Marilyn Horne Honored As Part Of Multi-Million Dollar Campaign

Mezzo del Giorno: A portrait of Marilyn Horne
from the early days of her singing career.

"The Music Academy of the West has announced its Finale Capital Campaign with a visionary goal to raise $17.5 million for two significant construction projects to renovate and improve its historic campus. The Campaign also includes funding for an instrument fund that will establish the Academy’s All-Steinway institution status and a maintenance endowment. 100% of the Academy’s Board members have participated in the Campaign, joined by support from individuals and foundations in the Santa Barbara community. $11.7 million has been raised to date to begin the renovation in August 2015; the remaining goal is $5.8 million. The historic Main House on the Miraflores campus has been named for legendary mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne with a gift of $6 million, through a $3 million matching gift challenge from long-time Academy benefactors Shirley and Seymour Lehrer. Music Academy President and CEO Scott Reed said, 'Our Campaign completes a long-term strategy to fully preserve, renovate, and expand our campus to guarantee we have world-class facilities. Our fellows arrive in Santa Barbara each summer from around the world to share their talent with us and further their artistry with our distinguished faculty. Enhancing our buildings will provide the best possible experience for our guests and our community.' The Finale campaign will support the final phase of a long-term campus renovation and construction master plan envisioned 15 years ago. The improvement of the Marilyn Horne Main House is Part One of the Finale project, with a groundbreaking in August 2015. The scope of the project includes

Watch The Entire Maestro James Levine "60 Minutes" Interview

Looking Back: Maestro James Levine conducts Marilyn
Horne (left) and Leontyne Price (center) as featured
 in the 60 Minutes interview with Bob Simon.

Hopefully with the reminder last week about Maestro James Levine's interview on 60 Minutes it was on everyone's calendar. But in case you missed it, you can watch the full interview below, as well as two web exclusive clips after the jump. Although not Bob Simon's final interview before his death, it was one of the last and the opera world can be happy that it was finished in its entirety. Read more about the interview by clicking here. There are also a few photos after the jump featuring highlights from the interview.

Shirley Verrett And Henry Lewis Early Supporter Passes Away

Champion For Music: Sylvia Kunin, seen here in 2014, provided support for numerous in the classical world.

"In 1955, Sylvia Kunin founded the Young Musicians Foundation in Los Angeles that provided support and a showcase for budding classical-music talents — including conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, guitarist Christopher Parkening and soprano Shirley Verrett — long before they were world-famous....Kunin, 101, died Feb. 12 in a Seattle retirement community. She had had a recent fall and was in declining health, said her son, Barry Eben. The YMF is still going strong. Other musicians who got an early boost not only from the foundation but also from classical music television shows Kunin hosted beginning in the early 1950s include violinists Misha Dichter and Glenn Dicterow, conductors Lawrence Foster and Henry Lewis and cellist Nathaniel

Michael Tilson Thomas with Sylvia Kunin in earlier days

Rosen....'She was a very diminutive figure, but her energy was colossal,' Tilson Thomas, music director of the San Francisco Symphony, said in an interview this week. The YMF orchestra was his first, at 20, as music director. 'One minute she could be very charming, even flirtatious, and the next she would belt out, 'Oh, c'mon!' if she sensed any of the grandiosity that can come with classical music.' She was not just a fan of the music. Kunin was a piano prodigy who won

Early photo of Young Musicians Foundation with Shirley Verrett in the front center

competitions and studied with Artur Schnabel in prewar Europe. The fact that her career faltered helped fuel her drive to pave the way for others....In 1954 came her follow-up show, Debut, with musicians competing for $1,000 scholarships. To lead the show's orchestra, she hired Henry Lewis, a double-bass player in the Los Angeles Philharmonic who had long wanted to conduct but was not getting opportunities. 'The podium was a long way away for a little black kid growing up in Los Angeles,' he told The Times in 1985. Kunin gave Lewis, who went on to a long career conducting at the Metropolitan Opera and other venues, the chance. 'Sylvia was always interested in finding someone who had something special to say,' said Lewis, who died in

