Lorenzo Da Ponte (10 March 1749 - 17 August 1838) was a Venetian opera librettist and poet. He wrote the librettos for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Mozart's greatest operas, ''Don Giovanni'', ''The Marriage of Figaro'' and ''Così fan tutte''.

European career

Lorenzo Da Ponte was born Emanuele Conegliano in Ceneda, in the Republic of Venice (now Vittorio Veneto, Italy). He was Jewish by birth. His parents were Geremia Conegliano and Rachele Pincherle. He had two brothers; Baruch (born in 1752) and Anania (born in 1754). Rachele died giving birth to Anania in 1754. Geremia Conegliano, the widowed father, converted himself and his three sons to Roman Catholicism in order to marry eighteen-year-old Orsola Pasqua Paietta. She was only four years older than Emanuele, then 14 years old. Emanuele took the name of Lorenzo da Ponte from the Bishop of Ceneda who baptised him. He studied to be a teacher and was ordained a Catholic priest. While priest of the church of San Luca in Venice, he took a mistress, Anzoletta Bellaudi, who was married. Da Ponte delivered their first child, an event which he commented was "the kind of incident that happens every day." Reprimanded by the vicar-general, Da Ponte and Anzoletta opened a brothel. Charged with "public concubinage and ''rapito di donna onesta''" (abduction of a respectable woman), Da Ponte was banished from Venice for fifteen years.

Da Ponte travelled to Austria, and applied for the post of Poet to the Theatres. Emperor Joseph II asked how many plays he had written. Da Ponte replied "None, Sire," to which the Emperor replied "Good, good! Then we shall have a virgin muse."

As court librettist, he wrote texts in French, German, Spanish, and Italian, and collaborated with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Salieri, and Vicente Martín y Soler.

Sometime around 1792, da Ponte was introduced to Ann Celestine Grahl (known more commonly as Nancy), a woman twenty years younger than him, who became his wife for the latter part of his life and was mother to da Ponte's four children: Louisa (1794), Fanny (1799), Joseph (1800), and Lorenzo (1804).

American career

With the death of Joseph II, Da Ponte lost his patron, and he received little interest from the new Emperor. He moved to Prague briefly, and then to London. He started a new career there as an opera producer. But he had little head for business, and eventually found himself in bankruptcy. To escape his creditors, he fled to the United States.

In the United States, Da Ponte settled in New York first, then Sunbury, Pennsylvania, where he briefly ran a grocery store and gave private Italian lessons. He returned to New York to open a bookstore. He became friends with Clement Clarke Moore, and, through him, gained an appointment as the first professor of Italian literature at Columbia College. He was the first Roman Catholic priest to be appointed to the faculty, and he was also the first to have been born a Jew. In New York he introduced opera and produced a performance of ''Don Giovanni''. He also introduced Gioachino Rossini's music in the U.S., through a concert tour with his niece Giulia da Ponte.

In 1828, at the age of 79, Da Ponte became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He died in 1838 in New York; an enormous funeral ceremony was held in New York's old St. Patrick's Cathedral on Mulberry Street. Some sources state that Da Ponte is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, but that cemetery did not exist before 1848. Other sources say da Ponte was buried in lower Manhattan. Calvary Cemetery does contain a stone marker to serve as a memorial to Da Ponte.

All of Da Ponte's works were adaptations of pre-existing plots, as was common among librettists of the time, with the exceptions of ''L'arbore di Diana'' with Vicente Martín y Soler, and ''Così fan tutte'', which he began with Salieri, but completed with Mozart. However the quality of his elaboration gave them new life, in particular the Don Giovanni character, often seen in contrast with Giacomo Casanova as the archetypical libertine character.

Lorenzo Da Ponte's great-great-great-grandson, Durant da Ponte, was Professor of American Studies at the University of Tennessee.

Works

Operas:

* ''Ifigenia in Tauride'' (1783) — composer Christoph Willibald Gluck

* ''La Scuola de' gelosi'' (1783) — composer Antonio Salieri

* ''Il ricco d'un giorno'' (1784) — composer Antonio Salieri

* ''Il burbero di buon cuore'' (1786, from the play by Carlo Goldoni) — composer Vicente Martín y Soler

* ''Il Demogorgone ovvero Il filosofo confuso'' (1786) — composer Vincenzo Righini

* ''Il finto cieco'' (1786) — composer Giuseppe Gazzaniga

* ''Le nozze di Figaro'' (1786, from the play by Pierre Beaumarchais) — composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

* ''Una cosa rara'' (1786, from the comedy ''La Luna della Sierra'' by Luis Vélez de Guevara) — composer Vicente Martín y Soler

* ''Gli equivoci'' (1786) — composer Stephen Storace

* ''L'arbore di Diana'' (1787) — composer Vicente Martín y Soler

* ''Il dissoluto punito o sia Il Don Giovanni'' (1787, from the opera by Giuseppe Gazzaniga) — composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

* ''Axur, re d'Ormus'' (1787/88, translation of the libretto ''Tarare'' by Pierre Beaumarchais) — composer Antonio Salieri

* ''Il Talismano'' (1788, from Carlo Goldoni) — composer Antonio Salieri

* ''Il Bertoldo'' (1788) — composer Antonio Brunetti

* ''L'Ape musicale'' (1789) — Pasticcio of works by various composers

* ''Il Pastor fido'' (1789, from the pastoral by Giovanni Battista Guarini) — composer Antonio Salieri

* ''La Cifra'' (1789) — composer Antonio Salieri

* ''Così fan tutte'' (1789/90) — composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

