symphony no. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Part Two: Final Scene from Goethe's 'Faust Part II': XVIII: Sehr langsam beginnend. Chorus mysticum: "Alles Vergangliche ist nur ein Gleichnis"6:25Sinfoniettas nos. 1 & 3 / Piano Concerto no. 3
2013 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 45:58
1Sinfonietta no. 19:412Piano Concerto no. 3: I. Maestoso - Aggressivo - Appassionato - Lirico - Più agitato - Drammatico - Maestoso4:533Piano Concerto no. 3: II. Molto sostenuto - Con fluidezza - Calmando7:504Piano Concerto no. 3: III. Presto - Tempo rigoroso - Meno mosso - Presto - Frenetico - L'istesso tempo - Epilogue. Lento8:045Sinfonietta no. 3 "Gong": I. Introductory Movement3:436Sinfonietta no. 3 "Gong": II. Gong5:437Sinfonietta no. 3 "Gong": III. "Ein Gott vermags…"6:04
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Jadwiga Rappé head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 13 | 67.6th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 6 | 79.7th |
| Studio albums | 6 | 86.1th |
| Awards recorded | 4 | 96.3th |
| Timeline events | 9 | 85.5th |
| Recording span (years) | 20 | 45.6th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Awards & honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Gold Cross of Merit | won | |
| — | Gold Cross of Merit | won | |
| — | Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis | won | |
| — | Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis | won |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jadwiga_Rapp%C3%A9_Polish_classical_singer.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/385903a4-e39d-4dd4-a132-b7db10be1161discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/385903a4-e39d-4dd4-a132-b7db10be1161core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3160434genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3160434seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jadwiga_Rapp%C3%A9biography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jadwiga_Rapp%C3%A9
Why this artist is in the database
- List of Polish musicians and musical groups
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: photographer Andrzej Świetlik · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q3160434 · MusicBrainz: 385903a4-e39d-4dd4-a132-b7db10be1161
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