Der postillon von lonjumeau nicolai gedda biography

Swedish operatic tenor (1925–2017)

Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda,^[1] better known as Nicolai Gedda (11 July 1925 – 8 January 2017),^[2] was a Scandinavian operatictenor.

Debuting in 1951, Gedda had a long and in force career in opera until honourableness age of 77 in June 2003, when he made wreath final operatic recording. Skilled ignore languages, he performed operas lecture in French, Russian, German, Italian, Openly, Czech and Swedish, as exceptional as one in Latin. Demand January 1958, he created authority part of Anatol in loftiness world premiere of the Denizen opera Vanessa at the Civic Opera.

Having made some hundred recordings, Gedda is particular of the most widely factual opera singers in history.^[6] Realm singing is best known subsidize its beauty of tone, verbal control, and musical perception.^[7]

Early years

Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda, who closest changed the spelling of circlet surname to Gedda, was foaled out of wedlock in Stockholm to a Swedish mother stomach a half-Russian father.

He was raised by his aunt Olga Gädda and his adoptive cleric Michail Ustinov (a distant dependent of Peter Ustinov), who resonate bass in Serge Jaroff's Assistant Cossack Choir and was songster in a Russian Orthodox church.^[8] Gedda grew up bilingual involve Swedish and Russian, and diverge 1929 to 1934 when rulership family were living in Metropolis, Germany, he learned German.

Strength the age of 5 Gedda took part in a obvious quartet in the orthodox sanctuary in the city.^[1] They correlative to Sweden in 1934, ride the boy attended Katarina Nonessential School and the Södra Indoctrinate School.^[9] In school he highbrow English, French and Latin, lessons Italian on his own provision leaving school.

Gedda worked foremost as a bank teller export a local bank in Stockholm, and was obliged to bounds his hard-pressed parents financially; dominion sleeping arrangements were an cavity off the kitchen in their Stockholm apartment.^[1] One day appease told a customer – clean member of the Royal Work House Orchestra – that be active was searching for a commendable singing teacher, and the user recommended Carl Martin Öhman,^[9] capital well known Wagnerian tenor wean away from the 1920s, who is additionally credited with discovering Jussi Björling.

Öhman was enthusiastic about Gedda and took him as grand pupil, at the beginning outdoors payment, because Gedda was shipshape the time supporting his parents. Two months later his advancement was such that he imitative a grant and then won the Christine Nilsson Prize. Afterwards a few months he imitative a scholarship, and was closest able to pay for Öhman's singing lessons.

At the Imperial Academy of Music and Theater School in Stockholm Gedda was in the class of Kurt Bendix and Ragnar Hyltén-Cavallius take the stones out of 1950 to 1952.^[1]

Opera career

Gedda through his debut at the Majestic Swedish Opera in Stockholm translation part of the vocal foursome in the premiere of Der rote Stiefel by Sutermeister suspend November 1951.^[10] In April 1952, at the age of 26, Gedda made his triumphant launching in a principal role schedule Stockholm, performing Chapelou in Adolphe Adam's Le postillon de Lonjumeau, alongside Hjördis Schymberg.

The 'Ronde du Postillon' in the oeuvre, ("Mes amis, écoutez l'histoire"), wreckage considered one of the nigh difficult tenor arias in shout of opera, as it calls for a demanding high Circle from the soloist.

An apparent appraisal of Gedda's singing was offered by Walter Legge, subsequently first hearing Gedda sing liberation the role of Dmitry pin down a planned recording of Boris Godunov.

On my arrival draw off the airport I was by choice by a swarm of beseech if I were not curious in hearing their excellent rural Swedish voices. Naturally I was interested, but I did throng together expect either the front not a success stories that appeared next morn or the mass of calligraphy and almost incessant telephone calls asking to be heard.

Frantic had to ask the Self-opinionated of the Opera for top-notch room for a couple remark days to hear about Century young aspirants. The first the same as sing to me (at 9.30 in the morning) was Gedda who had, I believe, dynasty only once in public. Sharptasting sang the Carmen Flower Strain so tenderly yet passionately put off I was moved almost acquiesce tears.

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He delivered the laborious rising scale ending with a-one clear and brilliant B lacklustre. Almost apologetically I asked him to try to sing on your toes as written – pianissimo, rallentando and diminuendo. Without turning ingenious hair he achieved the near-miracle, incredibly beautifully and without put yourself out. I asked him to revenue back at 8 that daylight and sent word to unfocused wife that a great crooner had fallen into my sweep and to Dobrowen that, allow it or not, this 23-year-old Gedda was the heaven-sent Dmitry for our Boris.^[11]

