Susannah is an opera in two acts by 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. Influenced by the Elders and Elders' Wives, traveling preacher Olin Blitch and the town push her away, leading to tragedy. After Susannah refuses to repent at Blitch’s revival meeting, Blitch comes to see Susannah on her property. Though he planned to continue asking her to repent, he ends up pressuring her into sex. Blitch is very remorseful after this and tries to persuade the townspeople to forgive her. They refuse, and Susannah refuses to forgive him. Susannah’s brother Sam returns home, kills Blitch and runs away. The townspeople try to force Susannah to leave, but she points her gun at them and they leave, except for her former friend Little Bat, whom she pretends to try to seduce, but she pushes him away also.

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, Anthony Dean Griffey singing Sam and Samuel Ramey singing Blitch. Ramey also recorded the complete opera with Cheryl Studer as Susannah and Jerry Hadley as Sam. Other well-known sopranos who have portrayed the heroine have included Lee Venora, Joy Clements, Maralin Niska, Nancy Shade, Diana Soviero, Karan Armstrong, Kelly Kaduce and Phyllis Treigle (opposite Michael Devlin as Blitch).

Susannah is one of the most performed American operas, second to Porgy and Bess, and recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with a performance on the very stage where it premiered February 24, 1955, in Ruby Diamond Auditorium at Florida State University. At the first performance, Carlisle Floyd was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Florida State.

It has been speculated that the opera was inspired by McCarthyism, a period of intense fear of communism in America during the early 1950s. The opera also contains many feminist themes that had not been widely explored in popular culture at the time of the opera’s writing. Floyd has claimed that this opera, like his other operas, was meant to be different from a traditional opera.

The music is largely characterized by Appalachian folk melodies. Also included are some Protestant hymns and some traditional classical music. A particularly prominent part of the opera is Susannah’s soaring and melancholy aria in Act II, "The Trees on the Mountain", which is similar to Appalachian folk tunes but in fact Floyd's own composition.

Synopsis

Written during the McCarthy era, Susannah is based loosely on the Apocryphal tale of Susannah and the Elders. In New Hope Valley, Tennessee, Susannah – a pretty and well-mannered young woman of humble origins – is faced with hostility from her church community. The opera opens at a square dance given by her church; a group of wives, jealous of Susannah’s beauty and the attention it brings from their husbands, are gossiping about her. Mrs. McLean, one of the wives, states that you can’t expect more from someone who was raised by her drunken brother. Finally, the Reverend Olin Blitch, newly arrived to lead the congregation, enters and asks Susannah to dance despite the gossip. Later that evening, Susannah tells her admirer Little Bat – son of Mrs. McLean and her husband, an elder of the church – about the dance; Little Bat leaves abruptly once her brother Sam returns from hunting.

The next morning Susannah is innocently bathing naked in the creek near her home; she is discovered by the elders, who are searching for a baptismal stream. They conceal their lust with outrage and tell the community of her wickedness. Susannah arrives at a church dinner that evening and is sent away, much to her confusion. Later, as she is pondering why she has been shunned, Little Bat tells her that the elders have denounced her for bathing in the nude, and admits that he was coerced into saying she seduced him.

Sam informs Susannah that she must make a public confession in order to be absolved. Though she claims she has nothing to confess, she goes to the service where Olin Blitch is preaching. When she is singled out to come forward, she runs away. Once the service has ended, Reverend Blitch goes to Susannah’s house and offers to pray for her soul; upon discovering that her brother is away, Blitch rapes her.

The next day Blitch, having discovered that Susannah was a virgin, comes to her and begs for forgiveness. He throws himself at Susannah’s mercy, but she refuses to forgive him. When Susannah tells Sam the story he threatens to kill Blitch; he leaves for the baptismal service, carrying his shotgun. Convinced that Susannah led her brother to murder, the community heads to her house to drive her out of the valley. However, Little Bat has warned her in advance, and when the vigilantes arrive she is waiting with a shotgun. They retreat, but she has effectively severed her ties with the community and her world.

Main Roles and World-Premiere Cast

Susannah Polk - soprano (Phyllis Curtin)

Sam Polk - tenor (Walter James)

Olin Blitch - bass-baritone (Mack Harrell)

Little Bat McLean - tenor (Eb Thomas)

Elder McLean - baritone (Harrison Fisher)

Elder Gleaton - tenor (Kenneth Nelson)

Elder Hayes - tenor (Dayton Smith)

Elder Ott - baritone (Lee Liming)

Mrs. McLean - mezzo-soprano (Martha Kay Willis)

Mrs. Gleaton - soprano (Catherine Murphy (singer))

Mrs. Hayes - soprano (Joan Nichy)

Mrs. Ott - contralto (Bette Jo Armstrong)

Production history

The first professional production in the UK was English Touring Opera's Spring 2008 production which received great critical acclaim.

It is due to get a second UK outing in April 2009, when Hampstead Garden Opera's new production opens at "Upstairs at the Gatehouse" in Highgate Village, London

Discography

Studer, Hadley, Ramey; Nagano, 1993-94 (Virgin Classics)

Curtin, Cassilly, Treigle; Andersson, 1962 [live] (VAI)

Videography of "Revival Scene"

Treigle; Yestadt, Treigle, 1958 [live] (Bel Canto Society)

Category:Operas by Carlisle Floyd Category:Operas Category:1955 operas Category:English-language operas Category:Operas set in the United States

Name	Susannah York
Birth name	Susannah Yolande Fletcher
Birth date	January 09, 1939
Death date	January 15, 2011
Birth place	Chelsea, London, England, UK
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1959–2010
Spouse	Michael Wells (1960–1976; divorced; 2 children)

Susannah York (9 January 1939– 15 January 2011) was an English film, stage and television actress. York was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and won best actress for at Cannes Film Festival.

