Gaetano Donizetti
Operas Il Pigmalione (1816) Enrico di Borgogna (1818) Una follia (1818) Pietro il grande (1819) Zoraida di Granata (1822) La zingara (1822) La lettera anonima (1822) Alfredo il grande (1823) L'ajo nell'imbarazzo (1824) Emilia di Liverpool (1824) Alahor in Granata (1826) Elvida (1826) Gabriella di Vergy (1826) Don Gregorio (1826) Olivo e Pasquale (1827) Otto mesi in due ore (1827) Il borgomastro di Saardam (1827) L'esule di Roma (1828) Alina, regina di Golconda (1828) Gianni di Calais (1828) Il castello di Kenilworth (1829) Il giovedì grasso (1829) I pazzi per progetto (1830) Il diluvio universale (1830) Imelda de' Lambertazzi (1830) Anna Bolena (1830) Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali (1831) Gianni di Parigi (1831) Francesca di Foix (1831) La romanzesca e l'uomo nero (1831) Fausta (1832) Ugo, conte di Parigi (1832) L'elisir d'amore (1832) Sancia di Castiglia (1832) Il furioso all'isola di San Domingo (1833) Parisina (1833) Torquato Tasso (1833) Lucrezia Borgia (1833) Rosmonda d'Inghilterra (1834) Gemma di Vergy (1834) Marino Faliero (1835) Maria Stuarda (1835) Lucia di Lammermoor (1835) Belisario (1836) Il campanello (1836) Betly, o La capanna svizzera (1836) L'assedio di Calais (1836) Roberto Devereux (1837) Maria de Rudenz (1838) Poliuto (1838) Pia de' Tolomei (1838) Le duc d'Albe (1839) Lucie de Lammermoor (1839) L'ange de Nisida (1839) La fille du régiment (1840) Les martyrs (1840) La favorite (1840) Adelia (1841) Rita (1841) Maria Padilla (1841) Linda di Chamounix (1842) Don Pasquale (1843) Maria di Rohan (1843) Dom Sébastien (1843) Caterina Cornaro (1844)
v t e

Lucia di Lammermoor is a dramma tragico (tragic opera) in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor.^[1]

Donizetti wrote Lucia di Lammermoor in 1835, a time when several factors led to the height of his reputation as a composer of opera. Gioachino Rossini had recently retired and Vincenzo Bellini had died shortly before the premier of Lucia leaving Donizetti as "the sole reigning genius of Italian opera".^[2] Not only were conditions ripe for Donizetti's success as a composer, but there was also a European interest in the history and culture of Scotland. The perceived romance of its violent wars and feuds, as well as its folklore and mythology, intrigued 19th century readers and audiences.^[2] Sir Walter Scott made use of these stereotypes in his novel The Bride of Lammermoor, which inspired several musical works including Lucia.^[3]

The story concerns the emotionally fragile Lucy Ashton (Lucia) who is caught in a feud between her own family and that of the Ravenswoods. The setting is the Lammermuir Hills of Scotland (Lammermoor) in the 17th century.

Performance history[link]

The opera premiered on 26 September 1835 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. Donizetti revised the score for a French version which debuted on 6 August 1839 at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris.

However, for decades Lucia was considered to be a mere showpiece for coloratura sopranos and was a little-known part of the operatic repertory. After World War II, a small number of technically able sopranos, the most notable of whom were first Maria Callas (with performances from 1952 and especially those at La Scala and Berlin in 1954/55 under Herbert von Karajan) and then Dame Joan Sutherland (with her 1959 performances at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in 1959, which were repeated in 1960), revived the opera in all of its original tragic glory.

Since its revival, Lucia di Lammermoor has become a staple of the standard operatic repertoire, and appears as number nineteen on the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide.^[4]

Roles[link]

Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani as Lucia in the London premiere of Lucia di Lammermoor

Instrumentation[link]

The instrumentation is:

• Woodwinds: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (in Bes, A & C) and 2 bassoons.

• Brass: 4 horns (in Es, Bes, D, C, A, G, Des, E & As), 2 trumpets (in Bes, A, D & E), 3 trombones and cimbasso.

• Percussion: timpani, triangle, bass drum, cymbals and glockenspiel.

• Strings: harp, first violins, second violins, violas, violoncellos and double basses.

Additionally an off-stage wind band is used.

Synopsis[link]

Time: Late 17th century

Place: Scotland^[5]

Act 1[link]

Scene 1: The gardens of Lammermoor Castle

Normanno, captain of the castle guard, and other retainers are searching for an intruder. He tells Enrico that he believes that the man is Edgardo, and that he comes to the castle to meet Lucia. It is confirmed that Edgardo is indeed the intruder. Enrico reaffirms his hatred for the family and his determination to end the relationship.

Scene 2: By a fountain at the entrance to the park, beside the castle

Lucia waits for Edgardo. In her famous aria Regnava nel Silenzio, Lucia tells her maid Alisa that she has seen the ghost of a girl killed on the very same spot by a jealous Ravenswood ancestor. Alisa tells Lucia that the apparition is a warning and that she must give up her love for Edgardo. Edgardo enters; for political reasons, he must leave immediately for France. He hopes to make his peace with Enrico and marry Lucia. Lucia tells him this is impossible, and instead they take a sworn vow of marriage and exchange rings. Edgardo leaves.

