Susan Dunn - what happened to her?

[Urs Geiser]

A few years ago, a young singer from Arkansas, Susan Dunn, was hailed as the
up-and-coming dramatic Verdi soprano. In fact, I saw her in approx. 1988 at
Lyric Opera of Chicago in Forza del Destino, and I was very very much
impressed. I also have the Atlanta Symphony/Shaw recording of the Verdi
Requiem, and she sounds very good there, too. However, in the last few
years, I haven't come across her name anymore. Did she quit, or does she
sing in obscure places now? Maybe somebody on the net knows more...
Thanks in advance, Urs
..........................................................................
. Urs Geiser, Chemistry and Materials Science Divisions - Building 200, .
. Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave., Argonne, IL 60439, USA .
. gei...@anchx4.chm.anl.gov ph: (708)252-3509 fax: (708)252-9151 .
. ====> THE USUAL DISCLAIMERS APPLY <==== .
..........................................................................

[David Fox]

In article <geiser.11...@milo.mcs.anl.gov>, gei...@anchx4.chm.anl.gov

(Urs Geiser) wrote:
>
> A few years ago, a young singer from Arkansas, Susan Dunn, was hailed as the
> up-and-coming dramatic Verdi soprano. In fact, I saw her in approx. 1988 at
> Lyric Opera of Chicago in Forza del Destino, and I was very very much
> impressed. I also have the Atlanta Symphony/Shaw recording of the Verdi
> Requiem, and she sounds very good there, too. However, in the last few
> years, I haven't come across her name anymore. Did she quit, or does she
> sing in obscure places now? Maybe somebody on the net knows more...

Dunn's quick eclipse has been one of the sadder examples in the last few
years. I've never heard her in the theatre, but on record it sounded to be
one of the most promising voices in a generation or two -- although the top
never was truly secure. I gather those problems with the upper register
became more and more evident. She was apparently fired from the San
Francisco Opera after a disasterous performance of Amelia in BALLO IN
MASCHERA, and friends of mine who work at the Met said her contract for
Luisa Miller was terminated "by mutual agreement," when during rehearsals
it became all to clear that she couldn't negotiate any of the higher
demands of the part. The Met LUISAS were scheduled four seasons ago -- her
name hasn't been on the roster since.

I understand she still lives in New York and still works with a coach,
though I'm not aware of any public appearances in the last two years. She
did sing "Pace pace" at a Tucker gala concert a couple of years back -- the
NY TIMES critic commented that the top was more together than when he had
heard her previously, but the size of the voice was greatly diminished.

Has anyone heard anything else?

Cheers,
David

**********************************
David Fox
University of Pennsylvania / College of General Studies
df...@mail.sas.upenn.edu
**********************************

[roger s berlind]

In article <geiser.11...@milo.mcs.anl.gov> gei...@anchx4.chm.anl.gov (Urs Geiser) writes:
>A few years ago, a young singer from Arkansas, Susan Dunn, was hailed as the
>up-and-coming dramatic Verdi soprano. In fact, I saw her in approx. 1988 at
>Lyric Opera of Chicago in Forza del Destino, and I was very very much
>impressed. I also have the Atlanta Symphony/Shaw recording of the Verdi
>Requiem, and she sounds very good there, too. However, in the last few
>years, I haven't come across her name anymore. Did she quit, or does she
>sing in obscure places now? Maybe somebody on the net knows more...
>Thanks in advance, Urs

I don't know much about her, but you can hear her on two London recordings:
1) Schenberg's Gurrelieder by Chailly/RSO Berlin (430 321-2) rec. 1990 and
2) Mahler's Das klagende Lied also by Chailly/RSOB (425 719-2) rec. 1991.

---Roger Berlind

[Sami Mitra]

In article <CMB1o...@acsu.buffalo.edu> rber...@acsu.buffalo.edu (roger s berlind) writes:
>In article <geiser.11...@milo.mcs.anl.gov> gei...@anchx4.chm.anl.gov (Urs Geiser) writes:
>>A few years ago, a young singer from Arkansas, Susan Dunn, was hailed as the

...........................

>>sing in obscure places now? Maybe somebody on the net knows more...
>>Thanks in advance, Urs
>
>I don't know much about her, but you can hear her on two London recordings:
>1) Schenberg's Gurrelieder by Chailly/RSO Berlin (430 321-2) rec. 1990 and
>2) Mahler's Das klagende Lied also by Chailly/RSOB (425 719-2) rec. 1991.
>

And then there is the misguided recording of the 1st act of Die Walkure,
with Maazel on Telarc(?).

Sami Mitra