Jessye Norman, Regal American Soprano, Is Dead at 74

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: New York Times

Jessye Norman, the majestic American soprano who brought a sumptuous, shimmering voice to a broad range of roles at the Metropolitan Opera and houses around the world and had a notable career as a recitalist and soloist with orchestras, died on Monday in New York. She was 74. The cause was septic shock and multiple organ failure following complications of a spinal cord injury she suffered in 2015, according to a statement by her family.

Ms. Norman won four Grammy Awards for her recordings, as well as a lifetime achievement award, and was granted the National Medal of Arts in 2009.

In a career that began in the late-1960s, Ms. Norman sang the title role in Verdi’s “Aida,” Wagner’s heroines, characters in Janacek, Bartok and Strauss operas, and Cassandre in “Les Troyens” by Berlioz, in which she made her Met debut in 1983.

A keen interpreter as well as a magnificent singer, Ms. Norman had a distinctly opulent voice that sounded effortless, never pushed. It was especially suited to Wagner and Strauss.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/obituaries/jessye-norman-dead.html

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Wow. What a loss. R.I.P.

[TomSlick]

1. A real loss to the country.

A simply astounding talent.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Whoa

That really hurts.

[iluvtennis]

3. RIP Ms Jessye Norman.

[elleng]

4. Jessye Norman - Ave Maria (Schubert)

[dobleremolque]

5. It was 1989, the bicentennial of the French Revolution.

I was in my rental car in a motel parking lot in Solomons Island MD, listening to NPR's live coverage of the observance in Paris, before I turned off the engine and went to check in.

Jessye Norman sang Le Marseillaise and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It was transcendental. No performance of a piece of music before or since has ever affected me so profoundly.

I remember the exact circumstances of where I was when I heard the news of JFK's assassination; I remember the exact circumstances of where I was when I heard Neil Armstrong on the moon; I remember the exact circumstances of where I was when I heard Jessye Norman sing the French national anthem. Funny how the mind works, huh?

Humanity has lost a treasure.

[Glorfindel]

10. I share your memories, dobleremolque...and your grief at our great loss

Here's a youtube video of Ms Norman singing La Marseillaise at the Place de la Concorde in Paris in 1989, draped in the French flag with all sorts of dignitaries in attendance. She was simply incomparable.

[dhill926]

6. aw man....

another great one gone...

[yardwork]

7. I loved her. I'm so sad about this.

[llmart]

8. She had a tremendous gift.

Her voice was astounding and I've always loved her.

This is sad news.

[Princess Turandot]

11. She sang at President Clinton's 2nd inauguration..

...performing a medley of American songs.

She's introduced at ~51:15 in the video:

[DinahMoeHum]

12. Rest in Power, Jessye Norman. . .

. . .and thank you for your beautiful voice.

[Beacool]

13. Jessye Norman was a magnificent singer.

She was a dramatic soprano who excelled in Wagnerian roles. I'm so sorry to hear about her passing. She will be missed.

Rest in peace, Ms. Norman.

[gademocrat7]

14. Jessye Norman was a an amazing opera star.

R.I.P.

[Mira]

15. One of my all time favorites. I mourn her, it's personal to me.

In a review of a 1992 recital, Edward Rothstein of The New York Times likened her voice to a “grand mansion of sound.”

“It defines an extraordinary space,” he wrote. “It has enormous dimensions, reaching backward and upward. It opens onto unexpected vistas. It contains sunlit rooms, narrow passageways, cavernous halls. Ms. Norman is the regal mistress of this domain, with a physical presence suited to her vocal expanse.”

One of the most fortunate moments in my life was when I was lucky to be at an event that was relatively leger and she was in attendance sitting alone at a small table. I knelt at her knees and told her how much her artistry has meant to me. She allowed me to stay right there and talked to me for a long time with grace and inclusion, not only about her brilliance, but also general conversation.
.
I also admit that when I saw her arriving and walking down the hallway to the buffet table I dropped my plate on top of my feet. Food, too.

[burrowowl]

16. Really magnificent voice! RIP dear Lady!