Whatever happened to Judith Blegen
GEJ
Was just listening to Haydn's Creation with Blegen. Does anyone know what
happened to her? Where she is now?
Leonard Tillman
>Was just listening to Haydn's Creation with
> Blegen. Does anyone know what happened
> to her? Where she is now?
She retired in the 1980s - much too early for my preference. :(
Blegen is married to the Met's Concertmaster Raymond Gniewic, and is one
of my absolute favorites in her vocal category.
Best,
LT
Terrymelin
>of my absolute favorites in her vocal category.
Former concertmaster. He retired quite some time ago.
She was an outstanding Sophie.
Terry Ellsworth
Leonard Tillman
"Blegen is married to the Met's Concertmaster Raymond Gniewic, and is
one of my absolute favorites in her vocal category. "
>Former concertmaster. He retired quite some
> time ago.
Ah, I was wondering about that. Once in a while, he'd treat the radio
audience to a violin solo or two during intermission features. "
>She was an outstanding Sophie.
And an ideal Gilda and Musetta. I'd like to have seen/heard her
Violetta, but she wouldn't do the role, feeling in awe of Moffo, who she
felt was not to be equalled.
>Terry Ellsworth
Leonard Tillman
"Of all the griefs that harass the distress'd,
Sure the most bitter is a scornful jest;
Fate never wounds more deep the generous heart,
Than when a blockhead's insult points the dart." -- Samuel,
among the noblest of Johnsons,
Leonard Tillman
"Of all the griefs that harass the distress'd,
Sure the most bitter is a scornful jest;
Fate never wounds more deep the generous heart,
Than when a blockhead's insult points the dart."
-- Samuel, among the noblest of Johnsons,
A Tsar Is Born
"GEJ" <gjoh...@qwest.net> wrote in message
news:BC600D1A.667D%gjoh...@qwest.net...
>
>
>
> Was just listening to Haydn's Creation with Blegen. Does anyone know what
> happened to her? Where she is now?
A routiniere, down the line.
Her debut as Marzelline was terrific, but nothing else she did at the Met
ever came close to it. A competent Sophie.
Hans Lick
Slrdsyj
Westenberg. She had a lovely voice and she sang that soprano part
beautifully.
dtritter
>
>
> Was just listening to Haydn's Creation with Blegen. Does anyone know what
> happened to her? Where she is now?
>
long retired, as is her husband, the enormously gifted former
concertmaster of the met orchestra, ray gniewik, living in
subsurban new york.
dft
CHSIII
> Her debut as Marzelline was terrific, but nothing else she did at the Met
> ever came close to it. A competent Sophie.
>
Adina and Nanetta. Also, although really beyond the size of her voice, she
was a passionate and convincing Juliette to Corelli's Romeo for one season.
Colette Boky was a routiniere - Blegen had something special.
Wieland
Schwarz on trumpet. "Let the bright seraphim," that sort of thing.
Not sure when it was from, but it had wild Sillsian candenzas and
interpolations on the da capos, so it must have been before the
historical-performance-practice Nazis came in and pooh-poohed such
things.
Wieland
Leonard Tillman
>she was a passionate and convincing Juliette
> to Corelli's Romeo for one season.
Indeed so! I remember what a beautiful onstage couple they were -
vocally, visually. and dramatically.
>Colette Boky was a routiniere - Blegen had
> something special.
An egregiously underrated Diva. As for Boky's routiniere-status, the
term - for her era - denoted a standard that would be Super-star quality
today.
Leonard Tillman
In the early '80s, or so?
Her studio-recordings, at least, seem scarce, but in a "Tonight" show of
about '79 or '80, she sang the truly most beautiful "O, Holy Night" I
have ever heard - with the possible exceptions of Bjoerling's and
Corelli's.
Blegen's performances, even in such roles as "Oscar" were often the high
points of Ballo productions in which she'd outshone the other
(estimable) cast members.
GEJ
sings Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate, a Scarlatti cantata and Handel's Let
the Bright Seraphim. It appears to still be available. She is accompanied
by Gerard Schwartz, among others.