* ''La Caffettiera bizzarra'' (1790) — composer Joseph Weigl

* ''La Capricciosa corretta'' (1795) — composer Vicente Martín y Soler

* ''Antigona'' (1796) — composer Giuseppe Francesco Bianchi

* ''Il consiglio imprudente'' (1796) — composer Giuseppe Francesco Bianchi

* ''Merope'' (1797) — composer Giuseppe Francesco Bianchi

* ''Cinna'' (1798) — composer Giuseppe Francesco Bianchi

* ''Armida'' (1802) — composer Giuseppe Francesco Bianchi

* ''La Grotta di Calipso'' (1803) — composer Peter von Winter

* ''Il Trionfo dell'amor fraterno'' (1804) — composer Peter von Winter

* ''Il Ratto di Proserpina'' (1804) — composer Peter von Winter

Cantatas and Oratorios:

* ''Per la ricuperata salute di Ofelia'' (1785) — composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Salieri and "Cornetti" (lost)

* ''Il Davidde'' (1791) — Pasticcio from works by various composers

* ''Hymn to America'' — composer Antonio Bagioli

Poetry:

Letter of complaint in blank verse to Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor

* 18 sonnets in commemoration of his wife (1832)

He did translations from English into Italian, and also wrote several books of elementary instruction in the Italian language. He published an autobiography, ''Memorie'' (see Bibliography), and ''History of the Florentine Republic and the Medici'' (2 vols., 1833).

Notes

References

Russo, Joseph Louis. ''Lorenzo Da Ponte Poet and Adventurer.'' Columbia University studies in romance philology and literature. New York: AMS Press, 1966. googlebooks.com Accessed October 15, 2007

Bibliography

FitzLyon, April, ''The Libertine Librettist'' (1955)

Bolt, Rodney, ''The Librettist of Venice: The Remarkable Life of Lorenzo Da Ponte — Mozart's Poet, Casanova's Friend, and Italian Opera's Impresario in America'', New York: Bloomsbury, 2006 ISBN 1-59691-118-2

Da Ponte, Lorenzo, ''Memorie'', New York: 1823–27; English edition: ''Memoirs of Lorenzo Da Ponte'', translated by Elizabeth Abbott, annotated by Arthur Livingstone. New York: The Orion Press, 1959. ISBN 0-306-76290-0

Hodges, Sheila, ''Lorenzo Da Ponte: The Life and Times of Mozart's Librettist'', Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2002 ISBN 0-299-17874-9

Holden, Anthony, ''The Man Who Wrote Mozart: The Extraordinary Life of Lorenzo Da Ponte '', London: Orion Publishing Company, 2007 ISBN 0-7538-2180-X

Hüttler, Michael (ed.): ''Lorenzo Da Ponte''. Vienna: Böhlau, 2007 (Maske & Kothurn, 52/4) (ISBN 978-3-205-77617-8)

Jewish Museum, Vienna (pub.), ''Lorenzo Da Ponte — Challenging the New World'', exhibition catalogue from the Jewish Museum ISBN 978-3-7757-1748-9, ISBN 3-7757-1748-X

Russo, Joseph Louis, ''Lorenzo Da Ponte: Poet and Adventurer'', New York: Columbia University Press, 1922 ISBN 0-404-50632-1

Steptoe, Anthony, ''Mozart–Da Ponte Operas: The Cultural and Musical Background to "Le nozze di Figaro", "Don Giovanni", and "Cosi fan tutte"'', New York: Clarendon Press/Oxford University Press, 1988 ISBN 0-19-313215-X

Da Ponte, Lorenzo, "Libretti viennesi", a cura di Lorenzo della Chà, Milano-Parma: Fondazione Bembo-Ugo Guanda Editore, 1999, due volumi. ISBN 88-8246-060-6

Da Ponte, Lorenzo, "Estratto delle Memorie", a cura di Lorenzo della Chà, Milano: Edizioni Il Polifilo, 1999. ISBN 88-7050-438-7

Da Ponte, Lorenzo, "Il Mezenzio", a cura di Lorenzo della Chà, Milano: Edizioni Il Polifilo, 2000. ISBN 88-7050-310-0

Da Ponte, Lorenzo, "Saggio di traduzione libera di Gil Blas", a cura di Lorenzo della Chà, Milano: Edizioni Il Polifilo, 2002. ISBN 88-7050-461-1

Da Ponte, Lorenzo, "Dante Alighieri", a cura di Lorenzo della Chà, Milano: Edizioni Il Polifilo, 2004. ISBN 88-7050-462-X

Da Ponte, Lorenzo, "Saggi poetici", a cura di Lorenzo della Chà, Milano: Edizioni Il Polifilo, 2005. ISBN 88-7050-463-8

Da Ponte, Lorenzo, "Libretti londinesi" a cura di Lorenzo della Chà, Milano: Edizioni Il Polifilo, 2007. ISBN 88-7050-464-6

External links

Acocella, Joan, "Nights At The Opera: The Life of the Man who put Words to Mozart", ''The New Yorker'', 8 January 2007

Holden, Anthony, “The phoenix”, ‘’The Guardian’’ (London), 7 January 2007

Keats, Jonathan, "Lorenzo's Toil: How the Son of an Impoverished Leatherworker Came to Write Mozart's Libretti", ''Washington Post'', 16 July 2006 — book review