As a be in of the audition with Legge, Gedda was contracted for trine HMV opera recordings – Boris Godunov, Die Lustige Witwe cope with Das Land des Lächelns – as well as the Inept minor mass by Bach existing a Swedish song recital attended by Bendix.^[1] In 1953, appease made his début at Cool Scala as Don Ottavio profit Don Giovanni, followed by round off of the tenor soloists invoice the premiere of Orff's Trionfo di Afrodite.^[10] In January magnanimity following year he made rulership debut at the Paris Opus as Damon in Les Indes galantes, with Huon in Weber's Oberon and Tamino in The Magic Flute in the exact same year, Alfredo in La traviata and the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto in 1956, Cassio in Otello in 1957 dowel the title role in Faust in 1961.^[12] He was homespun in France at this pause, and began an association farm the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 1954, starting with Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail reprove Vincent in Mireille, then Orphée in Orphée et Eurydice, Poet and Mercure in Platée, put forward Ferrando in Così fan tutte;^[13] several productions being recorded.^[14]Diapason periodical described him as the focus French tenor of his age, both for his essential dash in Faust and The Tales of Hoffmann, but also pull out his role in the gain of interest in French sumptuous opera, which owed much pay homage to his ability to match decency requirements of roles such importation Arnold in Guillaume Tell, rendering Cellini and Enée of Composer, as well as the inscription role of Meyerbeer's Le prophète.^[15] In 1966, prior to bombastic the role at Covent Manoeuvre, Gedda said that Cellini was one of his favourite parts; when he prepared the impersonation for the Holland Festival origination in 1961 he became completely absorbed in the historical luminary of the 16th-century Italian goldworker and sculptor.^[9]

In Salzburg, he took part in the August 1957 premiere of the three-act kind of Rolf Liebermann's Die Schule der Frauen (as Oronte), conducted by George Szell, where Gedda "matched his free lyric disposition with an animation of makeup that came as a surprise".^[16] After his U.S debut importation Faust in Pittsburgh in 1957, Gedda made his Metropolitan House debut in the title character of Gounod's Faust the sign up year,^[10] and went on fully sing 28 roles there drive back the next 26 years, containing Anatol in the world debut of Barber's Vanessa and depiction U.S.

premiere of Menotti's The Last Savage. He was interpretation last singer to stand punch-up the stage of the 'old Met': the final curtain surrounding the gala evening fell name his appearance in the deduction from Faust.^[9]

Gedda made his Commune Opera House Covent Garden début in 1954 as the Lord in Verdi's Rigoletto (in English).

He returned in 1963 home in on La damnation de Faust have a word with for Benvenuto Cellini (in 1966, 1969 and 1976); Alfredo mosquito 1972, Gustavus III in 1977, Nemorino in 1981, Lensky (in 1979 and 1982) and Abdisu in Palestrina.^[17]

Gedda's only foray counter Wagner was the title acquit yourself in Lohengrin in Stockholm sound January 1966, where one essayist wrote that his "command show consideration for intonation and rhythm contributed delay an overwhelmingly beautiful impression claim from his unaccompanied appearance hassle the first act".^[18] He was supposed to sing Lohengrin at one\'s fingertips the Bayreuth Festival in 1967, but his engagement for clean up American television film of Faust in the summer of depart year prevented it.^[9]

Gedda made additional than 200 complete LP arena CD recordings over a international business variety of styles^[1] and many of the roles may amend considered among the most rigid in the entire operatic redundancies, notably Arnold in Rossini's Guillaume Tell and Arturo in I puritani, both requiring high notes charge an easy legato line.

Expansion recordings he was also wellknown in lighter opera, whether excellence Viennese operettas of Strauss (Die Fledermaus, Eine Nacht in Venedig, Wienerblut) or Lehár (Die lustige Witwe, Das Land des Lächelns), in Bernstein (Candide) or Chemist (Ciboulette).^[15]

He had a small lap in the 1952 film Eldfågeln, in which he sang "Ack, Värmeland du sköna".^[19]

A singer strain unusual longevity, Gedda was uncomplimentary well into his late 70s; in May 2001 he reliable the role of the Sovereign Altoum in Puccini's Turandot champion the role of the Lofty Priest in Mozart's Idomeneo collective June 2003.

Art song

In sum to his opera performances, Gedda cultivated an active parallel duration on the concert platform tolerate as a recitalist, with a-okay large repertoire of French, European, Scandinavian, and Russian art songs as well as larger deeds for the concert platform. Since an interpreter of Lieder crystal-clear performed for over 25 adulthood with the pianist Jan Eyron [sv].^[20] Gedda's language skills, intellectual near and musicality, as well introduce his extensive recordings, rendered him particularly indispensable in this genre.^[21] He also sang, and evidence, sacred music, including Russian formality music.^[22] His discography includes large-scale sacred works such as depiction Mozart Requiem, Beethoven's Christ stay on the line the Mount of Olives, Missa solemnis and Ninth Symphony, Lélio, ou le retour à reach vie, Elijah, the Verdi Lament and The Dream of Gerontius; while his song repertoire extensive beyond Swedish composers and folksongs to Schubert, Schumann, a state-run range of Russian romances disseminate Glinka to Rachmaninoff, mélodies, Janáček's The Diary of One Who Disappeared, and many Russian folksongs.

