#houston grand opera

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

in which the kasper holten don giovanni continues to inspire the worst takes alive,

[princesssarisa]

Last night I rewatched the DVD of the 1995 Houston Grand Opera production of La Cenerentola for the first time in several years.

It was so much fun, and interesting too, because it's so different from the 1981 Ponnelle film that tends to be my "go-to" Cenerentola.

Cecilia Bartoli's Angelina/Cenerentola shows how much power a performer has to reinterpret a role. Remember my post about the different types of Cinderella in adaptations? In that post, I wrote that Rossini's opera portrays her as "the Waif." I do think that's how she's written in the libretto, and Frederica von Stade and other mezzos play it straight. But Cecilia Bartoli probably couldn't play a delicate waif even if you tripled her salary for it! Her spunky, down-to-earth, playful characterization is much more of a cross between "the Girl Next Door" and "the Tomboy." The non-operatic Cinderella who probably matches her most closely is Aylin Tezel's Aschenputtel in Sechs auf einen Streich. And while I still think the opera's Cenerentola is written to be "the Waif," she makes it work.

[vera-dauriac]

Look what dropped today!!!

[haute-lifestyle-com]

Houston Opera Announces its 2023-2024 Season; Includes Favorite's and New Work #janetwalker #hautelifestylecom #theentertainmentzonecom #Houstonopera #houstonfinearts #opera

https://www.haute-lifestyle.com/arts-culture/fine-arts-dance-symphony/6255-houston-grand-opera-announces-its-2023-24-season.html

[a-book-of-creatures]

Art by Maurice Sendak for the 1997 production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel at the Houston Grand Opera. Sendak also did the set design for the production.

[post-hummus]

While I haven't posted much about it here, I'm part of a lil' theatre prop & puppetry studio in Houston🎭 and this is what we've been up to since the holidays:

12 rotating animal masks for “The Big Swim”, an upcoming Lunar New Year show in collaboration with Houston Grand Opera & Asia Society Texas Center! 🧧

Design by Afsaneh Aayani

Built by Corey Nance, Sasha Blaschka (that's me!), and Regine Gwyneth Templonuevo

It was really an honor to build such fun designs and I'm grateful to work alongside my amazing studio mates. We've invested many long, dedicated hours to this project, and I’m simply amazed at how much progress we’ve made working as a team.

It can be demanding work, but that deep-rooted sense of fulfillment & gratification always keeps us looking forward to the next project! 🙌

(I'll be posting behind-the-scenes photos over on my insta stories)

[lboogie1906]

Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an actress and singer. Known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win all four acting categories. She has performed in musicals, operas, and dramas such as A Moon for the Misbegotten, 110 in the Shade, Carousel, Ragtime, Master Class, and Porgy and Bess.

She has performed in staged operas with the Houston Grand Opera and the Los Angeles Opera and concerts with symphony orchestras like the Berlin Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic. Her recording of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny with the Los Angeles Opera won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Album and the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. She maintains an active concert and recording career throughout the US. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama. She was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

She portrayed Dr. Naomi Bennett in Private Practice. She portrayed the character of Liz Lawrence in The Good Wife, a role that she reprises in The Good Fight; she received two Critics Choice Award nominations for her performance. She performed the role of Mother Superior in The Sound of Music Live! She has twice been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her portrayals of Susie Monahan in Witopposite Emma Thompson and her performance of Ruth Younger in A Raisin in the Sun. She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill in which she portrayed jazz legend Billie Holiday. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program for her work hosting the program Live from Lincoln Center.

She is known for her portrayals of Maureen in Ricki and the Flash, Madame de Garderobe in Beauty and the Beast, and Barbara Siggers Franklin in Respect She has been nominated seven times for the NAACP Image Awards for her work in television and film. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[three--rings]

One of the things I love about my husband is that he's really, really into music and mostly rock (and like these days doom metal) but he really really wanted to go to an opera because he'd never been.

So last fall I bought him tickets to Tosca which seemed like the best bet in the current season of Houston Grand Opera and we went tonight and he was SO EXCITED and had a total blast and is already talking about what we should get tickets to next season.

This was my third opera (in person) and I really enjoyed it, but maybe not quite as much. My first opera experience was also HGO doing Carmen and I was super bored (I was in high school). Then I went to see Don Giovanni at the Met in NYC when I was in college (with my french class) and that was great.

Tosca was pretty good and the two leads were excellent and the staging and costuming was good (two of the things I didn't like with Carmen, which was a modern staging).

Anyway, I may have been the only person in the building with purple hair which is also a weird/fun feeling.