Category:1749 births Category:1838 deaths Category:People from Vittorio Veneto Category:Italian Jews Category:American Jews Category:American Roman Catholics Category:Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Queens) Category:Columbia University faculty Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism from Judaism Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Italian writers Category:Venetian emigrants to the United States Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:Italian opera librettists Category:American opera librettists Category:Mozart's librettists Category:Italian expatriates in Austria Category:18th-century Roman Catholic priests Category:Italian Roman Catholic priests

ar:لورنزو دابونتي ca:Lorenzo Da Ponte cs:Lorenzo da Ponte da:Lorenzo da Ponte de:Lorenzo da Ponte es:Lorenzo da Ponte fr:Lorenzo da Ponte gl:Lorenzo da Ponte hr:Lorenzo da Ponte it:Lorenzo Da Ponte he:לורנצו דה פונטה la:Laurentius a Ponte hu:Lorenzo Da Ponte nl:Lorenzo da Ponte ja:ロレンツォ・ダ・ポンテ no:Lorenzo da Ponte pl:Lorenzo da Ponte pt:Lorenzo Da Ponte ro:Lorenzo da Ponte ru:Лоренцо да Понте sk:Lorenzo da Ponte fi:Lorenzo da Ponte sv:Lorenzo Da Ponte tr:Lorenzo Da Ponte uk:Лоренцо да Понте zh:洛伦佐·达·彭特

Coordinates	54°41′14″N17°16′46″N
name	Andrea Zanzotto
birth date	October 10, 1921
birth place	Pieve di Soligo (province of Treviso, Veneto), Italy
occupation	Italian poet
portaldisp	}}

Andrea Zanzotto (born October 10, 1921) is an Italian poet.

Biography

Andrea Zanzotto was born in Pieve di Soligo (province of Treviso, Veneto), Italy to Giovanni and Carmela Bernardi.

His father, Giovanni (born November 18, 1888), had received degrees from the ''École supèrieure de peinture'' at Brussels (1911, specializing in trompe-l'oeil in wood and marble) and the Academy of Fine Arts at Bologna (1913, diploma di professore di disegno). Having been hired by a large painting business in Trieste, he was inducted into the army in 1915 and took part in combat on the Piave River. Giovanni had been involved with Carmela for some time, but postponed marriage until his work abroad (Trieste at that time belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire) earned him enough to support a family.

Education

For the first two years of his life, Zanzotto lived with his parents near via Sirtori. In 1922, they moved into a house that the father acquired in the Cal Santa district. This would be the setting and house most often described by the poet. As he wrote in his "Self-portrait" ('''', 1977), this was from the very beginning, the center of his world.

In 1923, his sisters Angela and Marina were born. In 1924 he attended a Montessori kindergarten run by nuns. In 1925, his sister Maria was born.

In the meantime, his father, who had openly espoused support for Giacomo Matteotti, was accused of anti-fascism. In the course of time his opposition to the fascist regime made it difficult for him to find any kind of work, to the point of deciding in 1925 to take refuge in Paris and then at Annoeullin (near Lille), where he worked for some friends of his. He returned to his home country for a brief period, but in 1926 was forced back to France, remaining in Royan until December of that year.

Elementary School

Thanks to his teacher, Marcellina Dalto, Zanzotto already knew how to write when he started the elementary school in 1927. He passed immediately to the second grade. As the poet recounts in his "Self-portrait", he already took pleasure in the music of words: "I felt something infinitely sweet listening to chants, nursery rhymes and little verses, even those of the children's magazine ''Il Corriere dei Piccoli'' -- not so much in singing, but insofar as they were pronounced or simply spoken, according to harmony linked to the very function of language, to its inner song."

In 1928 his father Giovanni took a job as a teacher in a school in Cadore and decided to move with the family to Santo Stefano where Zanzotto completed his second grade. By the end of summer, however, Giovanni realized that the distance between his wife and her mother was causing his wife to suffer. He decided to move the family back to Pieve.

The death of Zanzotto's sister Marina in 1929 made a lasting impression on the mind of the young poet.

In that year, his father Giovanni came to public attention for his campaigning again the fascist plebiscite, and was condemned to remain in exile. Nevertheless, he managed to work on the restoration of the church at Costalissoio. Zanzotto, attending third grade at the time, joined him during summer vacation, but suffered homesickness.

In 1930, Zanzotto's brother Ettore was born. At the same time, Giovanni was force to go into debt due to the embezzlement and flight of a clerk at the company (a labor cooperative for injured veterans) which was providing him with the means to support the family. This imposed financial constraints on the entire family.

During this period, he became close to his maternal grandmother and to his aunt Maria, who as he wrote in ''Uno squardo dalla periferia'' ("A view from the edge"), made him listen to "fragments of ''Latino maccheronico'' (mock Latin)" and involved him in the activity of the little theater where she worked as a draumaturge, ''capocomico'', director and actress.

At school, he proved a lively but not always disciplined student, often receiving the scoldings of his father. The young man showed no talent for drawing, the very subject which the father had mastered. The father insisted then that Zanzotto take music lessons, since music was the passion of the town thanks to the fame of local soprano Toti Dal Monte (whom Zanzotto would recall at the being of his opera, ''Idioma'').

Middle school

Having completed elementary school in 1931 as an off-campus student at the ''Collegio Balbi-Valier'' and taken his examinations in Vittorio Veneto, Zanzotto began middle school, gradually arriving at the decision to study to pursue a teaching diploma, a decision driven above all by his family's precarious financial position.

His father worked in the meantime in Santo Stefano, but was forced, in 1932, due to poorer wages, to return to Annoeullin where he remained until November. He returned to Pieve in 1933 and although he remained under a ban that prevented him from teaching, he was able to contribute to the upkeep of his family thanks to a part-time position at ''Collegio Balbi-Valier'' and to various odd jobs. Taking account of his responsibilities to the family, he avoided any direct conflict with his political enemies.

Teaching School

With the transition to teaching school, which Zanzotto commuted to Treviso to attend, commenced his first strong literary interests, which he nourished at the moment by consulting the encyclopedia compiled by Giacomo Prampolini.

In 1936, his first love re-emerged alongside the inspiration for the first verses he succeeded in publishing, with the cooperation of his grandmother and aunt, in an anthology for which he paid a small fee.

