Oberon's Grove

Discoveries IV

Things I found by chance on YouTube during the pandemic:

Gustav Mahler's "Frühlingsmorgen" sung by soprano Dési Halban. Listen here.

Ms. Halban was the daughter of the celebrated soprano Selma Kurz.

Colette Boky and Richard Verreau sing the duet "Ah! viens, dans la forêt profonde" from Léo Delibes' LAKME from a televised program presented by Radio-Canada in 1963.

Watch and listen here.

I saw Ms. Boky at The Met as Gilda and Juliette, and I was at Mr. Verreau's Met debut (at the Old House) as FAUST in 1953.

A rare pairing of Ileana Cotrubas and Lucia Valentini-Terrani in a duet from Bellini's NORMA from a concert in Macau in 1987.

Listen watch and listen here.

Benjamin Luxon sings George Butterworth's 'With rue my heart is laden'; the pianist is David Willison. Listen here.

Reri Grist sings Claude Debussy's Quatre chansons de jeunesse from a live performance; the date and location of the performance are unknown, and we don't have the name of the pianist either. Listen here.

Reri Grist is a very special singer for me: she was my first Zerbinetta, Sophie in ROSENKAVALIER, and Oscar in BALLO IN MASCHERA.

Listen to basso Boris Carmeli sing "Quia fecit mihi magna" from Bach's Magnificat in D-major here. This is from a live performance conducted by Hermann Scherchen in 1963.

My first experience hearing Mr. Carmeli was in a speaking role in the 1998 U.S. premiere of Krzystof Penderecki's seventh symphony, which is almost always referred to as SEVEN GATES OF JERUSALEM. Mr. Carmeli owned this part during his lifetime, and he appears in both CD and DVD performances of the work.

ANDREA CHENIER ~ Final Duet

So thrilled to have found this souvenir of one of my favorite sopranos, Gilda Cruz-Romo, singing Maddalena in the final duet from Giordano's ANDREA CHENIER. Tenor Ermanno Mauro is the poet Chenier in this performance from Tulsa 1981. I simply love the vast wave of applause that sweeps over the house after "Viva la morte insiem!"

I met and befriended Gilda at the time of her New York City Opera debut in 1969. I saw her many times at both NYC Opera and The Met. We stayed in touch after she retired and settled in San Antonio, Texas. I shall never forget her great kindness to me.

I Never Dreamed

Joan Baez ~ I Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer

Jean Kraft Has Passed Away

Above: Jean Kraft as Emilia in OTELLO

Jean Kraft, a unique singing-actress of the highest calibre, has passed away at the age of 94. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1970 as Flora Bervoix in TRAVIATA and went on to give nearly 800 performances with the Company at Lincoln Center and on tour.

Slender of form, and with a face that could register the slightest nuances of emotion with uncanny clarity, Ms. Kraft excelled in every role she took on. I saw her countless times during her Met career, and she never failed to lure my eye...and ear. 

She was a fascinatingly stoic/vulnerable Mamma Lucia in CAVALLERIA (above with Placido Domingo), an uptight Emilia under her husband's evil thumb in OTELLO, a regal Hecuba in the Met premiere of TROYENS, an aristocrat striving to keep her composure as the Comtesse in CHENIER, the struggling, poverty-stricken Gertrude in HANSEL & GRETEL, the gracious Madame Larina in EUGENE ONEGIN, the arthritic Mother Jeanne managing her walk to the guillotine in DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES.

Jean Kraft was the Borough's busybody/drug addict Mrs. Sedley in PETER GRIMES (above), Berta in BARRBIERE, Marthe in FAUST, Duchess Federica in LUISA MILLER, Marcellina in NOZZE DI FIGARO, the Duchesse in FILLE DU REGIMENT, Dryade in ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, a stalwart Rossweisse in WALKURE, Annina in ROSENKAVALIER, Suzuki in BUTTERFLY, and - a couple of times - Ulrica in BALLO IN MASCHERA. She gave her last Met performance as Madama Larina on April 5th, 1989.

Here is a brief audio excerpt of Ms. Kraft as Mamma Lucia with Reneta Scotto as Santuzza, from the commercial recording:

Renata Scotto & Jean Kraft - Cavalleria Rusticana ~ scene

And it's so wonderful to have this thrilling souvenir of Jean Kraft performing the trio from HOFFMANN with Catherine Malfitano and James Morris at the 1984 Gala of Stars, conducted by James Levine. Watch and listen here.

Here is an incredible audio-only document of Ms. Kraft's 1969 Town Hall debut recital, accompanied by David Garvey. Listen here.

And here is a fascinating interview that she gave Bruce Duffie: LINK

Rest peacefully, dear Ms. Kraft. You are unforgettable.

~ Oberon

Ponte Singers ~ Pilgrims' Chorus

The Ponte Singers and Orchestra perform the Pilgrims' Chorus from Wagner's TANNHAUSER at a 2013 concert given in Hong Kong. Stephen Lam Lik Hin is the conductor.

Watch and listen here.