Janet Baker
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Dame Janet Abbott Baker (born 21 August 1933) is an English
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...
best known as an
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
, concert, and lieder singer.Blyth, Alan, "Baker, Dame Janet (Abbott)" in Sadie, Stanley, ed.; John Tyrell; exec. ed. (2001). ''
New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the History of music, ...
'', 2nd ed. London: Macmillan; (hardcover) (eBook).
Baker is particularly closely associated with baroque and early
Italian opera Italian opera is both the art of opera in Italy and opera in the Italian language. Opera was in Italy around the year 1600 and Italian opera has continued to play a dominant role in the history of the form until the present day. Many famous ope ...
and the works of Benjamin Britten. During her career, which lasted from the 1950s to the 1980s, she was considered an outstanding singing actress and widely admired for her dramatic intensity, perhaps best represented in her famous portrayal as Dido, the tragic heroine of Berlioz's magnum opus, '' Les Troyens''. As a concert performer, Baker was noted for her interpretations of the music of
Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic music, Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and ...
and
Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...
. David Gutman, writing in '' Gramophone'', described her performance of Mahler's '' Kindertotenlieder'' as "intimate, almost self-communing".


Biography and career


Early life

Janet Abbott Baker was born in Hatfield, in the
West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, lieu ...
, where her father was an engineer as well as a chorister. Members of her family worked at Bentley Pit, in
Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
. She attended York College for Girls and then Wintringham Girls' Grammar School in
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes dir ...
. The death, when she was 10 years old, of her elder brother Peter, from a heart condition, was a formative moment that made her take responsibility for the rest of her life; she revealed this in a
BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...
Lebrecht Interview in September 2011. In her early years Baker worked in a bank, transferring to London in 1953 where she trained with Meriel St Clair and Helene Isepp, whose son
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became her regular accompanist. Knocked down by a bus in 1956, she suffered concussion and a persistently painful back injury. In the same year she came second in the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Competition at the Wigmore Hall, winning national attention.


Debut

In 1956, she made her stage debut with
Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
's Opera Club as Miss Róza in Smetana's '' The Secret''. That year, she also made her debut at Glyndebourne. In 1959, she sang Eduige in the Handel Opera Society's '' Rodelinda''; other Handel roles included '' Ariodante'' (1964), of which she later made a notable recording with Raymond Leppard, and '' Orlando'' (1966), which she sang at the Barber Institute, Birmingham.


Opera

With the English Opera Group at Aldeburgh, Baker sang Purcell's '' Dido and Aeneas'' in 1962, Polly (in Benjamin Britten's version of '' The Beggar's Opera'') and Lucretia (in Britten's '' The Rape of Lucretia''). At Glyndebourne she appeared again as Dido (1966) and as Diana/Jupiter in
Francesco Cavalli Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverdi as the dominant and leading op ...
's '' La Calisto'', and Penelope in Monteverdi's ''Il ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria''. For Scottish Opera she sang Dorabella in
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
's ''
Così fan tutte (''Women are like that, or The School for Lovers''), Köchel catalogue, K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written ...
'' and Dido in Berlioz's '' The Trojans'', as well as Dido in Purcell's ''Dido and Aeneas'', Octavian in
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...
's '' Der Rosenkavalier'', the Composer in '' Ariadne auf Naxos'' and the role of Orfeo in Gluck's '' Orfeo ed Euridice''. The latter was considered her signature role; she sang it in many productions, and a videotaped performance from Glyndebourne is available (see below). In 1966, Baker made her debut as Hermia in Britten's ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
'' at the
Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...
, Covent Garden, and went on to sing there Berlioz's Dido; Kate in Britten's '' Owen Wingrave''; Mozart's Vitellia (in '' La clemenza di Tito'') and Idamante (in '' Idomeneo''); Cressida in William Walton's '' Troilus and Cressida''; and the title role in Gluck's '' Alceste'' (1981). For the
English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is a British opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in E ...
, she sang the title role in Monteverdi's ''
L'incoronazione di Poppea ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' (Stattkus-Verzeichnis, SV 308, ''The Coronation of Poppaea'') is an Italian List of operas by Claudio Monteverdi, opera by Claudio Monteverdi. It was Monteverdi's last opera, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Buse ...
'' (1971), Charlotte in Massenet's '' Werther'', and the title roles in Donizetti's '' Maria Stuarda'' and Handel's '' Giulio Cesare''.