Also apparently he likes opera MUCH more than musicals, and that may be entirely because of the subtitles. And yeah honestly musicals should have above the stage subtitles too cause auditory processing is difficult.

[starqueen87]

Contralto singer Carol Brice was born in Sedalia, North Carolina on April 16, 1918 into a musical family. Eventually she became one of the first African American classical singers with an extensive recording repertoire. Brice trained at Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia and then enrolled in Talladega College in Alabama, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in 1939. She later attended Juilliard School of Music between 1939 and 1943 where she trained with Francis Rogers. In 1943 Brice became the first African American musician to win the prestigious Walter W. Naumburg Foundation Award.

Carol Brice first attracted public acclaim at the New York World’s Fair in 1939 when she performed in the opera, “The Hot Mikado.” Her next major public performance came in 1941, when she sang at a Washington concert honoring the third inauguration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Her brother, the pianist Jonathan Brice, was frequently her accompanist at concerts and competitions.

Ms. Brice’s Broadway career accelerated after World War II when her talent for both opera and musical theatre became apparent. In 1946 she received her first recording contract from Columbia Records for Manuel de Falla’s El Amor Brujo, which was performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner. She sang with the Pittsburgh Symphony for all of 1946 and later performed as Addie in the New York City Opera’s 1958 production of Marc Blitzstein’s Regina. Brice remained with the New York City Opera until 1963. She performed with Volksoper in Vienna, Austria from 1967 to 1971 and the Houston Grand Opera from 1976 to 1977. She played Maria in the Houston Grand Opera production of Porgy and Bess. The recording of that performance won a Grammy and the entire show moved to Broadway where it won a 1977 Tony Award for Most Innovative Production of a Musical Revival.

Brice also had a successful career on Broadway. She played Kakou in the original Broadway cast of Harold Arlen’s Saratoga (1958) and Maude in the 1960 revival of Finian’s Rainbow. During the 1960s her numerous roles included Catherine Creek in The Grass Harp, Harriett Tubman in Gentlemen, Be Seated, and Queenie in Showboat.

While performing in Vienna in 1968, she met her husband, the baritone Thomas Carey. The couple had two children. Mr. Carey returned to the U.S. in 1969 to teach at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, and Carol Brice joined him there after another stint on Broadway. Ms. Brice officially joined the University of Oklahoma faculty in 1974. One year later she and her husband founded the Church Circuit Opera Company in Norman, Oklahoma. The company was renamed the Cimarron Circuit Opera in 1981 and continued until Thomas Carey’s death in 2002.

Carol Brice died on February 14, 1985 in Norman, Oklahoma. She was 66.

Source: Black Wall Street, Facebook

[princesssarisa]

Opera on YouTube 5

Nabucco

Teatro alla Scala, 1987 (Renato Bruson, Ghena Dimitrova; conducted by Riccardo Muti; no subtitles)

Teatro di San Carlo, 1997 (Renato Bruson, Lauren Flanigan; conducted by Paolo Carognani; no subtitles)

Ankara State Opera, 2006 (Eralp Kıyıcı, Nilgün Akkerman; conducted by Sunay Muratov; no subtitles)

St. Margarethen Opera Festival, 2007 (Igor Morosow, Gabriella Morigi; conducted by Ernst Märzendorfer; English subtitles)

Rome Opera, 2011 (Leo Nucci, Csilla Boross; conducted by Riccardo Muti; English and German subtitles)

Teatro Comunale di Bologna, 2013 (Vladimir Stoyanov, Anna Pirozzi; conducted by Michele Mariotti; Italian subtitles)

Rome Opera, 2013 (Luca Salsi, Tatiana Serjan; conducted by Riccardo Muti; no subtitles)

Gran Teatro Nacional, Perú, 2015 (Giuseppe Altomare, Rachele Stanisci; conducted by Fernando Valcárcel; Spanish subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 2017 (Plácido Domingo, Liudmyla Monastyrska; conducted by James Levine; Spanish subtitles)

Arena di Verona, 2017 (George Gagnidze, Susanna Branchini; conducted by Daniel Oren; English subtitles)

La Cenerentola (Cinderella)

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle studio film, 1981 (Frederica von Stade, Francisco Araiza, Paolo Montarsolo; conducted by Claudio Abbado; English subtitles)

Glyndebourne Festival Opera, 1983 (Kathleen Kuhlmann, Laurence Dale, Claudio Desderi; conducted by Donato Renzetti; no subtitles)

Salzburg Festival, 1988 (Ann Murray, Francisco Araiza, Walter Berry; conducted by Riccardo Chailly; English subtitles)

