Joan Sutherland

She was one of the most radiant, inspiring artistic personalities and one of the greatest singers of the last century: Dame Joan Sutherland. As the artist's family informed the Australian "Sunday Morning Herald," the opera and stage legend died peacefully in Geneva on Saturday. She was 83 years old. Joan Sutherland was born on November 7, 1926, in Point Piper, near Sydney. With the help of conductor (and her later husband) Richard Bonynge, who supported the still-uncertain young singer, she made the leap to the big stage. At 21, she debuted in her hometown in the title role of Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas," then continued her training in London at the Royal Academy of Music with Clive Carey, and by 1952, she was already heard at Covent Garden as the 1st Lady in "The Magic Flute." Her soprano captivated audiences and made her the first choice for a star cast. When Bellini's "Norma" was staged in 1953 with Maria Callas in the title role, Sutherland was cast as Clothilde. Success followed, and the newcomer proved herself as Aida, Amelia ("Un ballo in maschera," Verdi), Eva ("Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg," Wagner – "far too early in my development," as she later remarked), and Agathe ("Der Freischütz," by Weber). The breakthrough, however, came in 1959 when she was offered the title role of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor." Joan Sutherland convinced with a radiant, impressive coloratura soprano that literally swept the audience off their feet. From then on, she quickly rose to the top. In 1961, she repeated the success of "Lucia" at La Scala in Milan, and soon after at the Met in New York. Two years later, she sang the title role in Bellini's "Norma" for the first time, a role that developed into one of her signature performances. Incidentally, Marilyn Horne and a young Luciano Pavarotti as Sever were heard alongside her, and Sutherland significantly contributed to Pavarotti's career start. Joan Sutherland became one of the defining voices of her generation, and in 1979, she was finally knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for her extensive contributions to music. Dame Joan Sutherland remained active on stage until the late eighties. In 1990, she performed her last stage role at the Sydney Opera as Marguerite de Valois in Meyerbeer's "Les Huguenots." In 1991, she was appointed a member of the very exclusive Order of Merit by the British Queen, and in 1998, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani declared May 6th "Dame Joan Sutherland Day." Although Dame Joan Sutherland had retired from the stage, she remained involved in the scene for a long time, for example, as a juror for competitions or as an educator in masterclasses. 10/2010