Act 2[link]

Set design for act 3, scene 3 by Francesco Bagnara, circa 1844 (Civica Raccolta Stampe Bertarelli Milan)

Scene 1: Lord Ashton's apartments in Lammermoor Castle

Preparations have been made for the imminent wedding of Lucia to Arturo. Enrico worries about whether Lucia will really submit to the wedding. He shows his sister a forged letter seemingly proving that Edgardo has forgotten her and taken a new lover. Enrico leaves Lucia to further persuasion this time by Raimondo, Lucia's chaplain and tutor, that she should renounce her vow to Edgardo, for the good of the family, and marry Arturo.

Scene 2: A hall in the castle

Arturo arrives for the marriage. Lucia acts strangely, but Enrico explains that this is due to the death of her mother. Arturo signs the marriage contract, followed reluctantly by Lucia. At that point Edgardo suddenly appears in the hall. Raimondo prevents a fight, but he shows Lucia's signature on the marriage contract to Edgardo. He curses her, demanding that they return their rings to each other. He tramples his ring on the ground, before being forced out of the castle.

Act 3[link]

Scene 1: The Wolf's Crag

Enrico visits Edgardo to challenge him to a duel. He tells him that Lucia is already enjoying her bridal bed. Edgardo agrees to fight him. They will meet later by the graveyard of the Ravenswoods, near the Wolf's Crag.

Scene 2: A Hall in Lammermoor Castle

Raimondo interrupts the marriage celebrations to tell the guests that Lucia has gone mad and killed her bridegroom Arturo. Lucia enters. In the aria 'Il dolce suono' she imagines being with Edgardo, soon to be happily married. Enrico enters and at first threatens Lucia but later softens when he realizes her condition. Lucia collapses. Raimondo blames Normanno for precipitating the whole tragedy.

Scene 3: The graveyard of the Ravenswood family

Edgardo is resolved to kill himself on Enrico's sword. He learns that Lucia is dying and then Raimondo comes to tell him that she has already died. Edgardo stabs himself with a dagger, hoping to be reunited with Lucia in heaven.^[6]

Music[link]

The "Mad Scene"[link]

The "Mad Scene", "Il dolce suono...Spargi d'amaro pianto", has historically been a vehicle for several coloratura sopranos (providing a breakthrough for Dame Joan Sutherland) and is a technically and expressively demanding piece.

Some sopranos, most notably Maria Callas, have performed the scene in a come scritto ("as written") fashion, adding minimal ornamentation to their interpretations. Most sopranos, however, add ornamentation to demonstrate their technical ability, as was the tradition in the bel canto period. This involves the addition and interpolation of trills, mordents, turns, runs and cadenzas. Almost all sopranos append cadenzas to the end of the "Mad Scene", sometimes ending them on a high E-flat. Some sopranos, including Ruth Welting^[7] and Mariella Devia^[8] have sung the "Mad Scene" in Donizetti's original F major key, ending it with a high F natural instead of transposing it one step down to the E-flat major key.

The original scoring of this scene was for glass harmonica, but this was later replaced by the more usual arrangement with two flutes.

The popular soprano and flute duet cadenza was composed in 1888 by Mathilde Marchesi for her student Nellie Melba's performance of the role, requiring ten weeks of rehearsal for the new addition and causing a critical reevaluation and surge of new interest in the opera.^[9]

List of arias and musical numbers[link]

The index of Bonynge's edition lists the following numbers.

[edit] Lucie de Lammermoor (French version)

After the original had been performed in Paris, a French version of Lucia di Lammermoor was commissioned for the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris and opened on 6 August 1839. Subsequently this version was extensively toured throughout France. The libretto, written by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, is not simply a translation, as Donizetti altered some of the scenes and characters. One of the more notable changes is the disappearance of Alisa, Lucia's friend. This allows the French version to isolate Lucia and to leave a stronger emotional impact than that left by the original. Furthermore, Lucia loses most of Raimondo's support; his role is dramatically diminished while Arturo gets a bigger part. Donizetti creates a new character, Gilbert, who is loosely based on the huntsman in the Italian version. However, Gilbert is a more developed figure and serves both Edgardo and Enrico, divulging their secrets to the other for money.

The French version is not performed as often as the Italian, but it was revived to great acclaim by Natalie Dessay and Roberto Alagna at the Opéra National de Lyon in 2002. It was also co-produced by the Boston Lyric Opera and the Glimmerglass Opera with Sarah Coburn singing the title role as her first "Lucia" in this French version in 2005. In 2008 Lucie was produced by the Cincinnati Opera with Sarah Coburn again in the title role.

