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Susannah Collins
''Susannah'' is an opera in two acts by the American composer Carlisle Floyd, who wrote the libretto and music while a member of the piano faculty at Florida State University. Floyd adapted the story from the Apocryphal tale of Susannah and the Elders, though the latter story has a more positive ending. The story focuses on 18-year-old Susannah Polk, an innocent girl who is targeted as a sinner in the small mountain town of New Hope Valley, in the Southern American state of Tennessee. The opera was awarded the New York Music Critics Circle Award for Best New Opera in 1956 and was chosen to represent American music and culture at the World's Fair at Brussels in 1958, with a production (by Frank Corsaro) that featured Phyllis Curtin and Norman Treigle. It received its Metropolitan Opera premiere in 1999, with Renée Fleming singing the title role, Jerry Hadley singing Sam and Samuel Ramey singing Blitch. Ramey also recorded the complete opera with Cheryl Studer as Susannah and Je ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carlisle Floyd
Carlisle Sessions Floyd (June 11, 1926September 30, 2021) was an American composer primarily known for his operas. These stage works, for which he wrote not only the music but also the librettos, typically engage with themes from the American South, particularly the Post-civil war South, the Great Depression and rural life. His best known opera, '' Susannah'', is based on a story from the Biblical Apocrypha, transferred to contemporary rural Tennessee, and written for a Southern dialect. It was premiered at Florida State University in 1955, with Phyllis Curtin in the title role. When it was staged at the New York City Opera the following year, the reception was initially mixed; some considered it a masterpiece, while others degraded it as a 'folk opera'. Subsequent performances led to an increase in ''Susannah'''s reputation and the opera quickly became among the most performed of American operas. In 1976, he became M. D. Anderson professor at the University of Houston. He c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samuel Ramey
Samuel Ramey (born March 28, 1942) is an American operatic bass. At the height of his career, he was greatly admired for his range and versatility, having possessed a sufficiently accomplished bel canto technique which enabled him to sing the music of Handel, Mozart and Rossini but with enough vocal power to handle the more overtly dramatic roles in Verdi, Puccini, and Meyerbeer operas. Early life Ramey graduated from Colby High School in Colby, Kansas in 1960. He studied music in high school and in college at Kansas State University, as well as at Wichita State with Arthur Newman. At Kansas State, he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. Ramey was in the chorus of ''Don Giovanni'' in 1963, with Norman Treigle in the title role, while studying with the Central City Opera in Central City, Colorado. After being an apprentice with the Santa Fe Opera in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he worked for an academic publisher in New York City before he had his first breakthrough while at th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is a political practice defined by the political repression and persecution of left-wing individuals and a Fear mongering, campaign spreading fear of communist and Soviet influence on American institutions and of Soviet espionage in the United States during the late 1940s through the 1950s, heavily associated with the Second Red Scare, also known as the McCarthy Era. After the mid-1950s, U.S. senator Joseph McCarthy, who had spearheaded the campaign, gradually lost his public popularity and credibility after several of his accusations were found to be false. The Warren Court, U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren made a series of rulings on civil and political rights that overturned several key laws and legislative directives, and helped bring an end to the Second Red Scare. Historians have suggested since the 1980s that as McCarthy's involvement was less central than that of others, a different and more accurate term should be used instead that more acc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Porgy And Bess
''Porgy and Bess'' ( ) is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play ''Porgy (play), Porgy'', itself an adaptation of DuBose Heyward's 1925 novel ''Porgy (novel), Porgy''. ''Porgy and Bess'' was first performed in Boston on September 30, 1935, before it moved to Broadway theatre, Broadway in New York City. It featured a cast of classically trained African-American singers—a daring artistic choice at the time. A 1976 #1976 Houston Grand Opera production, Houston Grand Opera production gained it a renewed popularity, and it is now one of the best known and most frequently performed operas. The libretto of ''Porgy and Bess'' tells the story of Porgy, a disabled black street beggar living in the slums of Charleston, South Carolina, Charleston. It deals with his attempts to rescue Bess from the clutches of Crown, her violent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Devlin (bass-baritone)
Michael Devlin (born November 27, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American opera singer who is internationally known as a bass-baritone and singing-actor. New Orleans Opera The protégé of the great Norman Treigle, Devlin began his career with the New Orleans Opera Association, where he debuted in a small role in ''La bohème'' (with Audrey Schuh as Mimì), in 1963. His next appearance was as Spalanzani in ''Les contes d'Hoffmann'' (a performance now available on Compact Discs, from VAI), with Beverly Sills and Treigle, in 1964. He was subsequently seen in ''Werther'' (opposite Giuseppe di Stefano), ''Carmen'', ''Ariadne auf Naxos'', ''Aïda'' (as Amonasro, with Marisa Galvany) and, in 1999, returned for ''The Ballad of Baby Doe'' (as William Jennings Bryan). New York City Opera At the New York City Opera, Devlin first sang the Ermitaño Ciego in the North American premiere of Ginastera's ''Don Rodrigo'', conducted by Julius Rudel and staged by Tito Capobianco, in 196 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phyllis Treigle
Phyllis Treigle (born May 6, 1960) is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and is a noted American soprano, and the daughter of the bass-baritone Norman Treigle. She graduated from Loyola University of the South's College of Music and made her professional debut with the New Orleans Opera Association as Flora Bervoix, in '' La traviata'', in 1980. Treigle subsequently appeared with the New York City Opera (as Miss Jessel in ''The Turn of the Screw'', conducted by Christopher Keene), Dublin Grand Opera Society, Houston Grand Opera (Bekhetaten in the American premiere of '' Akhnaten''), New Orleans Opera (''Der fliegende Holländer''), Pittsburgh Opera (in Tito Capobianco's production of ''Mefistofele'', originally mounted for her father), Sarasota Opera Association, The New Opera Theatre, Skylight Opera Theatre (Donna Elvira in ''Don Giovanni'', directed by Francesca Zambello), Wolf Trap Opera Company ('' Transformations'' and '' Postcard from Morocco''), Eugene Opera, New York ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kelly Kaduce
