Episode 331. Eugene Holmes Revisited
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Exactly two years ago I introduced my listeners to the magisterial African American dramatic baritone Eugene Holmes (1932 – 2007). Holmes first found world-wide recognition with he appeared in the first modern revival of Frederick Delius’s problematic opera Koanga. Following that earth-shattering success, however, Holmes did not become a world star, but rather for nearly thirty years found his artistic home at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, where he was the reigning Verdi baritone with the company. His career there was bookended by two rare recordings of spirituals, one from just before his success in Koanga, the other appearing after Holmes had spent nearly twenty years in Düsseldorf. This episode presents a live excerpt from a 1972 London performance of the Delius (a voodoo curse, in fact, as delivered by the title character!), as well as the complete contents of both albums of spirituals. In addition, and perhaps most exciting, the episode is rounded off with two excerpts from a live 1981 Deutsche Oper am Rhein recording of Verdi’s dark masterpiece Simon Boccanegra with Holmes in the title role, joined by the exquisite Bulgarian soprano Stefka Evstatieva. In all of these recordings, the power of Holmes’s voice and the sensitivity of his expression combine to make these some of the finest recordings of either the spirituals repertoire, or of Verdi, that I have ever heard and are an important addition to the legacy of this woefully under-recorded artist.
RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
Frederick Delius, Charles Francis Keary [after George Washington Cable, revised Douglas Craig, Andrew Page]: Hear me, God Voodoo, I have betrayed my trust (Koanga). Eugene Holmes, Charles Groves, London Symphony Orchestra [live London 1972]
Holmes Sings Spirituals (ca. 1970). Joseph Rezits, pianist
- I Stood on the River of Jordan (arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
- Witness (arr. Hall Johnson)
- Let Us Break Bread Together (arr. William Lawrence)
- Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (arr. Hall Johnson)
- Ain’t Got Time to Die (arr. Hall Johnson)
- Deep River (arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
- Ride On, King Jesus (arr. Hall Johnson)
- Oh, Didn’t It Rain (arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
- Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen (arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
- Little David, Play on Your Harp (arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
- His Name So Sweet (arr. Hall Johnson)
- Were You There? (arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
Giuseppe Verdi, Francesco Maria Piave, revised Arrigo Boito [after Antonio García Gutiérrez]: Plebe, patrizi! (Simon Boccanegra). Eugene Holmes, Stefka Evstatieva, Alberto Erede, Duisburger Philharmoniker [live Duisburg 1981]
Eugene Holmes Spirituals (1988). Gerd Hirtz, pianist
- Deep River (arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
- Heav’n, Heav’n (arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
- Ride On, King Jesus (arr. Hall Johnson)
- Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child (arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
- Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (arr. Hall Johnson)
- Let Us Break Bread Together (arr. Gerd Hirtz)
- His Name So Sweet (arr. Hall Johnson)
- Oh, Glory! (arr. Hall Johnson)
- I Got to Lie Down (arr. Hall Johnson)
- Weepin’ Mary (arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
- Oh, Didn’t It Rain (arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
- Ain’t Got Time to Die (arr. Hall Johnson)
Giuseppe Verdi, Francesco Maria Piave, revised Arrigo Boito [after Antonio García Gutiérrez]: Favella il Doge (Simon Boccanegra). Eugene Holmes, Stefka Evstatieva, Alberto Erede, Duisburger Philharmoniker [live Duisburg 1981]