Recordings[link]

	Prelude to Lucia di Lammermoor
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Both the Italian and French versions have received multiple recordings, although the Italian version predominates. One of the earliest versions was recorded in 1929 with Lorenzo Molajoli conducting the La Scala Orchestra and Chorus and Mercedes Capsir in the title role. There are several recordings with Maria Callas in the title role, including two versions conducted by Tullio Serafin (1953 and 1959) and one by Herbert von Karajan (1955). Joan Sutherland, who was particularly noted for performances as Lucia, has also recorded the opera several times including the 1971 Decca recording conducted by Richard Bonynge with Luciano Pavarotti as Edgardo. In 2002, Chandos Records released a recording in English of the Italian version conducted by David Parry with Elizabeth Futral As Lucia.^[10]

Cultural references and adaptations[link]

A caricature of the "Lucia Sextet", circa 1900 (Civica Raccolta Stampe Bertarelli Milan)

The "Lucia Sextet" (Chi mi frena in tal momento?) was recorded in 1908 by Enrico Caruso, Marcella Sembrich, Antonio Scotti, Marcel Journet, Barbara Severina, and Francesco Daddi, (Victor single-sided 70036) and released at the price of $7.00, earning it the title of "The Seven-Dollar Sextet". The film The Great Caruso incorporates a scene featuring a performance of this sextet. The sextet's melody is used in Howard Hawks' gangster classic Scarface. Tony Camonte (Paul Muni) whistles "Chi mi frena?" ("What restrains me?") whenever he is about to kill someone, and the tune becomes a signifier for his murders.^{[citation needed]} The "Lucia Sextet" melody also figures in two scenes from the 2006 film The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese. In one scene, Jack Nicholson's character is shown at a performance of "Lucia di Lammermoor", and the music on the soundtrack is from the sextet. Later in the film, Nicholson's cell phone ringtone is the sextet melody. The sextet has also been used in comedy and cartoon films. The American slapstick team, The Three Stooges used it in their short films Micro-Phonies and Squareheads of the Round Table, sung in the latter with the lyrics "Oh, Elaine, Elaine, come out ....", and it is featured during a scene from the 1986 comedy film, The Money Pit. Its use in Warner Bros. cartoons includes Long-Haired Hare, sung by the opera singer (Bugs Bunny's antagonist); Book Revue, sung by the wolf antagonist; and in Back Alley Oproar, sung by a choir full of Sylvesters, the cat. In the 1946 Disney short, The Whale Who Wanted To Sing At The Met, the sextet appears in a unique interpretation with all parts performed by Nelson Eddy.

The "Mad Scene" aria "Il dolce suono" was featured in the Luc Besson film The Fifth Element in a performance by the alien diva Plavalaguna (voiced by Albanian soprano Inva Mula and played onscreen by French actress Maïwenn Le Besco). Mula's performance is also used in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent involving the murder of a young violinist by her opera singer mother (who performs the song right after the murder). Mula's performance is also used as a backdrop to "The Eye of Zion's Pocket" incorrectly credited to the Chemical Brothers for the Matrix Reloaded soundtrack (the original artist is unknown). The aria was covered by Russian pop singer Vitas over a heavily reworked orchestral techno score and released as a music video in 2006. In addition to the "Mad Scene", "Verranno a te sull'aure", and "Che facesti?" feature prominently in the 1983 Paul Cox film Man of Flowers, especially "Verranno a te sull'aure", which accompanies a striptease in the film's opening scene. "Regnava nel silenzio" accompanies the scene in Beetlejuice in which Lydia (Winona Ryder) composes a suicide note.

The opera is mentioned in the novels The Count of Monte Cristo, Madame Bovary, The Hotel New Hampshire, and Where Angels Fear to Tread and was reputedly one of Tolstoy's favorites.^{[citation needed]} In the children's book The Cricket in Times Square, Chester Cricket chirps the tenor part to the "Lucia Sextet" as the encore to his farewell concert, literally stopping traffic in the process.

References[link]

Notes

Cited sources

• Mackerras, Sir Charles (1998). Lucia di Lammermoor (CD booklet). Sony Classical. pp.29–33. ISBN 0-521-27663-2. 
• Osborne, Charles, The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1994 ISBN 0-931340-71-3
• Pugliese, Romana (March 2004), Martin Deasy, "The Origins of Lucia di Lammermoor's Cadenza,", Cambridge Opera Journal 16,1: pp. 23–42 

Other sources

• Ashbrook, William (1983), Donizetti and His Operas, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-27663-2 
• Boyden, Matthew (2007), The Rough Guide to Operas (4th ed.), Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-538-6 
• Cipriani, Nicola (2008), Varese, ed., Le tre Lucie: un romanzo, un melodramma, un caso giudiziario : il percorso di tre vittime del pensiero maschile, Zecchini, pp. 276, ISBN 88-87203-66-0 
• Fisher, Burton D. (2005), Lucia di Lammermoor, Opera Journeys Publishing, ISBN 1-930841-79-5 
• Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN 0-14-029312-4
• Weinstock, Herbert, Donizetti and the World of Opera in Italy, Paris, and Vienna in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century, New York: Pantheon Books, 1963. ISBN 63-13703

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lucia di Lammermoor

• Libretto of the French version
• Further Lucia di Lammermoor discography
• Lucia di Lammermoor synopsis (Metropolitan Opera)
• Online vocal score

The Lammermuir Hills, usually simply called the Lammermuirs (An Lomair Mòr in Gaelic) (occasionally anglicised Lammermoors), in southern Scotland, form a natural boundary between Lothian and the Scottish Borders.

They span the areas of East Lothian Council and the Scottish Borders Council, and they extend from Gala Water to St. Abb's Head, and offer a traditional site for sheep grazing.

