European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 6, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Anja Silja As the tempestuous Violetta in Verdi s classic la Traviata. By Peter Kuhrt staff writer As a pigtailed Little girl she belted Arias and sneaked an occasional cig Aret Between voice coaching sessions the critics marvelled at her exquisite vocal chords but said she would t last. Now at 27, she Slinks about in mini skirts zips around in a red British sports car and continues to Belt aria with the Best of them. The critics still Marvel at her but not without con fusion. Anja Silja Germany s brightest Staron the opera scene is no Prima Donna in the accepted tradition. I m either praised to the skies or dragged through the mud sighed the Stellar Soprano in an interview. But an impish gleam and of handed shrug implied that both judgments leave he cold. I have cultivated the necessary de Gree of indifference. I Don t read most of what s being written about  she can Well afford it. Wherever she appears on the european opera circuit London or Barcelona Munich or Frank Furt the Long stemmed Singer Guaran tees sold out houses. She is booked solid through 1071. Anja had just done the Leonore in Beethoven s fidelio a Hamburg opera television production in which she stars with the american Tenor Rich Ard Cassilly. The color show is scheduled for june on German to. It was a Homecoming of sorts for the vivacious biome because i was in Ham Burg where she won her first laurels As a Wunderkind at 11.she scored her most recent Success Page 12 in Frankfurt portraying a tempestuous Violetta in la Traviata which set new standards for the Verdi classic. A reviewer of the premiere almost got carried away Over her. Still Young slender he reported a performer ingeniously bringing out even the most Subtle touches of mimic and gesture musically aggressive aiming exactly for the audience s tender spots. That could t fail to bring on the desired   opera buffs so far had to be Content with Silja recordings. But their patience will be rewarded this year when they la get a first look at Anja in the flesh at the Chicago Lyric opera. An appearance at new York s met won t be possible before the 1969 season. By that time Berlin born miss Silja will be a Ripe 28- an age at which most opera stars Are just beginning to ascend the first rungs of their professional Ca reer. But then the magnificent miss Al ways knew exactly what she wanted. A i it Uku i a i i first grader she once listened to i Brunhilde s Boom ing Farewell on the radio tiled to Fol Low the score and decided right then and there i want to be Able to do that some  took her less than 13 years to make the Grade As a wagnerian heroine at the hallowed Halls of Bayreuth. Two men shared significantly in Anja s meteoric career her Grandfather Adert von Rion and the late Wie land Wagner grandson of the 19th Century composer. Von Rion was a voice and piano teacher who very soon recognized the Dor Mant vocal talents of his precocious grandchild and dedicated his life to developing them. He and his wife brought up Anja after she had been left in their cure by her parents a finnish actor and a German actress. At 10, the girl with the Gretchen raids stood on the stage of Berlin s titania Falast in her first recital. She brought Down the House and even did an encore Strauss  Waltz a Bravura piece with fantastic trills and coloratura. Her Grandfather had to be a strict disciplinarian to set Anja s Pace but she insisted it is not True As Many people have suggested that he used to Drill me harshly. I did t have a  when the l i year old teen Ager was signed on by the Brunswick state Thea Ter in 1958 she hit the headlines As a role few wagnerian fans would recognize her in Germany a and probably the world s youngest opera  the event which was to Tuin int child Starlet into a mature self assure diva came three years later when one met Wieland Wagner the lord of a Reuth and its prestigious festival. Wolfgang Sawallisch tin conductor had recommended me to uie Laiu i recalled and it took Only one a lotion to make a Silja fan out of Hun going the Wagner clan s  Over his Youthful protege a Sto cast her As Seuta in a ing dutchman the following year. Anja portrayed an impetuous Airo childish Senta As Bayreuth had 1 Green before and it shocked staid was Merians just As Wieland s Avent treatment of his grandpa s Sta a Duj Lead shocked them  once wrote me Al j Zymiere that once again to was " failure in an otherwise splendid i a Tiou she said. The stars and stripes the  the Boss of Ilay Riim married and his Young Stai m n came a very personal one Light of local Gossi pors Ami us Vard press.i., Jui Dafter their first encounter a said i knew he was going w1 f Cert Singer at age 1 1 Anja on floor in Das Rheingold scene a spectacular stage presence that can Flash with the music s mood from tigress to trag Dienne. The most important person in my life and it proved to be True. Under his guidance she bloomed into one of opera s most magnificent artists. In the coming years Anja Sang her Way through the ring and the rest of the Wagner repertoire plus numer Ous other productions elsewhere. She was a sizzling Salome in a Black Bikini with a rhinestone in her Navel a dreamy Queen of the night in magic flute a sinister lady Macbeth a Man devouring  to her awesome vocal ability her voice encompasses three and a half octaves she contributes a spectacular stage presence that can Flash with the music s moods from tigress to tragedy Enne As time Magazine s critic wrote. He 49-year-old Wieland Wagner died unexpectedly in 1966, and Anja soon turned her Back on Bayreuth where Shehad become an object of intrigues and jealousies and where Wieland s brother Wolfgang had taken Over. As she left she made it Plain that Toher Wieland would be irreplaceable. No new or exciting image of Bayreuth will be possible she predicted until a Young producer comes along who has a spark of Genius and has completely shaken off Wieland s influence. Now they re All imitating  and that she added included Star Maestro her Bert von Karajan who had also tried his hand at Wagner productions. Anja in turn demonstrated in unmistakable fashion she could stand on her own  now holds Forth at the Munich opera which is preparing the world premiere of Carl Orff s  she has been contracted for a television version of Lulu and will sing the role of Cassandra in Berlioz the trojans in  typical none Alawee she ignores the Aura of opera s infant terrible that has been built up around her. But on docs need Damn Good nerves to put up with All that does t one she said. A sizzling Salome in Black Bikini with the Stone in Navel 6, 1968 the stars and stripes Page 13