Oberon's Glade

Tag: Rita Gorr

  • Rita Gorr ~ Printemps qui commence

    rita gorr

    The great Belgian mezzo-soprano Rita Gorr sings Dalila’s evocative aria “Printemps qui commence” from Camille Saint-Saëns’ SAMSON ET DALILA.

  • Rita Gorr: “Impitoyables dieux” ~ LA VESTALE

    Rita-Gorr

    Rita Gorr sings Giulia’s “Impitoyables dieux” from Spontini’s LA VESTALE, recorded in 1958.

    Listen here.

  • Rita Gorr: “Impitoyables dieux” ~ LA VESTALE

    Rita-Gorr

    Rita Gorr sings Giulia’s “Impitoyables dieux” from Spontini’s LA VESTALE, recorded in 1958.

    Listen here.

  • Rita Gorr Has Passed Away

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    Another colossal figure from my early days as an opera lover has passed away: the Belgian mezzo-soprano Rita Gorr died on January 22, 2012 at the age of 85. The great singer had a relatively brief but busy career at the Metropolitan Opera; from 1962 thru 1966 she sang 42 performances in New York City and on tour, including Amneris, Eboli, Dalila, Santuzza, Waltraute in GOTTERDAMMERUNG and Azucena. It was in the last-named role that I heard her live for the only time, at the Old Met:

    Metropolitan Opera House
    November 25, 1965

    IL TROVATORE {350}
    Giuseppe Verdi

    Manrico.................Bruno Prevedi
    Leonora.................Gabriella Tucci
    Count Di Luna...........Robert Merrill
    Azucena.................Rita Gorr
    Ferrando................Bonaldo Giaiotti
    Ines....................Lynn Owen
    Ruiz....................Charles Anthony
    Messenger...............Hal Roberts
    Gypsy...................Luis Forero

    Conductor...............Georges Pretre

    Her singing was powerful and intense, and all evening long she and her colleagues received vociferous applause and bravos. What a great evening for a young opera buff!

    Rita Gorr extended her career into the 21st century; her final stage performances were in 2007 as the Old Countess in Tchaikovsky’s QUEEN OF SPADES at Ghent and Antwerp.

    Only recently I acquired a copy of the Leinsdorf recording of Wagner’s LOHENGRIN and have been listening to it over the past few days. It now takes on greater significance since Ms. Gorr is the majestic Ortrud, singing in the grand manner. In the great duet for husband and wife which open Act II, William Dooley as Telramund expresses his fear that his defeat by Lohengrin in Act I was a sign from God. “Gott????!!” Gorr/Ortrud responds ironically, then lets out a daemonic laugh. Brilliant!

    Rita Gorr’s classic EMI solo disc of arias seems to be unavailable now; I owned it on LP as a young man and literally wore out the grooves. But several tracks can be found on YouTube. Here is her Liebestod from TRISTAN UND ISOLDE, sung with an Old World grandeur that seems to have vanished as opera moves away from its voice-centric uniqueness into a more generalized feeling of being mere entertainment.