1915–2006 German soprano Schwarzkopf made her debut at the Städtische Oper in 1938 as a flower maiden in Parsifal. She joined the Vienna State Opera, with which she appeared on the company’s visit to Covent Garden in 1947. She then joined the resident company at Covent Garden, singing many German and Italian roles. She made her Salzburg and La Scala debuts in 1949 as Mozart’s Countess, and her Metropolitan Opera debut in ...
1892–1990 English soprano Turner’s early career was spent with the Carl Rosa company, with which she appeared at Covent Garden in 1920. As Madam Butterfly she was spotted by Toscanini’s assistant at La Scala; her subsequent Italian career included her first Turandot, at Brescia in 1926. At Covent Garden, 1928–39 and 1947–48, she sang not only Turandot and Aida among Italian roles, but also Wagner’s Sieglinde and Isolde. Introduction | Modern Era | ...
b. 1933 English mezzo-soprano Baker studied in London, and made her debut in Smetana’s The Secret in Oxford in 1956. She sang Handel roles early in her career, and made a particular impression as Purcell’s Dido, a role she recorded several times. At Covent Garden, where she first appeared as Hermia in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, her roles included Berlioz’s Dido, Kate in Owen Wingrave (which Britten wrote for her), Mozart’s ...
1926–2010 Australian soprano Sutherland studied in Sydney and sang in public there before travelling to London for further study at the Royal College of Music. She joined the Covent Garden company in 1952 and sang many roles, including Jenifer in the premiere of Tippett’s The Midsummer Marriage. Her performance as Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor under Serafin in 1959 launched her career as an international star in the bel canto repertory, with debuts ...
b. 1944 New Zealand soprano Having come to England to study at the London Opera Centre, Te Kanawa made her Covent Garden debut as the Countess (Mozart’s Figaro) in 1971. Appearances quickly followed at Glyndebourne, the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala and the Salzburg Festival. She became increasingly associated with the music of Richard Strauss, especially the roles of Arabella, the Countess (Capriccio) and the Marschallin (Rosenkavalier). She recorded the Four Last Songs ...
1888–1976 English soprano Teyte started in Paris, where she appeared at the Opéra-Comique. In 1908 she was chosen by Debussy to succeed Mary Garden as Mélisande, a part she sang in England and, though not until 1948, in New York. She sang with the Beecham Opera Company as well as in Chicago and Boston. Introduction | Modern Era | Classical Personalities | (Dame) Eva Turner | Modern Era | Classical ...
1922–92 Welsh baritone Evans joined the Covent Garden company in 1948, singing Mozart’s Figaro in his second season. He sang at Glyndebourne 1950–61, and made his debut at La Scala in 1960. Appearances in America included Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger (Chicago, 1959) and Verdi’s Falstaff (Metropolitan Opera, 1964). Renowned for many years in Mozart roles, in later life he added the buffo parts of Donizetti’s Dulcamara and Don Pasquale and Rossini’s Bartolo ...
b. 1942 English composer and singer Most famous for his contribution to The Beatles, McCartney broke away from the group in 1970 with the album McCartney. He then formed his own group, Wings, with whom he created a number of successful albums, notably Band on the Run (1973). McCartney pays much attention to detail in his songwriting. He is acutely aware of the nuances of his lyrics and forms clear structures to ...
1910–86 English tenor Pears was the life-long companion of Britten, who wrote all his tenor roles and many of his concert works for him. He was a choral singer in the 1930s; in 1943, after returning with Britten from the US, he joined Sadler’s Wells Opera, singing mainly lyrical parts. At Covent Garden in the 1950s his roles included David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. His Britten performances ranged from Peter Grimes ...
b. 1944 English baritone Allen’s early career was spent with the Welsh National Opera, in works ranging from Mozart to Britten. He made his Covent Garden debut as Donald in Britten’s Billy Budd in 1971, and his Metropolitan Opera debut as Papageno (The Magic Flute) in 1981. He appeared at English National Opera as Busoni’s Faust in 1986 and as Billy Budd in 1988. Introduction | Contemporary | Classical Personalities | (Dame) Janet Baker ...
1912–79 English countertenor Deller was responsible for the revival of the alto voice in the concert hall and opera house. With his ensemble, the Deller Consort, he made many recordings of early music, and he recorded English lute-songs with Desmond Dupré. Introduction | Modern Era | Classical Personalities | Kathleen Ferrier | Modern Era | Classical ...
b. 1967 German countertenor Scholl studied at the Schola Cantorum in Basle. He has worked with many leading Baroque specialists, including William Christie, Philip Herreweghe, Christopher Hogwood and Ton Koopman, singing oratorios and cantatas by J. S. Bach and Handel. His recordings include Handel’s Messiah and Solomon, and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and B minor Mass. He made his stage debut as Bertarido in Handel’s Rodelinda at Glyndebourne in 1998. Introduction | Contemporary | ...
b. 1965 Romanian soprano She studied in Bucharest and made her operatic debut as Mimì in (La bohème) at the Romanian National Opera in 1990, reprising the role at Covent Garden in 1991 and the Metropolitan Opera (her house debut) in 1993. In addition to Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini, she has had notable success in French-language opera, appearing in (and recording) both Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette and Massenet’s Manon with the tenor ...
b. 1971 Russian-Austrian soprano After studies at the Conservatory in St Petersburg, she made her stage debut in 1994 at the Kirov (now Mariinsky) Opera, of which she remains a company member. Her US debut a year later (San Francisco) was followed by appearances at Covent Garden, Salzburg and the Metropolitan Opera (2002). She excels in both Italian bel canto roles – Donizetti’s Lucia and Bellini’s Amina (La sonnambula) – and Russian ...
(Bâr’-bra Strot-se) 1619–64 Italian composer and singer In the 1630s, Strozzi was a central figure of the Venetian Accademia degli Unisoni, established by her adopted (or perhaps natural) father, the poet Giulio Strozzi, to provide a forum for her renowned vocal performances. A pupil of Cavalli, she published eight volumes of over 100 madrigals, motets, arias and cantatas; she probably wrote most of them to sing herself. Her music is characterized by lyricism, ...
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