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, 1991 (Lucia Valentini-Terrani, Toshiro Gorobe, Domenico Trimarchi; conducted by Antonello Allemandi; Japanese subtitles) – Act I, Act II

Houston Grand Opera, 1995 (Cecilia Bartoli, Raúl Giménez, Enzo Dara; conducted by Bruno Campanella; no subtitles)

Rossini Opera Festival, 2000 (Sonia Ganassi, Juan Diego Flórez, Bruno Praticó; conducted by Carlo Rizzi; Italian subtitles)

Gran Teatre del Liceu, 2008 (Joyce DiDonato, Juan Diego Flórez, Bruno de Simone; conducted by Patrick Summers; German subtitles)

Romeo Opera, 2015 (Serena Malfi, Juan Francisco Gatell, Alessandro Corbelli; conducted by Alejo Pérez; Italian and English subtitles)

Lille Opera, 2016 (Emily Fons, Taylor Stayton, Renato Girolami; conducted by Yves Parmentier; English subtitles)

Boboli Gardens, Florence, 2020 (Svetlina Stoyanova, Josh Lovell, Daniel Miroslaw; conducted by Sándor Károlyi; no subtitles)

Lucia di Lammermoor

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, 1967 (Renata Scotto, Carlo Bergonzi; conducted by Bruno Bartoletti; English subtitles)

Mario Lanfranchi film, 1971 (Anna Moffo, Lajos Kosma; conducted by Carlo Felice Cillario; English subtitles)

Bregenz Festival, 1982 (Katia Ricciarelli, José Carreras; conducted by Lamberto Gardelli; no subtitles) – Part I, Part II

Opera Australia, 1986 (Joan Sutherland, Richard Greager; conducted by Richard Bonynge; English subtitles)

Teatro Carlo Felice, 2003 (Stefania Bonfadelli, Marcelo Álvarez; conducted by Patrick Fournillier; Japanese subtitles)

San Francisco Opera, 2009 (Natalie Dessay, Giuseppe Filianoti; conducted by Jean-Yves Ossonce; English subtitles)

Amarillo Opera, 2013 (Hanan Alattar, Eric Barry; conducted by Michael Ching; English subtitles)

Gran Teatre del Liceu, 2015 (Elena Mosuc, Juan Diego Flórez; conducted by Marco Armiliato; French subtitles)

Teatro Real de Madrid, 2018 (Lisette Oropesa, Javier Camerana; conducted by Daniel Oren; English subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 2022 (Lisette Oropesa, Benjamin Bernheim; conducted by Evelino Pidó; English subtitles)

Il Trovatore

Claudio Fino studio film, 1957 (Mario del Monaco, Leyla Gencer, Fedora Barbieri, Ettore Bastianini; conducted by Fernando Previtali; English subtitles)

Wolfgang Nagel studio film, 1975 (Franco Bonisolli, Raina Kabaivanska, Viorica Cortez, Giorgio Zancanaro; conducted by Bruno Bartoletti; Japanese subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 1978 (Plácido Domingo, Raina Kabaivanska, Fiorenza Cossotto, Piero Cappuccilli; conducted by Herbert von Karajan; no subtitles)

Opera Australia, 1983 (Kenneth Collins, Joan Sutherland, Lauris Elms, Jonathan Summers; conducted by Richard Bonynge, English subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 1988 (Luciano Pavarotti, Eva Marton, Dolora Zajick, Sherrill Milnes; conducted by James Levine; no subtitles)

Bavarian State Opera, 2013 (Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros, Elena Manistinta, Alexey Markov; conducted by Paolo Carignani; English subtitles)

Temporada Lirica a Coruña, 2015 (Gregory Kunde, Angela Meade, Marianne Cornetti, Juan Jesús Rodriguez; conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson; no subtitles)

Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liége, 2018 (Fabio Sartori, Yolanda Auyanet, Violeta Urmana, Mario Cassi; conducted by Daniel Oren; French subtitles)

Arena di Verona, 2019 (Yusif Eyvazov, Anna Netrebko, Dolora Zajick, Luca Salsi; conducted by Pier Giorgio Morandi; German subtitles)

Teatro Verdi di Pisa, 2021 (Murat Karahan, Carolina López Moreno, Victória Pitts, Cesar Méndez; conducted by Marco Guidarini; no subtitles)

[pianistterenceyung]

Pianist Terence Yung has been hailed as "a brilliant young artist" with "powerhouse virtuosity," "felt musicianship" and "a real gift for communication in performance." Mr. Yung has appeared throughout the United States as a recitalist, in chamber music concerts, as soloist with orchestras, including performances in New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle and Houston, as well as abroad in Spain and France. His international honors include top prizes at the Puigcerdà International Music Competition in Spain and the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition in New York City.

