Frederica von Stade
Encyclopedia
Frederica von Stade is an American mezzo-soprano
. Born in Somerville, New Jersey
, she acquired the nickname "Flicka" in her childhood. Von Stade attended the Mannes College of Music
in New York City
. She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera
in 1970 and in 1971 appeared as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro
at the Santa Fe Opera
. "It was two of the newcomers who left the audience dazzled: Frederica von Stade as Cherubino and Kiri Te Kanawa
as the Countess. Everyone knew at once that these were brilliant finds. History has confirmed that first impression."
Trained in the bel canto
style, von Stade is known for her roles in Rossini's The Barber of Seville
and La Cenerentola
. In addition to opera
, von Stade has also performed a wide range of musicals, from Show Boat
to The Sound of Music
to A Little Night Music
and has appeared on numerous PBS
specials, most notably in 1991's A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert
. She has also appeared in many Kennedy Center Honors
broadcasts for CBS
. Von Stade is also a respected recital artist, performing works ranging from Mozart
and Haydn
to Mahler
to Broadway
show tunes. Her LP album of Mahler songs was praised as "cherishable" by Peter G. Davis of The New York Times
.
Composers, including Dominick Argento
, Jake Heggie
and Richard Danielpour
, have produced works specifically for von Stade. She originated the role of "Tina" in Dallas Opera
's world premiere production of Argento's The Aspern Papers
. She has also recorded other works by Argento. Danielpour composed Elegies
for orchestra, mezzo-soprano, and baritone
in memory of von Stade's father, Charles von Stade, who was killed late in World War II
, two months before von Stade's birth. Elegies premiered in January 1998 with the Jacksonville Symphony
led by Roger Nierenberg and has now been recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra
. In 2008, she created the role of "Madeline" in the opera Last Acts
, a part which the composer Jake Heggie had specially written for her.
Von Stade was the featured performer at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and also sang with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
at the Cultural Olympiad held in conjunction with the games. She also sang at the choir's annual Christmas Concert the following year.
She currently resides in Alameda, California
where she gives performances supporting the arts in local schools.
with Garrison Keillor
. Her Show Boat album was a bestseller. She has also appeared with Kathleen Battle
and Judi Dench
on Seiji Ozawa
's recording of Mendelssohn
's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Her recordings have garnered six Grammy nominations, two Grand Prix du Disque
awards, the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis, Italy's Premio della Critica Discografica, and "Best of the Year" citations by Stereo Review
and Opera News
.
by President Reagan
in recognition of her significant contribution to the arts and by France
's highest honor in the Arts as an officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
.
series Northern Exposure
(her interpretation of Bailero from Canteloube's
Chants d'Auvergne
appeared on its original soundtrack album).
A case summary involving a dispute over marital property and earnings (Elkus v. Elkus, 572 N.Y.S.2d 901 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991))http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=10761871029160238353&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr between von Stade and Peter Elkus
, formerly her husband, appears in Dukeminier's Property textbook, commonly used in the first year of law school.
Von Stade appeared in the finale of We Are Most Amused
, the Charity Gala thrown for the 60th birthday of Prince Charles. She performed as a Valkyrie
accompanying Eric Idle
in singing a modified version of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
".
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
. Born in Somerville, New Jersey
Somerville, New Jersey
Somerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,098. It is the county seat of Somerset County....
, she acquired the nickname "Flicka" in her childhood. Von Stade attended the Mannes College of Music
Mannes College of Music
Mannes College The New School for Music is The New School university's music conservatory. While the university's main campus is located in Greenwich Village, New York City, Mannes maintains its main academic building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in 1970 and in 1971 appeared as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
at the Santa Fe Opera
Santa Fe Opera
The Santa Fe Opera is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe in the U.S. state of New Mexico, headquartered on a former guest ranch of .-General history:...