The hills are nowhere especially high, the highest points being Meikle Says Law at 535 m (1,755 ft) and the Lammer Law at 528 m (1,732 ft), but steep gradients, exposure to the elements and a lack of natural passes combine to form a formidable barrier to communications between Edinburgh and the Borders.

The hills are crossed by only one major road (the A68), which crosses the shoulder of Soutra Hill between Lauder and Pathhead, and is frequently closed by snow in winter. The main road linking Edinburgh to England (the A1) avoids the hills by following a circuitous route around the coast

The Lammermuirs in the winter of 2009/10

The name Lammermuir literally means "lambs' moor"^[1] or "moorland of the lambs" from the Old English genitive plural^[2] "lambra" ("lambs") and the noun "mor" ("moorland", "swamp", "waste ground"^[3]).^[4][5][6][7] Early forms include Lombormore, Lambremore, Lambermora and Lambirmor.^[4] Another place-name with the element "lambra" is Lamberton.^[4]

White Castle was an Iron Age hill fort, settled by the ancestors of the Votadini tribe.

Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor is set in the area, as is Gaetano Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor which is itself based on Scott's novel.

Two ranges of hills in New Zealand, the Lammermoor Range and Lammerlaw Range are named after the Scottish hills and their second highest point respectively.

See also[link]

• List of places in East Lothian
• List of places in the Scottish Borders
• Marilyns in the area
• List of places in Scotland

References[link]

1. ^ http://www.scotways.com/scotways_assets/files/045_lammermuirs_map.pdf
2. ^ Old English Grammar by Joseph Wright, READ BOOKS, 2008, 1443758930, 9781443758932. Page. 214
3. ^ http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=moorland&searchmode=none
4. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.spns.org.uk/MayWilliamsonComplete.pdf
5. ^ http://answers.encyclopedia.com/question/does-name-lammermuir-hills-originate-761340.html
6. ^ Scottish place-names by William Cook Mackenzie, K. Paul, Trench, Trubner & co., ltd., 1931. Page. 216
7. ^ Scottish hill and mountain names: the origin and meaning of the names of Scotland's hills and mountains by Peter Drummond. Page. 62

External links[link]

• Guide to walking in the Lammermuir Hills
• Anti-windfarm Group

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.

Coordinates: 55°50′N 2°44′W / 55.833°N 2.733°W / 55.833; -2.733

This Scottish Borders location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This East Lothian location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Natalie Dessay, 2008

Natalie Dessay (French pronunciation: [na.ta.li də.sɛ]) (born Nathalie Dessaix, 19 April 1965, in Lyon) is a French coloratura soprano. She dropped the silent "h" in her first name in honor of Natalie Wood when she was in grade school and subsequently simplified the spelling of her surname outside France. Famous in her earlier career for a very high upper extension, limpid intonation and superb coloratura, Dessay became more recognized in recent years for her dramatic and comedic flair as a singing actress.

In her youth, Dessay had intended to be a ballet dancer, and then an actress.^[1] She discovered her talent for singing while taking acting classes, and shifted her artistic focus to music.^[2] Dessay was encouraged to study voice at the Conservatoire de Bordeaux and gained experience as a chorister in Toulouse. At the competition Les Voix Nouvelles, run by France Télécom, she was awarded First Prize (Premier Prix de Concours) followed by a year's study at Paris Opera's Ecole d'Art Lyrique, where she sang "Elisa" in Mozart's Il re pastore. Also, she entered the International Mozart Competition at the Vienna State Opera, winning First Prize.

She was quickly approached by a number of theatres, and subsequently sang "Blondchen", "Madame Herz" (in Der Schauspieldirektor), "Zerbinetta" and "Zaïde" at the Opéra National de Lyon and the Opéra Bastille, as well as "Adele" in Die Fledermaus in Geneva.

Career[link]

In April and May 1992 at the Opéra Bastille, she sang the role of "Olympia" in The Tales of Hoffmann with José van Dam. The Roman Polanski production was not well received, but it began the road to stardom for Dessay. Although she was soon featured in another production of Hoffmann, it would be over ten years before her return to Paris Opera in the same role. Soon after her Hoffmann run, Dessay joined the Vienna State Opera as Blondchen in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail. In December 1993, she was then asked to replace Cheryl Studer in one of the three female roles in a production of Hoffmann at the Vienna Opera. Her "Olympia" received acclaim from the Viennese audiences and praise from Plácido Domingo.^{[citation needed]}

She attended a performance where Barbara Bonney had sung Sophie in Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier under Carlos Kleiber. Dessay was cast in the same role with another conductor. Her hope was to work with Kleiber, but he died before any project came to fruition.^{[citation needed]} Blondchen in Die Entführung and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos became her best-known and most often played roles.

In October 1994, Dessay made her Metropolitan Opera debut in New York in the role of Fiakermilli in Strauss's Arabella, and returned there in September 1997 as Zerbinetta and in February 1998 as Olympia.

The Staatsoper approached Dessay with two operas: Richard Strauss's Die schweigsame Frau, and Alban Berg's unfinished Lulu. Dessay declined the latter, saying the score was too difficult for her^{[citation needed]}. She admitted that Die schweigsame Frau was already painful to learn.