Early life

York was born as Susannah Yolande Fletcher in Chelsea, London in 1939, the daughter of businessman Simon William Peel Vickers Fletcher and his wife, Joan Nita Mary (née Bowring).

She was brought up in Scotland where she attended Marr College in Troon, Ayrshire. She later studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Career

Film

Her film career began with Tunes of Glory (1960), co-starring with Alec Guinness and John Mills. In 1961, she played the leading role in The Greengage Summer, which co-starred Kenneth More and Danielle Darrieux. York played Sophie Western opposite Albert Finney in the Oscar winning Best Film Tom Jones (1963) and also appeared in A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Killing of Sister George (1968) and Battle of Britain (1969).

York co-starred with George C. Scott (as Edward Rochester) playing the title role in an American television movie of Jane Eyre (1970). she She also co-starred with Ian Bannen (St. John Rivers), Rachel Kempson (Mrs. Fairfax) and Jack Hawkins (Henry Brocklehurst).

York was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969). She famously snubbed the Academy when, regarding her nomination, she declared it offended her to be nominated without being asked. Surprisingly, she did attend the ceremony but lost to Goldie Hawn for her role in Cactus Flower.

In 1972, she won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in . She played Superman's mother Lara on the doomed planet Krypton in Superman (1978) and its sequels, Superman II (1980) and (1987). York made extensive appearances in British television series, including Prince Regent (1979), as Maria Fitzherbert, the clandestine wife of the future George IV, and We'll Meet Again (1982).

In 1984, York starred as Mrs. Crachit in A Christmas Carol (1984), based on the novel by Charles Dickens. She again co-starred with George C. Scott (as Ebenezer Scrooge), David Warner (Bob Crachit), Frank Finlay (Jacob Marley), Angela Pleasence (The Ghost of Christmas Past) and Anthony Walters (Tiny Tim Crachit).

In 2003, York had a recurring role as hospital manager Helen Grant in the BBC1 television drama series Holby City. She reprised this role in two episodes of Holby City's sister series Casualty in May 2004.

Stage

In 1978, York appeared on stage at the New End Theatre in London in The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs with Lucinda Childs, directed by French director Simone Benmussa.

The following year, she appeared in Paris, speaking French in a play by Henry James: Appearances, with Sami Frey. The play was again directed by Simone Benmussa. in The Lady Of Larkspur Lotion, 2009]]

In the 1980s, again with Benmussa, York played in For no good Reason, an adaptation of George Moore's short story, with Susan Hampshire.

In 2007, she appeared in the UK tour of The Wings of the Dove, and continued performing her internationally well received solo show, The Loves of Shakespeare's Women. Also in 2007, she guest starred in the Doctor Who audio play Valhalla.

In 2008, she played the part of Nelly in an adaptation by April De Angelis of Wuthering Heights.

York, according to Italian symphonic metal band Rhapsody of Fire website (previously known as Rhapsody), had been recruited for a narrated part on the band's next full-length album Triumph or Agony, which will also include Christopher Lee to return as the Wizard King.

In 2009, she starred alongside Jos Vantyler in The Tennessee Williams Triple Bill at The New End Theatre, London for which she received critical acclaim.

Writing and personal appearances

In the 1970s, she wrote two children's fantasy novels, In Search of Unicorns (1973), revised (1984) which was excerpted in the film , and Lark's Castle (1976, revised 1986).

She was a guest, along with David Puttnam on the BBC Radio 4 documentary I Had The Misery Thursday, a tribute programme to film actor Montgomery Clift, which was aired in 1986, on the twentieth anniversary of Clift's death. York co-starred with him in Freud, John Huston's 1962 film biography of the psychoanalyst.

Personal life

In 1960, York married Michael Wells, with whom she had two children, son Orlando Wells (now an actor) and daughter Sasha. They divorced in 1976. In the 1984 TV adaptation of A Christmas Carol, she played Mrs. Cratchit and both of her children co-starred as Cratchit offspring. Orlando gave York her first grandchild, Rafferty, in 2007.

Politically, she was left-wing and publicly supported Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli dissident who revealed Israel's nuclear weapons programme. While performing The Loves of Shakespeare's Women at the Cameri Theatre in Tel Aviv in June 2007, York dedicated the performance to Vanunu, evoking both cheers and jeers from the audience.

Death

Susannah York died from cancer on 15 January 2011, six days after her 72nd birthday.

