Episode 488. Ileana Cotrubaș In Memoriam
Ileana Cotrubaș, the exquisite Romanian soprano, departed this earthly plane last week at the age of 87. She was one of the operatic artists I most revered and respected, both for her musical and artistic integrity and for her constant search for greater dramatic truth in her portrayals. Her characterizations of Violetta, Mimì, Gilda, Adina, Susanna, and Pamina, among others, were peerless. As her career developed, she assumed “bigger” repertoire, in which, on her own terms, she was frequently as successful as her earlier repertoire. This episode, wrung straight from my mourning heart, celebrates all aspects of her operatic repertoire, including late career additions such as Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, Desdemona in Otello, and Charlotte in Werther, the role in which she took her farewell from the operatic stage. In seeking a framework in which to commemorate her, I chose duets exclusively. And, oh, the singers with whom she is partnered: José Carreras, Vladimir Atlantov, Giacomo Aragall, Franco Bonisolli, Alfredo Kraus, Luis Lima, Barry McCauley, Janet Baker, Brigitte Fassbaender, Frederica von Stade, James Bowman, Ruth Welting, Renato Bruson, Tom Krause, José van Dam, Christian Boesch, Matteo Manuguerra, Leo Nucci: the absolute crème de la crème of the great singers of that era. She will be forever remembered and held dearly in the hearts of all who loved her singing and artistry.
RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
Engelbert Humperdinck, Adelheid Wette [after Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm]: Sandmann war da… Abends will ich schlafen geh’n (Hänsel und Gretel). Ileana Cotrubaș, Frederica von Stade, John Pritchard, Gürzenich-Orchester [1978]
Giuseppe Verdi, Francesco Maria Piave [after Alexandre Dumas fils]: Ah, non più, a un tempio… Gran Dio, morir si giovane (La Traviata). Ileana Cotrubaș, Giacomo Aragall, Carlos Kleiber, Orchester der Bayerischen Staatsoper [live München 12.VI.1978]
Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Giacosa, Luigi Illica [after Henri Murger]: O soave fanciulla (La Bohème). Ileana Cotrubaș, Franco Bonisolli, Anton Guadagno, Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper [live Wien 23.XII.1973]
Giuseppe Verdi, Francesco Maria Piave [after Victor Hugo]: No, vecchio, t’inganni… Sì, vendetta, tremenda vendetta (Rigoletto). Ileana Cotrubaș, Leo Nucci, Miguel Gómez Martínez, Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper [live Wien 14.I.1980]
Francesco Cavalli [realized Raymond Leppard], Giovanni Faustini [after Ovid]: Oh decoro del mio coro… A baciarsi andiam, sì, sì (La Calisto). Ileana Cotrubaș, Janet Baker, Raymond Leppard, London Philharmonic Orchestra [live Glyndebourne 09.VIII.71]
Richard Strauss, Hugo von Hofmannsthal: Mir ist die Ehre widerfahren (Der Rosenkavalier). Ileana Cotrubaș, Brigitte Fassbaender, Georges Prêtre, Orchestra della Napoli dello RAI [live Napoli 16.X.71]
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Emanuel Schikaneder: Geduld, Freund… Bei Männern welch e Liebe fühlen (Die Zauberflöte). Ileana Cotrubaș, Christian Boesch, James Levine, Wiener Philharmoniker [live Salzburg 1982]
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Gottlieb Stephanie: Ich bin die erste Sängerin (Der Schauspieldirektor). Ileana Cotrubaș, Ruth Welting, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra [1975]
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Lorenzo da Ponte [after Pierre de Beaumarchais]: Cinque… dieci… venti… trenta… Cosa stai misurando… Se a caso madama (Le nozze di Figaro). Ileana Cotrubaș, José van Dam, Herbert von Karajan, Wiener Philharmoniker [live Salzburg 10.V.1977]
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Lorenzo da Ponte [after Pierre de Beaumarchais]: Signor, la vostra sposa… Crudel! Perché finora (Le nozze di Figaro). Ileana Cotrubaș, Tom Krause, Herbert von Karajan, Wiener Philharmoniker [live Salzburg 10.V.1977]
Gaetano Donizetti, Felice Romani [after Eugène Scribe]: Chiedi all’aura lusinghiera… Per guarir da tal pazzia (L’elisir d’amore). Ileana Cotrubaș, José Carreras, John Pritchard, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden [live London 27.XII.76]
Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears [after William Shakespeare]: Ill met by moonlight (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Ileana Cotrubaș, James Bowman, Bernard Haitink, London Philharmonic Orchestra [live Glyndebourne 07.VII.81]
Giuseppe Verdi, Francesco Maria Piave [after Victor Hugo]: È il sol dell’anima… Addio, speranza ed anima (Rigoletto). Ileana Cotrubaș, Alfredo Kraus, Miguel Gómez Martínez, Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper [live Wien 14.I.1980]
Giuseppe Verdi, Francesco Maria Piave, Arrigo Boito [after Antonio García Gutiérrez]: Orfanella il tutto umile (Simon Boccanegra). Ileana Cotrubaș, Renato Bruson, Gabor Ötvös, Orchestra del Teatro San Carlo [Napoli 08.III.86]
Giuseppe Verdi, Arrigo Boito [after William Shakespeare]: Tu di me ti fai gioco… Esterrefatta fisso (Otello). Ileana Cotrubaș, Vladimir Atlantov, Antoni Ros-Marbà, Orquesta del Gran Teatro del Liceo [live Barcelona 13.IV.88]
Ruggero Leoncavallo: Sei tu? Credea che te ne fossi andato (Pagliacci). Ileana Cotrubaș, Matteo Manuguerra, Adam Fischer, Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper [live Wien 06.VI.85]
Jules Massenet, Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet, Georges Hartmann [after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]: Mais, vous ne savez rien de moi (Werther). Ileana Cotrubaș, Luis Lima, Alain Guignal, Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper [live Wien 27.V.1990]
Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Adami [after Alfred Maria Willner, Heinz Reichert]: Ma come puoi lasciarmi (La Rondine). Ileana Cotrubaș, Barry McCauley, Bruno Bartoletti, Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra [live Chicago 18.XII.1985]