The verses didn't yet have a personal style, and felt the influence of Giovanni Pascoli, given that a nephew of Pascoli worked in the local bank, and knowing his passion for poetry, presented him with a gift of some of the poet's work in first edition.

High school

In 1937 his sister Angela died of typhus. To the pain of grief, which had stricken him profoundly, was added the fatigue of the commute to Treviso and the intensification of his studies. Wanting to graduate in the shortest time possible, he had undergone an examination in October of the previous year, comprising all of the junior year subjects. He passed it and started to study Greek in order to pass the entrance examination for ''liceo classico'' (a high school focused on Classics).

Allergies and asthma, from which he had already suffered, began to present themselves in more forceful episodes. In addition to the symptoms, these brought on a feeling of exclusion and peril: "I think it may have had a negative influence on my childhood and adolescence, this particular aberrant idea which gradually took root in me: the impossibility of actively participating in the game of life, insofar as I would soon be excluded. I suffered from various types of allergies, and at that time, the diagnosis could be rather confused and doubtful. Asthma and hay fever, which had tormented me since I was a boy, were sometimes interpreted as a condition that could seriously worsen, even in the short term" (from the "Self-Portrait").

Having received his teaching credentials, he was entrusted with several pupils for private lessons by the director of ''Collegio Balbi-Valler'' and obtained 2,000 lire as a debt of honor from the parish priest, Monsignor Martin, for continuing his studies.

Zanzotto passed the admission examination, finally achieving his classical diploma by examination without formal preparation at the ''Liceo Canova'' in Treviso.

University

In 1939, he enrolled in the College of Letters at the University of Padua where he studied under Diego Valeri and the Latinist, Concetto Marchesi.

With Valeri's encouragement, he immersed himself in the writings of Baudelaire and discovered Rimbaud as well as (thanks to Luigi Stefanini) the poetry of Hölderlin, which he read for the first time in Vincenzo Errante's translation.

Meanwhile, he began to study German so that he might read Hölderlin, Goethe and Heine in the original.

In 1940, he worked for the first time as a substitute teacher in Valdobbiadene. He discovered at that time that within the regime and above all in the student clubs, there were many who nevertheless acted with practical autonomy, or in contrast to himself, as he came to be informed by his friend, Ettore Luccini, history and philosophy teacher at the ''liceo classico''.

In this period, they put out the magazine ''Il Bo'' in Padua, marked by a notably non-conformist stance, as well as the University of Treviso periodical, ''Signum'' (along with Giorgio Strehler, Mario Luzi and Mario Tobino, among others), which exhibited a superficial adherence to the positions of the regime.

The news of the outbreak of war was met in the town with great consternation, the economic crisis came to the fore, and Zanzotto's family had to sell half of the house at Col Santa.

In 1941 the substitute teaching position in Valdobbiadene was not renewed, but Zanzotto managed to find one in Treviso with a middle school.

At the Young Fascists University of Treviso (Gioventù Universitaria Fascista), within which there were also people practicing anti-fascism, he made, in 1942, a "presentation" on Eugenio Montale, where he interpreted the pessimism of the author in a political and ethical light.

He received his diploma in Italian literature on October 30, 1942, with a thesis on the work of Grazia Deledda. Professor Natale Busetto was his advisor (''relatore'').

The War

Called to military service, he received a deferment for his weak upper body and his severe allergy-related asthma, and thus was exempted from conscription into the army of '21, protagonist of the military campaign in Russia and Greece. He then refused to respond to the recruitment of volunteers organized by the Fascist Party.

He published a prose poem entitled ''Adagio'' in issue 10 of ''Signum'', and the first drafts of fiction, lyrical and prose, that would make up the older core of ''Sull'Altopiano'' ("On the Plateau", published in 1964) date back to that year.

An opportunity to publish presented itself in the collection of poetry assembled by the florentine magazine ''Rivoluzione'', founded by Mario Tobino, but due to the war, the periodical was forced to shut down.

Works in English translation

''Selected Poetry and Prose of Andrea Zanzotto'', Edited and Translated by Patrick Barron With Additional Translations by Ruth Feldman, Thomas J. Harrison, Brian Swann, John P. Welle, and Elizabeth A. Wilkins. 2009, University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226978857.

''Selected Poetry of Andrea Zanzotto'', edited and translated by Ruth Feldman-Brian Swann, Princeton University Press, Princeton, (New Jersey) 1975

''Poems by Andrea Zanzotto'', Translated from the Italian by Anthony Barnett, A-B, Lewes (Canada) 1993 ISBN 0-907954-19-7; translation from ''LA BELTA'' and from ''PASQUE''.

''Peasant's Wake for Fellini's "Casanova" and Other Poems'', Edited and Translated by John p. Welle and Ruth Feldman, Drawings by Federico Fellini and Augusto Murer, University of Illinois Press, Urbana and Chicago 1997

External links

Two poems by Zanzotto "Subnarcosis" & "The Peace of Olive" @ on-line journal "Fascicle"

Zanzotto poems translated by Dino Fabris includes poems and critique in English

''That Is How We Are'' (poem) online @ ''Jubilat''

Category:1921 births Category:Living people Category:People from Pieve di Soligo Category:Italian poets Category:Members of Giustizia e Libertà

de:Andrea Zanzotto fr:Andrea Zanzotto it:Andrea Zanzotto he:אנדראה זנזוטו la:Andreas Zanzotto pt:Andrea Zanzotto ru:Дзандзотто, Андреа

Coordinates	54°41′14″N17°16′46″N
background	solo_singer
birth name	Sarah Lewe
born	June 13, 1980Germany
genre	Pop, R&B;, soul
occupation	Singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, philanthropist
years active	2001–present
associated acts	Wyclef Jean, Ne-Yo, Natural, Naturally 7, Marc Terenzi, TQ, Enrique Iglesias
label	Epic Records, SONY
website	www.sarah-connor.com }}

Sarah Terenzi (born June 13, 1980 in Delmenhorst Germany) better known as Sarah Connor is a German recording artist,songwriter and television personality, who rose to fame in early 2000s. Awarded with several prizes and accolades, Connor has received four Comets, a Top of the Pops Award, a Goldene Kamera, a Goldene Europa, a World Music Award, and eleven Echo nominations, winning eight.