Filmography

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |-style="background:#B0C4DE;" ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes |- |rowspan=2|1960 | There Was a Crooked Man | Ellen |- | Tunes of Glory | Morag Sinclair |- | 1961 | The Greengage Summer | Joss Grey |- | 1962 | Freud | Cecily Koertner |- | 1963 | Tom Jones | Sophie Western |- |rowspan=2|1964 | The 7th Dawn | Candace Trumpey |- | Scene Nun, Take One | The Actress |- |rowspan=2| 1965 | Sands of the Kalahari | Grace Munkton |- | Scruggs | Susan |- |rowspan=3| 1966 | The Fall of the House of Usher (TV) | Madeleine Usher |- | Kaleidoscope | Angel McGinnis |- | A Man for All Seasons | Margaret More |- |rowspan=3| 1968 | Sebastian | Rebecca Howard |- | Duffy | Segolene |- | The Killing of Sister George | Alice 'Childie' McNaught |- |rowspan=4| 1969 | Oh! What a Lovely War | Eleanor |- | Battle of Britain | Section Officer Maggie Harvey |- | Lock Up Your Daughters | Hilaret |- | They Shoot Horses, Don't They? | Alice |Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress |- |rowspan=2| 1970 | Jane Eyre | Jane Eyre |- | Country Dance | Hilary Dow |- | 1971 | Happy Birthday, Wanda June | Penelope Ryan |- |rowspan=2| 1972 | Zee and Co. | Stella |- | | Cathryn |- |rowspan=2| 1974 | Gold | Terry Steyner |- | The Maids | Claire |- |rowspan=2| 1975 | Conduct Unbecoming | Mrs. Marjorie Scarlett |- | That Lucky Touch | Julia Richardson |- |rowspan=2| 1976 | Sky Riders | Ellen Bracken |- | Eliza Fraser | Eliza Fraser |- |rowspan=3| 1978 | The Shout | Rachel Fielding |- | The Silent Partner | Julie Carver |- | Superman | Lara |- |rowspan=2| 1979 | Prince Regent (TV Miniseries) | Mrs. Fitzherbert |- | The Golden Gate Murders (TV) | Sister Benecia |- |rowspan=6| 1980 | Long Shot | An Actress |- | The Awakening | Jane Turner |- | Superman II | Lara |- | Loophole | Dinah Booker |- | Late Flowering Love |   |- | Falling in Love Again | Sue Lewis |- | 1981 | Second Chance (TV Series) | Kate Hurst |- |rowspan=2| 1982 | We'll Meet Again (TV Series) | Helen Dereham |- | Alicja | Queenie |- |rowspan=2| 1983 | Yellowbeard | Lady Churchill |- | Nelly's Version (TV) | Narrator (voice) |- | 1984 | A Christmas Carol (TV) | Mrs. Cratchit |- |rowspan=3| 1985 | Star Quality (TV) | Lorraine Barry |- | Daemon (TV) |   |- | Prettykill | Toni |- |rowspan=3| 1987 | | Lara (voice) |- | Mio min Mio | Seamstress |- | Barbablú, Barbablú |   |- |rowspan=2| 1988 | A Summer Story | Mrs. Narracombe |- | Just Ask for Diamond | Lauren Bacardi |- |rowspan=4| 1989 | Melancholia | Catherine Lanham Franck |- | After the War (TV Miniseries) | Irene Jameson |- | Quattro piccole donne (TV) |   |- | En Håndfull tid | Susanne Walker |- |rowspan=2| 1990 | The Man from the PVU (TV) | Amy Wallace |- | Fate |   |- |rowspan=2| 1991 | Devices and Desires (TV Miniseries) | Meg Dennison |- | Trainer (TV Series) | Rachel Ware |- | 1992 | Illusions (TV) | Dr. Sinclair |- | 1993 | Piccolo grande amore | Queen Christina |- |rowspan=2| 1997 | Loop | Olivia |- | Dark Blue Perfume (TV) | Liz |- | 1998 | So This Is Romance? | Mike's Mum |- |rowspan=2| 2000 | (TV) | Concessa |- | Jean | Jean |- | 2002 | The Book of Eve |   |- | 2003 | Visitors | Carolyn Perry |- | 2004 | Love Is a Survivor | Present Day Roma |- | 2006 | The Gigolos | Tessa |- | 2007 | Maude | Maude |- | 2008 | Franklyn | Margaret |- | 2010 | The Calling | The prioress |}

References

External links

Category:1939 births Category:2011 deaths Category:Actors from London Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:English film actors Category:English stage actors Category:English television actors Category:Deaths from cancer Category:Cancer deaths in England Category:People from Chelsea

Name	Susannah McCorkle
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Susannah McCorkle
Born	4 January 1946
Died	May 19, 2001
Origin	Berkeley, California
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	Jazz
Occupation	Singer
Label	Concord Records

Susannah McCorkle (4 January 1946–19 May 2001) was an American jazz singer much admired for her direct, unadorned singing style and quiet intensity.

Biography

McCorkle was born in Berkeley, California. She studied modern languages at the University of California, Berkeley. McCorkle began singing professionally after hearing recordings of Billie Holiday in Paris in the late 1960s. She nearly became an interpreter at the European Commission in Brussels, but moved instead to London in 1972 to pursue a career in singing. While in the UK, she made two albums which, although well received, enjoyed only limited circulation.

In the late 1970s, McCorkle returned to the United States and settled in New York City, where a five-month engagement at the Cookery in Greenwich Village brought her to wider public attention and elicited rave reviews from critics.

During the 1980s, McCorkle continued to record; her maturing style and the darkening timbre of her voice greatly enhanced her performances. In the early 1990s, two of the albums McCorkle made for Concord Records, No More Blues and Sábia, were enormously successful and made her name known to the wider world. She was recorded by the Smithsonian Institution which at the time made her the youngest singer ever to have been included in its popular music series. McCorkle played Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher and Alice Tully Halls five times and Carnegie Hall three times, and was featured soloist with Skitch Henderson and the 80-piece New York Pops in a concert of Brazilian music.

Thanks to her linguistic skills, McCorkle translated lyrics of Brazilian, French, and Italian songs, notably those for her Brazilian album Sabia. She had a special affinity for Bossa Nova and often cited Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Waters of March" as her personal favorite. McCorkle also had several short stories published and, in 1991, began work on her first novel. She published fiction in Mademoiselle, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and non-fiction in the New York Times Magazine and in American Heritage, including lengthy articles on Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Irving Berlin and Mae West.

A survivor of breast cancer, McCorkle suffered for many years from depression and took her own life at age 55 by leaping off the balcony of her 16th-floor apartment on West 86th Street in Manhattan. She was alone in her home at the time. The police immediately entered her home after identifying her body and found no foul play. Suicide was ruled the cause of death.