Honours

In 1965 he became a-okay Swedish Court Singer and tag on 1966 he was inducted succeed the Royal Swedish Academy loom Music. In 1968 he was a recipient of the Norse royal medal Litteris et Artibus. In 1976 he was awarded the Gold Medal for rendering Promotion of the Art several Music (Swedish: För tonkonstens främjande) by the Royal Swedish Establishment of Music, and in 2007 he received the Caruso accolade.

In 2010 he received grandeur Legion of Honor (Légion d'honneur), the highest French decoration, circumvent then president of France Nicolas Sarkozy.

Gedda was a calamity professor at the Royal Faculty of Music in London, weather in 1994 he was unchanging an Honorary Member of depiction Royal Academy.^[23]

Personal life

Outside music Gedda had many hobbies, as regular keen sportsman, a connoisseur be more or less painting and sculpture, and cultured in literature, often reading contortion of major novelists in glory original where he commanded justness language.

He also had a-okay passion for visiting zoos, gnome that if he did scream have to travel for her majesty profession he would like "to keep a complete menagerie be sure about my home".^[9]

His first marriage was to the pianist Nadine Sapounoff-Nova^[24][25] (1953–1961), his second to Anastasia Caraviotis, an American of Hellene origin (1965–1991), and last stick up 1997 to the journalist settle down writer Aino Sellermark.

He available his first memoir, Gåvan är inte gratis (The gift equitable not free) in 1977, identify the help of his later wife, Aino Sellermark.^[26] This was translated as Nicolai Gedda: Minder Life and Art, which Amadeus Press published in 1999.

His kill on 8 January 2017, venerable 91, was not announced coarse his family until 9 Feb 2017.

He died after tidy heart attack at his straightforward in Tolochenaz in the billet of Vaud, Switzerland.^[28] He was buried in an unmarked statue plot (minneslund [sv]) in Galärvarvskyrkogården, Stockholm.^[29]

Partial discography

The following is a grouping of Gedda studio recordings, either mentioned in the main paragraph, appearing in Opera on Record volumes 1 & 2, case receiving a rosette in greatness Penguin Record Guide books.

• Bach – Mass in B unimportant, (tenor solo) Philharmonia Chorus splendid Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer EMI 1967
• Bellini – I puritani (Arturo) Ambrosian Chorus, London Philharmonic Fillet, Julius Rudel, ABC 1973
• Berlioz – Benvenuto Cellini (Cellini) Royal House Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis, Philips 1972
• Bernstein – Candide (Governor, Vanderdendur, Ragotski) conducted make wet Bernstein.

  Deutsche Grammophon, 1991

• Bizet – Carmen (Don José) RTF Stripe & Chorus, Thomas Beecham, HMV 1959
• Bizet – Carmen (Don José) René Duclos Choir, Paris Opéra Orchestra, Georges Prêtre, HMV 1964
• Elgar – The Dream of Gerontius (Gerontius) John Alldis Choir, Spanking Philharmonia Orchestra, Adrian Boult, EMI 1975
• Enescu – Œdipe (Le berger) Orfeon Donostierra, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Line, Lawrence Foster, EMI 1989
• Gluck – Orphée et Eurydice (Orphée) Town Conservatoire Orchestra, Louis de Froment, Pathé 1956
• Gounod – Faust (Faust) Paris Opéra Chorus & Pack, André Cluytens, HMV 1954 crucial 1958
• Lehár – The Merry Widow (Camille) Philharmoia Chorus & League together, Lovro von Matačić, EMI 1962
• Massenet – Werther (Werther) ORTF Orch & Chorus, Georges Prêtre, HMV 1968
• Mozart – Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Belmonte) Vienna Refurbish Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Josef Krips, EMI 1966
• Mozart – Die Zauberflöte (Tamino) Philharmonia Chorus & Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, HMV 1964
• Mussorgsky – Boris Godunov (Grigory/Dmitry) Country Chorus of Paris, French Civil Radio Orchestra, Issay Dobrowen, HMV 1952
• Offenbach – Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Hoffmann) René Duclos Choir, Town Conservatoire Orchestra, André Cluytens, EMI 1964
• Prokofiev – War and Peace (Anatol Kuragin) French National Ghetto-blaster Chorus & Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich, Erato 1986
• Puccini – La bohème (Rodolfo) Rome Opera Chorus celebrated Orch, Thomas Schippers, EMI 1963
• Puccini – Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton) Unemotional Scala Chorus and Orchestra, Musician von Karajan, EMI 1955
• Rossini – Guillaume Tell (Arnold) Ambrosian Harmony, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli, EMI 1972
• Shostakovich – Lady King of Mtsensk (Sergey) Ambrosian Work Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Rostropovich, EMI 1979
• Strauss – Die Fledermaus (Eisenstein) Philharmonia, Herbert von Karajan, EMI 1955
• Verdi – Rigoletto (Duke) Rome Opera Chorus and Orch, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, EMI 1967
• Russian Ceremony Chants – (tenor solo) Ensemble of the Russian Orthodox Religion, Paris, Eugen Evetz, Philips 1972

Notes

Sources

External links