Episode 443. Meet Klesie Kelly
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SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM
As a pendant to, and continuation of, my Black History Month 2026 series on Countermelody, I am pleased and honored to present to you the exquisite African American lyric soprano Klesie Kelly, who, as with numerous other singers that we have explored together this month, has made her life, career, and home abroad, in this case, Germany, where she came to pursue post-university studies in Detmold and from there simply put down roots. Though unlike me, Kelly was not born in Milwaukee, she did spend some of her formative years there, including pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin Madison. In her years in Germany, Kelly was not only an active and deeply respected both on the operatic stage and the concert platform (where her performances of Bach were particularly lauded), but she also dedicated herself to the education of many of the finest singers to have come through the Musikhochschule in Köln. I have managed to unearth a number of invaluable sound documents of Klesie Kelly, including a number of recordings of Lieder and duets with instrumental obbligato accompaniment, and peerless performances of Bach cantatas, as well as a 1970 concert performance of Porgy and Bess in the Netherlands, and an ultrarare recording made during her undergraduate years in Wisconsin. Excerpts from all of these are heard on the episode, which salutes (and delivers flowers to) one of the most respected German-American musical figures of her generation.
RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Du Bose Heyward: Summertime (Porgy and Bess). Klesie Kelly, Hein Jordans, Het Brabants Orkest, Philips Philharmonisch Koor [live Eindhoven 15.IV.1970]
Georg Böhm [formerly attributed George Frideric Handel], Christian Heinrich Postel: Jesu, wonach dürstet dich (Johannes-Passion). Klesie Kelly, Martin Stephani, Kölner Kammerorchester [1969]
Johann Sebastian Bach: Recitative: Die Engel, welche sich zuvor; Terzett: Ist Gott versöhnt und unser Freund (Das neugeborne Kindelein, BWV 122). Klesie Kelly, Hanna Schwarz, Friedreich Melzer, Gerald Wilhelm, Collegium musicum des WDR [1973]
Charles K. Harris: After the Ball. Klesie Kelly, Santha Sarig [1965]
Johann Sebastian Bach: Und was der ewig gültig Gott (Wahrlich, wahrlich ich sage euch, BWV 86). Klesie Kelly, Rudolf Pohl, Collegium musicum des WDR [radio broadcast, mid-1970s]
Franz Lachner, Heinrich Heine: Auf Flügeln des Gesanges. Klesie Kelly, Dieter Klöcker, Werner Genuit [1977]
Louis Spohr, Emanuel von Geibel: Sehnsucht (Sechs deutsche Lieder, Op. 103/3). Klesie Kelly, Franz Klein, Werner Kämmerling [1990]
George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Du Bose Heyward: Crown, I got something to tell you… What you want with Bess (Porgy and Bess). Klesie Kelly, William Shores, Hein Jordans, Het Brabaants Orkest [live Eindhoven 15.IV.1970]
George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Du Bose Heyward: Now the time, oh God, now the time… I loves you, Porgy (Porgy and Bess). Klesie Kelly, John Swift, Hein Jordans, Het Brabants Orkest [live Eindhoven 15.IV.1970]
Franz Lachner, unknown poet: Laute Liebe. Klesie Kelly, Karl Hartmann, Werner Genuit [1977]
Johann Sebastian Bach: Seufzer, Tränen, Kummer, Not (Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21). Klesie Kelly, Rudolf Pohl, Collegium musicum des WDR [1974 broadcast]
Benedict Randhartinger, unknown poet: Schlummerlied. Klesie Kelly, Ian Partridge, Hermann Baumann, Werner Genuit [1977]