One year later, in a New York magazine tribute "Jazz Bird" by Gwenda Blair, published May 27, 2002; Blair wrote: "Onstage, singer Susannah McCorkle exuded a sultry self-confidence that won her lifelong fans. But in private, she fought depression so deep -- and so well hidden -- that a year after her suicide, even some in her most intimate circle wonder how they missed the cries for help."

Haunted Heart, a biography of Susannah McCorkle written by Linda Dahl, was published in September 2006 by University of Michigan Press.

Discography

The Music of Harry Warren (1976)

The Songs of Johnny Mercer (1977)

Over the Rainbow—The Songs of E.Y. Harburg (1980)

The People that You Never Get to Love (1981)

How Do You Keep the Music Playing (1985)

Thanks for the Memory—The Songs of Leo Robin (1983)

As Time Goes By (1986) - with Jimmy Heath (ts), Ted Dunbar (g), Billy Taylor (p), Victor Gaskin (b), Tony Reedus (d)

Dream (1986)

No More Blues (1988)

Sábia (1990)

I'll Take Romance (1992)

From Bessie to Brazil (1993)

From Broadway to Bebop (1994)

Easy to Love—The Songs of Cole Porter (1996)

Let's Face the Music—The Songs of Irving Berlin (1997)

Someone to Watch Over Me—Songs of George Gershwin (1998)

From Broken Hearts to Blue Skies (1999)

Hearts and Minds (2000)

Most Requested Songs (2001)

The Beginning 1975 (2002)

Ballad Essentials (2002)

References

External links

Website dedicated to Susannah McCorkle

Susannah McCorkle papers in the Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Discography at Lycos

Photo

Haunted Heart listing on Amazon.com

New York Times Obituary

Category:1946 births Category:2001 deaths Category:American female singers Category:American jazz singers Category:Jazz musicians who committed suicide Category:Suicides by jumping from a height Category:Drug-related suicides in New York Category:People from Berkeley, California Category:Concord Records artists Category:Pausa Records artists

Name	Espen Lind
Background	solo_singer
Origin	Tromsø, Norway
Born	May 13, 1971
Genre	Pop, Rock
Years active	1995–present
Label	Universal

Espen Lind, (born 13 May 1971), is a Norwegian songwriter, producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is one half of the production team Espionage.

Solo records

Espen Lind released his first solo album, Mmm...Prepare To Be Swayed, in 1995 under the moniker, 'Sway'. Only released in Norway, it received mixed reviews and sold approximately 5,000 copies. His commercial breakthrough came in 1997 with the single "When Susannah Cries" which was a hit in several European and Latin American countries, including Norway where it was number one for six weeks. His second album Red went on to sell more than 100,000 copies in Norway, and 350,000 copies worldwide, earning Lind three awards at the 1998 Norwegian Grammy's (Spellemannprisen) including Artist of the Year.

2000 saw Lind releasing his third album, This Is Pop Music, and the singles "Black Sunday" and "Life Is Good". The album also contains a duet, "Where the Lost Ones Go," with Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø. The album reached gold status in Norway but was generally perceived to be a commercial disappointment compared to its predecessor. After a four year break Lind released a new single, "Unloved," in December 2004, followed by the album April, in January 2005.

In 2006 Lind, together with fellow Norwegian artists Kurt Nilsen (World Idol winner), Alejandro Fuentes and Askil Holm released the concert album Hallelujah Live, featuring songs from the foursome's solo records as well as several songs by other artists, most notably a cover version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".

Lind released a new single, "Scared Of Heights," in May 2008. His fifth album titled Army Of One was released on the 23rd June 2008.

In January 2009 he received the award "Årets Spelleman" (artist of the year) at the Norwegian Grammy Awards (Spellemannprisen).

Writing and producing

During the past few years Espen Lind has done a lot of writing and producing, most notably as co-writer of both "Irreplaceable" by Beyoncé and "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train. Together with writing partner Amund Bjørklund in the production team Espionage he has also written and/or produced songs for artists Lionel Richie, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown and Leona Lewis.

Selected songwriting credits

"Brick By Brick" - Train

"Hey, Soul Sister" - Train

"Half Moon Bay" - Train

"Can't Stop the Rain" - Jennifer Hudson

"Pastime" - Lionel Richie - co-written

"My Little Secret" - Cavo

"Ghost" - Cavo

"I Need a Girl" - Trey Songz

"Irreplaceable" - Beyoncé - co-written

"With You" - Chris Brown - co-written

"Angel" - Leona Lewis - co-written

"Now You Tell Me" - Jordin Sparks - produced and co-written

"Just For The Record" - Jordin Sparks - co-written

"Go On Girl" - Ne-Yo - co-written

"One Word" - Elliott Yamin - co-produced and co-written

"I Don't Wanna Care" - Jessica Simpson - co-written

"The One That Got Away" - Johnta Austin - co-written

"Underdog" -Jonas Brothers - co-written

"I Will Be With You" - Sarah Brightman/Paul Stanley - written

"The Last Goodbye" - Atomic Kitten - co-written

"Cry" - Kym Marsh - produced and written

"Come Back To Me" - David Cook - co-written

"Life On The Moon" - David Cook - co-written

"Lie" - David Cook - co-written

"It’s Gotta Be Love" - Lee DeWyze - co-written with DeWyze & Bjørklund

"Stay Here" - Lee DeWyze - co-written with DeWyze & Bjørklund

Discography

Albums

#Mmm...Prepare To Be Swayed (1995) - as Sway #Red (1997) - as Sway #Red II (1998) - international edition as Espen Lind #This Is Pop Music (2001) #April (2005) #Hallelujah Live (2006) - with Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes & Askil Holm #Army of One (2008) #Hallelujah Live - volume 2 (2009) - with Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes & Askil Holm

