Vale Jessye Norman

JimInOz · Sep 30, 2019

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/sep/30/jessye-norman-dies-opera-star-grammy

I never got to see her in real life.

🙁

Now sitting in the sun listening to her performance of Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs).

Jessye Norman (soprano), Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig, Kurt Masur (conductor)

Edward53 · Oct 1, 2019

JimInOz
Now sitting in the sun listening to her performance of Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs).

Jessye Norman (soprano), Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig, Kurt Masur (conductor)

A very fine singer. Her version of the above IMO fuller and warmer than the overrated, rather shrill Elisabeth Schwarzkopf recording.

JimInOz · Oct 1, 2019

Edward53
A very fine singer. Her version of the above IMO fuller and warmer than the overrated, rather shrill Elisabeth Schwarzkopf recording.

On that we agree.

JimInOz · Oct 1, 2019

And not only, arguably, the greatest American soprano of the late 20th century, but also quite deserving of her achievements.

From Wikipedia.

Honors and awards[edit]

1966: National Society of Arts and Letters singing competition[10]
1968: First prize at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich [1]
1982: Gramophone Award for her recording of Strauss' Four Last Songs[1]
1982: Musical America magazine's Musician of the Year.[31]
1984: Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance for "Ravel: Songs of Maurice Ravel"[1]
1984: Commandeur de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France)[32]
1984: France's National Museum of Natural History named an orchid for her[32]
1988: Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for "Wagner: Lohengrin"[1]
1989: Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for "Wagner: Die Walküre"[1]
1989: Légion d'honneur (France)[32]
1990: Honorary Ambassador to the United Nations by UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar [32]
1991: Norman's home town, Augusta, Georgia, dedicated Riverwalk Augusta's amphitheater, named in her honor[33]
1995: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class[34]
1996: Norman was a featured performer during the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia [14]
1997: Winner of the 1997 Radcliffe Medal, presented annually by the Radcliffe College Alumnae Association to honor individuals whose lives and work have had a significant impact on society.[32]
March 1997: Norman was honored by New York's Associated Black Charities at the 11th Annual Black History Makers Awards Dinner for her contributions to the arts and to African-American culture[35]
December 1997: Kennedy Center Honors (youngest recipient in the Honors' 20-year existence)[36]
1998: Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for "Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle"[1]
1999: Georgia Music Hall of Fame [14]
2000: Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal for her work in the fight against lupus, breast cancer, AIDS, and hunger[14]
2000: Outstanding Alumnae by Howard University [1]
2002: Inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame [37]
2006: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award [2][1]
Member of the Royal Academy of Music [1]
Awarded France's Grand Prix du Disque for albums of lieder by Wagner, Schumann, Mahler and Schubert.[38]
2006: Won Amsterdam's Edison Award (Oeuvreprijs)[39]
She was winner of an Ace Award from the National Cable Television Association for "Jessye Norman at Notre Dame."[38]
2009: National Medal of Arts presented by President Barack Obama in a ceremony at The White House in February 2010.[40][41]
2013: Spingarn Award from the NAACP.[42]
2015: Wolf Prize in Arts (with Murray Perahia)[43]
2018: 12th Glenn Gould Prize from the Glenn Gould Foundation [44]
2018: Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal [45]

Honorary doctorates[edit]

1982: Honorary doctorate from Howard University [46]
1984: Honorary doctorate from the Boston Conservatory of Music and the University of the South [46]
1990: Honorary Doctor in Music from Juilliard School of Music [47]
1998: Honorary doctorate from Harvard University [46]
2011: Honorary Doctorate Degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Northwestern University in June 2011.[48]
Jessye Norman has received honorary doctorates from more than 30 colleges, universities, and conservatories including Jesus College, Cambridge, the Manhattan School of Music, University of Michigan, Yale University, Northwestern University and Brandeis University.[49]

Larry S · Oct 1, 2019

Sad ... just saw this.

JwRosenthal · Oct 1, 2019

Saw her perform in Los Angeles when I was a kid- I remember being quite moved by her voice. RIP.