At the Aix-en-Provence Festival, Dessay first performed the role of the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute. Although she was hesitant to perform the role, saying that she didn't want to play any evil characters, director Robert Carsen convinced her that this Queen would be different, almost a sister to Pamina. Dessay agreed to do the role, claiming it would be a one-time series of performances. There followed a year-long series of final performances of the Queen of the Night.^{[citation needed]}

During the 2001–2002 season in Vienna, she began to experience vocal difficulties and had to be replaced in almost all of the performances of La sonnambula. Subsequently, she was forced to cancel several other performances, including a French version of Lucia di Lammermoor in Lyon and a Zerbinetta at the Royal Opera House in London. She withdrew from the stage and underwent surgery on one of her vocal cords in July 2002.^[3] In February 2003, she returned to live performances in a Paris concert. Later, she cancelled and had further surgery, but by mid-2005 she was back on stage.

In the summer of 2003, Dessay gave her first US recital in Santa Fe. She was so attracted to New Mexico in general, and to Santa Fe in particular, that Santa Fe Opera (SFO) quickly rearranged its schedule to feature her in SFO's 2004 production of La sonnambula.^[4][5] She returned in the 2006 SFO season as Pamina (The Magic Flute). She gave her first performances in the role of Violetta in La traviata^[1] at SFO on 3 July 2009 in a production staged by Laurent Pelly. Her husband, Laurent Naouri appeared as Germont.^[6]

The 2006/2007 season schedule included Lucia di Lammermoor and La sonnambula in Paris, La fille du régiment directed by Laurent Pelly in London and Vienna, and a Manon in Barcelona. She opened the 2007–08 season at the Met as Lucia and also repeated her role in La fille du régiment.^[7] In January 2009 she sang the part of Melisande in a much acclaimed stagione production of Pelléas et Mélisande by Claude Debussy at the Theater an der Wien, the second opera house in Vienna, alongside Laurent Naouri. On 2 March 2009, Dessay sang the title role in La Sonnambula at the New York Metropolitan Opera. It was the first new production of the opera at the Met since Joan Sutherland sang the title role in the 1960s.^[8]

In February 2012, Dessay said in an interview with Le Figaro that she would take a sabbatical from opera performance in 2015.^[9]

Personal life[link]

Dessay is married to the bass-baritone Laurent Naouri, and she converted to his Jewish faith.^[10] The couple has two children.^[1]

Recordings[link]

Dessay provided the singing voice for the character of Anna Sørensen (played by Diane Kruger) in the 2005 movie Joyeux Noël.

DVDs[link]

• The Miracle of the Voice – Greatest Moments on Stage
• Le rossignol (Stravinsky)
• La fille du régiment (Donizetti) – Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bruno Campanella, BBC 2007
• Hamlet (Thomas)
• Manon (Massenet)
• Les contes d'Hoffmann (Offenbach)
• Orphée aux enfers (Offenbach)
• Arabella (R. Strauss)
• La sonnambula (Bellini)
• Pelléas et Mélisande (Debussy)
• Ariadne auf Naxos (R. Strauss)

CDs[link]

• La sonnambula (Bellini)
• Die Zauberflöte (Mozart)
• Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti)
• Orphée aux enfers (Offenbach)
• Les contes d'Hoffmann (Offenbach)
• Mass in C Minor (Mozart)^{[clarification needed Great Mass in C minor, K. 427, or Waisenhaus, K. 139 ?]}
• Lakmé (Delibes)
• Mitridate (Mozart)
• Alcina (Handel)
• L'Orfeo (Monteverdi)
• "Vocalise" (Rachmaninov)
• Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno (Handel)
• Magnificat (J. S. Bach) and Dixit Dominus (Handel)
• The Miracle of the Voice
• Delirio – Cantatas (Handel)
• Joyeux Noël (singing voice for the character Anna Sørensen)
• Mozart Heroines
• French Opera Arias
• Amor: Scenes and Lieder (R. Strauss)
• Bach: Cantatas (J. S. Bach)
• Italian Opera Arias (Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi)
• Mad Scenes (Donizetti, Meyerbeer, Bellini, and Leonard Bernstein)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Natalie Dessay

• Dessay's Official Web Site
• Natalie Dessay, unofficial Web site
• Natalie Dessay recordings on EMI & Virgin Classics
• Virgin Classics short biography and discography
• Natalie Dessay at the Internet Movie Database

Inva Mula (born 1963) is an Albanian opera lyric soprano and actress. She began her soprano career at a very early age. Her father and mother were also opera singers.

Life and Career[link]

Inva was born in Tirana, Albania. In 1987 she won the Cantante d'Albania competition in Tirana and in 1988 the George Enescu Competition in Bucharest. In 1992 she won the Butterfly Competition in Barcelona. She received an award at Plácido Domingo's first Operalia International Opera Competition contest in Paris, 1993. A CD of the event was released.