Singles

"Yum Yum Gimme Some"

"American Love"

"Baby You're So Cool"

"When Susannah Cries"

"Lucky For You"

"American Love"

"Black Sunday"

"Where the Lost Ones Go" (duet with Sissel Kyrkjebø)

"Life Is Good"

"Unloved"

"Look Like Her"

"Million Miles Away"

"Hallelujah" (with Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes & Askil Holm)

"The Boys of Summer" (with Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes & Askil Holm)

"Norsk Medley" (with Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes & Askil Holm)

"Scared of Heights"

"Sweet Love"

"With Or Without You" (with Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes & Askil Holm)

#1 Hits

External links

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:People from Tromsø Category:Norwegian pop singers Category:Norwegian male singers Category:Norwegian songwriters Category:English-language singers Category:Spellemannprisen winners Category:Norwegian multi-instrumentalists

Name	Susannah Grant
Birthdate	January 04, 1963
Birthplace	New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Writer, producer, director
Spouse	Chris Henrikson

Susannah Grant (born January 4, 1963) is an American screenwriter and director.

Education

She is an Amherst College alumna, having graduated in 1984. She later was accepted to the American Film Institute, and received the Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting.

Career

She wrote the screenplays for Ever After, Erin Brockovich, directed by Steven Soderbergh, 28 Days and Disney's Pocahontas. For Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Roberts, she received an Oscar nomination in 2001. After her nomination Grant adapted In Her Shoes and Charlotte's Web for the screen, as well as wrote and directed Catch and Release.

Grant was featured in The Dialogue.

Writing credits

Pocahontas (1995)

Ever After (1998)

Erin Brockovich (2000)

28 Days (2000)

In Her Shoes (2005)

Catch and Release (2006) (as well as director)

Charlotte's Web (2006)

The Soloist (2009)

Burlesque (2010)

References

External links

The Dialogue: Learn from the Masters Interview

The Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting

Category:1963 births Category:American film directors Category:American Film Institute Conservatory alumni Category:American screenwriters Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:Amherst College alumni Category:Female film directors Category:Living people Category:People from New York City Category:Women screenwriters Category:Women television writers

Samuel Edward Ramey (born March 28, 1942 in Colby, Kansas) is an American operatic bass with a long, distinguished career. During his best years, he was greatly admired for his range and versatility, having possessed a sufficiently accomplished bel canto technique to enable him to sing the music of Handel, Mozart, Rossini, yet power enough to handle the more overtly dramatic roles written by Verdi and Puccini.

He married his third wife, soprano Lindsey Larsen, on June 29, 2002.

Early life

Samuel Ramey is a 1960 graduate of Colby High School in the town of Colby, Kansas. He studied music in high school and in college at Kansas State University, as well as at Wichita State with Arthur Newman. In college at Kansas State, Ramey was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. After further study in Central City (where he was in the chorus of Don Giovanni in 1963, with Norman Treigle in the title role) and as an apprentice with the Santa Fe Opera, he went to New York where he worked for an academic publisher before he had his first breakthrough at the New York City Opera, debuting on March 11, 1973 singing the role of Zuniga in the 1875 Bizet opera Carmen, after which, among other roles, he took over the Faustian devils in Gounod's Faust and Boito's Mefistofele left empty by the early death of Treigle.

As his repertoire expanded, he spent more and more time in the theatres of Europe, notably in Berlin, Hamburg, London, Paris, Vienna, and the summer festivals in Aix-en-Provence, Glyndebourne, Pesaro, and Salzburg.

Later career

In January 1984, Ramey made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in Handel's Rinaldo. He has since become a fixture at the Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Vienna State Opera, the Paris Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the New York City Opera, and the San Francisco Opera.

In the bel canto repertoire, Ramey has excelled in Mozart's Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro and in Rossini's Semiramide, The Barber of Seville, Il Turco in Italia, L'italiana in Algeri; in Donizetti's Anna Bolena and Lucia di Lammermoor and Bellini's I puritani.

In the dramatic repertoire, Ramey has been acclaimed for his "Three Devils": Boito's Mefistofele, Gounod's Faust, and Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust

Other dramatic roles have included Verdi's Nabucco, Don Carlo, I Lombardi and Jérusalem and Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann (portraying all four villains). A number of previously obscure operas with strong bass/bass-baritone roles have been revived solely for Ramey, such as Verdi's Attila, Rossini's Maometto II and Massenet's Don Quichotte.

Recordings

Ramey has made an exceptionally large number of recordings that feature nearly all of his main operatic roles as well as collections of miscellaneous arias, other classical pieces and crossover discs of popular American music. He has also appeared on television and video productions of the Met's productions of Carmen and Bluebeard's Castle, San Francisco's production of Mefistofele, Glyndebourne's production of The Rake's Progress and Salzburg's production of Don Giovanni.

In 1996, Ramey gave a concert at New York's Avery Fisher Hall titled "A Date with the Devil" in which he sang 14 arias representing the core of this repertoire, and he continues to tour this program throughout the world. In 2000, Ramey presented this concert at Munich's Gasteig Concert Hall. This performance was recorded live and was released on compact disc in the northern summer of 2002. In recent years, however, his singing has been criticized for a wobble, the result of years of heavy use.

Current activities

Ramey lives in Chicago and has participated in some 70 performances a year. He serves as a member of the faculty at Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts. He is a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity.