Notable venues include Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center of Performing Arts (Philadelphia), Benaroya Hall (Seattle), the Teatro d Puigcerdá, the Grand Opera House (Delaware), the Juilliard School (New York City), Steinway Hall, Yamaha Salon, the Kosciuszko Foundation, the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. In the United States and abroad, Mr. Yung has performed at music festivals including the International Keyboard Institute and Festival (New York City), the Puigcerdà International Music Festival (Spain), the International Piano Festival (Houston), and the Adirondack International Music Festival in upstate New York.

Terence, who grew up in the United States, studied privately with Eleanor Sokoloff of the Curtis Institute of Music before entering the Juilliard School's pre-college program in New York City at the age of thirteen, where he was a pupil of Frank Lévy and Martin Canin (the teaching assistant of Rosina Lhévinne).He continued his studies with Abbey Simon at the Moores School of Music in Houston, where he holds a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. He also holds a prestigious Diplôme from the Académie Internationale d'Eté de Nice, where he studied with Michel Béroff and Philippe Entremont, and he took lessons informally with Susan Starr, Lang Lang, Garrick Ohlsson, and Horacio Gutierrez.

Mr. Yung has been highly committed to the education and outreach of classical music. His work with outreach organizations has made a difference for the underprivileged children of inner-city Houston through the gift of music. He has served on the piano faculties of the Yellowstone Academy and the University of Houston Moores School of Music Preparatory and Continuing Studies. His involvements with community organizations include frequent collaborations with the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia. Terence Yung has been a subject of interviews by Ming Pao Daily News, the Global Chinese Times, and French public news as an outstanding young pianist from Hong Kong.

[vera-dauriac]

Yes, please and thank you.

[yourgoldennotebook]

In this final installment of our "Kids Who Play" series, we introduce a savvy 14-year-old from Pennsylvania who's making the kind of waves in Nashville that LeAnn Rimes and Tanya Tucker did at a similarly tender age, and a 15-year-old Southern California guitarist who's already discovering the joys of DIY.

The Kids Are Alright by Andy Robinson (June, 2004)

Taylor Swift lovingly refers to her koa Taylor 12-string as her "baby." She also owns a Custom 612ce. Obviously, these two high-end guitars represent a serious investment in gear for a 14-year-old. But then, Swift, and those around her, have every reason to take her musical talent seriously.

Recently, Taylor's family relocated to Nashville to concentrate on her blossoming career; she is signed to a "development" deal with RCA Records, and is managed by Dan Dymtrow, Britney Spears' manager. By the time you read this, you might already have seen Swift posing with her cherished K65ce in the August issue of Vanity Fair magazine; Dymtrow arranged for her to be one of 27 young, up-and-coming celebrity models photographed by Bruce Weber for the new "Rising Stars" Abercrombie and Fitch ad campaign. Her image will also appear in Abercrombie's new catalog.

Swift was born in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, and grew up listening to Patsy Cline, LeAnn Rimes, and Dolly Parton. At age eight, she joined a children's theater group and subsequently got the lead role of Sandy in Grease. Her country-influenced rendition of "Hopelessly Devoted to You" caused a stir, and she never looked back.

Taylor went on to sing at fairs and festivals, and by age 12 she was the opening act on a bill that included Diamond Rio, Trace Adkins, Tammy Cochran, and Darryl Worley. Since then, she has opened for the Charlie Daniels Band, and has sung the National Anthem at numerous sporting events, including Philadelphia 76ers basketball games and the 2003 U.S. Open.

The latter engagement led to her most important career connection to date.

"While I was singing the National Anthem, the entertainment director for the U.S. Open started asking my dad about me," she says. "Afterward, my dad put together this typical 'dad video' type of thing — with the cat chewing the neck of my Taylor, and stuff like that — and sent it to her, not knowing that she was going to send it to Dan Dymtrow.

"Dan called and asked us to come down and play for him in his office, so I brought my first 12-string down and played some songs for them. Dan said 'I want to work with you guys,' and it's been great ever since! I love Dan — he is an awesome manager."

Swift had tried to learn guitar at age eight, but the timing and the approach didn't work.

"I was being taught by the note, every note on the scale, and I just wasn't interested in that. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to be a singer at that point, you know? I mean, you're eight years old!" she says, laughing. A few years later, she again tried taking lessons, and this time the teenage Swift found the experience much different.

"By the second week, I'd learned three chords and I'd written my first song," she recalls. "Now I'm working on fingerpicking and music theory."

