Franz Xaver Gerl low vocal range; Branscombe (1991) observes that the very low notes that Mozart included in the part of Sarastro have been "the despair of many a bass singer since." By 1787 he had joined the theatrical company of Emanuel Schikaneder, for which he sang the demanding role of Osmin in Mozart's opera "The Abduction from the Seraglio" and other roles. In 1789 the troupe settled at the Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna. Gerl participated in a system of joint composition used by Schikaneder's troupe, in which "Singspiele" were produced rapidly by having several composers collaborate. As such, Gerl may
Christiane Eda-Pierre Chicago, and New York. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1980 as Konstanze, and went on to sing other roles there: Antonia in "Les contes d'Hoffmann" and Gilda in "Rigoletto". She became a teacher at the Paris Conservatory in 1977, while continuing her career in opera and in concert. The possessor of a beautiful, rich and agile voice, which enabled her to succeed in a wide variety of roles, Eda-Pierre can be heard on several recordings, her three most famous being on the Philips label, as Konstanze in "Abduction from the Seraglio" and Teresa in "Benvenuto Cellini", both under