Notes

References

Samuel Ramey's website, samuelramey.com Retrieved 25 January 2010

Article on Samuel Ramey with Bach cantata recordings, on bach-cantatas.com Retrieved 25 July 2010

New York Times">List of "Articles on Samuel Ramey", New York Times Retrieved 25 July 2010

Bibliography

Samuel Ramey: American Bass, by Jane Scovell, Baskerville Publishers, 2010. ISBN 978-1-880909-76-8

External links

Samuel Ramey's website

MySpace: a tribute to Samuel Ramey

Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:People from Thomas County, Kansas Category:Kansas State University alumni Category:Wichita State University alumni Category:American male singers Category:American opera singers Category:Operatic bass-baritones Category:Operatic basses Category:Grammy Award winners

:This is about the English musician; for others, see Dave Davies (disambiguation).

Name	Dave Davies
Landscape	yes
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	David Russell Gordon Davies
Born	February 03, 1947Fortis Green, London, England
Instrument	Guitar, vocals, bass, banjo, mandolin, keyboards, harmonica
Genre	Rock, hard rock, pop rock
Occupation	Musician, songwriter, producer, audio engineer
Years active	1963–present
Label	Angel Air, Koch Records
Associated acts	The Kinks
Url	Dave Davies.com
Notable instruments	Gibson "prototype" VGibson Les Paul

David Russell Gordon "Dave" Davies (born 3 February 1947, Fortis Green, London) is an English rock musician best known for his role as lead guitarist and vocalist for the English rock band The Kinks.

In 2003, Davies was ranked 88th in Rolling Stone magazine list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"

Early life

Davies was born at 6 Denmark Terrace, Fortis Green, London. He was born the last of eight children, including six older sisters and an older brother, later bandmate Ray. As children, the Davies brothers were immersed in a world of different musical styles, from the music-hall of their parents' generation, to the jazz and early rock n' roll that their older sisters listened to. The siblings developed a rivalry early on, with both brothers competing for their parents' and sisters' attention.

Davies grew up playing skiffle, but soon bought an electric guitar and started experimenting with rock. The Davies brothers and friend Pete Quaife jammed together in the front room of their house. Activities in the Davies household centred around this front room, culminating in large parties, where Davies' parents would sing and play piano together. The front room and these parties were musically nurturing to the Davies brothers; later influencing The Kinks' interpretations of traditional British music like Music Hall. Dave and his brother worked out the famous two-note riff of their 1964 hit, "You Really Got Me", on the piano in the front room.

Career

Davies founded The Kinks with Pete Quaife in 1963. His brother Ray, who became the best-known member and de-facto leader of the band, joined soon after.

Ray and Dave Davies remained the only two steady members of the band (with the exception of Avory until his departure) throughout their run together. They were accompanied by an oft-changing roster of bassists and keyboardists. Davies played a largely subordinate role to his brother, often staying behind the scenes. Davies would make occasional contributions on Kinks records as lead vocalist and songwriter, with cases such as "Death of a Clown" and "Strangers".

Early years (1963—1966)

Davies was responsible for the signature distorted power chord riff on The Kinks' first hit, "You Really Got Me". This sound was one of the first mainstream appearances of guitar distortion, and it went on to influence many guitarist in the future,

The Kinks released three albums and several EPs in the next two years. They also performed and toured relentlessly, headlining package tours with the likes of The Yardbirds and Mickey Finn, which caused tension within the band. Avory later claimed that it was part of a new act in which the band members would hurl their instruments at each other.

During the late 1960s the group steadily evolved, as Ray's songwriting skills developed and he began to lead the group in a whole new direction. In the past as a member of The Kinks Dave Davies had only released his own compositions on B-sides and as part of albums. The Kinks' record label sensed potential sales in a solo release from the overlooked Davies, and issued "Death of a Clown" as his debut. Although credited to Davies, it was technically a Kinks recording, as his backing band was The Kinks.

Upon its release, "Death of a Clown" rose to number three on the UK Singles Chart. Wanting to profit off of the new buzz suddenly surrounding Davies, a solo LP was slated for release some time in 1968 or 1969. The follow-up single, "Susannah's Still Alive", was released in November 1967; however, it only reached #20 on the Melody Maker chart. The release of the solo album was held back, and it was decided to wait and see how another single would fare. As anticipation grew for the release of the new LP, it was nicknamed it A Hole in the Sock Of. were commercial failures.

"Lola", Muswell Hillbillies, and Theatrical Incarnation

After Arthur, The Kinks made a comeback with their hit single "Lola" and the accompanying concept album Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One in 1970. Dave recorded two songs of his own for this LP, the acoustic "Strangers" and the hard-rocking "Rats". The rootsy country-rock, and Americana themed Muswell Hillbillies was released in late 1971, and was well-received with critics, but failed to sell strongly. This pattern of critical acclaim with less than spectacular commercial success continued with the next albums which added a large theatrical ensemble. , The Kinks Present A Soap Opera and Schoolboys in Disgrace.

Davies made several attempts at solo albums throughout the '70s, but he never felt enough enthusiasm or interest to see the projects through. He would often act as the producer and engineer at The Kinks' main studio, Konk, in his spare time, producing albums for the likes of Claire Hamill and Andy Desmond. Ray Davies commented on his brother's studio and solo work in a November 1975 interview:

The Kinks left RCA records in 1977, switching to Arista.

1980s and onward

Davies would see the group through both success and failure, as they reached their commercial peak in the early 1980s. The group began adjusting their commercial methods, embracing the MTV culture that was selling records at the time. The music video for their 1982/83 single "Come Dancing" helped hoist the record to #11 on the U.K. charts, and #6 in the U.S - their biggest hit since "Tired of Waiting for You" in 1965.

The group recorded several more records for MCA, their last studio effort for them being 1989's UK Jive. UK Jive was received slightly better than Think Visual, but it failed to enter into the Top 100. Dave Davies contributed the song "Dear Margaret" to the record.