Conductor Henry Lewis with his then wife
opera singer Marilyn Horne

1996....She and her husband, actor Al Eben, moved to Hawaii, where he had a recurring role as the medical officer in the TV series Hawaii Five-0. While there she started a new TV program featuring student musicians, Musical Encounters, for distribution to schools and showings on public television. It continued when she and her husband returned to L.A. in 1975. After Al Eben died in 2003, she moved to Seattle to be closer to her son and his family. The production of Musical Encounters continued there and at the end of the last show, featuring a young soprano in 2012, surprise tributes from Thomas, Parkening and others were read. Kunin, then 99, stood and addressed the audience in a still-strong voice. 'I'm glad I was able to live this long,' she said. 'I really feel very lucky. You can't be luckier.'" [Source] Learn more about the YMF by clicking here. Watch a wonderful video of Sylvia Kunin from March 2014 about the creation of the Young Musicians Foundation.

Last-Minute Holiday Shopping Ideas From Heavenly Voices On High

Purchase the album here.
Recommended track: "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

If you want to turn the frequency up this holiday season, check out the plethora of recordings from divas both past and present. From the latest release by Measha Brueggergosman to the Germanic overtones of Rita Streich, Maria Stader, and Anneliese Rothenberger, high notes during the holidays will ensure everyone has a holly jolly time. Check out more than 30 albums after the jump to give you instant holiday spirit through sacred seasonal music or christmas classics. Each one is linked to the full digital version to allow you to either choose the entire package or simply download the tracks you enjoy most. You can even make a compilation off the recommended tracks from each selection. Joyeux Noël, Buon Natale, Frohe Weihnachten, Feliz Navidad and с рождеством! Remember to share the music with someone you love this holiday season.

Elena Souliotis Fans Rejoice For "Norma" Release On Compact Disc

Diva Turn: Souliotis in her prime.
(Photo: Francesco Scavullo)

Previously only available on compact disc in Japan, the 1967 recording of Bellini's Norma featuring 24-year old soprano Elena Souliotis now gets an international release thanks to the Eloquence label. Sporting the original cover photo shot by Francesco Scavullo, this recording can be counted among the most worthy of owning. At times the young singer is vocally gentle and serene, while other moments (namely those with powerhouse veterans Fiorenza Cossotto and Mario Del Monaco) she is ferocious and fearless. Once thought of as a worthy successor to Maria Callas, the career of Ms. Souliotis burned hot and brief. The soprano spent most of her time in the studio during the mid-1960s setting down full operas and recital discs for posterity. Originally recorded for Decca, the opera makes its worldwide debut for which many fans have been clamoring. Gramophone reviewed this set when it was released: "Elena Souliotis has the power, ferocity, energy for the role [...] Mario del Monaco’s 'Ferisci, ma non interrogarmi' is a splendid moment [...] Cosotto’s tone is always full and beautiful [...] Silvio Varviso’s direction is pleasantly spirited [...] The recording is spacious, clear and well-balanced." From the liner notes: "Bellini’s advice to librettists in 1834 might profitably hang above the desks of all who would pursue this singular art today: ‘Carve in your head in adamantine letters: Opera must make people weep, feel horrified, die through singing. It is wrong to want to write all the numbers the same way, but they must all be somehow shaped so as to make the music intelligible through their clarity of expression, at once concise and striking.’ Much of it could apply to his opera Norma. Most of the music was written between September and November 1831 at Blevio on Lake Como, where Bellini was a guest of the great diva Giuditta Pasta, who created the role of Norma. For more than a decade she was the greatest soprano in Europe and undoubtedly influenced the development of Bellini’s vocal style. This recording, made in Rome in 1967, featured the great

Souliotis (left) with Maria Callas

Greek soprano Elena Souliotis. Silvio Varviso conducts and the emphasis is on the drama and the creation of three-dimensional characters. It’s an approach that suited Souliotis. Her interpretation ranges from the ravishing simplicity of her ‘Casta Diva’ to desperate mood swings in the scene with the sleeping children (‘Dormono entrambi’) and in her dealings with Pollione. Mario Del Monaco is as strong as ever as the Roman proconsul Pollione; his high notes ringing and unforgettable. Adalgisa is sung by Fiorenza Cossotto (b. 1935), Italian mezzo-soprano regarded by many as one of the finest mezzos of the twentieth century." [Source] Full cast list and information about Elena Souliotis can be found after the jump.

Notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg Would Love To Be A Great Diva

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg marries Michael Kaiser, former
president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
 Arts, and his partner John Roberts in August 2013.

"People seeking clues about how soon the Supreme Court might weigh in on states' gay marriage bans should pay close attention to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told a Minnesota audience Tuesday. Ginsburg said cases pending before the circuit covering Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee would probably play a role in the high court's timing. She said 'there will be some urgency' if that appeals court allows same-sex marriage bans to stand. Such a decision would run contrary to a legal trend favoring gay marriage and force the Supreme Court to step in sooner, she predicted. She said if the appeals panel falls in line with other rulings there is 'no need for us to rush.'....Ginsburg spent 90 minutes before an audience of hundreds discussing her two decades on the Supreme Court as well as her days as an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer. In a question-and-answer period, she predicted that cases dealing with the environment and technology would make for watershed decisions in years to come. Privacy of information carried on smartphones in the context of criminal searches could be particularly big, Ginsburg said. 'You can have on that cellphone more than you can pack in a file cabinet,' she said. The liberal justice said the court is the most collegial place she has worked as she fondly described her close relationship with conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. She made sure to plug a comic opera about the two of them — Scalia/Ginsburg — that will debut next year in Virginia. And the 81-year-old Ginsburg elicited plenty of laughter by highlighting a Tumblr account about her called the 'Notorious R.B.G.' and a never-realized dream job. 'If I had any talent God could give me, I would be a great diva,' she said." [Source] See pictures of Justice Ginsburg with the many opera divas (and a few divos) she has befriended over the years, including Renée Fleming, Leontyne Price, Plácido Domingo, and Marilyn Horne, after the jump.

Phase 4 Stereo Revival: Eileen Farrell, Marilyn Horne & Robert Merrill

Decca Classics is scheduled to release a 41-CD box set of its Phase 4 Stereo recordings that will feature 11 first international CD releases. Choosing from over 200 albums dating back as early as 1964 when the company started recordings of big classical works for large scale symphonies, the collection features film scores, popular ballet titles, big band and light classics, alongside major piano and violin concertos. Included in the set are some vocal pieces as well. Carl Orff's Carmina Burana featuring Norma Burrowes, Louis Devos, and John Shirley-Quirk, under the direction of Antal Doráti, and Beethoven's Symphony #9 featuring Heather Harper, Helen Watts, Alexander Young, Donald McIntyre, with conductor Leopold Stokowski, have both been previously released on CD. Three other discs are coming to the market complete for the first time on CD: The Magnificent Voice of Eileen Farrell, Marilyn Horne Sings Carmen and Robert Merrill: Americana. The Eileen Farrell recording totals 36 minutes and features tunes from

Broadway shows, spirituals and traditional American standards. One hopes that this will spur Sony Classics to release her other albums (originally recorded on Columbia) not previously made public like the Arias in the Grand Tradition, Carols for Christmas, This Fling Called Love, and highlights from Cherubini's Medea. Of rare interest is the disc with Marilyn Horne singing highlights from Bizet's Carmen with conductor (and then-husband) Henry Lewis. The recording features highlights from all four acts, including the title character's two big arias "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" and "Près des remparts de Séville." Also left unreleased by Sony Classics was the recording (originally for RCA) of Marilyn Horne Sings Carmen Jones, which comes from the soundtrack of the film featuring Dorothy Dandridge for whom the mezzo dubbed the singing. The third selection found in the new box-set is Robert Merrill: Americana. Much like the Farrell album, this recording features Broadway (Oklahoma), Stephen Foster classics and traditional American

songs ("Camptown Races," "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," etc). Earlier this year, Decca released a host of treasures long in the vault. Let's hope that the executives continue to relinquish the goods. No word on whether these discs will be sold individually after the release of the box set. Listen to audio clips and see complete track list here for the Phase 4 Stereo box set. See some intriguing albums missing from the Phase 4 Stereo box set, read more about the Phase 4 Stereo history, and see the artwork for the new release, after the jump. 