Connor debuted in 2001 under the guidance of artist manager George Glueck and became the first solo act to ever have four consecutive chart-topping hits on the German Media Control Singles Chart. Following success in mainland Europe with her single "From Sarah with Love" and her R&B-oriented; debut album ''Green Eyed Soul'', a series of hit records established her position as the most successful German pop female vocalists to emerge in the 2000s with sales in excess of 15 million copies worldwide. Her latest effort, seventh studio album ''Real Love'', was released in October 2010, amid her engagement as judge on the German reality television show ''X Factor''.

Divorced from American pop-rock musician Marc Terenzi, with whom she appeared in two reality shows, ''Sarah & Marc in Love'' (2007) and ''Crazy and Sexy: Sarah Connor'' (2008), during their marriage,she has a son named Tyler and a daughter, Summer, with her former husband.

Biography

Early life

Connor is the eldest of six siblings born to Michael Lewe, an advertising writer of American descent, and his wife Soraya Lewe-Tacke (née Gray), a former fashion model and homemaker of Scottish, Irish and German heritage, in Hamburg. She has four sisters: Anna Maria, Marisa, Sophia-Luisa, and Valentina; and one brother, Robin. Her maternal half-brothers Mick and Lex were born in 2008.

Connor grew up listening to soul music, mostly influenced by her paternal grandfather who was born in New Orleans. A church choir became her first experience in the gospel music field at a very young age. In her teen years Connor tried out and was accepted to a performing arts school. Although all students were required to choose an instrument, Connor was the only one allowed to study voice. She took vocal lessons once a week and worked as a waitress in a hotel to pay for them.

In 1997, Connor was picked to sing with the backing choir during the performance of "Heal the World" at Michael Jackson's ''HIStory'' concert tour in Bremen, Germany. Overwhelmed by a personal meeting with Jackson at the end of the show, she signed a contract with her first management the following year, that resulted in her pseudonym Sarah Gray and the recording of a number of demo tapes, including cover versions such as "Silent Night" and "This Christmas" and the local radio success "Ula la Ula." In 1999, she provided the leading vocals for producer Marc van Linden's dance remix of the 1982 record "Last Unicorn," which reached number 86 on the German Singles Chart. Unhappy with her management though, Connor teamed up with manager Carlo Vista, who got her signed as Sarah Connor with producer George Glueck's label X-Cell Records a short time after. As a direct consequence, she decided to quit school and leave home at the age of 19.

Recording and performing career

2001–2003: Breakthrough with ''From Sarah With Love''

Connor fluctuated between Hamburg, Hannover and Berlin to work on her debut album, involving producers such as Bülent Aris, Toni Cottura, Diane Warren, and the production duo Rob Tyger and Kay Denar. ''Green Eyed Soul'', which was eventually released on November 26, 2001 in German-speaking Europe, yielded her first two singles "Let's Get Back to Bed – Boy!," a collaboration with American rapper TQ, and "French Kissing," a song based on BLACKstreet’s "No Diggity." However, it was the album’s third single "From Sarah with Love" which reached the top position in Germany, Poland, Portugal and Switzerland and raised Connor’s fame all over Europe. The song garnered the singer a Comet and an ECHO Award. Album reviews were generally positive, with ''laut.de'' especially praising Connor’s vocal strengths.

Only ten months later, her second album ''Unbelievable'' (2002) was released in Europe. Wyclef Jean wrote, produced and rapped on the album’s lead single, "One Nite Stand (of Wolves and Sheep)," which once again entered the top 5. ''Unbelievable'' simultaneously achieved gold status in Germany within 48 hours and spawned another three singles, including Diane Warren-penned "Skin on Skin," "He's Unbelievable" and "Bounce" (which would be released as a single on 3 different occasions and countries including the United States.)

In October 2003, Connor released a live DVD branded ''Sarah Connor Live – A Night to Remember: Pop Meets Classic'', whose performance had been recorded at the Alten Kasselhaus in Düsseldorf on January 24, including indiviudal performances of own songs with a classical orchestra backing her up. In November 2003, in spite of being heavily pregnant with her first child, Connor released her third album called, ''Key to My Soul''. The album’s first single, "Music Is the Key" featuring New York a cappella singers Naturally 7, became her second number-one hit in Germany. "Just One Last Dance", the album's second and final single, was a re-recorded edition of the album’s original version, including new vocals by Marc Terenzi’s band Natural. The duet once again reached number-one in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland and the top 20 on a composite World Top 40.

The album "Sarah Connor" featured the first single, "Bounce". It was released in many countries. including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. In Germany, the single made it to #14 on the charts. In England and Ireland it peaked at number 14 and was certified gold in Australia. In America, the song only managed a #54 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album made it to number 106 and took off in the U.S., selling almost 100.000 copies.