The group left MCA and struggled to find a record label that would accept them. All four original members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, but this failed to revive their career. Eventually The Kinks signed onto Columbia records, who released their final studio album together, Phobia, on 13 April 1993. Despite lots of publicity pushing and press attention, the record was unsuccessful, peaking at #166. Singles released failed to chart as well, mainly due to a record label mix-up that delivered the records to store a few weeks late. To Phobia Davies contributed the songs "It's Alright (Don't Think About It)" and "Close to the Wire".

Columbia dropped the group in 1994, forcing them to retreat back to their old Konk Records. The group released To The Bone on the small independent Grapevine records in 1994.

The Kinks eventually disbanded in 1996.

Solo work 80s - Present day

After the aborted solo effort, Davies' solo career was not revived until 1980, with the release of Dave Davies (AFL1-3603), which featured Davies performing all the instruments by himself. The album was named after its own serial number. AFLI-3603 peaked at #42 on the Billboard 200. He went on to release Glamour (1981), which charted at #152. Davies brought in a back-up band to play with him on this record. Chosen People was released in 1983, but failed to crack the Billboard 200.

Davies released his first true solo studio album in twenty years, Bug, in 2002. Fractured Mindz followed in January 2007, his first album of all new material in nearly five years. It was also his first new studio effort since his stroke in the summer of 2004 besides the track "God In my Brain" (which was recorded and released on the compilation album Kinked in January 2006). In February 2010, Davies released a DVD, Mystical Journey. His planned US tour in support of the release was postponed per doctor's advice.

Signature instruments

Davies has played a number of guitars over time, the most recognizable of which is his Gibson Flying V. Davies bought it in 1965, and soon began appearing live and on TV performances with it. Davies was one of the few guitarists who played Flying Vs at the time. It was, in that period, out of issue due to lack of interest upon its 1958 test release, and models were numbered. Guitarists like Lonnie Mack, Jimi Hendrix, Albert King and Davies himself helped stir interest in the instrument, and it would eventually become one of the signature guitars of the Heavy Metal era.

Davies commented on his Flying V:

Davies has played many other guitars throughout his career. He has played several models of Gibson Les Pauls over time, including a "Goldtop" model with P90 pickups and a black '78 model. On his website he lists the following:

----

Gibson Les Paul

Fender Elite Telecaster

Fender American Standard Telecaster

'54 Fender Stratocaster

Gibson Artisan

Gibson Futura (early Explorer body prototype played by Davies on the Shindig TV show) (Note that this is in fact incorrect : he played his recently-acquired Gibson Flying V here, and there's no photographic evidence that Davies ever had a Futura model)

Gibson L5-S

Gibson L6-S

Guild 12-string acoustic

Harmony Meteor

Other guitars that were used by Dave Davies during the 60´s were amongst others:

Epiphone Casino

Eko solidbody model

A black Guild DE-500 model (stolen during The Kinks´ first US tour in the summer of 1965)

Various Vox guitars : a Phantom VI, a Phantom XII, and a 12-string Folk Twelve model

Guild Starfire III

Fender Electric XII

Stroke and personal life

On 30 June 2004, Davies suffered a stroke while exiting a lift at Broadcasting House, where he had been promoting his then current album, Bug. He was taken to University College Hospital in Euston. Davies was released from the hospital on 27 August. Davies said in a 2006 interview:

By 2006, Davies had recovered enough to be able to walk, talk and play guitar. He will return to touring in 2010, playing a few gigs in New York and New England, as well as one in Los Angeles.

He is a friend of horror director John Carpenter, and his work is featured on Carpenter's remake of Village of the Damned. Carpenter also acted as godfather to Davies' son, Daniel, who plays in the hard rock bands Year Long Disaster and Karma To Burn.

Discography

Singles

Studio albums

#Dave Davies (AFL1-3603) (1980) #Glamour (1981) # Chosen People (1983) #Purusha and the Spiritual Planet (1998) # Fortis Green (1999) #Fragile (2001) #Bug (2002) #Fractured Mindz (2007)

Live and compilation albums

Solo Live - Live Solo Performance at Marian College (2000)

Bugged... Live! (2002)

Rock Bottom - Live At The Bottom Line (2000)

Transformation - Live at The Alex Theatre (2003 release from Meta Media)

Transformation - Live at The Alex Theatre (2005 release on Angel Air)

Kinked (2006 release on Koch Records)

Belly Up (2008) - recorded live at the Belly Up Club in San Diego on 29 April 1997, which was at the start of Davies' first major solo tour of the United States.

Collaborations

In the Mouth of Madness soundtrack, lead guitar on track # 1 (1995)

Village of the Damned soundtrack (1995)

References

External links

Official website

Category:The Kinks members Category:English rock guitarists Category:English male singers Category:English songwriters Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:E1 Music artists Category:People from Fortis Green Category:Lead guitarists Category:Stroke survivors Category:People from Muswell Hill

honors the first class of National Endowment for the Arts Opera Honorees in 2008 -- Leontyne Price, Carlisle Floyd, and Richard Gaddes.]] Carlisle Floyd (born June 11, 1926, in Latta, South Carolina) is an American opera composer. The son of a Methodist minister, he based many of his works on themes from the South. His best known opera, Susannah (1955), is based on a story from the Apocrypha, transferred to contemporary, rural Tennessee, and is set in a Southern dialect.

Career

In 1943, Floyd entered Converse College, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and studied piano under Ernst Bacon. When Bacon accepted a position at Syracuse University, in New York, Floyd followed him there, where he received a Bachelor of Music in 1946. The following year, Floyd became part of the piano faculty at Florida State University, in Tallahassee. He was to remain there for thirty years, eventually becoming Professor of Composition. He received a master's degree at Syracuse, in 1949.