Marilyn Horne Chats With Vatican Radio In Italy For Master Classes

La Dolce Vita: Marilyn Horne ponders the knowledge she has acquired as a singer
and tries to pass it on to the future of young artists through master classes.

"Since retiring from the operatic stage, Ms Horne has dedicated herself to teaching promising singers of the future. Just over twenty years ago she launched the Marilyn Horne Foundation which provides opportunities for young singers to give recitals. The renowned Mezzo Soprano was recently in Rome to give a series of Masterclasses at the American University of Rome. The classes were part of the University’s inaugural Summer Vocal Institute and saw singers come from all over the world to take part. But for Marilyn Horne, how does being a teacher differ from performing as an opera singer? She told Vatican Radio’s Lydia O’Kane, 'first of all I have to try to remember all the things I have learned as a singer, so it’s really very much giving giving giving and pulling pulling pulling!' Looking back at her extraordinary singing career she says, 'it was my life, I knew practically nothing else except singing since the time I could talk, so it’s my soul, my life, my everything, tied to the music of course, not just singing but the great great music that I’ve had the pleasure to perform.' Ms Horne also says that she feels blessed to have had the career she has had. 'As we say I’ve had a great go and I feel that I’ve been very privilege to have the kind of life that I did.'" [Source] Listen to the full interview by clicking here. For more about the American University of Rome, click here.

Opera Singers Appearing On Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show

Although we don't have video footage of Robert Merrill, Risë Stevens, Jan Peerce, Patrice Munsel, Richard Tucker, Julia Migenes, Sergio Franchi, Grace Bumbry, and Roberta Peters, from their appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, we are fortunate to have footage of Judith Blegen, Luciano Pavarotti, Beverly Sills, Martina Arroyo, Marilyn Horne, Carol Neblett, and Plácido Domingo, from the program. As a bonus watch Kathleen Battle performing on The Tonight Show, with Johnny Carson's successor Jay Leno, after the jump. [Source]

Marilyn Horne Celebrates 80th Birthday With Song

Marilyn Horne Song Celebration

Thursday, January 16, 2014 at 7:30 PM

Zankel Hall

"Marilyn Horne, founder and guiding voice of The Song Continues series, has long demonstrated a commitment to nurturing gifted young vocal talent. The legendary songstress is honored on her 80th birthday in a festive evening of songs performed by an all-star lineup of special guest artists." Performers
Samuel Ramey, Host
Frederica von Stade, Host
Barbara Cook, Vocalist
Renée Fleming, Soprano
Brenda Rae, Soprano
Jamie Barton, Mezzo-Soprano
Isabel Leonard, Mezzo-Soprano
David Daniels, Countertenor
Piotr Beczala, Tenor
Lester Lynch, Baritone
Martin Katz, Piano
Warren Jones, Piano
Lee Musiker, Piano
[Source]

Stephanie Blythe Offers Up A Great American Songbook CD

With the cross-over capabilities of Eileen Farrell, the booming-voice belt of Kate Smith, and Americana can-do spirit of Marilyn Horne, the mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe charters 19th-century popular song territory with the new CD As Long As There Are Songs. The recording will be released on September 24, 2013. Click here for the full liner notes and here to order the CD. A bonus audio clip of "Bei mir bist du Schön" can be heard here. Complete track list after the jump.