Kelly Kaduce (born 1974) is an American soprano. She was born in Winnebago, Minnesota, United States of America. A graduate of St. Olaf College and Boston University (where she studied under Penelope Bitzas), Kaduce won the 1999 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Career Since her debut in 2000, she has appeared in national and international opera houses (e.g., New York City Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis). Kaduce sang the title role of Anna Karenina in the world premiere of the David Carlson opera in 2007 (Florida Grand Opera and Opera Theater of St. Louis), directed by Colin Graham. She also starred in the world premiere production of Ian Gordon's ''The Grapes of Wrath'' (Minnesota Opera), Bright Sheng's '' Madame Mao'' (Santa Fe Opera debut in 2003), and the American premieres of Tan Dun's ''Tea: A Mirror of Soul'' (Santa Fe Opera) and Michael Berkeley's ''Jane Eyre'' (Opera Theater of St. Louis). She created the role of ''Caroline Gaines'' in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karan Armstrong
Karan Armstrong (December 14, 1941 – September 28, 2021) was an American operatic soprano, who was celebrated as a singing actress. After winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1966, she was given small roles at the Metropolitan Opera, and appeared in leading roles at the New York City Opera from 1969, including Conceptión in Ravel's ''L'heure espagnol'', Blonde in Mozart's ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'', and the title roles in Verdi's '' La traviata'', Offenbach's ''La belle Hélène'' and Puccini's '' La fanciulla del West''. After she performed in Europe from 1974, first as Micaëla in Bizet's ''Carmen'', and then as a sensational ''Salome'' at the Opéra du Rhin, she enjoyed a career at major opera houses, appearing in several opera recordings and films. Armstrong was for decades a leading soprano at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where her husband Götz Friedrich was director. She appeared in world premieres, including Gottfried von Einem's ''Jesu Hoc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diana Soviero
Diana Soviero (born March 19, 1946, in Jersey City) is an American operatic soprano of international stature, a recipient of the Richard Tucker Award in 1979. Soviero studied at the Juilliard School of Music with Florence Berggren, Marinka Gurewich, Martin Rich, and Boris Goldovsky. She made her debut under the name Diana Catani-Soviero at the Chautauqua Opera in 1969 as Mimi in ''La Boheme''. In the early years of her career she performed widely in smaller American theatres building herself a repertory. She was a celebrity guest on a week of Match Game in 1980. She made her debut at the New York City Opera in 1973, the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1979, the San Francisco Opera in 1982, establishing herself in verismo roles, notably as Nedda, Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly. Beginning in 1981, she appeared at the New York City Opera in Verdi's '' La Traviata'', conducted by Mario Bernardi. and widely in Europe; Zürich, Toulouse, Nice, Hamburg, Munich, Rome, Palermo, etc. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nancy Shade
Nancy Shade (born May 31, 1946, in Rockford, Illinois) is an American spinto soprano, best known as a singing-actress. She made her formal debut as Leonora in '' Il trovatore'', in Louisville, in 1967. In 1971, she made her first of many appearances at the New York City Opera, as Musetta in ''La bohème''. She also sang there in ''Mefistofele'' (directed by Tito Capobianco), '' Madama Butterfly'' (opposite José Carreras), ''Pagliacci'', ''Susannah'', and ''Die tote Stadt'' (in Frank Corsaro's production). In 1973, Shade sang the title role of '' Manon Lescaut'' (opposite Harry Theyard) at the Spoleto Festival, under the direction of Luchino Visconti conducted by Thomas Schippers. The following year, she sang in a Concert Version of ''Mefistofele'' at London's Royal Festival Hall, opposite Norman Treigle in the name part. In 1976 she created the role of Barbara in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's '' The Hero'' (conducted by Christopher Keene) with the Oper ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maralin Niska
Maralin Niska (November 16, 1926 – July 9, 2016) was an American operatic soprano. Well known as a singing-actress, she was a mainstay of the New York City Opera during the 1960s and 1970s. She was also a regular performer at the Metropolitan Opera from 1970 to 1977. Early life, education, and early career Born in San Pedro, California, Niska earned a Bachelor of English Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles and began her professional life as a second grade public school teacher for seven years. She then returned to school to study voice at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California and U.C.L.A. She studied under Louise Mansfield, Lotte Lehmann, Vladimir Rosing, and Ernest St. John Metz. She performed extensively in southern California during the 1950s, including performances with the USC Opera, UCLA Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Riverside Opera Association, Redlands Bowl and other regional companies. Her extensive national and interna ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Faith Esham
Faith Esham (born August 6, 1948) is an American soprano and college professor of voice. Life and career Faith Lou Esham was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, and grew up in Vanceburg, Kentucky, the daughter of Dr. Elwood Esham (1905–1985) and Ruth Louise Opfer Esham (1917–2010), a nurse. She graduated in psychology from Columbia Union College in Maryland. She completed study for a master's degree in clinical psychology at Eastern Kentucky University before transferring to the Juilliard School where she received her master's degree in music in 1978.Blau, Eleanor (August 22, 1987)"Faith Esham, Soprano, Communicates by Song" ''The New York Times'' Her voice teacher at Juilliard was Beverley Peck Johnson. Esham has sung many roles in opera houses in the United States and Europe. She debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Marzelline in '' Fidelio''; she returned there to cover the roles of Nedda in ''Pagliacci'' and of Mélisande in '' Pelléas et Mélisande''. Additional roles are: Mi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