She later performed in various concerts with the famous tenor at the Opéra Bastille in Paris, and in Brussels for Europalia Mexico, in Munich, and in Oslo. In 1996 she performed Luigi Cherubini's opera Médée (which was taped for TV) at Compiègne in France. She then returned for Georges Bizet's opera La Jolie fille de Perth (released CD, filmed for TV, and released DVD in Japan) in 1998. After this she recorded Puccini's La Rondine with Angela Gheorghiu for EMI and for 2005's stage production she took Gheorghiu's place in the leading role of Magda during performances in Toulouse and Paris. In 1997 she performed in a movie called The Fifth Element, where she played as Diva Plavalaguna (singing voice). Later on, she performed Bizet's Ivan IV concert version, which had its recital debut at Salle Pleyel in Paris, and a live recording was released as CD. In 2001, she was busy in Italy, performing Verdi's Falstaff at the Teatro alla Scala and Rigoletto at the Verona Arena, both of which were taped for TV then released on DVD.

Mula is a regular performer at La Scala, where she has sung in Lucia di Lammermoor, La bohème, and Manon, among others. She is also a renowned Violetta in La Traviata, and has sung the role in many cities around the world, including Tokyo, Bilbao, Orange, Trieste, and Toronto. In 2007, she performed Adina in L'elisir d'amore at Toulouse, and in 2009 she sang the title role in Gounod's Mireille with the Paris Opera at the Palais Garnier, a performance that was issued on DVD.

Her husband Pirro Çako is a well-known singer and composer from Albania, so she used the spelling Tchako rather than Çako. However, after mid-1990 she began using the name Inva Mula, and never returned to the old one.

Brief incursion in the film industry[link]

Mula is perhaps best known to Western filmgoers as the voice behind the Diva Plavalaguna (the very tall, blue alien performer) in the film The Fifth Element, where she is credited as Inva Mulla Tchako. In the film (released in 1997) she performed the aria "Oh, giusto cielo!...Il dolce suono" (the mad scene) from Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, and "The Diva dance" song.

Director Luc Besson adored Maria Callas, but her 1950s EMI Classics recording of "Lucia" wasn't clear enough to use on a film soundtrack, so Callas's agent Michel Glotz, who had produced this recording, introduced him to Mula.

See also[link]

• List of Albanians

Sources[link]

• Auzias, Dominique, and Labordette, Jean-Paul (eds.), "Enfants du pays", Albanie, Petit Futé, 2009, p. 80. ISBN 2-7469-2533-8

External links[link]

• Operabase
• Telecom Valley
• CAMI
• Inva Mula at the Internet Movie Database

Sumi Jo
Sumi Jo, 2010
Korean name
Hangul	조수미
Hanja	曺秀美
Revised Romanization	Jo Sumi
McCune–Reischauer	Cho Sumi
Birth name
Hangul	조수경
Revised Romanization	Jo Sugyeong
McCune–Reischauer	Cho Sukyong

Sumi Jo (born (1962-11-22) November 22, 1962 (age 49)) is a Grammy Award winning South Korean lyric coloratura soprano known for her interpretations of the bel canto repertoire.^[1][2]

Early life and education[link]

Jo was born Jo Su-gyeong in Seoul, South Korea. Her mother was an amateur singer and pianist who had been unable to pursue her own professional music studies due to the political situation in Korea during the 1950s. Determined to provide her daughter with opportunities she never had, Jo's mother enrolled her in piano lessons at the age of 4 and later voice lessons at the age of 6. As a child, Jo would often spend up to eight hours a day studying music.^[3] In 1976, Jo entered the Sun Hwa Arts School from which she graduated in 1980 with diplomas in voice and piano.^[4] She continued her music studies at Seoul National University from 1981–1983. While studying at SNU, Jo made her professional recital debut, appeared in several concerts with the Korean Broadcasting System, and made her professional operatic debut as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro with Seoul Opera.^[1] In 1983 Jo decided to leave SNU in order to study music in Italy at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. Among her teachers there were Carlo Bergonzi and Giannella Borelli. While Jo studied in Italy, she was frequently heard in concert in Italian cities and also on national radio broadcasts and telecasts. It was during this time when Jo decided to use 'Sumi' as her stage name in order to make her name more friendly to European language speakers who often found it difficult to pronounce Su-gyeong. She graduated in 1985 with a concentration in keyboard as well as voice. Following graduation, Jo began to study voice with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf^[3] and won several international competitions in Seoul, Naples, Enna, Barcelona, and Pretoria. In August 1986, she was unanimously awarded first prize in the Carlo Alberto Cappelli International Competition in Verona, one of the world's most important contests, open only to first-prize winners of other major competitions.^[5]

Career[link]

Sumi Jo, 1998

In 1986, Jo made her European operatic debut as Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto at the Teatro Comunale Giuseppe Verdi in Trieste. This debut performance attracted the attention of Herbert von Karajan, who proceeded to cast her as Oscar in Un ballo in maschera opposite Plácido Domingo at the Salzburg Festival in 1989.^[6] Due to the death of Karajan during the rehearsals of this planned performance, Jo actually never had the opportunity to sing on stage under the baton of Karajan (Georg Solti conducted the performance) though early that year she had sung in the studio recording of the work for Deutsche Grammophon^[7] In 1988, Jo made her La Scala debut as Thetis in Jommelli's Fetonte.^[8] That same year she also made her debut with the Bavarian State Opera and sang Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro at the Salzburg Festival. In 1989, Jo made her debut with the Vienna State Opera and returned to the Salzburg Festival to sing Oscar in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera. That same year, she made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera, once again portraying Gilda in Rigoletto. Jo would later reprise this role numerous times with the Met over the next fifteen years.^[9]

In 1990, Jo made her debut with the Chicago Lyric Opera as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute.^[10] The following year, she returned to the Metropolitan Opera for another performance as Oscar in Un ballo in maschera and made her Royal Opera at Covent Garden debut as Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann.^[9] She returned to Covent Garden the next year to sing both Adina in L'elisir d'amore and Elvira in I puritani.