2004–2008: International Success

After a lengthy hiatus that saw the birth of her son Tyler, Connor returned to music in fall 2004 with the release of her single "Living to Love You." The ballad reached number-one in Germany and Switzerland, becoming her third consecutive chart-topper, and preceded her fourth album ''Naughty But Nice'' (2005). Connor re-teamed with longtime contributors Booya, Kay Denar und Rob Tyger to work on the album, whose release coincided with the broadcast of her ProSieben reality series ''Sarah & Marc in Love''. Her highest-charting effort yet, ''Naughty But Nice'' debuted on top of the German Albums Chart and reached the top three in Austria and Switzerland, selling 100,000 copies within the first two days of its release. Critical reaction towards the album was generally mixed, with Allmusic rating it three starts out of five, and ''laut.de'' summing it as "underclass music for the disco around the corner." Spawning just one another single, "From Zero to Hero" was picked to be used as the theme song to the computer-animated movie ''Robots'' (2005), for which Connor voiced the character of Cappy. The song became her fifth chart-topping single in Germany and the fourth number-one hit single in a row.

In fall 2005, Connor embarked on the Naughty but Nice concert tour. Compiling twenty-three dates in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, the tour concluded a month later. In December 2005, she released a holiday album named ''Christmas in My Heart''. Containing a mix of traditional but contemporary English standards and re-written German songs in English language, both the album and its same-titled lead single reached number four on the charts. Eventually certified platinum by the IFPI, the album was re-released the following year, including the previously unreleased single "The Best Side of Life," another top four success.

Returning from yet another hiatus after the birth of her daughter Summer in 2006, Connor released her sixth studio album ''Soulicious'' in March 2007. Mainly made up of 1960's and 70’s Motown covers, but also including two original songs, recording for the entire album took place at the former main building of the Berliner Rundfunk, where Connor was backed by a symphonic orchestra of forty-eight musicians. Upon its release, the album reached the top ten in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, where it each reached gold status. Critics, again, gave ''Soulicious'' a mixed response, with ''CDStarts.de'' calling it "a sterile soul adaption for ''The Dome'' stage." Leading single "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)," which was featured in a publicity campaign for the comeback fight of German boxer Henry Maske, and "Sexual Healing," a duet with American singer Ne-Yo, reached the top ten and top twenty of the singles charts respectivey.

Heading into a new musical direction, Connor intensified work on her next original album with producers such as Remee, Thomas Troelsen and J.R. Rotem. In May 2008, it was announced Connor and her family would once again participate in an eight-part reality show titled ''Sarah and Marc: Still Crazy in Love"'' on ProSieben. The special began airing on July 3, 2008, and followed the recording and promotional events for the new album, branded ''Sexy as Hell''. Its first single, "Under My Skin," co-written by Troelsen, was released on August 1, 2008, in German-speaking Europe, with the album following on August 22, 2008. The song had originally come from DBSK's song "Mirotic". Subsequently, she was nominated for an ECHO.

2009–present: X-Factor

In 2009, Connor contributed to a re-recorded version of Enrique Iglesias' duet "Takin' Back My Love," replacing American singer Ciara's original vocals on the song. Released as the second single from Iglesias' 2008 ''Greatest Hits'' album in German-speaking Europe, Poland and the Czech Republic, it reached the top ten of the German Singles Chart.

In April 2010, it was announced that Connor would appear alongside mentor George Glueck and musician Till Brönner as a judge on the debut series of ''X Factor'', aired on the German VOX network. Connor's eighth studio album titled ''Real Love'' was released on October 22, 2010, and preceded by the single "Cold as Ice" Connor performed on the ''MTV European Music Awards 2010'' live Cold as Ice. Two weeks later Cold as Ice reached in the Belgien and Duth charts.

The Album ''Real Love'' reached #8 on the German Album charts and has now more than 30,000 copies.

Personal life

Connor's romantic relationships have been widely covered in the media. Prior to her music career, Connor started dating singer Martin Scholz, who was a member of the German boy band Touché and thus, shared the same management with her. Their three-year relationship ended in early 2000.

Amid rumors about affairs with fellow collaborators TQ and Wyclef Jean, Connor met Marc Terenzi, lead singer of American boy band Natural, at the Bravo Happy Holidays festival in Rust, Germany in July 2002. The pair began dating and in June 2003, it was announced they were engaged and expecting their first child, Tyler Marc Terenzi, who was born on February 2, 2004 in Orlando, Florida. On February 29, 2004 the couple invited their friends to a dinner supposedly to celebrate the birth of their son; however they announced that they in fact had eloped. The couple renewed their vows this time with a wedding ceremony on August 18, 2005 in Altafulla, Tarragonès, near Barcelona, Spain. The wedding was the subject of their ProSieben reality show ''Sarah and Marc in Love''. On June 23, 2006, Connor gave birth to their second child, a girl, named Summer Antonia Soraya. In November 2008, Connor announced her separation from Terenzi.

After her separation from Terenzi, Connor was linked with Brazilian footballer Diego Ribas da Cunha, although the couple claimed to be good friends. In April 2010, Connor announced that she is in a relationship with her manager, Florian Fischer, singer of the 1990s pop trio The Boyz. In February 2011 they confirmed to Bild that they are expecting a child.

Connor lives since 2007 in Los Angeles.

Impact and controversy

Connor has made an impact in Germany as well as surrounding countries. She is one of the best-selling German artists of all time, holding records for having four consecutive number ones (ending with "From Zero to Hero"), the first artist to accomplish this, and five number ones overall (four of which are ballads); she ties with Modern Talking and Boney M for this latter feat.

Image wise, her image and logo have graced several products. In Germany outside of her own promotional merchandise, she has her own line of jeans, perfume, and her own cakes.

Connor has also been embroiled in a few controversies. In January 2002, she performed on the popular German television show ''Wetten, dass..?'' wearing a tight and revealing dress. Rumors swirled she had worn no panties, which created such a controversy that the front pages of popular tabloids (including ''Bild'') ran headlines about it. Connor had actually worn skin colored panties so they would not show. She later auctioned the dress off for charity.