. "It was two of the newcomers who left the audience dazzled: Frederica von Stade as Cherubino and Kiri Te Kanawa
Kiri Te Kanawa
Dame Kiri Jeanette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC is a New Zealand / Māori soprano who has had a highly successful international opera career since 1968. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved sopranos in both the United States and Britain she possesses a warm full lyric soprano voice, singing a wide array...
as the Countess. Everyone knew at once that these were brilliant finds. History has confirmed that first impression."
Trained in the bel canto
Bel canto
Bel canto , along with a number of similar constructions , is an Italian opera term...
style, von Stade is known for her roles in Rossini's The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
and La Cenerentola
La Cenerentola
La Cenerentola, ossia La bontà in trionfo is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the fairy tale Cinderella...
. In addition to opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, von Stade has also performed a wide range of musicals, from Show Boat
Show Boat
Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally produced in New York in 1927 and in London in 1928, and was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The plot chronicles the lives of those living and working...
to The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
to A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a literal English translation of the German name for Mozart's Serenade...
and has appeared on numerous PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
specials, most notably in 1991's A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert
A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert
A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert is a 1991 PBS special that originally aired as part of its Great Performances franchise.Recorded in early December, 1991 at Carnegie Hall in New York, the 90-minute concert is a program of traditional, secular, and religious Christmas carols performed by soprano...
. She has also appeared in many Kennedy Center Honors
Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. The Honors have been presented annually since 1978 in Washington, D.C., during gala weekend-long events which culminate in a performance for—and...
broadcasts for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. Von Stade is also a respected recital artist, performing works ranging from Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
and Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
to Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
to Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
show tunes. Her LP album of Mahler songs was praised as "cherishable" by Peter G. Davis of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
Composers, including Dominick Argento
Dominick Argento
Dominick Argento is an American composer, best known as a leading composer of lyric opera and choral music...
, Jake Heggie
Jake Heggie
Jake Heggie is an American composer and pianist.Jake Heggie is the composer of the operas Dead Man Walking , The End of the Affair , At The Statue of Venus , To Hell and Back , and Moby-Dick , as well as the stage work For a Look or a Touch...
and Richard Danielpour
Richard Danielpour
Richard Danielpour is an American composer.-Biography:Danielpour is born of Persian/Jewish descent. He studied at Oberlin College and the New England Conservatory of Music, and later at the Juilliard School of Music, where he received a DMA in composition in 1986...
, have produced works specifically for von Stade. She originated the role of "Tina" in Dallas Opera
Dallas Opera
The Dallas Opera is an opera company located in Dallas, Texas . The company was founded in 1957 as the Dallas Civic Opera by Laurence Kelly and Nicolà Rescigno, both of whom had been active with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the first as administrator, the second as artistic director.-The company's...
's world premiere production of Argento's The Aspern Papers
The Aspern Papers
The Aspern Papers is a novella written by Henry James, originally published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1888, with its first book publication later in the same year. One of James' best-known and most acclaimed longer tales, The Aspern Papers is based on an anecdote that James heard about a Shelley...
. She has also recorded other works by Argento. Danielpour composed Elegies
Elegy
In literature, an elegy is a mournful, melancholic or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song or a lament for the dead.-History:The Greek term elegeia originally referred to any verse written in elegiac couplets and covering a wide range of subject matter, including epitaphs for tombs...
for orchestra, mezzo-soprano, and baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
in memory of von Stade's father, Charles von Stade, who was killed late in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, two months before von Stade's birth. Elegies premiered in January 1998 with the Jacksonville Symphony
Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Jacksonville, Florida. Widely recognized for its high artistic quality, the JSO ranks among the nation’s top 30 to 40 orchestras in terms of number of performances and population served...
led by Roger Nierenberg and has now been recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
. In 2008, she created the role of "Madeline" in the opera Last Acts
Last Acts
Last Acts is a chamber opera in two acts by Jake Heggie to a libretto by Gene Scheerwhich is based on the unpublished play Some Christmas Letters by Terrence McNally...
, a part which the composer Jake Heggie had specially written for her.
Von Stade was the featured performer at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and also sang with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes colloquially referred to as MoTab, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to...
at the Cultural Olympiad held in conjunction with the games. She also sang at the choir's annual Christmas Concert the following year.