Kicking Off Opera Week by Celebrating Fiat's Arrival in America

"What do automaker Fiat and opera have in common? To put it simply, both are Italian traditions that are growing in the U.S. This week is National Opera Week across the U.S., and we thought we would look at both the growth of opera and the reintroduction of Fiat in America together. Indeed, we drove the new Fiat 500C

In addition to owning a 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo,
a 2005 Porsche Cayenne SUV and 2002 BMW 540i
wagon, soprano Sondra Radvanovsky also purchased
a 1970 Fiat 500 (similar to the one in the bottom picture).

around the city of Detroit on our way to the storied Detroit Opera House. What do you know about opera in the U.S? How about the fact that it is one of the fastest growing cultural pastimes in the country, especially with people 25-45. Opera America, which organizes National Opera Week, counts 117 professional opera companies in 43 states its membership. It also serves 19 opera companies in Canada. But there are more than that in the two countries that just aren't members. The percentage of adults viewing or listening to opera via broadcast and recorded media remains higher than live attendance. In 2008, 11 million adults, or 4.9% of the population, viewed or listened to an opera broadcast or recording, according to the National Endowment of the Arts. The NEA also reported that in 2008, the last year data is available, 4.8 million adults (2.1% of the adult population) attended at least one opera performance. In that opera season, there were 1,990 performances of 414 full-staged productions. This week, dozens of opera companies will be holding activities and events to bring the public closer to the behind-the-scenes activity of opera companies. 'From behind-the-scenes tours to enlightening performance talks to Twitter contests and more, there is something for everyone during National Opera Week,' states Marc A. Scorca, president & CEO of OPERA America. 'National Opera Week draws attention to the creativity and dynamism that propels our field today. We are proud to highlight this depth of opera activity across the United States.' Opera is a curious cultural form as it divides so many people.

Marilyn Horne on The Odd Couple. Click the
image to launch a video of her performance.

Anyone who watched the TV series The Odd Couple knows that Felix Unger, played by Tony Randall, and Oscar, played by Jack Klugman, were on opposite sides of the opera divide. Oscar's hatred of opera, and then being subsequently dragged in to Felix's world and enjoying the singing was a recurring theme in the show. Randall brought opera stars onto the series ads guest stars: Martina Arroyo, Richard Fredricks and Marilyn Horne. Horne has credited that episode organized by Randall as introducing her and opera to a whole generation of people who otherwise would not have ever heard of either her or opera. Opera fans are so passionate, some in the industry call it 'The NFL of the Arts.' Opera fans argue and banter about who the best sopranos, baritones and tenors are like football fans argue about quarterbacks and teams. "My friends and I crazy when it comes to opera," says Elizabeth McPhereson, a software engineer who lives in San Francisco. "Two years ago, our opera club was four of us, and now it is 16, which is about where we want it to stay." Her club meets every two weeks to either go to an opera, or listen to a new recording at one of the members' houses, and, yes, argue and debate about the performances. Fiat can only hope at this point that it's Italian brand can enjoy the same sort of surge as opera. The company, which is now aligned with Chrysler, launched the Fiat 500, known in Europe and South America

Behold the Fiat 130 "Opera" from 1974.

as the Cinquecento, in the U.S. last Spring. The company is about to launch a performance version of the car, called the Fiat Abarth, followed by electric version next year. After that, there are expected to be larger, mid-sized Fiats, as well as the re-introduction of the Alfa-Romeo brand to showrooms carrying Fiats. Fiat, back in the 1970s, created a couple of special editions of its Fiat 130 sedan that was dubbed the "Opera." Beyond that, Fiat is a big financial supporter of opera in Italy." [Source] Build your own Fiat car model by visiting their official website here. Perhaps the "Bravo" edition is just the thing for a diva.

Marilyn Horne Is a Treasure Among Treasures in Operatic History

The mezzo-soprano in her New York apartment during the
1980s, with centuries worth of opera history on the walls.