While at Florida State, Floyd gradually became interested in composition. His first opera was Slow Dusk, to his own libretto (as was to remain his custom), and was produced at Syracuse in 1949. His next opera, The Fugitives, was seen at Tallahassee in 1951, but was then withdrawn.

His third opera was to be Floyd's greatest success: Susannah. It was first heard at Florida State, in February 1955, with Phyllis Curtin in the title role, and Mack Harrell as the Reverend Olin Blitch. The following year, the opera was given at the New York City Opera, with Curtin and Norman Treigle (in his first great success) as Blitch, with Erich Leinsdorf conducting. After receiving much acclaim, a City Opera production (directed by Frank Corsaro) was taken to the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels, with Curtin, Treigle and Richard Cassilly.

Later in 1958, Floyd's Wuthering Heights (after Emily Brontë) was premiered at the Santa Fe Opera, with Curtin as the heroine. In 1960, at Syracuse, his "solo cantata on biblical texts," Pilgrimage, was first heard with Treigle as soloist. The Passion of Jonathan Wade was first seen at the City Opera, in 1962. Set in South Carolina during Reconstruction, the piece had Theodor Uppman, Curtin, Treigle and Harry Theyard in the large cast; Julius Rudel conducted.

Floyd's next opera was The Sojourner and Mollie Sinclair, which was a comedy regarding the Scottish settlers of the Carolinas. Patricia Neway and Treigle created the title roles, with Rudel conducting. The composer's Markheim (after Robert Louis Stevenson) was first shown at the New Orleans Opera Association in 1966, with Treigle (to whom it was dedicated) and Audrey Schuh heading the cast. Floyd himself served as stage director.

Of Mice and Men (after John Steinbeck), following a long gestation, was heard at the Seattle Opera in 1970, in a staging by Corsaro. A monodrama on the royal subject of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Flower and Hawk, was premiered in Jacksonville, Florida, with Curtin directed by Corsaro. (The production was then seen at Carnegie Hall.)

Bilby's Doll (after Esther Forbes) was first mounted at the Houston Grand Opera in 1976, with Christopher Keene conducting and David Pountney producing. In 1976, Floyd co-founded, with David Gockley, the Houston Opera Studio, a training program administered by the Houston Grand Opera for outstanding young professional singers and repertory coaches. Between 1976 and 1996, he held the M.D. Anderson Professorship at the University of Houston School of Music.

In Houston, Willie Stark (after Robert Penn Warren) was also first heard, in 1981, in staging by Harold Prince. After an hiatus of almost twenty years, Floyd's latest opera was premiered in Houston: Cold Sassy Tree (after Olive Ann Burns), in 2000. Patrick Summers conducted, Bruce Beresford directed, and Patricia Racette led the cast.

Carlisle Floyd composed a Piano Sonata in the 1950s for Rudolf Firkušný, who played it at a Carnegie Hall recital, but it then languished until Daniell Revenaugh recorded it in 2009, at the age of 74. Revenaugh worked with the composer in learning the piece (Floyd himself has never learned it), and their rehearsal sessions and the live recording itself were filmed for posterity. The recording was made on the Alma-Tadema Steinway that graced the White House during the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

Major works

Slow Dusk (1949)

Susannah (1955)

Wuthering Heights (1958)

The Passion of Jonathan Wade (1962)

The Sojourner and Mollie Sinclair (1963)

Markheim (1966)

Of Mice and Men (1970)

Flower and Hawk (1972)

Bilby's Doll (1976)

Willie Stark (1981)

Cold Sassy Tree (2000)

Awards and nominations

1956 Guggenheim Fellowship

1957 Citation of Merit from the National Association of American Conductors and Composers

1959 Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation Award from the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce

1964 Distinguished Professor of Florida State University Award

1972 Resolution of Appreciation by the State of Florida Legislature

1983 Honorary Doctorate from Dickinson College

1983 National Opera Institute's Award for Service to American Opera - the highest honor the institute bestows

2001 Inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters

2004 National Medal of Arts from the White House

2008 National Endowment for the Arts Opera Honoree for lifetime work

National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity.

Discography

Susannah (Studer, Hadley, Ramey; Nagano, 1993-94) Virgin Classics

Susannah (Curtin, Cassilly, Treigle; Andersson, 1962) [live] VAI

Pilgrimage: excerpts (Treigle; Torkanowsky, 1971) Orion

The Sojourner and Mollie Sinclair (Neway, Treigle; Rudel, 1963) VAI

Markheim (Schuh, Treigle; Andersson, 1966) [live] VAI

Of Mice and Men (Futral, Griffey, Hawkins; Summers, 2002) [live] Albany Records

Cold Sassy Tree (Racette; Summers, 2000) [live] Albany Records

Videography

Susannah: Revival Scene (Treigle; Yestadt, Treigle, 1958) [live] Bel Canto Society

Willie Stark (Jesse; J.Keene, McDonough, 2007) [live] Newport Classic

References

"Carlisle Floyd's Operatic Southland," liner notes by Brian Morgan, The Sojourner and Mollie Sinclair, VAI, 1999.

External links

Operas we would like to see again

Opera's southern gentleman

Carlisle Floyd @ Boosey & Hawkes

Category:1926 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century classical composers Category:American composers Category:Opera composers Category:21st-century classical composers Category:Texas classical music Category:Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Category:United States National Medal of Arts recipients Category:Florida State University faculty Category:University of Houston faculty Category:Syracuse University alumni Category:People from Dillon County, South Carolina