In 1993, Jo appeared in the title role of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor with the Metropolitan Opera and sang the role of the Queen of the Night at both the Salzburg Festival and Covent Garden.^[9] The following year she made her debut with Los Angeles Opera as Sophie in Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier.^[6] In 1995 she sang the role of Countess Adèle in Le comte Ory at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.

Over the next decade Jo maintained a busy schedule, singing Lucia in Strasbourg, Barcelona, Berlin, and Paris; La sonnambula in Brussels and Santiago, Chile; I Capuleti e i Montecchi with Minnesota Opera; Olympia in New York; Rosina in New York; the Queen of the Night in Los Angeles; Gilda in Bilbao, Oviedo, Bologna, Trieste, and Detroit among others; Il turco in Italia in Spain; L'enfant et les sortilèges in Boston and Pittsburgh; Le comte Ory in Rome; and Dinorah in New York. She also appeared in performances at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Opéra National de Paris, Washington Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opera Australia, and the Teatro Colón.

In addition, she appeared with numerous symphony orchestras in concert, including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra,^[11] the Cincinnati Pops, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra,^[12] the Vienna Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra among others. Her work led her to sing under such conductors as Sir Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel, James Levine, Kent Nagano, and Richard Bonynge. She also gave recitals throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia.^[13]

In 2007, Jo performed her first Violetta in La traviata with the Toulon Opera and in the 2008/2009 season she was scheduled to perform the role of Zerline in Fra Diavolo at both the Opera Comique and Opéra Royal de Wallonie.^[1]

In 2011 Sumi Jo provided the voice of 'Veda Pierce' in the HBO miniseries 'Mildred Pierce'.

Recordings[link]

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: formatting, laundry list. Please help improve this section if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (April 2012)

Sumi Jo currently has 50 recordings to her credit, including ten solo albums for Erato, French division of Warner Classic. These recordings include complete operas, oratorio, operetta, orchestral works and Broadway standards. Notable recordings include Grammy Award winning Die Frau ohne Schatten with Sir Georg Solti for the London/Decca label and Un ballo in maschera for Deutsche Grammophon under Herbert von Karajan.^[11]

She provided a vocalise for the soundtrack of the 1999 film The Ninth Gate, composed by Wojciech Kilar. The main theme of this film is based on a piece by Camille Saint-Saëns.

Sumi Jo recorded a cover version of the title song of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 2010 musical Love Never Dies.

Several of Sumi Jo's recordings were used as the character Veda's singing voice in the 2011 HBO miniseries version of Mildred Pierce. She also recorded new tracks specifically for the film, including the "Bridal Chorus" from Wagner's Lohengrin and the popular standard "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows."^[14]

Her recording of R. Strauss: Ariadne Auf Naxos, Etc. Virgin Classics (1997) is the first recording of 1912 original version of R. Strauss. Sumi hit the F#6 of Zerbinetta^[15][16]

<International Albums>

• Sumi Jo The Erato Recitals (10 CDs) Erato (January 31, 2012)
• Libera Decca (2011)
• Ich Liebe Dich Decca (August 17, 2010)
• Missing You Decca (August 10, 2010)
• The Sumi Jo Collection Warner Bros UK (January 18, 2010)
• Best Of Sumi Jo Decca (February 4, 2009)
• Baroque Journey Erato (November 13, 2007)
• The Christmas Album Erato (September 18, 2001)
• Prayers Erato (March 20, 2001)
• Only Love Erato (April 11, 2000)
• A Tribute to Johann Strauss ~ Echoes from Vienna Erato (November 9, 1999)
• Les Bijoux / French Arias Erato (August 3, 1999)
• La Promessa: Italian Songs Erato (September 15, 1998)
• Art of Sumi Jo Decca (August 11, 1998)
• Adam - Le Toréador Decca (March 17, 1998)
• Bel Canto Erato (September 16, 1997)
• Sumi Jo Sings Mozart (October 1, 1996)
• Auber - Le Domino Noir (2 CDs) Decca (April 9, 1996)
• Virtuoso Arias Erato (February 7, 1995)
• Carnaval! French Coloratura Arias Decca (November 15, 1994)

<Albums of Various Artists>

• Kenny G 'Rhythm & Romance'

Featuring with Sumi Jo - Mirame Bailar 

• MBC epic drama "Ju-mong" O.S.T.(2006)

Sumi Jo - A Memory of Love

• The #1 Soprano Album (2 CDs)Decca (April 9, 2002)

Sumi Jo - Die Zauberflöte / Act 2 - "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen"

• KBS drama "The Lost Empire" O.S.T. (2CDs) Doremi, Korea (2001.12.03)

Sumi Jo - If I Leave

• DIVA: 30 Great Prima Donnas (2 CDs) Teldec (2001)