"On the walls of her apartment is a small but exquisite collection of letters and portraits of the great 19th century singers and composers: Meyerbeer, Verdi, Johann Strauss, Emma Calve. There is a photo of Pauline Viardot, an original lithograph of one of the last of the castrati, a letter written by Maria Malibran. There is something that feels very natural about it all being there: This is the company Horne belongs in. The masterpiece of the collection may be a small piece of paper, little more than a scrap. It is a bit of music manuscript, and it the last song Bellini ever wrote. Horne sang it out in a voice still clear and assured (the qualities that, along with her legendary diction, will come in handy when she sings Katisha in The Mikado with the Collegiate Chorale at Carnegie Hall this spring)." [Source]

Marilyn Horne Returns to New Jersey To Celebrate Opera

Days Gone By: Marilyn & Henry

"Do the stars predict a promising future for Opera New Jersey? It certainly seemed so Sunday night, as diva Marilyn Horne and three of her former students — now rising stars themselves — lent their luster to the organization’s 'Celebrate Opera' Gala. The event, which was held Sunday evening at the Hyatt Regency Princeton, honored Ms. Horne for her long and glorious singing career and her continuing work as a teacher and promoter of young artists. For her part, Ms. Horne said that she was delighted to be back in New Jersey. She said she remembered fondly the nine years she had spent in the state with the late Henry Lewis, who was then her husband, as well as the conductor and music director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra....After dinner, three young singers entertained the gala audience with a half-hour concert. All had been associated with the Marilyn Horne Foundation, which presents young singers in recitals throughout the country. (In May 2010, the foundation’s programs became part of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.) Baritone Keith Phares sang 'Largo al factotum' from The Barber of Seville, as well as arias by Ravel and Korngold. He recently appeared with Opera New Jersey as Falke

Keith Phares

Rinat Shaham

Erica Strauss

in Die Fledermaus and has sung with many major companies, including San Francisco Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, the Opera Company of Philadelphia, and Glimmerglass Opera. Mezzo-soprano Rinat Shaham sang art songs by Richard Strauss and Poulenc, as well as 'Habanera' from Carmen. She just performed the title role in that opera with The Opera Company of Philadelphia. As a recital artist she has sung with some of the world’s pre-eminent conductors. Soprano Erica Strauss has sung with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, and Sarasota Opera. Also a recital artist, she sang an aria from Rusalka as well as songs by Chaminade and Rossini. All three singers joined in the trio 'Soave sia il ventro' from Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte.” [Source]

Metropolitan Opera Guild Luncheon to Honor Marilyn Horne

The lady of the hour: Miss Horne

77th Annual Guild Luncheon
Jackie! Celebrating Marilyn Horne

October 31, 2011 12:15 PMWaldorf-Astoria

The honoree of this year’s Annual Guild Luncheon is the legendary Marilyn Horne. Join us as we salute one of the greatest singers of our time, with appearances by her colleagues and friends, video performances and a vocal tribute by Stephanie Blythe. Guests at the luncheon will include June Ander­son, Lucine Amara, Mar­tina Arroyo, Har­o­lyn Black­well, Judith Ble­gen, Richard Bonynge, Nedda Casei, Barbara Cook, Frank Corsaro, John Corigli­ano, Dwayne Croft, Tyne Daly, Ray­mond Gniewek, Florence Henderson, Martin Katz, Jean Kraft, Shir­ley Love, John Mac­urdy, Spiro Malas, Terrence McNally, Marnie Nixon, Betsy Norden, Roberta Peters, Eve Queler, Samuel Ramey, Regina Res­nik, Ren­ata Scotto, Rita Shane, Bryn Ter­fel, Ben­ita Valente, Deborah Voigt, Fre­der­ica von Stade and Robert White.

TICKETS
Regular Tickets: $250 ($125 tax-deductible)
Benefactor Tickets: $475 ($350 tax-deductible)
President’s Circle Tickets: $750 ($625 tax-deductible)
Benefactor Tables for Ten: $4,750 ($3,500 tax-deductible)
President’s Circle Tables for Ten: $7,500 ($6,000 tax-deductible)

Buy tickets for the event by clicking here.