On 2/24/04 11:02 AM, in article
14743-403...@storefull-3336.bay.webtv.net, "Leonard Tillman"
CHSIII
> something special.
An egregiously underrated Diva. As for Boky's routiniere-status, the
term - for her era - denoted a standard that would be Super-star quality
today.
I certainly agree with the standard shift from then till now. And Boky was
not bad. But she was a little messy in her execution of the better roles,
like Gilda and Lucia, and, imo, didn't have the goods to actually be called
Diva. Of the roles I witnessed her do, Olympia was the best, but the
coloratura was...wild, to put it politely. Another perhaps "routiniere" of
those years, better than Boky, who would excel today, was Gail Robinson, the
Alabama "Diva." A beautiful voice, and very nice to see. A most touching
Lucia.
Leonard Tillman
>Another perhaps "routiniere" of those years,
> better than Boky, who would excel today, was
> Gail Robinson, the Alabama "Diva." A
> beautiful voice, and very nice to see. A most
> touching Lucia.
She achieved some prominence for a time, then faded into the
background, as too-often happens. A different Robinson - Faye - was
even less-known, but also fine-looking and of similar vocal gifts,
starring for a while in NYCO's Rigoletto productions with Pablo Elvira
(who alternated with Richard Fredricks), and Enrico di Giuseppe - during
the late 1970s.
A Tsar Is Born
"CHSIII" <chs...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:HJL_b.18563$W74....@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> Another perhaps "routiniere" of
> those years, better than Boky, who would excel today, was Gail Robinson,
the
> Alabama "Diva." A beautiful voice, and very nice to see. A most touching
> Lucia.
I never heard her sing anything with individual character or personality.
Competent singer, yes. Pretty voice, yes.
Born to cover.
Hans Lick
Alcindoro
> She achieved some prominence for a time, then faded into the background, as
too-often happens.<
She was afflicted with severe arthritis, which towards the end of her Met
career had quite visibly deformed her hands. My guess is that the disease was
responsible for her retirement, whether because of even further physical
problems or its effect upon her voice or both. Her voice was not to everyone's
taste, rather bright and piping. I liked her, as she reminded me of a certain
kind of sound one hears in vintage recordings of French lyric-coloraturas. It
certainly always stood out from the other voices, which in and off itself rubs
some people the wrong way. Her sound taught me some things about how and why a
voice projects -- it was not large but very concentrated, and carried through
ensembles and over the orchestra as well as a dramatic sound. She was also
very pretty and svelte, and quite nice to chat with, as I did a few times in
the late 80s.
Alcindoro
happened to her? Where she is now?<
Blegen's voice developed some intonation problems towards the end of her Met
career and she decided (or it was decided for her) to retire. I'm also told by
those who knew her that she simply lost interest in sustaining a career. At
her best a charming singer with extremely impressive coloratura technique.
REG
watch on stage, and she certainly seemed to make the most of that, but the
sound was for me in no way distinctive, the interpretations in no way
personal. I think she was competent enough in a very slight repetoire, but
eminently forgettable.
"Alcindoro" <alci...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040224154229...@mb-m28.aol.com...
AnMeinKlav
it has been reissued on CD.
She also sang the Israeltish woman beautifully on an otherwise rather
forgettable recorded traversal of Handel's Judas Maccabeus. Barry Morell's
Judas is memorable in all the wrong ways in this performance, alas.
I enjoyed both her Sophie and Adele onstage at the Met. Her retirement may have
been hastened by the rise of Kathleen Battle, who sang a similar repertory.
Wieland
> sings Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate, a Scarlatti cantata and Handel's Let
> the Bright Seraphim. It appears to still be available. She is accompanied
> by Gerard Schwartz, among others.
Hm . . . that's not it, although I wonder if some of the tracks aren't
taken from the earlier recording. I remember it did have "Lusinghe
piu care," for one. But I'm fairly sure there wasn't any Mozart on
the album, nor any other collaborators. Plus, I heard it in the late
eighties, so I think LT must be right about the vintage.
Well, I'll have to look in my basement--I think I may actually still
have the LP in my collection somewhere.