In June 2005, she got into another controversy, when she performed the German national anthem at the opening ceremony of the new stadium in Munich, at the Allianz Arena, singing "Brüh im Lichte dieses Glückes" ("Scald in the light of this fortune") instead of "Blüh im Glanze dieses Glückes" ("Flourish in the blessing of this fortune"). This faux pas was documented in her show 'Sarah and Marc in Love'.

Some of the impact and controversy has also touched her personal life. In 2005, German comedian Oliver Pocher mocked and parodied Connor’s reality show ''Sarah and Marc in Love'' on his show ''Rent a Pocher''. Not liking having her family mocked, Connor brought legal action against him. The outcome is unknown but he did eventually apologize.

Filmography

Film
Year	Film	Role	Notes
2005	''Robots''	Maria	Voice
2006	''Ein Mädchen namens Rania''	Rania Meyer	Film debut, main role
2010	''Isch kandidiere''	Herself	Cameo

Television guest appearances
Year	Title	Role	Notes
2003	''Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten''	Laura Werner	Guest star, 4 Episodes
		Herself	Reality Television
"Christmas In Sarah's Heart"	Herself	Television special, Promo for ''Christmas in My Heart''
2007	"Germany's Next Topmodel"	Herself	Guest joror, 1 Episode
2008		Herself	Reality Television, Promo for ''Sexy as Hell''
2010–2011	"X-Factor"	Herself	Main joror
2011		Sarah Lewe	Guest star, 1 Episode

Discography

Studio albums

''Green Eyed Soul'' (2001)

''Unbelievable'' (2002)

''Key to My Soul'' (2003)

''Naughty but Nice'' (2005)

''Soulicious'' (2007)

''Sexy as Hell'' (2008)

''Real Love'' (2010)

Compilation albums

Sarah Connor (2004)

Holiday albums

''Christmas in My Heart'' (2005)

Tours

Green Eyed Soul Tour (2002)

Sarah Connor Live (2003–2004)

Naughy but Nice Tour (2005)

Sexy as Hell Tour (2009)

Awards

References

External links

Official website

Complete discography page

Category:Article Feedback Pilot Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Blue-eyed soul singers Category:English-language singers Category:German female singers Category:German pop singers Category:German soul singers Category:The X Factor judges Category:Rhythm and blues singers Category:Universal Music Group artists Category:World Music Awards winners

bg:Сара Конър cs:Sarah Connor de:Sarah Connor et:Sarah Connor es:Sarah Connor (cantante) fr:Sarah Connor (chanteuse) id:Sarah Connor it:Sarah Connor (cantante) ka:სარა კონორი lv:Sāra Konora hu:Sarah Connor (énekesnő) ms:Sarah Connor nl:Sarah Connor (zangeres) ja:サラ・コナー no:Sarah Connor pl:Sarah Connor pt:Sarah Connor (cantora) ro:Sarah Connor (cântăreață) ru:Сара Коннор (певица) sr:Sara Konor (pevačica) fi:Sarah Connor sv:Sarah Connor th:ซาราห์ คอนเนอร์ tr:Sarah Connor vi:Sarah Connor (ca sĩ) zh:莎拉·蔻娜

Coordinates	54°41′14″N17°16′46″N
name	Brandi Carlile
background	solo_singer
landscape	yes
born	June 01, 1981Ravensdale, Washington, U.S.
instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano, banjo
genre	Pop rock, alternative country, folk rock
occupation	Musician, Songwriter
years active	2004–present
label	Columbia
website	www.BrandiCarlile.com }}

Brandi Carlile (born June 1, 1981) is an American singer and songwriter. Carlile's music has been categorized in several genres, including pop, rock, alternative country, indie, and folk.

Biography

Early life

Around 1989, at age eight, Carlile performed a rendition of the country music song "Tennessee Flat Top Box" with her mother. She began to play the guitar and write songs at fifteen. At sixteen, she began to perform as a backup singer for an Elvis impersonator.

Career

Before signing to a major record label, Carlile performed in local Seattle establishments like The Crocodile, Tractor Tavern, and Paragon with twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth. Carlile sold her self-released recordings during local performances. Carlile began to attract the attention of the music industry after Dave Matthews heard her band perform at the 2003 Sasquatch! Music Festival.

Columbia Records signed Carlile in late 2004 on the strength of her home recordings. Her 2005 major label debut, ''Brandi Carlile'' included some of those songs as well as newly recorded tracks. After the release of ''Brandi Carlile'', she went on tour with the Hanseroth brothers for almost two years, where they worked on songs that became part of her album ''The Story''.

In 2005, Carlile was featured on ''Rolling Stone'''s "10 Artists to Watch in 2005" list. By the end of 2006, Carlile had toured as a headliner and supported other artists including Ray LaMontagne, Jonny Lang, Hanson, Indigo Girls, The Fray, Chris Isaak, Tori Amos, and Shawn Colvin.

Carlile's second Columbia album, ''The Story'', was released in April 2007. It was produced by T Bone Burnett and includes a collaboration with the Indigo Girls on "Cannonball". The album was recorded in an 11-day long session with Carlile, the Hanseroth twins, cellist Josh Neumann and drummer Matt Chamberlain to capture the sound of her live performances. The crack in Carlile's vocals during the title track, "The Story", came out by accident and was a direct result of the way the album was recorded. Carlile describes the vocals as "technically wrong but emotionally right". She would also contribute vocals to "Last Tears" from Indigo Girls' ''Despite Our Differences''.