Although Swift's parents don't play any instruments, her maternal grandmother was an opera singer, so there's a hereditary precedent for Taylor's vocal ability.

"My grandparents lived all over the world. In Puerto Rico, my grandmother was the hostess of the top-rated TV variety show, called The Pan-American Show. Nanny's Spanish was so bad that the Puerto Ricans thought she was hysterically funny! She went on to become the 'Madrina' [symbolic grandmother figure] of their Air Force; they really loved her. She starred in a lot of operas and was a member of the Houston Grand Opera. I think that's where I got most of my musical ability."

Swift's nascent songwriting skills also seem to have genetic roots. She sees a natural link between her lyric-writing and the fact that people in her family write poems.

"Songwriting talent is something you're born with," she says. "You have to nurture it, and you have to work with it, and you definitely have a say in which direction you go with it, but I think you're born with any kind of writing ability, which no one can take away from you. And I don't think you can teach someone to write if they don't have a sense of how to do it."

Lately, Taylor has been putting her budding talent to the test by co-writing songs with veteran tunesmiths in Nashville. She's already done some co-writes with last year's BMI Songwriter of the Year, Troy Verges, whose credits include "Blessed" (for Martina McBride), "I Would've Loved You Anyway" (Trisha Yearwood), "Sleep Tonight" (Tim McGraw), "Windows on a Train" (Jessica Andrews), and "Naked" (Celine Dion). She's also written with Brett James, who wrote "Love is a Sweet Thing" for Faith Hill" and "Tryin'" for Pam Tillis.

"I can't wait to write with a lot more people," Swift says. "I definitely think I have my own style, and I'd like to stay true to that, but on the other hand, you never stop learning. I'm never going to say I'm the 'best' at anything, because that's just stupid. You're always going to keep learning, and at no point will I know everything. I figure, if you surround yourself with people who are better than you, it can only bring you up."

If some aspects of Swift's creativity were inherited, the decision to play guitar seems all her own.

"I just thought the guitar looked really cool!" she says. "it also had to do with the types of music I liked — country and rock. I had tried to play piano, and I think you're either a piano person, where you have finger coordination and you can go all over the keyboard, or a guitar person, where you're using the muscles of your fingers to push down strings and play chords. Both are very hard to learn, and some people can do both, but I can't!"

Swift says she's been desperately trying to learn to play some songs on piano, but she keeps coming back to guitar.

"I guess guitar is really what I was meant to play, because it seems to be what I have a knack for. I actually learned on a 12-string, so when I picked up my first 6-string, I was, like, whoa, this is easy! I think when I got over the first little bumps of learning how to play guitar, it really paid off, because from then on it was easy. When I started learning to fingerpick and stuff like that, I started to play my 612ce more. But the 12-string will always be my favorite, 'cause it's the first guitar I played."

Swift admits that she might want to try the electric guitar someday, but only after she's become more adept at playing solos and classical music on acoustic guitar. There's also something organic about an acoustic that she finds hard to resist.

"I can't get over the sound that acoustic guitars put out — I just love it. And nothing comes between me and my Taylor 12-string! It makes a definite impression when I pull that beautiful koa guitar out of the case. And, of course, the [Taylor] name correlation works well, too!"

Things are clicking for Swift. Her song, "The Outside", has been slated for the Chicks with Attitude CD being sponsored by Maybelline New York, which is part of the "Chicks with Attitude" tour featuring Liz Phair, Katy Rose, the Cardigans, and others. The CD is scheduled to come out in August. Swift's immediate goals are at once modest and ambitious.

"I hope to be one of the 'others'!"

[whileiamdying]

Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, the Diva of ‘Diva,’ Dies at 75

A soprano who rose from South Philadelphia to the opera houses of Europe, she was memorably seen and heard in a 1981 film considered a paragon of cinematic style.

The soprano Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez in the 1981 movie “Diva.” An art-house hit that became a cult favorite, it would be her only film.Credit...Rialto Pictures

By Alex Williams Published Feb. 14, 2024 Updated Feb. 16, 2024

Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, a South Philadelphia-bred soprano who sang in the opera houses of Europe and gained even more fame for playing the title role in the style-soaked 1981 French thriller “Diva,” died on Feb. 2 at her home in Lexington, Ky. She was 75.

Her daughter and only immediate survivor, Sheena M. Fernandez, said the cause was cancer.

Trained at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and later at the Juilliard School in New York City, Ms. Fernandez made her mark in the 1970s as Bess in the Houston Grand Opera’s international traveling production of George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” The tour took her to Europe, where she caught the eye of Rolf Liebermann, the impresario known for reviving the Paris Opera. He offered her a two-year contract.