Sumi Jo - Faust, Act II: L'air Des Bijoux 

• Jewel Song: 20 Great Soprano Arias (2 CDs) Decca (2000)

Sumi Jo - Die Zauberflöte / Act 2 - "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen"

• MBC drama "Hu-jun" O.S.T.(1999)

Sumi Jo - Elegy of Separation (Bulinbeolgok)

• R. Strauss: Ariadne Auf Naxos, Etc. Virgin Classics (1997)

Sumi Jo - Zerbinetta[15]
       

<Albums in Korea>

• Sumi Jo the 25th Debut Anniversary Memorial Album (10 CDs) Erato (2011) (It is same as The Erato Recitals 10 CDs) [16]
• the 21st Debut Anniversary Memorial Album

 Sumi Jo 101: Favorite Crossover and Classics (6CDs) Warner Music (2007)

• the 20th Anniversary Special Edition

 With Love: Best 20 Songs of Sumi Jo (2 CDs) Warner Music Korea (2006)

• DVD "Sumi Jo in Paris - For my Father" (2006)^[17]
• My Story (2 CDs) Erato/Warner Music Korea (2002)

This album included a vocal version of "Love is just a Dream," whose non-vocal verson was in MBC drama "Hotelier" O.S.T. (2001).

Awards and honors[link]

• 2008 – Sumi Jo received the international Puccini Award
• 2008 – Sumi Jo sang at the International Olympic Games in Beijing^[18]
• 2006 Winner of the Proud Korean Award for Culture and Art
• 2005 7th Winner of KwanAk Award by Alumni Association of Seoul National University
• 2003 – Sumi Jo was elected as an "Artist for Peace" of UNESCO^[12]
• 2002 – Sumi Jo sang at the World Cup in Seoul, Korea^[19]
• 2002 18th Woman of the Year by Korea Women Committee
• 1997 Best Vocal Album by French Cultural Critics
• 1997 Winner of 5th KBS Overseas Korean Award
• 1996 Winner of 1st Korean-Chinese Youth Academic Award
• 1996 The Best Selling Album of the Year award by British Classic
• 1995 Decorated with the Order of Culture Merit, South Korea
• 1995 Grand prize winner of Women Dong-a by Dong-a Daily News, Seoul, South Korea
• 1994 Winner of Best Soprano, Chile
• 1994 Winner of Kim SuGeun Award for Performing Art, Seoul, South Korea
• 1993 Winner of La Siola d'Oro, Forli, Italy
• 1993 Winner of Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording (conducted by sir. Solti, Deca label)
• 1992 Winner of Hong Nanpa Memorial Award
• August 1986 First prize in the Carlo Alberto Cappelli International Competition at Verona
• October 1986 Graduated with honors from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory
• 1986 Winner of Pretoria International Music Competitions, South Africa
• 1986 Winner of 'Francisco Viñas' International Singing Competition,Barcelona, Spain
• 1985 Winner of Viotti International Music Competition (Concorso Internazionale di Musica Viotti), Italy
• 1985 Winner of Sicily Enna International Musical Competition, Italy
• 1985 Winner of Napoli Zonta International Competition, Italy
• 1985 Winner of Viotti International Music Competition, Trieste, Italy (Concorso Internazionale di Musica Viotti)

Personal life[link]

Sumi Jo is the first cousin once removed of Korean actor Yoo Gun (also spelled Yoo Geon). Yoo Gun is the son of one of Sumi's first cousins.^[20]

Sumi Jo is an advocate for animal rights and one of only five Asian celebrities to make People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia-Pacific's (PETA) first-ever Best-Dressed 2008 list.^[21]

Her father had died just before she performed Ave Maria at Chatelet, Paris. When she learned that her father died, she wanted to pack up and attend her father's funeral. Her mother reminded her of the promise with her audiences, and said that it was best for her father that she performed and dedicated it to her father.Her performance was dedicated to her father and released as a DVD titled "Sumi Jo in Paris - For my Father"^[22]

Her grandma had a superstition if Sumi knocks something, any bad fortune would go away. Although Sumi's family lived in a rented property, her parents bought a piano for her to play.^[23]

Her mother trained Sumi strictly. Sumi recalled even when her mother went out; she locked the door outside so that Sumi couldn't play hooky.^[24]

In a Korean talk show, "Golden Fishery: Knee-drop Guru," she recalled that the first two years of Seoul National University was the most unique time of her life. She had not studied and felt in love for the first time. In the interview, she said that she could not even afford to buy a ticket to Italy, but there was an unexpected income to her family later. She had only $300 when she went to Italy to pursue further music study.

In an interview with a Korean newspaper, she said if she had the second life, she would like to have an ordinary woman's life as a wife of a man.

She marked the highest score in the history of Seoul National University (SNU) entrance exam, for her vocal performance.

She fainted on the street when she studied in Italy, and later was diagnosed with anemia. She slept only 4 hours to study Italian language and music, and also to tutor to earn money to keep studying in Italy.

She had studied music with a scholarship in Seonwha Arts Junior-High School and Seonwha Arts High School for six years.

She has been claimed as "a voice from above" by Maestro Herbert von Karajan.^[25]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Sumi Jo at Allmusic
• Sumi Jo at the Internet Movie Database