In November 2007, Carlile visited England for her first UK gig at the Borderline in London. In February 2008, Carlile performed as special guest to Newton Faulkner on five of his UK tour dates. During March and April 2008 Carlile toured through Australia with Maroon 5 and OneRepublic. In April 2008, she played four dates in the UK and was a guest performer on the BBC2 show, ''Later... with Jools Holland''. Carlile's album ''The Story'' was released in the UK on April 21, with lead single "Turpentine" released on April 14, 2008.

Carlile's third studio album, ''Give Up the Ghost'', was released on October 6, 2009. The album debuted at #26 on theBillboard 200 The album was produced by Jason Lader and contains a collaboration with Elton John entitled "Caroline".

English singer Adele covered ''The Story'''s hidden track "Hiding My Heart" on a bonus edition of her 2011 album ''21''.

Charity activities

Carlile worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, for her 2007 fall tour, as well as her 2009 Give Up the Ghost tour. She also performed with Ben Taylor in the Eden Presents…Alive in the World concert series for the benefit of Eden Florida, an organization that assists autistic children and adults.

In 2008, Carlile created The Looking Out Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, in order to provide financial support to various causes that she believes in. The Looking Out Foundation has provided grants to Reverb, the American Diabetes Association, and Honor The Earth, as well as numerous other organizations. She also donates one dollar from every concert ticket sale to the foundation.

In an interview in September 2009, Carlile said: "We really work on a community basis and we do everything from helping people pay for funerals to environmental projects. The Looking Out Foundation is a helping hand to any cause we believe in."

In January 2010, Carlile's ''Looking Out Foundation'' partnered with the Seattle Police Department, the Indigo Girls, and two local Seattle self-defense studios to fund and support the Fight the Fear Campaign. The campaign was inspired by the assault on a local Seattle woman and her partner in their South Park home and provided free self-defense lessons to women in at-risk communities throughout 2010.

Also in 2010, Carlile contributed the track "The Heartache Can Wait" to the ''Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: More Hope For The Holidays'' album alongside many other names such as Mike Love of The Beach Boys, Weezer, and Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Proceeds from this album go to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Personal life

In an April 2008 interview with ''The Independent'', Carlile revealed that, as a teenager, she was diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder and struggled in high school. She eventually dropped out to focus on a music career. She said:

"They wanted to medicate me so I could concentrate in math class...I decided to pretty much stop going. I went out busking instead."

Carlile is the owner of a Doberman Pinscher named Bailey and a horse named Sovereign, whom she named after her first guitar.

During a November 14, 2002 interview with ''The Western Front'', the official newspaper of Western Washington University, Carlile identified herself as a lesbian, and stated that she did not think it would affect her record deal. She was quoted as saying: "I think that since it's not a big deal for me, that people subscribe to that." In an October 17, 2009 interview with the ''Los Angeles Times'', Carlile was quoted as saying:

"I hope that somewhere in Small Town, USA, a 15-year-old kid looks to me as a role model the way I looked at the Indigo Girls and Elton John as role models...and I hope they also recognize that the reason why I don't have to have a lot of formality around it, the reason why I don't have to wear it on my sleeve and make a spectacle of it, is because there were people before me who paved the way so I wouldn't have to."

Carlile has identical AURYN tattoos on each shoulder and has often said that ''The Neverending Story'' is one of her favorite 1980s films.

Discography

Albums

''Brandi Carlile'' (2005)

''The Story'' (2007)

''Give Up the Ghost'' (2009)

''Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony'' (2011)

EP and demo

''Room for Me'' (2000)

''Open Doors'' (2002)

''We're Growing Up'' (2003)

''Acoustic'' (2004)

''Live from Neumo's'' (2005)

''Live at Easy Street Records'' (2007)

''Rhapsody Originals'' (2007) – exclusive acoustic versions recorded for Rhapsody.com

''Ghost Demos'' (2009) – limited edition EP, distributed with the first 2000 pre-orders of ''Give Up the Ghost''

''XOBC'' (2010)

Singles

{|class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan="2"|Year ! rowspan="2"|Single ! colspan="7"|Chart Positions ! rowspan="2"|Album |- ! width="45"| US Hot 100 ! width="45"| US Pop 100 ! width="45"| US Hot AC ! width="45"| US Triple-A ! width="45"| AUS ! width="45"| NOR ! width="45"| Portugal |- | 2005 | "Fall Apart Again" |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- ! rowspan="2"|''Brandi Carlile'' |- | 2006 | "What Can I Say" |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|18 |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |- | 2007 | "The Story" |align="center"|75 |align="center"|92 |align="center"|35 |align="center"|3 |align="center"|44 |align="center"|4 |align="center"|1 ! rowspan="2"|''The Story'' |- | 2007 | "Turpentine" |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|15 |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |- | 2009 | "Dreams" |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|8 |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- ! rowspan="3"|''Give Up The Ghost'' |- | 2010 | "That Year" |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |- | 2010 | "Dying Day" |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |}

Awards

In 2010, Brandi Carlile was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Music Artist" for her album ''Give Up the Ghost'' during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards. Carlile was the winner of Seattle's City of Music Breakthrough Award for 2010.

References

External links

Brandi Carlile official website

Brandi Carlile official UK website

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:People from King County, Washington Category:American alternative country singers Category:American country singers Category:American female singers Category:American folk singers Category:American pop singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Musicians from Washington (state) Category:Female rock singers Category:Lesbian musicians Category:Columbia Records artists Category:American buskers Category:LGBT musicians from the United States

cs:Brandi Carlile de:Brandi Carlile es:Brandi Carlile fa:برندی کارلایل fr:Brandi Carlile it:Brandi Carlile no:Brandi Carlile pl:Brandi Carlile pt:Brandi Carlile simple:Brandi Carlile fi:Brandi Carlile tl:Brandi Carlile

#REDIRECTBruno Mars