It was in a 1980 performance as Musetta in “La Bohème” alongside Plácido Domingo and Kiri Te Kanawa that she caught the attention of the French director Jean-Jacques Beineix, who was looking for a figure radiant enough to serve as the diva at the heart of his forthcoming film.

“Diva” was considered a high-water mark in the movement known as the cinéma du look, a high-sheen school of French film often centered on stylish, disaffected youth in the France of the 1980s and ’90s. A film with all the saturated color and gloss of a 1980s music video, it was an art-house hit that became a cult favorite for the initiated.

The story revolves around a young opera fan named Jules (played by Frédéric Andréi) who grows so infatuated with an American opera star named Cynthia Hawkins that he surreptitiously tapes one of her performances — despite her well-known decree that none of her work be recorded, since it would capture only a part of the power and immediacy of her grandeur.

That grandeur is on full display in Ms. Fernandez’s opening scene, as she takes the stage in a hauntingly weathered old theater wearing a shimmering white gown and metallic eye shadow. She proceeds to mesmerize the house — and Jules — with a soaring rendition of the aria “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana” (“Well, then? I’ll go far away”) from Alfredo Catalani’s opera “La Wally.”

Jules’s tape of the performance becomes a device that leads him into a swirl of underworld hit men, Taiwanese music pirates and whirring engines in a moped-focused chase scene that reaches into the Paris Metro.

Not all the critics were charmed. Vincent Canby of The New York Times called the film “an anthology of affectations.” But Pauline Kael of The New Yorker praised it as a “glittering toy of a movie” that “dashes along with pell-mell gracefulness.” While extolling Ms. Fernandez as “awesomely beautiful,” Ms. Kael even made the allowance that her “American-accented French and her amateurishness as an actress are ingratiating.”

“Diva,” in fact, would be Ms. Fernandez’s only film role. In interviews, she said that she had never any desire to be an actress, believing that the static environment of a film set was no substitute for the electricity of the stage.

Still, in a 1987 interview with the radio host Bruce Duffie, she expressed satisfaction that her role had brought exposure to opera “to a completely different audience who are probably not accustomed to going to the opera or hearing classical music.”

“More and more, I find in doing recitals and concerts that the audience is younger and younger, and it’s because they have seen the film,” she added. “Not only are they coming to see me, but they say they’re going to see some other people, and that’s great.”

Wilhelmenia Wiggins was born on Jan. 5, 1949, in Philadelphia, the elder of two children of Ernest and Vinelee (Clayton) Wiggins.

Her vocal talents were on display as early as age 5, when she sang with the choir of her family’s Baptist church. By her teens, her celestial soprano was taking flight in the choir at the William Penn High School for Girls. She honed her voice with formal training under the soprano Tillie Barmach at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia.

After graduating from the Academy of Vocal Arts, also in Philadelphia, in 1969, she earned a scholarship to Juilliard in New York. She married Ormond Fernandez, a mail carrier, in 1971 and ultimately left Juilliard in 1973 without a degree to raise her infant daughter.

Ms. Fernandez later recalled the challenges she faced as a Black performer trying to carve out a career in the Eurocentric world of opera.

“For a long time I was afraid I couldn’t sing because I was worried how color was affecting my chances,” The Washington Post quoted her as saying in a 1982 profile. “I wished I could sing behind a screen and just be judged on my voice.”

In auditions, she said, she often noticed “the little falling of the face” when she arrived, which she interpreted to mean “We would like you to do the role, but you’re Black.” Then, she added, “they’d talk amongst themselves while you sang.”

While “Diva” was Ms. Fernandez’s last appearance on celluloid, it was merely a prelude to a long career that included her New York City Opera debut in 1982, once again as Musetta in “La Bohème,” as well as performances throughout Europe.

In addition to making Musetta her own, she also made the title role in Verdi’s “Aida,” an Ethiopian princess held captive in ancient Egypt, a signature. At one point she even performed the role amid the temples of Luxor in Egypt itself.

In 1992, Ms. Fernandez won a Laurence Olivier Award, the British equivalent of a Tony, for best actress in a musical for her rendition of Carmen in “Carmen Jones.”

She married Andrew W. Smith, a baritone with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, in 2001 and moved to Lexington, where he was directing the voice program at Kentucky State University. He died in 2018. Her first marriage ended in divorce in the early 1980s.

Motivated to complete her education, Ms. Fernandez earned a bachelor’s degree in voice from the University of Kentucky in 2007 and later a master’s degree in education from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky. The master’s program prepared her for her eventual work as a special-education teacher in a Lexington elementary school.