Wieland
Leonard Tillman
her studies with the French baryton-martin, Martial Singher, whose son
was (IIRC) once married to her. From what Blegen mentioned, the
impression was made - though apparently not by her intention - that
Martial was rather a martinet in his approach to mentoring.
LT
Mark D Lew
Tillman <tapef...@webtv.net> wrote:
> From what Blegen mentioned, the
> impression was made - though apparently not by her intention - that
> Martial was rather a martinet in his approach to mentoring.
Is it true that marti-Al invented the marti-Net?
mdl
Leonard Tillman
>In article
><20312-40...@storefull-3337.bay.web
>tv.net>,
>Leonard Tillman <tapef...@webtv.net>
> wrote:
"From what Blegen mentioned, the
impression was made - though apparently not by her intention - that
Martial was rather a martinet in his approach to mentoring. "
>Is it true that marti-Al invented the marti-Net?
Definitely, though it's a little-known fact.
After the patent was registered, they went out for a Marti-Ni, and were
joined by a Talvela named Mart-Ti. A Mart-Velous time was had by one
and Al.
>mdl
LT
Wieland
> have the LP in my collection somewhere.
>
> Wieland
Yes, I do still have it. Baroque Aires for Soprano and Trumpet,
Columbia Chamber Ensemble/Schwarz, CBS, 1977. A-side all Scarlatti,
B-side all Handel. A little voice without much substance to it, but a
bright, ringing tone and killer technique.
Wieland
jszostaksr
at LOC. Helga Dernesch and Christa Ludwig shared the 'Marschallin' and
Charlotte Bertholdt was the 'Octavian'...'Ochs' was Hans Sotin.
When Bertholdt arrived thru the set's arched doorways into Faninal's living
room Blegen looked at him and batted her eye lashes several times and
partially swooned...catching herself before she lost her balance. It was so
charming. I was offstage left watching with some others and we were all
touched with the young girl we were seeing before us being overwhelmed at
the sight of this magnificent silver costumed 'cavalier of the rose' and his
presentation of said item.
She sang like a dream...the final trio and duet were just wonderful. And
she acted the part as well as anyone I've ever seen...before or since.
To boot...she was approachable and polite to all of her colleagues. I hold
great store in that. Whatever she's doing now...I wish her nothing but the
best.
Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
"GEJ" <gjoh...@qwest.net> wrote in message
news:BC600D1A.667D%gjoh...@qwest.net...
>
>
>
Leonard Tillman
>she was approachable and polite to all of her
> colleagues. I hold great store in that.
> Whatever she's doing now...I wish her nothing
> but the best.
Seconded, Jon.
Blegen is one of my three favorite singers in her vocal range, along
with Moffo and Mado Robin. Female vocal perfection and charm.
>Jon E. Szostak, Sr.
LT
Hans Christian Hoff
"Leonard Tillman" <tapef...@webtv.net> skrev i melding
news:21295-403...@storefull-3333.bay.webtv.net...
>Leonard Tillman <tapef...@webtv.net>
> wrote:
>mdl
LT
She was probably particularly godd in Mart-ern aller Arten !
HCH
Alcindoro
by a Talvela named Mart-Ti. A Mart-Velous time was had by one and Al.<
However, along came Martina A. who out-laughed and out-drank them all under the
table.
She would have made a GREAT Falstaff!
Leonard Tillman
Alas, Martrilyn, the brassy, sassy Mezzo, Horne'd in on the party,
outlaughing (not sure about outdrinking) Martina and the rest.
No doubt, SHE would've been a smashing Dame Joan Falstaff!
LT
Alcindoro
No doubt she has drunk more than a few Falstaffs in her time.
Leonard Tillman
-- Which would no doubt impart an added authenticity to her
portrayal?
LT
Alcindoro
I hear the Pentagon is investigating the defense possibilities of amplified
recordings of Marilyn Horne belching.
Leonard Tillman
Given the right brand of Ginger Ale prior to the recording sessions,
further amplification might be unnecessary.
LT
sher...@gmail.com
Bob Sherman