She currently resides in Alameda, California
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
where she gives performances supporting the arts in local schools.
Recordings
She has made over sixty recordings, including complete operas, aria albums, symphonic works, solo recital programs, and popular crossover albums. She has done humorous recordings, such as Songs of the CatSongs of the Cat
Songs of the Cat was released by Highbridge Audio in 1991. It is a collection of songs and spoken-word pieces about cats, performed by Garrison Keillor and Frederica von Stade...
with Garrison Keillor
Garrison Keillor
Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio personality. He is known as host of the Minnesota Public Radio show A Prairie Home Companion Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (born August 7, 1942) is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio...
. Her Show Boat album was a bestseller. She has also appeared with Kathleen Battle
Kathleen Battle
Kathleen Battle , is an African-American operatic soprano known for her agile and light voice and her silvery, pure tone. Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performances with major orchestras during the early and mid 1970s. She made her opera debut in...
and Judi Dench
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
on Seiji Ozawa
Seiji Ozawa
is a Japanese conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of large-scale late Romantic works. He is most known for his work as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera.-Early years:...
's recording of Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Her recordings have garnered six Grammy nominations, two Grand Prix du Disque
L'Académie Charles Cros
The Académie Charles-Cros, is an organization in France that acts as an intermediary between government cultural policy makers and professionals in music and the recording industry....
awards, the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis, Italy's Premio della Critica Discografica, and "Best of the Year" citations by Stereo Review
Stereo Review
Stereo Review was an American magazine first published in 1958 by Ziff-Davis with the title HiFi and Music Review. It was one of a handful of magazines then available for the individual interested in high fidelity. Throughout its life it published a blend of record and equipment reviews, articles...
and Opera News
Opera News
Opera News is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to support the Metropolitan Opera of New York City...
.
Honors
Von Stade was honored with an award in 1983 at the White HouseWhite House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
by President Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in recognition of her significant contribution to the arts and by France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's highest honor in the Arts as an officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
.
Trivia
Von Stade was the idol of a key character in the CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
series Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
(her interpretation of Bailero from Canteloube's
Joseph Canteloube
Marie-Joseph Canteloube de Malaret was a French composer, musicologist, and author best known for his collections of orchestrated folksongs from the Auvergne region.-Biography:...
Chants d'Auvergne
Chants d'Auvergne
Chants d'Auvergne is a collection of folk songs from the Auvergne region of France arranged for soprano voice and orchestra or piano by Joseph Canteloube between 1923–1930. The songs are in the local language, Occitan...
appeared on its original soundtrack album).
A case summary involving a dispute over marital property and earnings (Elkus v. Elkus, 572 N.Y.S.2d 901 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991))http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=10761871029160238353&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr between von Stade and Peter Elkus
Peter Elkus
Peter Elkus is a voice teacher giving master classes for both singers and instrumentalists.His classes have been presented in 10 countries including University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, the Munich State Opera, the Accademia Musicale Ottorino Respighi in Assisi and Rome, the Théâtre des...
, formerly her husband, appears in Dukeminier's Property textbook, commonly used in the first year of law school.
Von Stade appeared in the finale of We Are Most Amused
We Are Most Amused
We Are Most Amused was a gala event held at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 12 November 2008 in honour of the 60th birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales, in aid of The Prince's Trust. Prince Charles attended the event with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and youngest son Prince Harry.The show...
, the Charity Gala thrown for the 60th birthday of Prince Charles. She performed as a Valkyrie
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who decides who dies in battle. Selecting among half of those who die in battle , the valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin...
accompanying Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
in singing a modified version of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" is a popular song written by Eric Idle that was originally featured in the 1979 film Monty Python's Life of Brian and has gone on to become a common singalong at public events such as football matches as well as funerals.-History:Whilst trying to come up...
".
Sources
- Official Frederica von Stade web site
- Kellow, Brian, Cherubino Grows Up, Opera News, April 1995
- Spoto, Donald, Flicka in 3/4 Time,Opera News, March 2000