Although she carved out a lasting place in cinema lore with her role as a big-screen diva, Ms. Fernandez never tried to inhabit such a persona away from the stage, even when her movie fame was fresh.

She told The Washington Post in 1982 that the film “Diva” “opened up a different kind of world for me.”

“I’m being recognized on the street,” she said, “and I just finished a recording session. It seems I’m getting a little more attention.”

Even so, on that hot summer day when she was being interviewed in her South Philadelphia home, with children outside splashing in water gushing from open fire hydrants, she said: “This is my identity. I don’t want to pretend to be what I’m not.”

A correction was made on Feb. 16, 2024. An earlier version of a picture caption with this obituary, using information from Getty Images, misstated the name of the singer pictured with Ms. Fernandez in a production of “Porgy and Bess.” He is Donnie Ray Albert, not Ray Albert. When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at nytnews@nytimes.com. Learn more. Alex Williams is a reporter in the Obituaries department. More about Alex Williams

[lboogie1906]

Roberta Alexander (born March 3, 1949) is an operatic soprano. She began her career as a leading soprano in 1975 and spent the next three decades performing principal roles with opera houses internationally. She has performed secondary character roles on stage, including performances at the Grand Théâtre de Provence in 2013, La Scala in 2014, and La Monnaie in 2015. She performed the 5th maid in Strauss’s Elektra at the Metropolitan Opera in 2016 and Curra in Verdi’s La Forza del Destino at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 2019.

She studied music at Central State University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.

She moved to the Netherlands at age 23. She made her debut at the Netherlands Opera in 1975 in La cambiale di matrimonio. She created the role of Bubikopf in the world premiere of Viktor Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis.

In 1980 she made her American debut as Pamina in The Magic Flute with the Houston Grand Opera. She was an apprentice singer with Santa Fe Opera and made her feature role debut with Santa Fe Opera under conductor John Crosby in the title role of Strauss’ Daphne in 1981. Her Metropolitan Opera debut was in 1983 as Zerlina in Don Giovanni. In 1984 she made her debut at The Royal Opera, London, as Mimì in La bohème. In 1989 she gave a lauded portrayal of the title role in Jenůfa at the Glyndebourne Festival. She has recorded for the Dutch label Etcetera Records, in addition to selected recordings for such labels as Philips. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #womenhistorymonth

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What Happened on October 22 in American History?

October 22 stands out in American history as a date marked by significant political events, cultural milestones, and moments that have shaped the nation. From the inauguration of Texas’s first president to pivotal moments during the Cuban Missile Crisis, this day has witnessed a variety of important occurrences. In this article, we will explore notable events that happened on October 22, emphasizing their historical significance and lasting impact on the United States.

What Happened on October 22 in American History?

Sam Houston Inaugurated as 1st Elected President of the Republic of Texas (1836)

On October 22, 1836, Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first elected president of the Republic of Texas. This event marked a critical moment in the history of Texas, which had recently declared independence from Mexico. The inauguration symbolized the establishment of a new government and the beginning of an era characterized by challenges and opportunities for the young republic.

Houston’s presidency came at a time when Texas was in a precarious position. The newly independent nation faced economic difficulties, security threats from Mexico, and the need for recognition from foreign powers. Houston, a key figure in the Texas Revolution, took immediate steps to stabilize the government, seek diplomatic relations, and address the military needs of the republic. His leadership during this formative period laid the groundwork for Texas’s eventual annexation into the United States and its ongoing significance in American history.

Thomas Edison Perfects the Carbonized Cotton Filament Light Bulb (1879)

On October 22, 1879, Thomas Edison achieved a major milestone by perfecting the carbonized cotton filament light bulb. This invention represented a breakthrough in electric lighting, significantly improving the functionality and lifespan of light bulbs compared to previous designs. Edison’s work in this area laid the foundation for the widespread use of electric lighting, transforming everyday life in America and beyond.

Edison’s carbon filament bulb was a pivotal advancement in the broader context of industrial innovation during the late 19th century. His relentless experimentation and dedication to improving electrical technologies not only revolutionized lighting but also influenced various industries and everyday activities. The success of the light bulb on October 22 highlighted Edison’s role as a key innovator of the era, ultimately contributing to the development of modern electrical systems and urban infrastructure.

New York’s Original Metropolitan Opera House Has Its Grand Opening (1883)

On October 22, 1883, New York’s original Metropolitan Opera House opened its doors for the first time with a performance of Charles Gounod’s opera “Faust.” This event marked a significant milestone in American cultural history, establishing the Met as a premier venue for opera and classical music. The grand opening showcased the artistic aspirations of New York City during a time of growth and cultural sophistication.

