Jessye Norman RIP

[Cheese]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49887748

I've placed the thread in the OT section as her fame was such that even opera-haters loved her voice and charisma. She could sing Elektra, Schubert Lieder and Gospel songs equally well and was a reference among opera singers for her ability to literally sing with her entire body. She was a force of nature and her death is a great loss for music, at the same time we have great memories. She's certainly worth an hour or two of Youtube clicks. I particularly like this one, slightly over the top but admire the ways she can modulate her voice:

 

[vuk]

wow, she was on the radio here just last week on the saturday opera show and now i'm wondering if that was a recording. very impressive as artist and human. from the perspective of a photographer, also an incredibly powerful and captivating subject.

 

[PaulMB]

Very sorry, 74 is quite young, these days. She was my favourite opera singer.

 

[Barrymagrec]

A very fine singer indeed, so many wonderful recordings.

 

[Stunsworth]

Sad news. As I mentioned in the other thread - https://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/jessye-norman-rip.232471/ - her recording of Richard Strauss's four last songs was the first CD I bought.

Radio 3 played a recording of her singing a spiritual while I was in the car driving to work. Not normally my kind of thing, but I enjoyed it a lot. What a voice!

 

[tones]

I remember well this performance:

 

[SteveT]

Sublime.

 

[Tony L]

I played the Four Last Songs CD earlier, really stunning stuff.

 

[vuk]

I played the Four Last Songs CD earlier, really stunning stuff.

the "serious" critics typically say that those performances are overblown or miss the point. if that the case, then i'd suggest she's made a much better point than strauss. it's truly a fantastic CD.

 

[Operajulian]

Here's my Jessye "story". An amazing singer for sure - particularly on the concert stage.
I worked for the Edinburgh International Festival in the mid 1980's and Scotrail were naming a locomotive the "Edinburgh Festival". Jessye was singing at the Usher Hall and she agreed to be the celebrity launching the champagne bottle. An onboard party was planned and the train was going to do a few loops around Edinburgh whilst the VIPs and the Lord Provost celebrated.
After the champagne christened the loco, everyone headed onboard. Alas at the time Jessye was a fuller figure and she could not get through the passenger door of the carriages.
However, she could get through the double service doors of the loco itself and sit next to the driver !
All the VIP's then had to shuffle one by one via the crew access to get to see her in the cab.
Not embarrassed at all - everyone had a whale of a time !

Will miss her.
J

 

[Tony L]

the "serious" critics typically say that those performances are overblown or miss the point. if that the case, then i'd suggest she's made a much better point than strauss. it's truly a fantastic CD.

It took me a few plays to really get to love the Norman version as I was so used to the Schwarzkopf on HMV, which is superb, but very different. I think I’m shifting more to the Norman now.

 

[Stunsworth]

the "serious" critics typically say that those performances are overblown or miss the point. if that the case, then i'd suggest she's made a much better point than strauss. it's truly a fantastic CD.

Do they? The reviews I’ve read said it was a fantastic version, and the Gramophone review said it was the best version available...

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/strauss-r-lieder-0