Oratorio and song

During this same period she made an equally strong impact on audiences in the concert hall, both in oratorio roles and solo recitals. Among her most notable achievements are her recordings of the Angel in
Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...
's '' The Dream of Gerontius'', made with Sir John Barbirolli in December 1964 and Sir Simon Rattle over twenty years later; her 1965 performances of Elgar's '' Sea Pictures'' and Mahler's '' Rückert Lieder'', also recorded with Barbirolli; and, also from 1965, the first commercial recording of Ralph Vaughan Williams's Christmas oratorio '' Hodie'' under Sir David Willcocks with The Bach Choir. In 1963, she sang the contralto part in the first performance at the BBC Promenade Concerts of Mahler's '' Resurrection'' Symphony under the direction of Leopold Stokowski, then making his Proms debut appearances. She performed in 1971 for the Peabody Mason Concert series in Boston. In 1976 she premiered the solo cantata ''Phaedra'', written for her by Britten; and Dominick Argento's Pulitzer Prize-winning song cycle ''From the Diary of Virginia Woolf'', also written with her voice in mind. She has also been highly praised for her insightful performances of Brahms's '' Alto Rhapsody'' and Wagner's '' Wesendonck Lieder'', as well as solo songs from the French, German and English repertoire.


Retirement

Dame Janet's final operatic appearance was as Orfeo in Gluck's ''Orfeo ed Euridice'', on 17 July 1982, at Glyndebourne. In May 1988, she repeated the role in a concert performance with the Oratorio Society of New York (an unannounced farewell to the U.S.). She had continued to perform lieder recitals, retiring for good in 1989 (although she did make a small handful of recordings in January 1990). She published a memoir, ''Full Circle'', in 1982. In 1991, Baker was elected
Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
of the
University of York The University of York (abbreviated as or ''York'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public Collegiate university, collegiate research university in York, England. Established in 1963, the university has expanded to more than thir ...
. She held the position until 2004, when she was succeeded by Greg Dyke. An enthusiastic Patron of the
Leeds International Pianoforte Competition The Leeds International Piano Competition, informally known as The Leeds and formerly the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, is an international piano competition which takes place every three years in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It ...
, she gave an address at the closing ceremony of the 2009 event.


Honours and awards

Janet Baker was made a Commander of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(CBE) in 1970 and appointed to Dame Commander (DBE) in 1976. She was appointed a member of the
Order of the Companions of Honour The Order of the Companions of Honour is an Order (distinction), order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded on 4 June 1917 by King George V as a reward for outstanding achievements. It was founded on the same date as the Order of the Brit ...
(CH) in 1993. In 1968, she was initiated as an Honorary Member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity by the Alpha Omicron chapter at Occidental College, California, United States. In 1971, the
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-based Alfred Toepfer Foundation awarded her its annual Shakespeare Prize. She received the Léonie Sonning Music Prize of
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
in 1979. She is the recipient of both Honorary Membership (1987) and the Gold Medal (1990) of the
Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...
. She has been a vice-president of The Bach Choir since 1983. In 2007, she received the Distinguished Musician Award from the Incorporated Society of Musicians and in 2011 she was installed as an Honorary Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians at a ceremony in the City of London. This is the highest honour the company can bestow on a fellow musician. She was awarded a Fellowship by the Royal Northern College of Music (FRNCM) in 1978. She was voted into ''Gramophone'' magazine's inaugural Hall of Fame in 2012.


