Horne, Marilyn (1929—)

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Horne, Marilyn (1929—)

American mezzo-soprano. Born Marilyn Bernice Horne in Bradford, Pennsylvania, on January 16, 1929; studied with her father, and with William Vennard, Lotte Lehmann, and Gwengolyn Koldofsky ; attended the University of Southern California; Rutgers University, Mus.D., 1970; Jersey City State College,

D.Litt.; attended St. Peter's College; married Henry Lewis (a composer).

Made debut as Háta in Smetana's The Bartered Bride, Los Angeles Guild Opera (1954); appeared at the Venice Festival by invitation of Igor Stravinsky (1956); appeared as Marie in Berg's Wozzeck at San Francisco Opera (1960), at Covent Garden (1964); made debut at La Scala in Oedipus Rex (1969); made debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Adalgisa in Bellini's Norma (1970); other roles include Rosina in Barber of Seville, Neocle in The Siege of Corinth, both La Scala (1969), Isabella in L'Italiana in Algiere, title role in Carmen, both Metropolitan Opera (1972–73); also appeared with the American Opera Society of New York City for several seasons which included roles in Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride and Rossini's Semiramide ; appeared with the Vancouver Opera (Adalgisa in Norma ) and at Philharmonic Hall, New York City; appeared as Italiana at La Scala (1975), as Rosina at Vienna Opera (1978); has recorded for London (often with Joan Sutherland), Columbia, and RCA records; has received several Grammy awards.

Marilyn Horne was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1929, but the Horne family moved to Los Angeles when she was 11. She studied with William Vennard at the University of Southern California and also took part in Lotte Lehmann 's master classes. Horne first came to public attention as the dubbed voice of Dorothy Dandridge in the 1954 film Carmen Jones, the all-black version of Bizet's Carmen. That same year, she debuted as Háta in Smetana's The Bartered Bride with the Los Angeles Opera. An early association with Igor Stravinsky led to her participation in the Venice Festival in 1956. Horne then spent three years as a member of the Gelsenkirchen company in Europe before appearing as Marie in Berg's Wozzeck on October 4, 1960, at the San Francisco Opera. In 1969, Horne appeared at La Scala as Rosina in Barber of Seville, and Neocle in The Siege of Corinth. She then appeared as Carmen under Bernstein's baton in 1972, a performance which was later recorded.

In what was to become known as the modern bel canto revolution, a dynamic pairing with Joan Sutherland led to many international concerts. Horne first worked with Sutherland in a concert version of Bellini's Beatrice di Tenda at Carnegie Hall in 1961. The two reunited in Rossini's Semiramide in Boston in 1965. In 1967, Horne appeared at Covent Garden as Adalgisa to Sutherland's Norma in the Bellini opera; they reprised their roles at the Metropolitan in 1970.

Horne has sung at the White House for Republican and Democratic presidents, and in 1993 sang at Bill Clinton's Inaugural. Her voice has extraordinary range, as concerts which included Rossini arias and Brünnhilde's immolation scene demonstrate. Horne's other great roles include Handel's Rinaldo, Rossini's Isabella and Rosina, Verdi's Amneris, Princess Eboli, and Mistress Quickly, Meyerbeer's Fides, and Gluck's Orfeo. In 1994, Horne launched the Marilyn Horne Foundation which is devoted exclusively to the art of the vocal recital which she termed "an endangered species of the performing arts." In 1995, she was honored at the Kennedy Center for inspiring an "impressive body of new work, ranging from Igor Stravinsky to William Bolcom," and for being "especially instrumental in nourishing and popularizing new American music."