The Metropolitan Opera House quickly became a cultural icon, attracting renowned artists and operatic productions from around the world. Its establishment on October 22 represented a commitment to the arts and the emergence of opera as a popular form of entertainment in America. Over the years, the Met has continued to evolve, becoming synonymous with excellence in the performing arts and influencing generations of artists and audiences.

Herbert Hoover Speaks of “American System of Rugged Individualism” (1928)

On October 22, 1928, Herbert Hoover, then a presidential candidate, delivered a speech in which he articulated his vision of the “American system of rugged individualism.” In his address, Hoover emphasized the importance of self-reliance and individual initiative as fundamental principles of American life. This philosophy resonated with many Americans during a period of economic prosperity and reflected the values of the time.

Hoover’s speech on October 22 laid the groundwork for his presidency, which began in March 1929. However, his beliefs about rugged individualism would be tested shortly thereafter with the onset of the Great Depression. As the economic crisis unfolded, the limitations of relying solely on individual initiative became apparent, forcing Hoover to confront the realities of widespread unemployment and economic hardship. The speech remains a significant part of Hoover’s legacy, illustrating the complexities of American ideals and the challenges of governance during turbulent times.

Notorious Bank Robber Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd Shot and Killed by FBI Agents (1934)

On October 22, 1934, notorious bank robber Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd was shot and killed by FBI agents in East Liverpool, Ohio. Floyd had become a prominent figure during the Great Depression, known for his flashy lifestyle and criminal exploits. His death marked a significant moment in the FBI’s efforts to combat organized crime and bank robbery, which had surged during this period.

Floyd’s violent end on October 22 symbolized the federal government’s increasing resolve to tackle crime and restore law and order amid the economic turmoil of the 1930s. His life and death became emblematic of the era, capturing the public’s fascination with gangsters and outlaws. The FBI’s involvement in his case reflected the agency’s evolving role in American law enforcement and its commitment to addressing organized crime, paving the way for future efforts in criminal investigation and enforcement.

President John F. Kennedy Addresses the Nation About the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered a live television address to the American public regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis, a pivotal moment in Cold War history. In his speech, Kennedy outlined the discovery of Soviet missile installations in Cuba and the immediate threat they posed to U.S. national security. He announced a naval blockade of Cuba to prevent further shipments of military equipment, effectively escalating the crisis.

Kennedy’s address on October 22 was a critical moment in U.S. history, as it not only informed the American people about the gravity of the situation but also called for national unity and vigilance. His calm yet firm tone aimed to reassure the public while underscoring the seriousness of the conflict. The Cuban Missile Crisis would remain one of the most dangerous confrontations of the Cold War, and Kennedy’s leadership during this period is often credited with preventing a potential nuclear war.

Joe DiMaggio Hired as Executive VP of A’s by Charlie Finley (1967)

On October 22, 1967, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio was hired as the executive vice president of the Oakland Athletics by team owner Charlie Finley. DiMaggio, known for his stellar career with the New York Yankees, brought his experience and star power to the Athletics, an organization seeking to establish itself in Major League Baseball. His hiring marked a significant moment in the franchise’s history and the sport itself.

DiMaggio’s role on October 22 was not just symbolic; it reflected the growing trend of former players taking on leadership positions in baseball organizations. While DiMaggio’s tenure with the A’s would ultimately be short-lived, his involvement with the team highlighted the evolving landscape of professional baseball and the importance of player legacy in shaping team identities. His contributions to the sport, both on and off the field, continue to be remembered and celebrated.

Bill Taylor Testifies in Ukraine Scandal (2019)

On October 22, 2019, Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, testified before Congress regarding President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. Taylor’s testimony was part of the impeachment inquiry surrounding allegations that Trump had tied military aid to Ukraine with demands for investigations into political rival Joe Biden and his family. His statements were critical in understanding the events leading up to the impeachment proceedings.

Taylor’s testimony on October 22 brought significant attention to the complexities of U.S. foreign policy and the implications of personal interests in diplomatic relations. His insights added to the mounting evidence of potential misconduct and raised questions about the integrity of the administration’s actions. The inquiry sparked nationwide discussions about accountability in government, the role of diplomacy, and the protection of democratic institutions.

Conclusion

October 22 is a date marked by significant events that have shaped American history in various ways. From political milestones like Sam Houston’s inauguration to pivotal moments during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and from groundbreaking inventions to cultural achievements, each event has left a lasting legacy. These occurrences illustrate the complexities of American history and the enduring impact of decisions made on October 22. As we reflect on these moments, we gain a deeper understanding of the forces that have shaped the nation and continue to influence its trajectory.