Private life

She married James Keith Shelley in 1957 in Harrow; he became her manager and accompanied her to engagements. They decided not to have children for the sake of her career. Following her retirement as a singer, she did perform and record some spoken roles, for example the role of the narrator in Britten's incidental music for '' The Rescue of Penelope''; in later years, apart from occasional public appearances such as the 2009 Leeds event, she said she had "nothing to do with anyone except close friends".'' Limelight'', April 2009, p. 52 Those friends include the singer Felicity Lott, pianist Imogen Cooper, conductor Jane Glover and actress Patricia Routledge, all of whom appeared in a BBC documentary profile, ''Janet Baker in her own words'', shown in 2019. After her husband suffered a stroke, she cared for him at home. He died in June 2019.


Recordings

* Bellini: '' I Capuleti e i Montecchi'', Beverly Sills, Robert Lloyd, Nicolai Gedda, Raimund Herincx, John Alldis Choir, New Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Giuseppe Patanè. 1975. Studio recording. EMI Records Ltd. * Berlioz: '' Béatrice et Bénédict'', with Christiane Eda-Pierre, Helen Watts, Robert Tear, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis. Recorded Henry Wood Hall, 19–22 December 1977. LP Philips 6700 121. CD 416 952 2. * Berlioz: '' Les Troyens'': scenes from Act V and '' La Mort de Cléopâtre'', London Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Gibson. Recorded Watford Town Hall, 14–15 September 1969. LP – ASD2516, CD CDM7 69544 2. * Berlioz: '' L'Enfance du Christ, Op.25'' – John Alldis Choir, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis. Recorded Watford Town Hall, 24–28 October 1976. LP Philips 6700 106, CD 415 949 2. * Berlioz: ''La Mort de Cléopâtre'' (with '' Herminie'' and 5 songs), London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis cond. (Philips, rec. 03/1979) * Brahms: '' Alto Rhapsody'', op 53, with the male voices of the John Alldis Choir,
London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is a British orchestra based in London. One of five permanent symphony orchestras in London, the LPO was founded by the conductors Thomas Beecham, Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a riv ...
, Sir Adrian Boult. Recorded Abbey Road Studios, London, 15 December 1970. Producer: Christopher Bishop; Balance engineer: Christopher Parker. CDM 7 69424 2. * Britten: Spring Symphony, op 44, with Sheila Armstrong, Robert Tear, London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn. Recorded Kingsway Hall, 28–29 June 1978. LP ASD3650, CD CDC7 47667 2 * Delius: '' Songs of Sunset'', John Shirley-Quirk, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, Charles Groves * Elgar: '' The Dream of Gerontius'', Hallé Orchestra, John Barbirolli. Recorded December 1964. * Elgar: ''The Dream of Gerontius'', City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, CBSO Chorus, Simon Rattle. Recorded September 1986. * Elgar: '' Sea Pictures'', Op. 37, London Symphony Orchestra, John Barbirolli. Recorded 30 August 1965, Abbey Road Studio 1. LP – ASD655, CD CDC7 47329 2The LSO Discography by Philip Stuart
accessed 9 June 2014.
* Gluck: '' Orpheus and Euridice'' at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, conducted by Raymond Leppard. On video. Copyright 1982 by National Video Corporation Limited. * Handel: ''
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'' with the
English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is a British opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in E ...
; Charles Mackerras conducting ( Chandos CHAN 3019; recorded 1–7 August 1984; released 1999). A studio-made video of the ENO production, recorded at Limehouse Studio, was released on video and later DVD. * Mahler: '' Des Knaben Wunderhorn'' with Geraint Evans and the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Wym Morris, (Nimbus 1966) * Mahler: '' Kindertotenlieder'' with the Hallé Orchestra; John Barbirolli conducting (EMI LP cat. no. ASD 2338; released 1968) * Mahler: '' Rückert Lieder'' with the Scottish National Orchestra under Jascha Horenstein (BBC Legends, 1967) * Mahler: ''Rückert Lieder'' with the Hallé Orchestra; John Barbirolli conducting (EMI LP cat. no. ASD 2338; released 1968) * Mahler: ''Rückert Lieder'' with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under
Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...