A History of "Orfeo ed Euridice" at the Metropolitan Opera

Risë Stevens as Orfeo (Photo: Tony Vaccaro)

As Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice is set to open tonight at the Metropolitan Opera with David Daniels, let's take a look back at the many stars who have sung the role of Orfeo at this famous company. The first performance given by the MET was actually at the Boston Theatre in Massachusetts and was sung in German with Marianne Brandt taking on the lead role in 1885. The next performance took place in 1891 with Giulia Ravogli singing Orfeo in Chicago, Illinois. In an interesting pairing, the work received its premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on December 11, 1893, with Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci taking the second part of the evening. Sofia Scalchi sang Orfeo and Nellie Melba sang Nedda. Quite an interesting night to be sure. The production returned in 1895 with Marie Brema as Orfeo and this time sharing the evening with Emma Calvé as Anita in the U.S. premiere of Massenet's La Navarraise. The opera gets revived in 1909 with Louise Homer in a new production with a drastically revised score by conductor of the performances, Arturo Toscanini. Marie Delna makes her debut as Orfeo in the last performance of this run. The original cast of this production returned for the 1910-11 and 1911-12 seasons for a revival with Margarete Matzenauer stepping in for one performance as Orfeo. There is one more performance on March 2, 1914, before this production takes a respite until 1936 when Orfeo ed Euridice returns to the MET in a new production conceived by George Balanchine that puts the singers in the orchestra pit and dancers portraying them on stage. Anna Kaskas was Orfeo

David Daniels as Orfeo at the Metropolitan (Photo: Annie Leibovitz)

and the performance was on a double-bill with Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. Kerstin Thorborg arrives in 1938 as Orfeo in a new production directed by Herbert Graf with sets by Harry Horner. When brought back in 1939, Erich Leinsdorf takes over conducting duties when Artur Bodanzky passes away and in 1941, Bruno Walter steps into the pit for Maestro duties. In February 1955, a new era began with Risë Stevens taking on the title role under conductor Pierre Monteux. From this point on a series of popular mezzo-sopranos including Grace Bumbry (1970) and Marilyn Horne (1972). The opera disappeared until the current Mark Morris production premiered in 2007 with costumes by Isaac Mizrahi and conducted by James Levine. The performances also marked the MET role debut as Orfeo for David Daniels. The role was put back in the hands of mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe when the production was revived in 2009. In addition to countertenor David Daniels, the current run will mark the debut of soprano Kate Royal as Euridice and the Amor of Lisette Oropesa, all under conductor Antony Walker. [Source]

A listening guide through various interpretations of "Che farò senza Euridice" throughout MET history:

Risë Stevens

Grace Bumbry

Marilyn Horne

Marilyn Horne & Stephanie Blythe In Residence

"SUNY Potsdam is proud to welcome internationally-celebrated mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe '92 back to campus as a guest artist-in-residence at The Crane School of Music this coming week. The Metropolitan Opera star, who has been hailed as a 'once-in-a-generation opera singer' by the New York Times, will share her amazing talent and professional experience with Crane vocal students from Jan. 31 to Feb. 4. Select singers will receive individual coaching sessions with Blythe, while others will get the rare opportunity to take part in a masterclass with the acclaimed artist. She has served as a guest artist-in-residence several times, and starred in the world premiere of 'The

Happy Birthday: Marilyn Horne

Mezzo-soprano Marilyn "Jackie" Horne was born January 16, 1934, in Bradford, Pennsylvania. At two years old she was performing in church and by age four she was singing "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms" at a Democratic fundraiser for Franklin Delano Roosevelt (a bottle of lime soda was her performance fee). She and her sister Gloria performed as "The Horne Sisters" for occasions that ranged from church functions to social clubs. Both the siblings took voice lessons (Marilyn starting at age seven) from the local choir director of St. Bernard Catholic Church. She also studied violin, piano and flute. Through early school she sang in acapella choir, girls glee and madrigal singers. At the age of 11, her family moved to Long Beach, California. An important first singing experience was joining The Roger Wagner Chorale when she was 12. She also became a member of the Los Angeles Concert Youth Chorus and St. Luke's Episcopal Choir of Long Beach. It was with these groups that she started to record for movies in Los Angeles. In high school, she sang the title role of The Merry Widow when she was 16. By 17, she was performing with the Pasadena Symphony and Westchester Orchestra in concerts. She studied voice