Risë Stevens

Risë Stevens ( born June 11, 1913 in New York City, New York State, † March 20, 2013 ibid ) was an American opera singer in the vocal ranges mezzo- soprano and alto.

Life ud -operation

Family and beginnings

Stevens was born a Risë Gus Steenberg, the daughter of Sarah " Sadie" (born Mechanic ) and Christian Steenberg, an ad sales, in New York, in the Bronx. My father came from Norway. He was a Lutheran; her mother was a Jew of Polish and Russian roots. Stevens had a younger brother, Lewis " Bud " Steenberg, who died in the Second World War. Your first name unusual ( with an emphasis on the last letter " ë " ) was from their Norwegian ancestors. My Middle Name Gus came from her Aunt Augusta. At the age of 10 years, Stevens made ​​her first appearance on the radio, in The Children's Hour, a Sunday program; her mother had entered for a singing competition for children. When a student performance, she sang at the age of 16 years with great success the Orpheus in the opera Orfeo ed Euridice; there she was discovered by the famous singing teacher Anna Schoen -Rene. This taught Stevens initially private. From the autumn of 1933 she studied with Schoen -Rene with a scholarship three years singing at the Juilliard School of Music. Stevens sang after completing their education first as a chorus girl at the Little Theatre in New York. They took over smaller solo parts, including the opera The Bartered Bride.

Careers in Europe

In 1935 she went to Europe. There she continued her vocal training continued, with Marie Gutheil- Schoder in a study visit at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Herbert Graf in Vienna, and later with Hans Georg Schick, the opera director of the Municipal Theatre Ústí nad Labem, in Prague. In winter 1935/1936 Stevens took part in an audition for the Metropolitan Opera ( " Met") at the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air. Stevens was not accepted, but received a few months later the offer to sing the role of Orpheus in Orfeo ed Euridice at the Met, but she refused. Then returned to Europe.

In 1936 she made ​​her professional opera debut at the German Theatre in Prague in the title role of the opera Mignon. Until 1938 it was firmly committed at the Deutsches Theater in Prague; During this time she performed at the Vienna State Opera, where she sang the role of Octavian in the opera Der Rosenkavalier. In 1938 she made ​​guest appearances during their time in Europe, with the Octavian also at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. In 1939, she appeared at the Glyndebourne Festival. There she sang Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro and Dorabella in Così fan tutte.

Engagement at the Met

In November 1938 she sang for the first time for the Metropolitan Opera during a tour of the Met in Philadelphia; she sang the trouser role of Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier. Result, she was firmly committed to the Metropolitan Opera, whose member she remained until 1961. Your first role there was on 17 December 1938, the title role in the opera Mignon. In 1940, she appeared as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro and in the female title role of the opera Samson et Dalila. In 1946 she sang at the Met for the first time their particular brilliant game, the title role in the opera Carmen. In this role, she appeared in 124 performances at the Met. Stevens appeared at the Met in 23 seasons in 15 games in more than 220 performances on; were added 57 appearances at the annual U.S. tour of the Metropolitan Opera. The New York Times gives a total of 351 performances. Their last performance at the Met singing Stevens April 12, 1961, the title role in Carmen.

Belonged Her other leading roles at the Met: Erda and Fricka in The Ring of the Nibelung, Marina in Boris Godunov (1947 ), Laura in La Gioconda, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. In 1958 she sang at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new home of the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in the presence of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Chance Stevens joined continue on in Europe, including London and Paris. In 1954 she sang at La Scala in the opera La figlia del diavolo Virgilio Mortari. In 1955 she appeared again at the Glyndebourne Festival on ( again as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro ). In 1956, she appeared at the Opera Festival in Athens on the Acropolis as Orpheus in Orfeo ed Euridice.

Film career

Briefly Stevens did in the 1940s in Hollywood as an actress and singer in music films and movie musicals. My film debut was in 1941, on the side of Nelson Eddy, as an operetta singer Maria Lanyi in the film operetta The Chocolate Soldier. In 1944 she was a partner of Bing Crosby in the U.S. feature film The path to happiness.

Stage farewell and later years

In 1964 she sang the role of governess Anna Leonowens in the musical The King and I in New York in a production at Lincoln Center. The production was one of her last stage appearances. In 1964, Stevens on her singing career. It was then director of the Metropolitan Opera National Company, a touring troupe, the young singers should be an opportunity to present themselves in great roles on the stage. The project was terminated in 1966 by Met manager Rudolf Bing for cost reasons. Stevens then took care of the young singers of the MET. From 1975 to 1978 she was president of the Mannes College of Music in New York City. She succeeded despite budget problems, well-known musicians, including the pianist Vladimir Horowitz, to undertake as a teacher. After disagreements with the management committee, she gave in 1978 to their office.

Private

Stevens married in 1939 the Hungarian actor Walter Surovy ( 1910-2001 ). She was married to him until his death in 2001. The marriage was an only son out, the actor Nicolas Surovy (* 1944). Stevens died on March 20, 2013 in the evening at her home in Manhattan.

Voice and sound files

In Stevens ' vocal art were " fullness of tone of her voice, the nuances of their expression and their great sense of style " highlighted .. critics raised their " warm, velvety " voice out. Stevens was also considered a compelling stage actress.

The big stage roles of Risë Stevens are documented on records or live recordings from the Metropolitan Opera. In the label Cetra Live Opera live recordings were released with Stevens from the Met: as Giulietta in The Tales of Hoffmann (1955) and as Carmen ( 1957 with Mario del Monaco as Don José and Escamillo as Frank Guarrera ). In the Label melodrama a recording of Boris Godunov with Stevens exists as Marina.

In 1947 she sang the role of Hansel in its first complete recording of the opera Hansel and Gretel on record. In 1951 Stevens, under the baton of Fritz Reiner, her starring role, Carmen, for the RCA label on; their partners were in January Peerce ( Don José ) and Robert Merrill ( Escamillo ). The HMV label appeared in 1955 on the occasion of the Glyndebourne production a gramophone recording of Mozart's Le Nozze Figaro with Stevens as Cherubino; Conductor was Vittorio Gui. In opera recordings Stevens also sang Orpheus in Orfeo ed Euridice (RCA 1957, with Lisa della Casa ) and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus (RCA 1964).

The historical recording of Rosenkavalier performance from the Met in 1939 was now at the Naxos label wiederveröffentlichkeit on CD. This Stevens sang Octavian, on the side of Lotte Lehmann as the Marschallin.