(Columbia, 1974) * Mahler: ''Rückert Lieder'' with the London Symphony Orchestra under Michael Tilson Thomas (Columbia, 1987) * Mahler: '' Das Lied von der Erde'' with Waldemar Kmentt and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Rafael Kubelik (Audite, 1970) * Mahler: ''Das Lied von der Erde'' with Richard Lewis and the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell (Arkadia, 1970) * Mahler: ''Das Lied von der Erde'' with James King and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink (Philips, 1975) * Mahler: ''Das Lied von der Erde'' with Ludovic Spiess and the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Rudolf Kempe (BBC Legends, 1975) * Mahler: ''Das Lied von der Erde'' with John Mitchinson and the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra under Raymond Leppard (BBC Legends, 1977) * Mahler: '' Symphony No. 2'' with the London Symphony Orchestra,
BBC Chorus There have been three choirs named The BBC Chorus in the history of the British Broadcasting Corporation. # Today's BBC Symphony Chorus. Founded in 1928 as the BBC National Chorus, it changed its name to the BBC Chorus in 1932, before changing ...
etc., Leopold Stokowski conducting (BBC Proms 1963); (BBC Legends) * Mahler: '' Symphony No. 2'' with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Hedwig's Cathedral Choir under John Barbirolli (Nuova Era, 1965) * Mahler: '' Symphony No. 2'' with the London Symphony Orchestra, Edinburgh Festival Chorus under
Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...
(CBS, 1974) * Mahler: '' Symphony No. 2'', City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, CBSO Chorus, Simon Rattle. Recorded 1986. * Mahler: '' Symphony No. 2'' in "The Klemperer Legacy"; Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischer Rundfunks ; Otto Klemperer conducting (EMI, 1998) * Mahler: '' Symphony No. 3'' with the London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, Southend Boys' Choir under Michael Tilson-Thomas (Columbia, 1987) * Mozart: '' Cosi fan tutte'', conducted by Colin Davis (Philips, 1974) * Mozart: '' La clemenza di Tito'', conducted by Colin Davis (Philips, 1977) * Purcell: '' Dido and Aeneas'', conducted by
Anthony Lewis Joseph Anthony Lewis (March 27, 1927 – March 25, 2013) was an American public intellectual and journalist. He was a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and was a columnist for ''The New York Times''. He is credited with creating the field o ...
,
English Chamber Orchestra The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and their ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall. With a limited performance size, the orchestra spe ...
, The St. Anthony Singers; rec. Oct. 1961; with Raimund Herincx as Aeneas. Decca Legendary Performances/ UMG. SOL 60047. * Rameau: '' Hippolyte et Aricie'', conducted by
Anthony Lewis Joseph Anthony Lewis (March 27, 1927 – March 25, 2013) was an American public intellectual and journalist. He was a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and was a columnist for ''The New York Times''. He is credited with creating the field o ...
,
English Chamber Orchestra The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and their ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall. With a limited performance size, the orchestra spe ...
, The St. Anthony Singers; rec. 1966; with Robert Tear as Hippolyte and Angela Hickey as Aricie. L'oiseau Lyre. * Schubert: ''Lieder''. A double-CD with pianists Gerald Moore and Geoffrey Parsons, containing forty-two songs. EMI classics, 7243 5 69389 2 * Verdi: '' Requiem'', with the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...
et alia under Georg Solti,
Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...
(Columbia, 1977)


Videography

* '' Glyndebourne Festival Opera: a Gala Evening'' (1992), Arthaus Musik DVD, 100-432, 2004


References


External links

* *
An interview with Janet Baker recorded in 1994
– a British Library sound recording * Interview in: Making Music in Britain: Interviews with those behind the notes. Elizabeth Haddon, Ashgate, 2006 (pages 11–28)
Making Music in Britain: Interviews with Those Behind the Notes: Amazon.co.uk: Haddon, Elizabeth: 9780754638230: Books
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Janet 1933 births Living people Musicians from Doncaster English operatic mezzo-sopranos English opera singers Grammy Award winners Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medallists Chancellors of the University of York Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Singers awarded damehoods EMI Classics and Virgin Classics artists Honorary members of the Royal Philharmonic Society Fellows of Downing College, Cambridge RCA Victor artists Benjamin Britten Edward Elgar Recipients of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize