HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Frederica von Stade OAL (born June 1, 1945) is a semi-retired American opera singer. Since her
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...
debut in 1970, she has performed in operas, musicals, concerts and recitals in venues throughout the world, including
La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
, the
Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...
, the
Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August Si ...
, the Salzburger Festspielhaus, Covent Garden,
Glyndebourne Glyndebourne () is an English country house, the site of an opera house that, since 1934, has been the venue for the annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera. The house, located near Lewes in East Sussex, England, is thought to be about six hundred ...
and
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built b ...
. Conductors with whom she has worked include Abbado, Bernstein,
Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mon ...
, Giulini, Karajan,
Levine Levine (French transliteration from Russian) / Levin (English transliteration from Russian Левин) is a common Jewish (Ashkenazi Jewish) surname. Levinsky is a variation with the same meaning (see French version of the article for a full explan ...
,
Muti Muthi is a traditional medicine practice in Southern Africa as far north as Lake Tanganyika. Name In South African English, the word ''muti'' is derived from the Zulu/ Xhosa/ Northern Ndebele ''umuthi'', meaning 'tree', whose root is ''-thi' ...
, Ozawa, Sinopoli, Solti and Tilson Thomas. She has also been a prolific and eclectic recording artist, attracting nine
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nominations for best classical vocalist, and she has made many appearances on television. A
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
equally at home in lyric music and in
coloratura Coloratura is an elaborate melody with runs, trills, wide leaps, or similar virtuoso-like material,''Oxford American Dictionaries''.Apel (1969), p. 184. or a passage of such music. Operatic roles in which such music plays a prominent part, a ...
, she has assumed fifty-seven operatic roles on stage and eight more in concert or on disc, progressing from minor parts to romantic leadsboth male and femaleand, latterly, character parts. She is especially associated with the
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
,
Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...
and French repertoires and with contemporary American music, particularly the works of
Dominick Argento Dominick Argento (October 27, 1927 – February 20, 2019) was an American composer known for his lyric operatic and choral music. Among his best known pieces are the operas '' Postcard from Morocco'', '' Miss Havisham's Fire'', ''The Masque of An ...
and
Jake Heggie Jake Heggie (born March 31, 1961) is an American composer of opera, vocal, orchestral, and chamber music. He is best known for his operas and art songs as well as for his collaborations with internationally renowned performers and writers. Biog ...
. She has participated in nine world premieres. Among her signature roles are
Penelope Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or el, Πηνελόπη, ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and naiad Periboea. ...
, Rosina, Angelina,
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, Lucette, Mélisande, Hanna Glawari and Mrs de Rocher, and, in trousers, Cherubino, Hänsel, Chérubin and
Octavian Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...
. Since stepping back from full-time performing in 2010, she has become increasingly involved in charitable work, principally in aid of ventures fostering musical education or supporting people enduring homelessness. The institutions that she has served include
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
's Sophia Project and St Martin de Porres School, both no longer extant, and the People's Choir of Oakland, the Dallas Street Choir and the Young Musicians Choral Orchestra. Her divorce from her first husband, Peter Elkus, was important in the development of American family case law, establishing the principle that when the marriages of performing artists are dissolved, the courts can attribute an economic value to their celebrity status and treat it as marital property to be shared with their former spouses.


Early life


Childhood

Von Stade is a member of a large, wealthyParlour, Richard: Flicka at forty, ''Music and Musicians'', July 1985, p. 6 family long prominent in northeast American high society,Jacobson, Robert: Flicka and Richard, ''Opera News'', January 24, 1976, p. 16 with roots in Ireland,Swan, Annalyn: The sweetheart of American opera, ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...
'', April 4, 1983, p. 50
the Isle of Man,Fox, Sue: My hols, ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'', July 21, 2002, §5, p. 18
England, Denmark and Germany;Berthoud, Roger: La dame aux beaux plombages, ''
The Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication in ...
'', August 1, 1985, p. 20
"a horsey... set, with a... background that goes back to Colonial Connecticut. The whole thing—''Social Register'', polo, yachts, investments, private schools, convents." Her father was Charles Steele von Stade, a banker, polo champion and war hero, and her mother was Sara Worthington Clucas von Stade, a secretary and caterer. Von Stade was born in
Somerville, New Jersey Somerville is a borough and the county seat of Somerset County, New Jersey, United States.New J ...
on June 1, 1945,Tassel, Janet: A real thoroughbred, ''
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 engender the appreciation of opera and also suppor ...
'', April 9, 1983, p. 16
a premature baby weighing 2½ pounds. Seven weeks earlier, on April 10, 1945, her father was killed in action in Germany in World War II when his jeep ran over a landmine. Danielpour, Richard: ''Elegies'' and ''Sonnets to Orpheus'', with
Thomas Hampson Thomas Walter Hampson (born June 28, 1955) is an American lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared world-wide in major opera houses and concert halls and made over 170 musical recordings. Hampson's operatic repertoire spans a range ...
, Ying Huang, von Stade, the
London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Thomas Beecham, Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony O ...
and the Perspectives Ensemble, conducted by Roger Nierenberg, Sony CD, SK 60850, 2001
The many letters that he had written to her mother from Europe later inspired Kim Vaeth and
Richard Danielpour Richard Danielpour (born January 28, 1956) is an American composer. Early life Danielpour was born in New York City of Persian Jewish descent and grew up in New York City and West Palm Beach, Florida. He studied at Oberlin College and the New En ...
to devise the song cycle ''Elegies'' for her. She described her feelings about her father in her 2004 song lyric "To my Dad", which was set to music by Jake Heggie and performed by them on his album ''Flesh & Stone''. Von Stade was named after her maternal grandmother, Frederica ( Bull) Clucas. Her family later came to call her by a nickname, Flicka, Swedish for "little girl", which her father had borrowed from
Mary O'Hara Mary O'Hara (born 12 May 1935) is an Irish soprano and harpist from County Sligo. She gained attention on both sides of the Atlantic in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Her recordings of that period influenced a generation of Irish female singe ...
's novel ''
My Friend Flicka ''My Friend Flicka'' is a 1941 novel by Mary O'Hara, about Ken McLaughlin, the son of a Wyoming rancher, and his mustang horse Flicka. It was the first in a trilogy, followed by ''Thunderhead'' (1943) and ''Green Grass of Wyoming'' (1946). The ...
'' to bestow upon his favourite polo pony.Anon: Von Stade: Forget the Magic; ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...
'', December 13, 1976, pg. 101
On December 6, 1946, von Stade's mother married Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier General) Horace William Fuller (19081989). Employed as a diplomat by the US State Department, he took von Stade, her brother Charles and her mother with him on assignments in Italy and Greece, but his duties allowed him so little time with his stepdaughter that she scarcely got to know him. Her memories of her childhood in Athens inspired one of the poems in her lyric cycle ''Paper Wings'', which was set to music by Jake Heggie and performed by them on his album '' The Faces of Love: The Songs of Jake Heggie''. On October 6, 1950, Sara Fuller and her children left
Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...
on the SS America to return to the United States. The Fullers divorced in 1951. Sara von Stade established a new life for herself in Washington, D. C., working for the CIA as a secretary. Von Stade remembers her early self as a "latchkey kid" with a dynamic, clever, humorous, volatile mother whose "problem with booze" did not compromise her passionate attachment to her daughter. Von Stade began her education at the Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, a college-preparatory school near the
Bethesda Naval Hospital The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), formerly known as the National Naval Medical Center and colloquially referred to as the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Walter Reed, or Navy Med, is a United States' tri-service military medi ...
., later transferring to the Holy Trinity School, Georgetown, a parochial school founded by Jesuits. When she reached grade 8, her mother relocated to Oldwick, Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, and she spent two years at the nearby Far Hills Country Day School before returning to the care of the nuns of the Convent of the Sacred Heart at their elite boarding college-preparatory school. Each of von Stade's closest relatives had at least some enthusiasm for music. At
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the worl ...
, her brother sang in the Whiffenpoof ''a capella'' chorus; her mother liked listening to operas on the radioKoopman, John: Im Gespräch: Frederica von Stade, ''Das Opern Glas'', April 1990, pg. 41 and to popular melodies on her Victrola record player; and her father, admired by his comrades for his attractive singing, was a pianist and organist who had studied at a music college in New York. She herself began singing when she was six or seven, pleased to discover that dressing up and performing for her family helped her to cope with a shyness so extreme that the prospect of going to a party could make her physically ill. At Stone Ridge, she sang processional music and Masses under the guidance of Mother Jan McNabb. From the age of fourteen, she began taking Saturday train rides from New Jersey to New York to see the latest musicals on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
; she routinely bought standing passes for a matinee and an evening performance on the same day, whiling away the interval between them by loitering outside the Metropole Cafe and eavesdropping on jazz played by
Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of "Sing, Sing, S ...
or
Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addin ...
. Among the shows that she enjoyed were ''
Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythic ...
'', ''
The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
'', ''
Camelot Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the ...
'' and '' Tovarich'', and she went ten times to hear
Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary ''Variety'', February 22, 1984. S ...
in '' Annie Get Your Gun''. At school in Far Hills, she herself appeared on stage in productions mounted by a multidisciplinary teacher with a love of music and drama, Betty (Mrs. Harold) Noling. When she was sixteen, her mother took her to the
Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amad ...
to hear
Karl Böhm Karl August Leopold Böhm (28 August 1894 – 14 August 1981) was an Austrian conductor. He was best known for his performances of the music of Mozart, Wagner, and Richard Strauss. Life and career Education Karl Böhm was born in Graz. T ...
conducting
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Dame Olga Maria Elisabeth Friederike Schwarzkopf, (9 December 19153 August 2006) was a German-born Austro-British soprano. She was among the foremost singers of lieder, and is renowned for her performances of Viennese operetta, as well as the op ...
and Christa Ludwig in ''
Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel ''Les amours du chevalier de Faublas'' ...
''. Despite arriving at the Festspielhaus dishevelled and wet after being driven through the rain in a leaking Volkswagen, she was spellbound by what seemed to her the most beautiful thing that she had ever heard, and she still treasures an autograph that she subsequently solicited from Schwarzkopf after glimpsing her through a restaurant window. She was introduced to much more classical music in her senior high school years in Noroton, where she sang choral works by Mozart,
Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training ...
,
Palestrina Palestrina (ancient ''Praeneste''; grc, Πραίνεστος, ''Prainestos'') is a modern Italian city and '' comune'' (municipality) with a population of about 22,000, in Lazio, about east of Rome. It is connected to the latter by the Via Pre ...
,
Orlande de Lassus Orlande de Lassus ( various other names; probably – 14 June 1594) was a composer of the late Renaissance. The chief representative of the mature polyphonic style in the Franco-Flemish school, Lassus stands with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palest ...
and
Josquin des Prez Josquin Lebloitte dit des Prez ( – 27 August 1521) was a composer of High Renaissance music, who is variously described as French or Franco-Flemish. Considered one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he was a central figure of the ...
. Lessard, Suzannah: Flicka; ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'', May 7, 1979, p. 35
But neither
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic music, Romantic and early Modernism (music), modern eras, he has been descr ...
nor any of the other composers in the classical pantheon could seduce her away from the kind of music that won her heart in her earliest years. When she entertained her friends and family at one of their gatherings, it was invariably with pop songs or show tunes that she had picked up by ear.Von Buchau, Stephanie: Our friend Flicka; ''Opera News'', April 10, 1971, pg. 26


Young adulthood

After graduating, von Stade was given a sum of money by her grandfather, with the advice to spend it on something better than clothes or a car. Her mother suggested using it to finance a gap year in Paris. She combined waitressing, tending bar and working as a part-time nanny to three children with studying piano at the École Mozart, although she was so embarrassed by the youth and skill of her fellow pupils that she did not persist with her lessons for long.Moritz, Charles (editor): ''Current Biography Yearbook 1977'', H. W. Wilson & Co., 1978, p. 414 She had happier musical experiences hearing Schwarzkopf in recital at the
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
and '' Carmen'' at the Opéra. Once back in New York, she worked as a sales assistant in the stationery department of
Tiffany's Tiffany & Co. (colloquially known as Tiffany's) is a high-end luxury jewelry and specialty retailer, headquartered on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. It sells jewelry, sterling silver, porcelain, crystal, stationery, fragrances, water bottles, wat ...
"I was terrible at it, and kept sending out orders to Houston, Wyoming and Sacramento, Nevada"and took secretarial night classes that led to a job at the American Shakespeare Festival in
Stratford, Connecticut Stratford is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is situated on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. Stratford is in the Greater Bridgeport, Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk Metropolita ...
. But she also began to investigate the possibility of earning money from her voice. Offering herself as a freelance singer for hire, she found employment in cocktail bars where "customers were not expected to listen, and didn't", and she took part in a promotional
industrial musical An industrial musical is a musical performed internally for the employees or shareholders of a business to create a feeling of being part of a team, to entertain, and/or to educate and motivate the management and salespeople to improve sales and ...
staged for the
Winchester Repeating Arms Company The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American manufacturer of repeating firearms and ammunition. The firm was established in 1866 by Oliver Winchester and was located in New Haven, Connecticut. The firm went into receivership ...
. Eventually she summoned up enough courage to begin asking for small parts in summer stock musicals. It was not an easy process for her: "You do fifty or sixty auditions and get called back five times and maybe get one job offerif you're lucky." But ultimately her persistence was rewarded when she made her professional stage debut in the
Long Wharf Theatre Long Wharf Theatre is a nonprofit institution in New Haven, Connecticut, a pioneer in the not-for-profit regional theatre movement, the originator of several prominent plays, and a venue where many internationally known actors have appeared. Fou ...
,
New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...
in 1966, playing Beauty in a children's production of ''Beauty and the Beast''. Torn between her growing ambition, her difficulty in acknowledging it, her Catholic guilt over it and her fear of failure, she was unsure whether to commit herself to the training that would be necessary if she were to become the professional singer that she increasingly dreamt of being. Ultimately it was a friend's dare that tipped the balance and led to her approaching a conservatory that happened to be close to her East 73rd Street
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of counties in New York, origin ...
apartment, New York's
Mannes School of Music Mannes School of Music is a music conservatory in The New School, a private research university in New York City. In the fall of 2015, Mannes moved from its previous location on Manhattan's Upper West Side to join the rest of the New School cam ...
. Even then, she was still hesitant, initially limiting herself to a part-time course in sight-reading. It was only at the urging of her instructor that she applied to become a full-time student singer. Hoping that she would at least learn how to play the piano well enough to handle pop tunes at parties, she auditioned with ''
Mignon ''Mignon'' is an 1866 ''opéra comique'' (or opera in its second version) in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's 1795-96 novel '' Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre''. The ...
s "Connais tu le pays?", and was accepted into the college's vocal programme. She was funded by help from her family and part-time secretarial work. (While working at the Long Wharf Theatre, she had once put her shorthand and typing skills to good use by spending a day temping as Ethel Merman's PA.) Despite a disappointing evening at a Metropolitan Opera '' Arabella''"Awful, no melody"she chose to make opera her speciality, because it offered the quickest route to a degree. Under the tutelage of Sebastian Engelberg, she discovered talents in herself that she had not anticipated, yet she was still so unsure of herself that she contemplated a switch to nursing. But after
Harold Schonberg Harold Charles Schonberg (29 November 1915 – 26 July 2003) was an American music critic and author. He is best known for his contributions in ''The New York Times'', where he was chief music critic from 1960 to 1980. In 1971, he became the fi ...
wrote an appreciative review of her Lazuli in the college's production of
Chabrier Alexis-Emmanuel Chabrier (; 18 January 184113 September 1894) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and pianist. His Bourgeoisie, bourgeois family did not approve of a musical career for him, and he studied law in Paris and then worked ...
's '' L'étoile'' in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''"This little girl has real personality and an interesting voice. She could go places"she found enough self-confidence to enter the Met's 1969 recruitment competition, encouraged by another dare from a friend who wagered $50 on her. Her singing of Charlotte's letter aria from
Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are ''Manon'' (1884) and ''Werther' ...
's ''
Werther ''Werther'' is an opera (''drame lyrique'') in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann (who used the pseudonym Henri Grémont). It is loosely based on Goethe's epistolary novel ''The ...
'' got her through to the semi-finals, and the house's general manager,
Rudolf Bing Sir Rudolf Bing, KBE (January 9, 1902 – September 2, 1997) was an Austrian-born British opera impresario who worked in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, most notably being General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York ...
, was so impressed by her in a private audition that he signed her up as a
comprimario A comprimario is a small supporting role in an opera (or a singer who sings those roles). The word is derived from the Italian "''con primario''", or "with the primary", meaning that the ''comprimario'' role (or singer) is not a principal role (o ...
for the next three seasons.


Career


Apprenticeship

Von Stade made the first of her some 300 Met appearances on January 10, 1970 as one of the Three Boys in Mozart's ''
Die Zauberflöte ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that includ ...
'', singing from a basket dangling vertiginously near the top of the proscenium arch: "We were so scared by the time we got down to the stage that we didn't even know what opera we were in". Her later novice roles were Bersi, Cherubino, Hänsel,
Lola Lola may refer to: Places * Lolá, a or subdistrict of Panama * Lola Township, Cherokee County, Kansas, United States * Lola Prefecture, Guinea * Lola, Guinea, a town in Lola Prefecture * Lola Island, in the Solomon Islands People * Lola (fo ...
, Maddalena, Mercédès, Nicklausse, Preziosilla, ''
Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...
s Shepherd, Siébel,
Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal c ...
, Tebaldo, Virginella, a Flowermaiden in ''
Parsifal ''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is an opera or a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is loosely based on the 13th-century Middle High German epic poem ''Parzival'' ...
'', an Unborn Child in ''
Die Frau ohne Schatten ' (''The Woman without a Shadow''), Op. 65, is an opera in three acts by Richard Strauss with a libretto by his long-time collaborator, the poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It was written between 1911 and either 1915 or 1917. When it premiered at the V ...
'', Wowkle ("Part of my job was to zip Tebaldi up before her high B-flats"),
Flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or ''skin flora''. ...
("The dress was too long, and I kept tripping over it" and a Stéphano whose swordplay almost cost
Franco Corelli Franco Corelli (8 April 1921 – 29 October 2003) was an Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian Opera, Italian reperto ...
a finger. Her neophyte years at the Met were happy ones: she got on well with the daunting Bing, she was grateful to be coached by Alberta Masiello, Walter Taussig and Jan BehrKellow, Brian: Cherubino grows up, ''Opera News'', April 1, 1995, p. 38 and she was fond of coworkers like "Rosie, the wardrobe mistress, Jimmy, the make-up artist, Nina, the wig lady from Aberdeen and dear Artie, my buddy on the stage crew, who always told me I looked great."Von Stade, Frederica: Diary, ''
Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
'', May 2010, p. 20
Moreover, the Met was an employer generous enough to allow her to moonlight with other companies. In spring 1971, she gave her first performance with the
San Francisco Opera San Francisco Opera (SFO) is an American opera company founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881–1953) based in San Francisco, California. History Gaetano Merola (1923–1953) Merola's road to prominence in the Bay Area began in 1906 when h ...
as Sesto in an
F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...
-inspired production of
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
's ''
La clemenza di Tito ' (''The Clemency of Titus''), K. 621, is an ''opera seria'' in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Pietro Metastasio. It was started after most of ' (''The Magic Flute''), the last of ...
'', and in the summer, she took part in two productions in Santa Fe: she was Maria in the posthumous premiere of Villa-Lobos's ''
Yerma ''Yerma'' is a play by the Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1934 and first performed that same year. García Lorca describes the play as "a tragic poem." The play tells the story of a childless woman living in rural ...
'', and she sang her first Cherubino in a staging of Mozart's ''
Le nozze di Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( it, Le nozze di Figaro, links=no, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' ( opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premi ...
'' that was notable as the US debut of
Kiri Te Kanawa Dame Kiri Jeanette Claire Te Kanawa , (; born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron, 6 March 1944) is a retired New Zealand opera singer. She had a full lyric soprano voice, which has been described as "mellow yet vibrant, warm, ample and unforced". Te ...
. According to a historian of the Santa Fe company, "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."Scott, Eleanor: ''The First Twenty Years of the Santa Fe Opera'', The Sunstone Press, 1976 The production was the first of several in which they would work together, and also the start of an enduring friendship. On March 28, 1970, von Stade made her one and only Met appearance as Stéphano in
Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
's '' Roméo et Juliette'' as fourth cover for an indisposed Marcia Baldwin. Among the audience was Rolf Liebermann, the director of the State Opera of Hamburg. He enjoyed her performance, and he was impressed by her again when, on another evening at the Met, he heard her as Cherubino on March 11, 1972. About to take charge of the Paris Opera, he was planning to launch his intendancy with a lavishly glamorous production of ''Figaro'' at the
Royal Opera of Versailles The Royal Opera of Versailles () is the main theatre and opera house of the Palace of Versailles. Designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, it is also known as the Théâtre Gabriel. The interior decoration by Augustin Pajou is constructed almost entirel ...
, produced by
Giorgio Strehler Giorgio Strehler (; ; 14 August 1921 – 25 December 1997) was an actor, Italian opera and theatre director. Biography Strehler was born in Barcola, Trieste; His father, Bruno Strehler, was a native of Trieste with family roots in Vienna and died ...
and conducted by
Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...
.Smith, Patrick J.: Frederica von Stade, musician of the month, ''High Fideliy / Musical America'', December 1973, p. MA-8 Would she like to take her Cherubino to France? She consulted with Rudolf Bing's successor, Göran Gentele, who advised her not to renew her contract at the Met but to make the most of what promised to be an extraordinary opportunity: "Zero in on what kind of singer you want to be, and then come back to me". She gave her final performance as a comprimario on June 23, 1972, singing the role of Preziosilla in, aptly,
Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
's ''
La forza del destino ' (; ''The Power of Fate'', often translated ''The Force of Destiny'') is an Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on a Spanish drama, ' (1835), by Ángel de Saavedra, 3rd Duke of Rivas, w ...
''. In the summer of that year, she returned to Santa Fe for her first Zerlina in Mozart's ''
Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...
'' and her first portrayal of the traumatized heroine of
Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...
's '' Pelléas et Mélisande'' ("At the point where Pelléas was coming toward me singing 'Je t'aime, je t'aime', I was trying to decide whether to go to a certain pizza parlor after the show"). After recording her first LP in February 1973
Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
's '' Harmoniemesse'', conducted by
Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...
she crossed the Atlantic to begin preparations for her Paris ''Figaro''. Both the production and her contribution to it were widely acclaimeda French critic wrote that she had the voice of an angelRosenwald, Peter J.: Cinderella of the opera: the fabled slipper fits Frederica von Stade... perfectly, ''
Horizon The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...
'', September 1979, p. 22
and she was soon receiving offers from many of the world's greatest opera houses. She made her British theatrical debut on July 1 at
Glyndebourne Glyndebourne () is an English country house, the site of an opera house that, since 1934, has been the venue for the annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera. The house, located near Lewes in East Sussex, England, is thought to be about six hundred ...
under John Pritchard in another staging of ''Figaro'', singing with her modesty intact despite the wish of her producer, Peter Hall, that she should perform part of the boudoir scene topless. In the autumn, she returned to San Francisco as Dorabella in Mozart's '' Così fan tutte''; and at Christmas, she came back to the Met eighteen months after leaving it, debuting her Rosina in
Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...
's ''
Il barbiere di Siviglia ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was base ...
'' as an acknowledged international star. Meeting Marcia Baldwin in later years, she joked that her colleague's night of illness back in 1970 had been singularly serendipitous. "Without you, honey, I would not have had a career."


Baroque opera

Von Stade's first season at Glyndebourne gave her the opportunity to become acquainted with Peter Hall's staging of
Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered ...
's ''
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria ''Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria'' ( SV 325, ''The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland'') is an opera consisting of a prologue and five acts (later revised to three), set by Claudio Monteverdi to a libretto by Giacomo Badoaro. The opera was first pe ...
''. She attended each of that summer's seventeen performances of the work. She was enthralled by how he had crafted it"I don't think I've ever had an experience before or since that compared to it"and also by
Janet Baker Dame Janet Abbott Baker (born 21 August 1933) is an English mezzo-soprano best known as an opera, concert, and lieder singer.Blyth, Alan, "Baker, Dame Janet (Abbott)" in Sadie, Stanley, ed.; John Tyrell; exec. ed. (2001). '' New Grove Dictionar ...
's Penelope: "If I could project her quiet dignity and devotion in just one of my performances, I'd rejoice for the rest of my life." She was also delighted by
Raymond Leppard Raymond John Leppard (11 August 1927 – 22 October 2019) was a British-American conductor, harpsichordist, composer and editor. In the 1960s, he played a prime role in the rebirth of interest in Baroque music; in particular, he was one of th ...
's extravagant realization of the piece. While acknowledging that his way with baroque scores had been slighted by some musicologists as anachronistic, she relished the appealing vivacity of the results: "I think he brought them alive and gave them a life that made them intensely popular." It was in Leppard's version of ''Ulisse'' that she appeared in her house debut with the Washington Opera (1974) in the piece's first American staging. She was Penelope again in her house debut with the
New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, du ...
(1976), subsequently stepping into Baker's shoes under Leppard's direction at Glyndebourne in 1979 and reprising the role in San Francisco (1990) andin Glen Wilson's austere editionin
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
(1997). She returned to Monteverdi in the autumn of her career, performing the smaller role of the scorned empress Ottavia in ''
L'incoronazione di Poppea ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' ( SV 308, ''The Coronation of Poppaea'') is an Italian opera by Claudio Monteverdi. It was Monteverdi's last opera, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello, and was first performed at the Teatro Santi Giovan ...
'' in
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
(2006) and in Los Angeles (2006). She collaborated with Leppard on an unhappier baroque enterprise in 1980, singing Iphise in a televised, ultra-modernist staging of
Rameau Jean-Philippe Rameau (; – ) was a French composer and music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera and ...
's '' Dardanus'' in Paris. One of Leppard's books recounts the project's troubles, which included a clowning violist, an incompetent organist. wire-flown singers who squeaked with terror and a producer and designer who abandoned their creation midway through its run. Von Stade thought the staging so inept that after the exit of its authors, she felt obliged to take control of it and try to repair its infelicities herself.Stearns, David Patrick; Frederica von Stade, ''
Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
'', May 2016, p. 56
Leppard described the experience as the worst of his conducting life, an agonizing episode that left a permanent scar on his psyche. Handel's ''
Serse ''Serse'' (; English title: ''Xerxes''; HWV 40) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. It was first performed in London on 15 April 1738. The Italian libretto was adapted by an unknown hand from that by Silvio Stampiglia (1 ...
'' was the only other baroque opera in which von Stade appeared, and the only British opera in her entire curriculum vitae. Singing its title role in a staging by Stephen Wadsworth in Santa Fe in 1993 withoutby her own admissionadequate preparation, she suffered a disastrous memory lapse in the opening lines of her first major aria. (Slightly dyslexic, she sometimes finds learning scores difficult.) "I'm here to tell you that you don't actually die from shame", she said to her manager afterwards. "You might like to, you might wish you couldbut you don't." She revisited ''Serse'' in her house debut at
Seattle Opera Seattle Opera is an opera company based in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1963 by Glynn Ross, who served as its first general director until 1983. The company's season runs from August through late May, comprising five or six operas of ...
when Wadsworth's production was revived there in 1997.


18th-century opera

Mozart is von Stade's favourite composer (and also the historical figure whom she most admires). She thinks that Cherubino in ''Le nozze di Figaro'' was to some extent autobiographical: "In many respects he is the spirit of Mozart. That's how I imagine ozartto have acted and looked, from his letters. I think herubino isvery close to his character without the dark side." In particular, she sees the composer and his creation as both "little devils", sharing the "bug-eyed admiration of women" that she remarked in
Tom Hulce Thomas Edward Hulce (; born December 6, 1953) is an American actor and theater producer. He is best known for his portrayal of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the Academy Award-winning film '' Amadeus'' (1984), as well as the roles of Larry "Pinto" K ...
's portrait of Mozart in the film '' Amadeus''.Lipton, Gary D.: Upstairs, Downstairs, ''Opera News'', December 7, 1985, p. 4 Her playful, aristocratic interpretation of the adolescent page, informed by her observations of seven teenaged male cousins,Paolucci, Bridget: A time for soul-searching, ''Opera News'', April 9, 1988, p. 28 was greeted by the eminent record producer
Walter Legge Harry Walter Legge (1 June 1906 – 22 March 1979) was an English classical music record producer, most especially associated with EMI. His recordings include many sets later regarded as classics and reissued by EMI as "Great Recordings of the ...
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's husbandas revelatory: "The joy of the evening is Frederica von Stade, an actress of seemingly unlimited resources. I've never seen or heard a better Cherubino." Schwarzkopf, Elisabeth (1982). ''On and Off the Record: A Memoir of Walter Legge''. p. 78: Faber and Faber. . Certainly no role figured in her engagement diary more often. Her early appearances as the ''farfallone amoroso'' were followed by others in Houston (1973), Paris (1974, 1980), Salzburg (house debut 1974, 1975, 1976, 1987), Vienna (house debut 1977), Chicago (1987, 1991) and San Francisco (1991), and she incarnated him forty-eight times at the Met between 1972 and 1992. Mozart's other
da Ponte Lorenzo Da Ponte (; 10 March 174917 August 1838) was an Italian, later American, opera librettist, poet and Roman Catholic priest. He wrote the libretti for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Mozart's most celebrated operas: ''The Marr ...
operas were less important in her career. She sang Zerlina with the Met in its spring tour in 1974, and Despina in ''Così fan tutte'' in San Francisco (2004) and at the
Ravinia Festival Ravinia Festival is an outdoor music venue in Highland Park, Illinois. It hosts a series of outdoor concerts and performances every summer from June to September. The first orchestra to perform at Ravinia Festival was the New York Philharmonic unde ...
(2010). (She admits to not being especially fond of her earlier ''Così'' role, Dorabella.James, Jamie: Birthday interview: Frederica the Great, ''Opera Now'', June 1991, p. 52) But she was often heard in trouser roles in Mozart's ''opera serie''. Her Sesto in San Francisco's 1971 ''La clemenza di Tito'' was followed by further performances at the
Teatro Colón The Teatro Colón ( Spanish: ''Columbus Theatre'') is the main opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. According to a survey carried out by the acoust ...
in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South Am ...
(1980), Munich (1981), San Francisco (1993) and Dallas (1999),Spoto, Donald: Flicka in ¾ time, ''Opera News'', March 2000, p. 24 and she recorded the opera's secondary role of Annio for
Colin Davis Sir Colin Rex Davis (25 September 1927 – 14 April 2013) was an English conductor, known for his association with the London Symphony Orchestra, having first conducted it in 1959. His repertoire was broad, but among the composers with whom h ...
(1976). In 1982, she returned to the Met after a hiatus of six years to star as Idamante in the house's televised company premiere of ''
Idomeneo ' (Italian for ''Idomeneus, King of Crete, or, Ilia and Idamante''; usually referred to simply as ''Idomeneo'', K. 366) is an Italian language opera seria by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto was adapted by Giambattista Varesco from a French ...
''. a staging that partnered her with
Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...
(one of the singers who she most adores). She revisited the piece with other tenors at the Met (1983, 1986, 1989) and, in concert, at
Tanglewood Tanglewood is a music venue in the towns of Lenox and Stockbridge in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. It has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937. Tanglewood is also home to three music schools: the ...
(1991). The seldom performed operas of the 18th century's other great master,
Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
, were works in which she was never heard theatrically, but she did contribute to the pioneering series of recordings of them conducted by
Antal Doráti Antal Doráti (, , ; 9 April 1906 – 13 November 1988) was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1943. Biography Antal Doráti was born in Budapest, where his father Alexander Doráti was a ...
. She was an uncharacteristically furious Amaranta in '' La fedeltà premiata'' (1975), and Lisetta in the astronomical comedy '' Il mondo della luna'' (1977).


19th-century Italian opera

Von Stade has often spoken of her special devotion to the Italian operas of the early 1800s. "I love bel canto; it's the core of what singing is about." "I really believe so much in bel canto, and particularly Rossini's music. It does everything that can be accomplished through the voice." "Sometimes what you want to get across is: 'This is hard, but I am fantastic because I can do this.' ... That's what Rossini is". She is identified with Rosina in ''Il barbiere di Siviglia'' almost as closely as with Cherubino, although she has confessed to loving the Rossini role much less than the Mozart one. "I used to be uncomfortable doing Rosina. … She's usually played as the pert soubrette, with sort of a sharp turn. But I found I can do it within my own terms. Rosina can be wilful one moment, but she can be tender the next." She sang the role twenty-two times at the Met between 1973 and 1992, and also at Covent Garden (house debut 1975) and at La Scala (1976, 1984), in San Francisco (1976, 1992), in
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
(1979), in Vienna (1987, 1988), and in Chicago (1989,1994). Her first La Scala staging was nearly aborted when its producer,
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (19 February 1932 – 11 August 1988) was a French opera director, set and costume designer. Biography Ponnelle was born in Paris. He studied philosophy, art, and history there and, in 1952, began his career in Germany as ...
, insisted that she sing the cavatina "Una voce poco fà" unembellished. He relented only when the conductor
Thomas Schippers Thomas Schippers (9 March 1930 – 16 December 1977) was an American conductor. He was highly regarded for his work in opera. Biography Of Dutch ancestry and son of the owner of a large appliance store, Schippers was born in Portage, Michigan ...
called in the musicologists
Philip Gossett Philip Gossett (September 27, 1941 – June 12, 2017) was an American musicologist and historian, and Robert W. Reneker Distinguished Service Professor of Music at the University of Chicago. His lifelong interest in 19th-century Italian opera beg ...
and
Alberto Zedda Alberto Zedda (2 January 19286 March 2017) was an Italian conductor and musicologist whose specialty was the 19th-century Italian repertoire. Alberto Zedda was born in Milan, Italy, where he accomplished his education in music and humanities, co ...
to persuade him to allow his weeping prima donna the ornaments and cadenza that she had prepared for him. She finds Rossini's ''
La Cenerentola ' (''Cinderella, or Goodness Triumphant'') is an operatic '' dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the libretti written by Charles-Guillaume Étienne for the opera '' Cendrillon ...
'' a more sympathetic work, enjoying his treatment of
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
for more than its "vocal fireworks and slapstick comedy". "Warmth is the message here. As the subtitle says, it's 'la bontà in trionfo', the triumph of goodnessnot goody-goody ''bontà'', but ''bontà'' in the spiritual sense, … the sense that we can be everything to each other. I do feel it as a religious message. My joy is to have the privilege of expressing it. Cenerentola has a certain quality that all the women I play have, a softness. I guess that's what my definition of femininity isthe Cinderella softness." Her Angelina (Cinderella) was heard in San Francisco (1974), in a televised production in Paris (1977) and in Dallas (1979), and also with the company of La Scala when they visited the United States to celebrate the republic's bicentenary (1976). (The Opéra de Paris invited her to participate in their contribution to the US's bicentennial festivities too, performing as Cherubino; she was the only American so honoured by both institutions.) Her interpretation of the role is preserved in a 1981 film of a production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle which, she thought, achieved the opera's goal of making you "feel like your whole inside is smiling". Comic operas were not the only bel canto works in which she performed. In 1978, she joined
José Carreras Josep Maria Carreras Coll (; born 5 December 1946), better known as José Carreras (, ), is a Spanish operatic tenor who is particularly known for his performances in the operas of Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini. Born in Barcelona, he made his de ...
to record Rossini's little known ''
Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887. The ...
'' under
Jesús López Cobos Jesús López Cobos (25 February 1940 – 2 March 2018) was a Spanish conductor. Early life and career López Cobos was born in Toro, Zamora, Spain. He studied at Complutense University of Madrid and graduated with a degree in philosophy. La ...
. The vocal historian J. B. Steane regarded her interpretation of Desdemona as the "most lovely and suitable of her Rossini singing". Steane, J. B. (1998): ''Singers of the Century: Volume 2'', p. 186: Amadeus Press. "The character's tenderness and the music's lyricism asked for just what she had to give." She was also Elena in Rossini's ''
La donna del lago ''La donna del lago'' (English: ''The Lady of the Lake'') is an opera composed by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola (whose verses are described as "limpid" by one critic) based on the French translationOsborne, Charles 19 ...
'' in the opera's first 20th-century American production in Houston (1981), reprising the role in concert at Carnegie Hall (1982) and theatrically at Covent Garden (1985). In Bellini's operas she was heard only rarely, despite her high estimation of them: "If I were a soprano, I would sing nothing but Bellini. I think Bellini comes closest to everything I believe about the greatness of singing." Her Adalgisa in a Met ''
Norma Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Astronomy *Norma (constellation) * 555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy Geography *Norma, Laz ...
'' (1975) had the misfortune to be paired with an incongruously cast Wagnerian in the opera's title role. Damning the production as "a travesty of Bellini's work both musically and dramatically", Donal Henahan of ''The New York Times'' wrote that Rita Hunter's "monumental proportions and virtual immobility as an actress" were not mitigated by her shrill top notes, her effortful coloratura in "Casta diva" and her being apparently often out of breath. Von Stade's hopes of revisiting the opera with
Shirley Verrett Shirley Verrett (May 31, 1931 – November 5, 2010) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano who successfully transitioned into soprano roles, i.e. soprano sfogato. Verrett enjoyed great fame from the late 1960s through the 1990s, particularly well ...
came to nothing, Blyth, Alan: Frederica von Stade; ''Gramophone'', February 1977, p. 1263 but she did get to sing Amina in ''
La Sonnambula ''La sonnambula'' (''The Sleepwalker'') is an opera semiseria in two acts, with music in the ''bel canto'' tradition by Vincenzo Bellini set to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on a scenario for a ''ballet-pantomime'' written by Eug ...
'' in San Francisco (1984) and Dallas (1986), performing in a partly transposed version of the score based on that tailored for
Maria Malibran Maria Felicia Malibran (24 March 1808 – 23 September 1836) was a Spanish singer who commonly sang both contralto and soprano parts, and was one of the best-known opera singers of the 19th century. Malibran was known for her stormy personality ...
.


19th-century French opera

Von Stade became skilled in French while still at school in Noroton, prescribed fifty or sixty pages of
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his '' nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity— ...
or Saint-Exupéry a night by a teacher who banned English speech from her classroom. She finds French music more comfortable to sing than Italian, and she has a high regard for French musical sensibilities: "French music is luscious. … The French have a sense about proportion, and they know what works." In Berlioz, she was Béatrice in concert performances of '' Béatrice et Bénédict'' in Boston (1977) and Carnegie Hall (1977) and in a fully staged production at Tanglewood (1984). In Offenbach, she sang the title role in ''
La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein ''La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein'' (''The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein'') is an opéra bouffe (a form of operetta), in three acts and four tableaux by Jacques Offenbach to an original French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The st ...
'' in Los Angeles (2005). In
Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...
, she starred in ''
Mignon ''Mignon'' is an 1866 ''opéra comique'' (or opera in its second version) in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's 1795-96 novel '' Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre''. The ...
'' in Santa Fe (1982) after undertaking the smaller trouser part of Frédéric in the
recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...
of the opera conducted by Antonio de Almeida (1977). But the composer most important in her French operatic repertory was
Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are ''Manon'' (1884) and ''Werther' ...
. "I didn't like Charlotte in ''
Werther ''Werther'' is an opera (''drame lyrique'') in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann (who used the pseudonym Henri Grémont). It is loosely based on Goethe's epistolary novel ''The ...
'' at first", she says. "She seemed cold. I don't think so at all now. … She's seeking freedom of expression. … She's been trained within an inch of her life, trained by the period in which she grew up, by an ill parent. … For Charlotte, responsibility is the message. … Every woman who has a child is never the same, in the most awesome way. It's a privilege, but it's heavy. Since Charlotte has had motherhood passed on to her, she feels it with a certain sense of burden. She's still so young." "It takes courage for her to permit herself to experience the kind of passion she has for Werther." Von Stade sang in her first ''Werther'' in Houston (1979), revisiting the opera at Covent Garden (1980), in Vienna (1987) and at the Met (1988). (Excerpts from the Houston production were included in ''Call Me Flicka'', an hour long
BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
television profile of von Stade, first aired on January 18, 1980, that followed her over two years in America, France and England. The programme also included sequences of her singing music by Mozart, Rossini, Gershwin, Canteloube,
Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodie, songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among th ...
and
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
.) Von Stade describes '' Cendrillon'', Massenet's Cinderella opera, as "the musical embodiment of the fairy tale as I remember it as a child. The characters are nicely defined and have great humanity." "Pretty party dresses and ball gowns and glass slippers and long hairoh, it couldn't be more fun." In playing Lucette (Cinderella), she felt obliged to exercise a degree of restraint: "I find that with Massenet so much is stated musically, so much romanticism is there, that if you echo it too much in the musical line, it's like being tickled to death. It's too much." She was first seen in ''Cendrillon'' in a televised production in
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
(1979), and then in Washington (1979, 1988) and, again televised, in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
(house debut 1982) and in
Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from ...
(1982).


20th-century French opera

A lighter hearted sequel to ''Le nozze di Figaro'', Massenet's '' Chérubin'' gave von Stade the chance to marry her affection for Cherubino to her Francophilia. She thinks the opera "just adorable. It's a little piece of fluff, one of assenet'smost charming works. Cherubino ... is now a young man. A beautiful dancer named L'Ensoleillad comes to town, and Chérubin falls madly in love with her. But she is a courtesan and the mistress of the king, and so Chérubin cannot have her. Meanwhile, there is a soubrette character, sort of like Susanna, ... who is in love with him. ... It's typical Massenet, with lots of big dance numbers, and funny counts and countesses running around. ... It's really such a dear piece." She starred in the opera when it received its US premiere in concert in Carnegie Hall (1984) and again, theatrically, in Santa Fe (1989). "There were all sorts of people who wanted to talk me out of doing Mélisande", von Stade said in 1976. "They said I was mad to try it. Now that role fits me like a glove: I love it." She sees the heroine of Debussy's ''Pelléas et Mélisande'' as anything but the "manipulative femme-fatale" that some commentators judge her to be. "She is young, and she's been abused. ... And that's a very special circumstance ... because that makes kids operate a certain way. ... Her lies are lies of necessity. ... I don't think she has any bad intentions. She's young enough to not see some of the consequences of what she might do. ... People want to impose themselves on her and form her to be what they want her to be, and she is just who she is, which is a young, damaged girl." Her 1972 Santa Fe ''Pelléas'' was followed by productions in Geneva (1976), in Paris (1977), at La Scala (1986), in Vienna (1988, 1990), and at Covent Garden (1993). At the Met, she was Mélisande in 1988 and again in 1995, when the house celebrated her quarter century of service to it with a new production of ''Pelléas'' by
Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, humourist and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...
. She has sung the part of the Child in Ravel's ''
L'Enfant et les sortilèges ''L'enfant et les sortilèges: Fantaisie lyrique en deux parties'' (''The Child and the Spells: A Lyric Fantasy in Two Parts'') is an opera in one act, with music by Maurice Ravel to a libretto by Colette. It is Ravel's second opera, his first b ...
'', but only in semi-staged presentations: one in London's
Barbican Hall The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhi ...
(1991), the other in San Francisco (1999), both presided over by her friend
Michael Tilson Thomas Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He is Artistic Director Laureate of the New World Symphony, an American orchestral academy based in Miami Beach, Florida, Music Director Laureate o ...
. She has, however appeared theatrically in Ravel's other opera, ''
L'heure espagnole ''L'heure espagnole'' is a French one-act opera from 1911, described as a ''comédie musicale'', with music by Maurice Ravel to a French libretto by Franc-Nohain, based on Franc-Nohain's 1904 play ('comédie-bouffe') of the same nameStoullig E. ' ...
'', singing the role of Concepción under Seiji Ozawa in Tokyo (2003). In
Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodie, songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among th ...
's Catholic-themed rarity, '' Dialogues des Carmélites'', she was Sister Blanche de la Force in a single run of performances at the Met (1983).


German-language opera

The first major role in a German opera that von Stade assumed was Hänsel in Humperdinck's '' Hänsel und Gretel''. She played him in eleven child-oriented performances (sung in English) at the Met between 1972 and 1983; that of Christmas 1982 was televised. The rest of her German-language repertoire was drawn from the 20th century. Octavian in Richard Strauss's ''Der Rosenkavalier'', an opera notably richly orchestrated, was a role that tested her lyric voice to its limits but was also one of her especial favourites. "I love that age in boys," she says. "If they feel good about themselves, it comes out. ... Octavian might be boastful, but it's not offensive. Why shouldn't he be boastful? He moves from palace to beautiful palace, head to toe in silver, coming on in that crash of musiche's just too gorgeous to be true. And he's also full of his own sexual pride and discoverythe whole Mrs Robinson thing. I mean, what a gas! To go through that initiation with such a superb woman, not fumbling around with some kid his own age. He's had ''the best'', and it's been done with taste and finesseand great fun." She first portrayed him in Houston (1975), revisiting him at the
Holland Festival The Holland Festival () is the oldest and largest performing arts festival in the Netherlands. It takes place every June in Amsterdam. It comprises theatre, music, opera and modern dance. In recent years, multimedia, visual arts, film and archite ...
(1976), in Hamburg (1979), in Paris (1981), on a Met spring tour (1983) and in San Francisco (1993). Her other Richard Strauss role, the Komponist in ''
Ariadne auf Naxos (''Ariadne on Naxos''), Op. 60, is a 1912 opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The opera's unusual combination of elements of low commedia dell'arte with those of high opera seria points up one of the work's ...
'', she abandoned after concluding from a production in Hamburg (1983) that it called for a voice with more thrust than hers. The tormented lesbian Countess Martha Geschwitz in
Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( , ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sma ...
's ''
Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a ...
'', essayed by her in San Francisco (1998), was another role that was only peripheral to her career, although her interpretation of it was favourably received by critics. But a venture into the world of operetta was more profitable. She had loved
Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life ...
's Die lustige Witwe ever since one winter in a rural phase of her childhood, when "the fire trucks sprayed water on the ponds to make them smoother for ice skaters. Then the waltz from ''The Merry Widow'' was played over loudspeakers, and I skated around in pure bliss." She cites the work as supporting her belief that light music can be as great in its own way as Mozart's in his. "It has some of the most genuine, emotionally honest music ever composed, and some of the orchestrations just break your heart. It's sweet, but it's also real, with an adorable story that can be by turns funny, tender and harsh." She was Hanna Glawari in Paris (1998), at the Teatro Colón (2001) and in San Francisco (2002). And it was waltzing with the Count Danilo Danilovitsch of
Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
who had first sung with her in a ''
Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...
'' on a Met visit to Cleveland, Ohio on April 29, 1970that she thought it fitting to bring her thirty years at the Met to a close (2000).


American opera

The opera of her native land was an important component of von Stade's career almost from its beginning. In Houston in 1974, she was the infatuated ingénue Ninasharing the stage with her maternal grandmother in a bit part in the premiere of
Thomas Pasatieri Thomas Pasatieri (born October 20, 1945) is an American opera composer. Life and career Pasatieri was born in New York City, United States. He began composing at age 10 and, as a teenager, studied with Nadia Boulanger. He entered the Juilliard S ...
's ''
The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises the ...
''. (She is fond of recalling that on opening night, her dressing room was knee deep in roses, all of them for Mrs Clucas.) In Dallas in 1988, she starred as the vulnerable spinster Tina in the televised premiere of
Dominick Argento Dominick Argento (October 27, 1927 – February 20, 2019) was an American composer known for his lyric operatic and choral music. Among his best known pieces are the operas '' Postcard from Morocco'', '' Miss Havisham's Fire'', ''The Masque of An ...
's ''
The Aspern Papers ''The Aspern Papers'' is a novella by American writer Henry James, originally published in ''The Atlantic Monthly'' in 1888, with its first book publication later in the same year. One of James's best-known and most acclaimed longer tales, '' ...
''. In San Francisco in 1994, she was the vicious and manipulative Marquise de Merteuil in the televised premiere of
Conrad Susa Conrad Stephen Susa (April 26, 1935 – November 21, 2013) was an American composer. Born in Springdale, Pennsylvania, Susa studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the Juilliard School, where his teachers included William Bergsma, Vi ...
's ''
The Dangerous Liaisons ''The Dangerous Liaisons'' is an opera in two acts and eight scenes, with music by Conrad Susa to an English libretto by Philip Littell. It is based on the 1782 novel ''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. The opera has s ...
''"I thought, who can compete with
Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awar ...
? So I didn't even try"finally granting the director
Frank Corsaro Frank Corsaro (December 22, 1924, New York City, New York – November 11, 2017, Suwanee, GeorgiaRobert ViagasNight of the Iguana Director Frank Corsaro Is Dead at 92/ref>) was one of America's foremost stage directors of opera and theatre. His Bro ...
his wish of two decades earlier that she would one day play "a real bitch". In 2014, she starred as the embittered nonagenarian Myrtle Bledsoe in
Ricky Ian Gordon Ricky Ian Gordon (born May 15, 1956) is an American composer of art song, opera and musical theatre. Life Gordon was born in Oceanside, New York. He was raised by his mother, Eve, and father, Sam, and he grew up on Long Island with his three sist ...
's '' A Coffin in Egypt'' in its premiere in Houston, reprising the role at
Opera Philadelphia Opera Philadelphia (prior to 2013 Opera Company of Philadelphia (OCP)) is an American opera company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the city's only company producing grand opera. The organization produces one festival in September (Festival O ...
(2014) and at the
Chicago Opera Theater The Chicago Opera Theater (COT) is an American opera company based in Chicago, Illinois. COT is a resident company at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago's Millennium Park and is currently in residence at the newly renovated Stude ...
(2015) and, in concert, in
Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Award ...
's
Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz at Lincoln Center is part of Lincoln Center in New York City. The organization was founded in 1987 and opened at Time Warner Center in October 2004. Wynton Marsalis is the artistic director and the leader of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orches ...
(2016). And in 2018, she returned to
Opera Philadelphia Opera Philadelphia (prior to 2013 Opera Company of Philadelphia (OCP)) is an American opera company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the city's only company producing grand opera. The organization produces one festival in September (Festival O ...
to create the role of Danny, a woman in the early stages of Alzheimer's dementia, in the world premiere of Lembit Beecher's ''Sky on Swings''. The Beecher project was one of her most personal: her aunts Carol and Marjorie had both fallen prey to Alzheimer's, and she hoped that, as well helping its audience to understand the disease better, Beecher's opera would foster empathy for Alzheimer's victims' families. "They're essentially losing someone, only they don't die." Her work on ''Dangerous Liaisons'' in 1994 sparked what turned out to be the most consequential of all her professional relationships. The man whom San Francisco Opera assigned to chauffeur her to promotional interviews was its then head of publicity,
Jake Heggie Jake Heggie (born March 31, 1961) is an American composer of opera, vocal, orchestral, and chamber music. He is best known for his operas and art songs as well as for his collaborations with internationally renowned performers and writers. Biog ...
, a 33-year-old aspiring composer. When he introduced her to his settings of three Irish folk-songs"Barb'ry Allen", "He's gone away" and "The leather-winged bat"they struck her as marvellously accomplished, and she immediately set about doing all that she could to advance his career. Eighteen months later, San Francisco Opera commissioned him to work with the writer
Terrence McNally Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," ...
on an operatic version of Sister Helen Prejean's then recent '' Dead Man Walking'' (1993), a bookalso the basis of a
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
starring
Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
and
Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...
(1995)written in the hope of dissuading its readers from supporting capital punishment. Heggie wanted von Stade to play his opera's central role, Sister Helen, but she declined it in favour of his second choice, the mezzo-soprano
Susan Graham Susan Graham (born July 23, 1960) is an American mezzo-soprano. Life and career Susan Graham was born in Roswell, New Mexico on July 23, 1960. Raised in Midland, Texas, Graham is a graduate of Texas Tech University and the Manhattan School of ...
. She was, however, eager to create the role of Mrs Patrick de Rocher, the mother of a man awaiting execution, which Heggie and McNally expanded into "a kind of fulcrum" of the work to take advantage of von Stade's assumption of it. The opera is especially dear to her: she says that there is none that she more enjoys listening to, and she cites McNally as her favourite writer. The piece's implicit condemnation of the United States' retention of the death penalty is a reproof that she wholeheartedly endorses, basing her critique of capital punishment on
behaviourism Behaviorism is a systematic approach to understanding the behavior of humans and animals. It assumes that behavior is either a reflex evoked by the pairing of certain antecedent stimuli in the environment, or a consequence of that individual' ...
. "If you know nothing but brutality your whole life, it becomes your life. And that is where the mistake is. You can't just remove people, you have to remove what is making them that way, and that's what we're not doing." "Capital punishment is an extreme form of state-sponsored vengeance that only demeans and dehumanizes everyone, and does nothing for the victims' survivors, nothing for society. We're all losers when someone is executed." She was Mrs de Rocher at the world premiere of '' Dead Man Walking'' in San Francisco (2000), at the
Theater an der Wien The is a historic theatre in Vienna located on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district. Completed in 1801, the theatre has hosted the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music. Since 2006, it has served pri ...
in Vienna (2007) and in Houston (2010). (The San Francisco production was the subject of a KQED behind-the-scenes documentary, ''And then one night: the making of 'Dead Man Walking, which aired on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educati ...
on January 14, 2002.) Heggie wrote roles for her in two more of his operas: she starred as the celebrated actor Madeline Mitchell in '' Three Decembers'' (originally titled ''Last Acts'') in Houston (2008), at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant univ ...
(2008) and in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is ...
(house debut 2017), and she was the music teacher and philanthropist Winnie Flato in '' Great Scott'' in Dallas (2015) and
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
(2016).


Musical theatre

Von Stade does not regret her decision to pursue a career in opera rather than in musicals: she knows that if she had been a Broadway singer, she would have had to perform daily rather than just two or three times a week, and she is thankful that she was spared the injury to family life that such an onerous routine entails. Nevertheless, she has never lost the love of musical theatre that took root in her as a child, when the brassy sound of a Broadway band could excite her almost to the point of making her pass out. "I wanted Broadway more than anything," she says. "My heart is on Broadway." "My idea of dying and going to heaven is walking in a Broadway theatre and hearing the overture." When the commercial success of Bernstein's operatically cast recording of ''
West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-19 ...
'' proved that there was a market for musical theatre albums sung by the likes of José Carreras and Kiri Te Kanawa, she was happy to avail herself of the crossover opportunities that Deutsche Grammophon's experiment had opened up for her. The first came in the summer of 1987, when EMI spent half a million dollars recording
John McGlinn John Alexander McGlinn III (September 18, 1953 – February 14, 2009) was an American conductor and musical theatre archivist. He was one of the principal proponents of authentic studio cast recordings of Broadway musicals, using original ...
's musicologically rigorous version of
Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...
's ''
Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...
''. Kern, Jerome: ''
Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...
'', with Karla Burns,
David Garrison David Earl Garrison (born June 30, 1952) is an American actor. His primary venue is live theatre, but he is best known as the character Steve Rhoades in the television series, '' Married... with Children''. He has also appeared in numerous theat ...
,
Lillian Gish Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893February 27, 1993) was an American actress, director, and screenwriter. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was called the "First Lady of American Cinema", ...
,
Jerry Hadley Jerry Hadley (June 16, 1952 – July 18, 2007) was an American operatic tenor. He received three Grammy awards for his vocal performances in the recordings of '' Jenůfa'' (2004 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording), '' Susannah'' (1995 Grammy Aw ...
, Bruce Hubbard,
Nancy Kulp Nancy Jane Kulp (August 28, 1921 – February 3, 1991) was an American character actress and comedienne best known as Miss Jane Hathaway on the CBS television series ''The Beverly Hillbillies''. Early life Kulp was born to Robert Tilden and Ma ...
, Robert Nichols,
Paige O'Hara Paige O'Hara (born Donna Paige Helmintoller; May 10, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and painter. O'Hara began her career as a Broadway actress in 1983 when she portrayed Ellie May Chipley in the musical ''Showboat''. In 1991, she made her m ...
, von Stade,
Teresa Stratas Teresa Stratas (born May 26, 1938) is a retired operatic soprano from Canada of Greek descent. She is especially well known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's ''Lulu''. Early life and career Stratas was born Anastasia Stratakis to ...
, the Ambrosian Chorus and the
London Sinfonietta The London Sinfonietta is an English contemporary chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble has headquarters at Kings Place and is Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre. Since its inaugural concert in 1968—giv ...
, conducted by
John McGlinn John Alexander McGlinn III (September 18, 1953 – February 14, 2009) was an American conductor and musical theatre archivist. He was one of the principal proponents of authentic studio cast recordings of Broadway musicals, using original ...
, EMI CD, CDRIVER1, 1988
As a little girl, she had dressed up in her mother's clothes and sat on her mother's piano to sing "Bill", but EMI cast her not as Julie LaVerne but in the dual roles of Magnolia Hawkes and the adult Kim Ravenal. A
Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was its ...
film, ''The Show Boat Story'', documented the making of the album (although it glossed over the project's loss of
Willard White Sir Willard Wentworth White, OM, CBE (born 10 October 1946) is a Jamaican-born British operatic bass baritone. Early life White was born into a Jamaican family in Kingston. His father was a dockworker, his mother a housewife. White first beg ...
, who decided to reject EMI's offer of the role of Joe because of McGlinn's refusal to censor Oscar Hammerstein's use of what is now conventionally known as the N-word). In 1990, von Stade returned to ''
Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...
'' in ''Flicka and Friends: From Rossini to Show Boat'', a televised concert staged in New York's
Avery Fisher Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall in New York City's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, designe ...
, in which
Jerry Hadley Jerry Hadley (June 16, 1952 – July 18, 2007) was an American operatic tenor. He received three Grammy awards for his vocal performances in the recordings of '' Jenůfa'' (2004 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording), '' Susannah'' (1995 Grammy Aw ...
and
Samuel Ramey Samuel Edward Ramey (born March 28, 1942) is an American operatic bass. At the height of his career, he was greatly admired for his range and versatility, having possessed a sufficiently accomplished bel canto technique to enable him to sing th ...
joined her in singing excerpts from the work. In the autumn of 1987, she recorded a collection of show numbers and pop songs in ''Flicka: Another Side of Frederica von Stade''; the difficulty that she experienced in adapting her technique to the requirements of pop left her with an abiding respect for the singers into whose territory she had trespassed. In December, she starred in the most nearly complete version of ''
The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
'' ever recorded, conducted by
Erich Kunzel Erich Kunzel, Jr. (March 21, 1935 – September 1, 2009) was an American orchestra conductor. Called the "Prince of Pops" by the ''Chicago Tribune'', he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, especially the Cincinnat ...
, after two preparatory concert performances of the piece in Cincinnati. In 1988, she was Hope Harcourt in another John McGlinn recording, a historically scrupulous version of
Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...
's ''
Anything Goes ''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ant ...
''. Her final collaboration with McGlinn was in 1989, when they taped '' My Funny Valentine: Frederica von Stade Sings Rodgers and Hart''. In 1992, she was Professor Claire de Loone in a semi-staged production of Bernstein's '' On the Town'' in London that was recorded for release on CD, VHS video cassette and Laserdisc. In 1994, she was reunited with Jerry Hadley and Erich Kunzel to record an anthology of show tunes, ''Puttin' on the Ritz''. In 1999, she was Desiree Armfeldt in
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
's ''
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 1955 Ingmar Bergman film '' Smiles of a Summer Night'', it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a ...
'' in Houston, performing a specially revised version of the score that reallocated some music from its Greek Chorus to its principals. And in 2014, she was the Old Lady who was easily assimilated in a semi-staged performance of Bernstein's ''
Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...
'' at Tanglewood.


Concert music

Von Stade's concert repertoire included sacred music by
J. S. Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...
, Handel''Christmas with Flicka'', with
Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...
, Rex Smith, von Stade and
Julius Rudel Julius Rudel (6 March 1921 – 26 June 2014) was an Austrian-born American opera and orchestra conductor. He was born in Vienna and was a student at the city's Academy of Music. He emigrated to the United States at the age of 17 in 1938 after t ...
, Kultur DVD, D2986, 2005
and Mozart. She sang in Mozart's ''
Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
'' under
Carlo Maria Giulini Carlo Maria Giulini (; 9 May 1914 – 14 June 2005) was an Italian conductor. From the age of five, when he began to play the violin, Giulini's musical education was expanded when he began to study at Italy's foremost conservatory, the Conserv ...
(London, 1989), and she took part in the filmed performance of his '' Great Mass in C minor'' presided over by Bernstein six months before his death (
Waldsassen Waldsassen (Northern Bavarian: ''Woidsassen'') is a town in the district of Tirschenreuth in the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria. Geography Waldsassen is the northernmost municipality of the Upper Palatinate region. In the northeast, it border ...
, 1990). It was Bernstein who introduced her to a very different Christian work,
Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
's '' Symphony No. 4'', as she sat beside him on his piano stool and was treated to a private lesson on the song in which it culminates. The symphony's child's-eye vision of paradise entrances her: "I love this concept of heaven that Mahler giveshaving asparagus, and aintCecilia, and baking the bread. It meant so much to me. being a Catholic." She sang in the symphony under
Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mon ...
(New York, 1974),
Claudio Abbado Claudio Abbado (; 26 June 1933 – 20 January 2014) was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony ...
(
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, 1976),
Seiji Ozawa Seiji (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese ski jumper *, Japanese racing driver *, Japanese politician *, Japanese film directo ...
(Boston, 1983) and André Previn (Tanglewood, 1996). The other work of Mahler's with which she was particularly closely associated was his song cycle ''
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen ''Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen'' (''Songs of a Wayfarer'') is a song cycle by Gustav Mahler on his own texts. The cycle of four ''lieder'' for medium voice (often performed by women as well as men) was written around 1884–85 in the wake of Ma ...
'', which she sang under
Erich Leinsdorf Erich Leinsdorf (born Erich Landauer; February 4, 1912 – September 11, 1993) was an Austrian-born American conductor. He performed and recorded with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and Europe, earning a ...
(New York, 1976) and Ozawa (Boston, 1982). French music was as prominent in her concert career as in her theatrical work. In Berlioz, she was heard in the orchestral version of his song cycle ''
Les nuits d'été ''Les nuits d'été'' (''Summer Nights''), Op. 7, is a song cycle by the French composer Hector Berlioz. It is a setting of six poems by Théophile Gautier. The cycle, completed in 1841, was originally for soloist and piano accompaniment. Berlioz ...
'' under Ozawa (Boston and New York, 1983) and John Nelson (Tanglewood, 1992), and she was the mezzo-soprano soloist in '' Roméo et Juliette'' under
James Levine James Lawrence Levine (; June 23, 1943 – March 9, 2021) was an American conductor and pianist. He was music director of the Metropolitan Opera from 1976 to 2016. He was terminated from all his positions and affiliations with the Met on March 1 ...
(Ravinia, 1988). In ''
La damnation de Faust ''La damnation de Faust'' (English: ''The Damnation of Faust''), Op. 24 is a work for four solo voices, full seven-part chorus, large children's chorus and orchestra by the French composer Hector Berlioz. He called it a "''légende dramatique'' ...
'', she was Marguerite under
Georges Prêtre Georges Prêtre (; 14 August 1924 – 4 January 2017) was a French orchestral and opera conductor. Biography Prêtre was born in Waziers ( Nord), and attended the Douai Conservatory and then studied harmony under Maurice Duruflé and conductin ...
(La Scala, house debut 1975), Ozawa (Salzburg, 1979, Boston, 1983, New York, 1983 and Tanglewood, 1988) and Georg Solti (New York, 1981), as well as starring in a quasi-operatic staging of the piece produced by
Luca Ronconi Luca Ronconi (8 March 1933 – 21 February 2015) was an Italian actor, theater director, and opera director. Biography Ronconi was born in Sousse, Tunisia. After growing up in Tunisia, where his mother was a school teacher, Ronconi graduated ...
(La Scala, 1995). In Chausson, she sang in ''
Poème de l'amour et de la mer The ''Poème de l'amour et de la mer'' (literally, ''Poem of Love and the Sea''), Op. 19, is a song cycle for voice and orchestra by Ernest Chausson. It was composed over an extended period between 1882 and 1892 and dedicated to Henri Duparc. C ...
'' under
Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti, (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He currently holds two music directorships, at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and at the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale ...
(New York, 1985, and Philadelphia, 1988.) In Debussy, she was ''
La Damoiselle élue ''La Damoiselle élue'' ('' The Blessed Damozel''), L. 62, is a cantata for soprano soloist, 2-part children's choir, 2-part female (contralto) choir (with contralto solo), and orchestra, composed by Claude Debussy in 1887–1888 based on a text ...
'' under Ozawa (Boston, 1983). And she sang
Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...
's song cycle '' Shéhérazade'' under Michael Tilson Thomas (New York, 1975), Ozawa (Boston, 1979),
Leonard Slatkin Leonard Edward Slatkin (born September 1, 1944) is an American conductor, author and composer. Early life and education Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a Jewish musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His fa ...
(Washington, 1998) and Hans Graf (Tanglewood, 2005) as well as performing it under Slatkin in her belated, televised debut at the
BBC Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
in 2002. (She had been scheduled to star in the festival's Last Night in 2001, but had been thwarted by the grounding of aircraft that followed
Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
's attack on the United States on September 11.) She sang in the first performances of several works by contemporary American composers. Together with
Thomas Hampson Thomas Walter Hampson (born June 28, 1955) is an American lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared world-wide in major opera houses and concert halls and made over 170 musical recordings. Hampson's operatic repertoire spans a range ...
, she starred in the premiere of the version of Bernstein's ''Arias and Barcarolles'' orchestrated by Bruce Coughlin (London, 1993). Many of her other premieres were of music that had been composed with her in mind. From
Dominick Argento Dominick Argento (October 27, 1927 – February 20, 2019) was an American composer known for his lyric operatic and choral music. Among his best known pieces are the operas '' Postcard from Morocco'', '' Miss Havisham's Fire'', ''The Masque of An ...
, there was ''Casa Guidi'' (Minneapolis, 1983); from
Richard Danielpour Richard Danielpour (born January 28, 1956) is an American composer. Early life Danielpour was born in New York City of Persian Jewish descent and grew up in New York City and West Palm Beach, Florida. He studied at Oberlin College and the New En ...
, ''Elegies'' (New York, 1988); from Jake Heggie, "On the road to Christmas" (San Francisco, 1996), ''I shall not live in vain'' (
State University of New York, Purchase The State University of New York at Purchase (commonly Purchase College or SUNY Purchase) is a public liberal arts college in Purchase, New York. It is one of 13 comprehensive colleges in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. It was fo ...
, 1998), ''Patterns'' (San Francisco, 1999) and ''Paper Wings'' (
Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
, 2000); and from Nathaniel Stookey, ''Into the Bright Lights'' ( Kitchener, Ontario, 2009), a cycle of three songs setting poems by von Stade herself about singing, aging and her love of her daughters.


Chamber music and art song

The pianist Charles Wadsworth first met von Stade in 1970, when he was recruiting singers for
Gian Carlo Menotti Gian Carlo Menotti (, ; July 7, 1911 – February 1, 2007) was an Italian composer, librettist, director, and playwright who is primarily known for his output of 25 operas. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept h ...
's Festival of the Two Worlds in
Spoleto Spoleto (, also , , ; la, Spoletum) is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east-central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome. History Spolet ...
, Italy. After auditioning "the usual string of blowzy sopranos with orange hair", he was surprised to be confronted by a figure wearing a hat and gloves who might have just graduated from a prep school, "looking a trifle overly ladylike for one so young. ... I remember thinking that beneath the quiet beauty, one sensed something hidden and exciting. She was like those cool British actresses who suggest a burning intensity under the surface." He duly hired her to sing some
Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...
, and in 1974 he invited her and her friend
Judith Blegen Judith Blegen (April 27, 1943, Lexington, Kentucky) is an American soprano, particularly associated with light lyric roles of the French, Italian and German repertories. Life and career Blegen was raised and attended high school in Missoula, Mont ...
to sing in
Alice Tully Hall Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The hall is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assist ...
as guests of his five-year-old
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is an American organization dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music in New York City. It is the largest organization of its kind in the country for chamber music. CMS's home is ...
. Subsequently, the Society chose her as the first singer to be admitted to their membership, and commissioned Christine Berl to compose ''Dark Summers'' (1989) for them to perform together. In 1996, Wadsworth invited her to join
Lynn Harrell Lynn Harrell (January 30, 1944 – April 27, 2020) was an American classical cellist. Known for the "penetrating richness" of his sound, Harrell performed internationally as a recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with major orchestras o ...
,
Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman ( he, יצחק פרלמן; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist widely considered one of the greatest violinists in the world. Perlman has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that hav ...
,
Pinchas Zukerman Pinchas Zukerman ( he, פנחס צוקרמן, born 16 July 1948) is an Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor. Life and career Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish parents and Holocaust survivors Yehuda and Miriam Lieberman Zuk ...
and himself at a concert given in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
as part of the cultural festival associated with the 26th Summer Olympic Games. Von Stade's career as a high-profile recitalist began as early as February 18, 1970, when she shared a bill at the New York Cultural Center with George Allen Reid, a young operatic bass: a reviewer reported "a slight, pretty young woman with a fine, somewhat light voice", "a sensitive and canny interpreter of songs, using vocal colorations to reflect textual sentiments." She gave her first
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built b ...
recitalrecorded by Columbia, but never released Blyth, Alan: Here and there: Frederica von Stade, ''
Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
'', February 1977, p. 1263
in a sold out auditorium on March 5, 1976. A critic from ''The New York Times'' overlooked her forgetting the words of
Charles Ives Charles Edward Ives (; October 20, 1874May 19, 1954) was an American modernist composer, one of the first American composers of international renown. His music was largely ignored during his early career, and many of his works went unperformed f ...
's "Tom sails away" and collapsing on Michael Tilson Thomas's piano in a fit of embarrassed giggles, but spoke for several of his colleagues when he expressed his puzzled disappointment at the "rather peculiar assortment of songs" that she presented. Such strictures notwithstanding, an unapologetic eclecticism remained the essence of her approach to art song throughout her recital career. Frequently performing in small venues in provincial cities as well as in the grandeur of places like Covent Garden or La Scala, she sang arias and songs by, amongst others,
Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...
, Canteloube, Debussy, Dowland,
Durante Durante is both an Italian surname and a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: * Adriano Durante (1940-2009), Italian professional road bicycle racer *Andrew Durante (born 1982), Australian football (soccer) p ...
, Fauré, Ginastera, Honegger,
Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
, Mahler,
Marcello Marcello is a common masculine Italian given name. It is a variant of Marcellus. The Spanish and Portuguese version of the name is Marcelo, differing in having only one "l", while the Greek form is Markellos. Etymology The name originally mean ...
, Mozart, Pizzetti, Poulenc,
Puccini Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858 Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long l ...
,
Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest E ...
, Ravel,
Respighi Ottorino Respighi ( , , ; 9 July 187918 April 1936) was an Italian composer, violinist, teacher, and musicologist and one of the leading Italian composers of the early 20th century. His compositions range over operas, ballets, orchestral sui ...
, Rossini,
Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conse ...
,
Alessandro Scarlatti Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti (2 May 1660 – 22 October 1725) was an Italian Baroque composer, known especially for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the most important representative of the Neapolitan school of opera. ...
, Schönberg, Schubert,
Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
, Richard Strauss and
Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...
. She was also a zealous evangelist for American composers, including Dominick Argento,
Amy Beach Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (September 5, 1867December 27, 1944) was an American composer and pianist. She was the first successful American female composer of large-scale art music. Her "Gaelic" Symphony, premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in ...
, Bernstein,
William Bolcom William Elden Bolcom (born May 26, 1938) is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, a Grammy Award, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. H ...
,
Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...
, Richard Danielpour,
Carol Hall Carol Hall (April 3, 1936 – October 11, 2018) was an American composer and lyricist. She was best known for composing the music and lyrics for the Broadway stage musical ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' (1978, adapted as a film in 1982). ...
, Richard Hundley,
John Musto John Musto (born 1954) is an American composer and pianist. As a composer, he is active in opera, orchestral and chamber music, song, vocal ensemble, and solo piano works. As a pianist, he performs frequently as a soloist, alone and with orches ...
, Thomas Pasatieri,
Ned Rorem Ned Rorem (October 23, 1923 – November 18, 2022) was an American composer of contemporary classical music and writer. Best known for his art songs, which number over 500, Rorem was the leading American of his time writing in the genre. Althoug ...
, Michael Tilson Thomas,
Virgil Thomson Virgil Thomson (November 25, 1896 – September 30, 1989) was an American composer and critic. He was instrumental in the development of the "American Sound" in classical music. He has been described as a modernist, a neoromantic, a neoclassi ...
and Jake Heggie.''Frederica von Stade: The Complete Columbia Recital Albums'', Sony CD, 88875183412, 2016


Special events

There are several connections between von Stade's family and the world of American politics. Her aunt, Dolly von Stade, was a guest at the Kennedys' home in
Hyannis Port Hyannis Port (or Hyannisport) is a small residential village located in Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States. It is an affluent summer community on Hyannis Harbor, 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to the south-southwest of Hyannis. Community It has ...
; her father-in-law, Richard J. Elkus, was a friend and diplomatic envoy of President
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
; her uncle Frederick H. von Stade was an intimate of President
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; p ...
; and she herself helped to babysit some of
Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, a ...
's children when she was a 10-year-old. When a classical singer was needed for a special occasion in Washington, it was often von Stade who was summoned. On December 4, 1973, she went to the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 ...
to entertain President Nixon, Romania's President
Nicolae Ceausescu Nicolae may refer to: * Nicolae (name), a Romanian name * ''Nicolae'' (novel), a 1997 novel See also *Nicolai (disambiguation) Nicolai may refer to: * Nicolai (given name) people with the forename ''Nicolai'' * Nicolai (surname) people with the ...
and Nixon's personal barber with an excerpt from the beginning of Act 2 of ''Il barbiere di Siviglia'' performed with the Washington Opera Society; it was the last such event mounted there before Nixon's resignation. On January 19, 1977, she took part in the televised "New Spirit" gala presented at the Kennedy Center to celebrate the inauguration of President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 19 ...
, singing "Take care of this house" from Bernstein's '' 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue'' under the direction of the composer. On January 19, 1985, she sang "Nobles seigneurs, salut" from
Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Mozart and Wagner". With his 1831 opera '' Robert le d ...
's ''
Les Huguenots () is an opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer and is one of the most popular and spectacular examples of grand opera. In five acts, to a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps, it premiered in Paris on 29 February 1836. Composition history '' ...
'' at the televised gala preceding the second inauguration of President Ronald Reagan. On December 27, 1985, she performed for Reagan again when she sang Jerome Kern's "
Smoke gets in your eyes "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is a show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for the 1933 musical ''Roberta''. The song was sung in the Broadway show by Tamara Drasin. Its first recorded performance was by Gertr ...
" and "You are love" in homage to
Irene Dunne Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she performed in films of other gen ...
in the televised gala ''The Kennedy Center Honors: A Tribute to the Performing Arts''. On May 31, 1990, she sang
George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...
's " Summertime" and numbers from ''Show Boat'' in a recital in the East Room of the White House after a banquet that President George H. W. Bush gave in honour of the Soviet Union's President Mikhail Gorbachev. And on March 8, 2009, she joined
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...
,
Lauren Bacall Lauren Bacall (; born Betty Joan Perske; September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute and received an Academy Honorary Aw ...
,
Denyce Graves Denyce Graves (born March 7, 1964) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. Early life Graves was born on March 7, 1964, in Washington, D.C., to Charles Graves and Dorothy (Middleton) Graves-Kenner. She is the middle of three children and w ...
, President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
and others in a 77th birthday Kennedy Center tribute to
President Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
's brother Ted. Reminiscing about her visits to the White House, she said that she had felt equally proud to be invited there whoever was in office, but she singled out Ronald and
Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in Ne ...
as a First Couple who had treated her with particular kindness. "I'm all for TV," von Stade says, "I really am. ... It brings opera to many more people than would ever be able to go nd hear a performance in an opera house" Several of the films and televised operas and concerts in which she starred have been issued on home media, and are listed in the discography below. Some of the remainder have been made accessible in whole or in part online, including a concert with
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review '' WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
and the
Boston Pops The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symph ...
(June 4, 1987): a gala celebrating Leonard Bernstein's 70th birthday (Tanglewood, August 25, 1988); a benefit concert for Polio-Plus (
Musikverein The ( or ; ), commonly shortened to , is a concert hall in Vienna, Austria, which is located in the Innere Stadt district. The building opened in 1870 and is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. The acoustics of the building's 'Grea ...
, Vienna, September 4, 1988); ''Great Performers at Avery Fisher Hall: Flicka and Friends: From Rossini to Show Boat'' (April 18, 1990); a concert in Oslo presented in conjunction with
Elie Wiesel Elie Wiesel (, born Eliezer Wiesel ''Eliezer Vizel''; September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in Fre ...
's conference on "The Anatomy of Hate" (August 28, 1990); ''Great Performers at Lincoln Center: A Celebration of the American Musical'' (Avery Fisher Hall, April 7, 1997); and a Metropolitan Opera gala in honour of Joseph Volpe (May 20, 2006). Among other televised events in which von Stade took part, as yet inaccessible online, were ''Mostly Mozart Festival: An Evening of Mostly Mozart'' (Avery Fisher Hall, July 13, 1988); ''Great Performers at Lincoln Center: A Christmas Gala'' (Avery Fisher Hall, December 19, 1990); the sixteenth gala of the Richard Tucker Music Foundation (Avery Fisher Hall, November 10, 1991); a benefit gala to raise funds for the rebuilding of the
Gran Teatre del Liceu Gran may refer to: People *Grandmother, affectionately known as "gran" *Gran (name) Places * Gran, the historical German name for Esztergom, a city and the primatial metropolitan see of Hungary * Gran, Norway, a municipality in Innlandet coun ...
, Barcelona, after its destruction by fire on January 31, 1994 (
Palau Sant Jordi Palau Sant Jordi (, en, St. George's Palace) is an indoor sporting arena and multi-purpose installation that is part of the Olympic Ring complex located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, it was ...
, March 17, 1994); ''A Grand Night for Singing: Public Television's Gift to You'', a concert of classical and popular music hosted by
Tyne Daly Ellen Tyne Daly (; born February 21, 1946) is an American actress. She has won six Emmy Awards for her television work, a Tony Award and is a 2011 American Theatre Hall of Fame inductee. Daly began her career on stage in summer stock in New York, ...
(March 9, 1996); the ''Golden Gate Gala'' celebrating the reopening of the
War Memorial Opera House The War Memorial Opera House is an opera house in San Francisco, California, located on the western side of Van Ness Avenue across from the west side/rear facade of the San Francisco City Hall. It is part of the San Francisco War Memorial and ...
after repairs necessitated by the
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on California's Central Coast on October 17 at local time. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County, approximately northeast of Santa Cruz on a section of ...
(San Francisco, recorded September 5, 1997, aired December 5, 1997); ''Gershwin at 100'', a concert with the
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra The San Francisco Symphony (SFS), founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San Fra ...
and Michael Tilson Thomas (Carnegie Hall, September 23, 1998); the ''Opening Night of the 33rd Annual Mostly Mozart Festival'' (Avery Fisher Hall, July 28, 1999); the first concert at Philadelphia's
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is a large performing arts venue at 300 South Broad Street and the corner of Spruce Street, along the stretch known as the Avenue of the Arts in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is owned and ...
(December 16, 2001); and a concert with John Williams and the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir, acting as part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for ov ...
and Orchestra given to celebrate the opening of the 19th Winter Olympic Games in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, t ...
(February 9, 2002). In 2019, von Stade joined Kiri Te Kanawa on the jury of the 19th
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition (known as Cardiff Singer of the World from 1983–2001 and BBC Singer of the World in Cardiff in 2003) is a competition for classical singers held every two years. The competition was started by BBC W ...
. At the 57th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 18, 2005, she was herself a contender in "Emmy Idol", a parody of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'', which challenged a heterogeneous group of niche celebrities to compete against one another in performances of the title themes from classic television shows.
Megan Mullally Megan Mullally (born November 12, 1958) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for playing Karen Walker (Will & Grace), Karen Walker on the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'' (1998–2006, 2017–2020), for which she received e ...
and
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
championed ''
Green Acres ''Green Acres'' is an American television sitcom starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm. Produced by Filmways as a sister show to ''Petticoat Junction'', the series was first broadcast on ...
'',
Kristen Bell Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Beginning her acting career by starring in stage productions while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, she made her Broadway stage debut as Becky Thatche ...
'' Fame'',
Gary Dourdan Gary Dourdan (born Gary Robert Durdin: December 11, 1966) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Warrick Brown on the television series '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,'' Shazza Zulu on the television series ''A Different World'' an ...
and
Macy Gray Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known by her stage name Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday. Gray ha ...
''
The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history, ...
'' and von Stade and
William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship ''Enterpris ...
''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...
''. The winners were Mullally and the future US President.


Semi-retirement

In 2010, with the birth of her first grandchild expected in the month in which she would turn sixty-five, von Stade began to step back from performing full-time. "There was a point where all of a sudden I started feeling like I was dressed up in my daughter's prom dress with a big bow on the back. I was getting tired of all the stuff that goes with the business. I always loved singing, but getting there and doing the dress and the hairthat just started to grate on me." "Right now, sitting on a train from the airport, on my way home after days of travel, I haven't even a glimmer of regret." She gave a series of valedictory recitals in venues across the United States, often with Jake Heggie as her pianist and sometimes performing duets with Kiri Te Kanawa or Samuel Ramey.Page, Tim: How strange the change from major to minor, ''Opera News'', April 2010, p. 32 During her years at the Met, she had participated in concerts in honour of
Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
,
Mirella Freni Mirella Freni, OMRI (, born Mirella Fregni, 27 February 1935 – 9 February 2020) was an Italian operatic soprano who had a career of 50 years and appeared at major international opera houses. She received international attention at the Gly ...
,
Nicolai Gedda Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda, known professionally as Nicolai Gedda (11 July 1925 – 8 January 2017), was a Swedish operatic tenor. Debuting in 1951, Gedda had a long and successful career in opera until the age of 77 in June 2003, when he made ...
,
Nicolai Ghiaurov Nicolai Ghiaurov (or ''Nikolai Gjaurov'', ''Nikolay Gyaurov'', bg, Николай Гяуров) (September 13, 1929 – June 2, 2004) was a Bulgarian opera singer and one of the most famous basses of the postwar period. He was admired for hi ...
,
Alfredo Kraus Alfredo Kraus Trujillo (; 24 November 192710 September 1999) was a distinguished Spanish tenor from the Canary islands (known professionally as Alfredo Kraus), particularly known for the artistry he brought to opera's bel canto roles. He was ...
,
James Levine James Lawrence Levine (; June 23, 1943 – March 9, 2021) was an American conductor and pianist. He was music director of the Metropolitan Opera from 1976 to 2016. He was terminated from all his positions and affiliations with the Met on March 1 ...
, Mrs John Barry Ryan and Joseph Volpe: her own turn to be lauded by the company came on April 20, when she was the guest of honour at the Metropolitan Opera Guild's 75th annual luncheon in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria New York. Tributes to her were led by
Vladimir Chernov Vladimir Nikolaïevitch Chernov (born 22 September 1953) is a Russian baritone, particularly associated with the Russian and Italian opera repertories. Early life Vladimir Chernov was born in a small village near the town of Krasnodar in souther ...
, Marilyn Horne,
Evelyn Lear Evelyn Shulman Lear (January 8, 1926 – July 1, 2012) was an American operatic soprano. Between 1959 and 1992, she appeared in more than forty operatic roles, appeared with every major opera company in the United States and won a Grammy Award in ...
and her first Pelléas, Richard Stilwell. Thomas Hampson paid his compliments in song, serenading her with Mozart's "Voi che sapete", Mahler's "Liebst Du um Schönheit" and Jerome Kern's "All the things you are". On April 22, she was joined by Ramey, Stilwell, Emil Miland and Martin Katz in a final, autobiographically themed recital at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built b ...
, singing a duet with her pregnant daughter as one of her encores. On February 6, 2011, her last appearance as Mrs de Rocher in ''Dead Man Walking'' at Houston Grand Opera concluded in a ceremony in which she was made an honorary member of HGO's board and presented with the company's inaugural Silver Rose Award, an allusion to her first appearance as Octavian in ''Der Rosenkavalier'' in a Houston production thirty-six years previously. (Costumed in Mrs de Rocher's pathetic dowdiness, she began her speech of thanks by saying that she wished she was wearing another dress.) On December 3, 2011,
Cal Performances Cal Performances is the performing arts presenting, commissioning and producing organization based at the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, California. The origins of Cal Performances date from 1906, when stage actress Sarah Bernhardt ...
,
San Francisco Performances San Francisco Performances is an organization which showcases chamber music, vocal and instrumental recitals, jazz and contemporary dance in the San Francisco Bay area. It was founded by Ruth Felt in 1979. The organization presents "internationally ...
, the
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (PBO) is an American orchestra based in San Francisco. PBO is dedicated to historically informed performance of Baroque, Classical and early Romantic music on original instruments. The orchestra performs its su ...
, the San Francisco Opera and the
San Francisco Conservatory of Music The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) is a private music conservatory in San Francisco, California. As of 2021, it had 480 students. History The San Francisco Conservatory of Music was founded in 1917 by Ada Clement and Lillian Ho ...
jointly presented ''Celebrating Frederica von Stade'', a gala at the
Herbst Theatre The Herbst Theatre is an auditorium in the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in the Civic Center, San Francisco. The 928-seat hall hosts programs as diverse as ''City Arts & Lectures'', SF Jazz, and San Francisco Performances. Architectu ...
featuring Zheng Cao,
Joyce DiDonato Joyce DiDonato (née Flaherty; born February 13, 1969) is an American lyric-coloratura mezzo-soprano. She is notable for her interpretations of operas and concert works in the 19th-century romantic era in addition to works by Handel and Mozart. ...
,
Susan Graham Susan Graham (born July 23, 1960) is an American mezzo-soprano. Life and career Susan Graham was born in Roswell, New Mexico on July 23, 1960. Raised in Midland, Texas, Graham is a graduate of Texas Tech University and the Manhattan School of ...
, Jake Heggie, Samuel Ramey, Richard Stilwell, Kiri Te Kanawa and Marilyn Horne, the latter attending courtesy not, as she noted, of the Metropolitan Opera but of Sloan-Kettering and
Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland where he remained for most ...
. The proceeds of the event were donated to two of the charities with which von Stade was particularly associated.


Personal life


Marriage and children

At Mannes, von Stade met Peter K. Elkus (b. 1939), bass-baritone, photographer and, later, teacher, a son of Richard J. Elkus, chairman of Ampex. Von Stade and Elkus were married in Paris in the spring of 1973. In 1976, they moved from their 23rd-floor West Side apartment overlooking the Lincoln Center and the Hudson River to base themselves in a rented house in Paris, not far from the Bois de Boulogne. Their elder daughter was born in 1977; Jenifer Rebecca Elkus was named after a Carol Hall song that von Stade was recording as her baby began to arrive – "She heard her name and figured she'd better come out". Formerly a middle school counselor, Jenny now practises as a clinical psychologist in Virginia, but is also a singer who can be heard duetting with her mother on von Stade's jazz recording ''Frederica von Stade sings Brubeck - Across your dreams''. Anna Lisa Elkus was born in 1980 (delivered, like her sister, by caesarean section). Von Stade's lyric cycle ''Paper Wings'', sung by her on the CD '' The Faces of Love: The Songs of Jake Heggie'', presents vignettes of Lisa's infancy.Heggie, Jake: ''The Faces of Love: The Songs of Jake Heggie''; with Brian Asawa, Zheng Cao, Kristin Clayton, Renée Fleming, Nicolle Foland, Jennifer Larmore, Sylvia McNair, Frederica von Stade, Carol Vaness, Jake Heggie (piano) and Emil Miland (cello); RCA CD, 09026-63484-2; 1999 Now a manager at a global technology company in California, Lisa was a devotee of dance and pop music as a child and has performed as a singer in a rock 'n' roll band.


Divorce, remarriage and grandchildren

As Jenny approached school age, Elkus and von Stade relocated to a Colonial mini-estate near Glen Head, New York, Glen Head on Long Island, not far from von Stade's paternal grandparents' sprawling mansion in the ultra-exclusive enclave of Old Westbury. Elkus coached his wife until 1985: "It's the same old story," said von Stade. "You can't learn to drive from your husband. A husband-and-wife team is a risky thing, ... We thought we were strong enough to defy it, and we weren't." Von Stade filed for divorce in 1990, instigating a courtroom conflict that earned the couple many column inches in newspapers and a place in legal history. Von Stade and Elkus agreed to share custody of their children, but they were unable to negotiate a mutually satisfactory division of their wealth. In the year of their wedding, von Stade's income net of expenses had been just $2,250; by the time that their marriage was dissolved, it had swollen to $621,878. While her growing success was obviously founded partly on the innate qualities of her voice, it was equally plainly attributable partly to her artistry and fame, and Elkus thought that these latter intangibles were part of the couple's marital property and, moreover, assets that he had had a hand in creating. After marrying von Stade, he had given up his own work as a singer in order to travel with her, attend her rehearsals and performances, advise and critique her, photograph her for album covers and magazine articles and help her care for their daughters. He believed that his efforts in support of von Stade's career entitled him not just to a share in the couple's current riches but also to a paymentperhaps as high as $1.5 millionanticipating the money that she would make in the coming years from performing and, possibly, from undertaking celebrity endorsements. Arguing that no such endorsements were in prospect, that she had already been successful before her marriage and that Elkus's coaching had sometimes done her voice more harm than good, von Stade's lawyers asked the Supreme Court of New York County to rule that her career and profile belonged to her and her alone. In an order made on September 26, 1990, Walter M. Schackman, J. found in von Stade's favour, noting that Elkus's self sacrifice in supporting her endeavours had been compensated by a "substantial life style" in which he had "reaped the rewards of his association" with her, and that his services to her would be adequately remunerated by his share of the couple's tangible assets (which included a house valued at almost $1 million). But when Elkus's lawyer appealed to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Rosenberger, J. and four of his colleagues took a different view, overturning the trial court's order in a unanimous judgement handed down on July 2, 1991, that effectively made Elkus a shareholder in von Stade's future. In an analysis of the case that questioned whether the Appellate Division's holding was compatible with the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Thirteenth Amendment's prohibition of involuntary servitude, Janine R. Menhennet, an attorney practising in California, condemned Rosenberger's decision as an insult to von Stade that had invaded the personal nature of her voice and awarded Elkus a part of her very identity. On December 30, 1990, von Stade married fellow divorcee Michael G. Gorman, father of three, a San Francisco manufacturer and, later, banker, no musician but rather, in her words, "a normal dude", whom she had met in 1988. Her second marriage earned her another page in the annals of family law when Elkus returned to the courts to try to prevent her from uprooting their daughters from their settled life on Long Island to form a blended family with their stepfather and stepsister. Once again, Elkus lost the first round of his fight but won the second: despite von Stade's assurances that she would address Elkus's concerns for their children's welfare by hiring a housekeeper, curtailing her travelling and supporting him in visiting them, a New York appellate court reversed the holding of a lower court and found that there was "no compelling reason or exceptional circumstances to justify relocation to California". Ultimately von Stade and Elkus found a way to resolve their difficulties amicably, and Jenny and Lisa joined their mother and stepfamily in a 1910 Tudor Revival house in the middle of Alameda (island), Alameda, a home in which Gorman and von Stade lived for almost a decade before moving to a property on the island's southeast waterfront. Von Stade became a grandmother in June 2010 when Jenny gave birth to the first of her two daughters, Charlotte Frederica. As of March 2019, the Gormans' tally of grandchildren numbered seven.


Faith and philanthropy

Von Stade adopted Roman Catholicism as a child, led to her faith by the influence of her convert maternal grandmother, instructed by the nuns and priests who presided over most of her schooling and attracted by the theatricality of Catholic ritual. She has remained a committed member of her church throughout her life, latterly as a regular worshipper at Alameda's Basilica of St Joseph. It is Catholicism which has provided her with her framework for interpreting the world, reconciled her to her experience of suffering and both inspired and guided her work as an artist and philanthropist. She summed up her credo in 2000: "We are all from God. And since we are from God, there must be ... no obstacle, really, between Him and us. I keep thinking that I have to put away anything that stands in the way of my ... vocation, which is singing and sharing music. ... It's the art form closest to prayer, and therefore to the journey toward God, precisely because it comes from a very deep point inside. Singingboth what we sing and how we sing itshows all the flaws, all the neediness of our humanity. And it can reveal all our best possibilities too." The charitable endeavours through which she has expressed her Christianity have mainly addressed social issues in the poorer districts of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1992, she began attending dinners and auctions sponsored by Financial Aid for Catholic Education. It was at one of these that she met Carol Cole and David Barlow, who were setting up a refuge to nurture vulnerable mothers and children in a troubled part of Oakland, California, Oakland. Operated in accordance with Rudolf Steiner's doctrine of Anthroposophy, the Sophia Project sheltered dozens of families from 1999 to 2014: von Stade served it as a fundraiser, as a member of its board of directors and occasionally as a gardener. She has spoken warmly of its residents, "women … who have no money or resources. They just keep getting up in the morning with that weight on their heads. I don't know how they do it." She believes that the fundamental cause of America's social problems is the inadequacy of its education system. In 2007, she began developing, paying for and participating in a music programme at the St Martin de Porres parochial elementary school in Oakland after meeting its president, Sister Barbara Dawson, at one of FACE's events. (Sister Barbara was a member of the same Convent of the Sacred Heart that had provided von Stade with much of her own education.) As well as being taught choral singing by von Stade herself, the children at St Martinresidents of one of Oakland's most disadvantaged neighbourhoodswere offered lessons in dancing, the violin, the guitar and the piano, and were treated to visits by Chanticleer (ensemble), Chanticleer and students from the San Francisco Conservatory performing their staging of ''Hänsel und Gretel''. Von Stade also took a group of 8th-graders to the War Memorial Opera House to be introduced to ''Don Giovanni''. In 2009, five of the school's pupils accompanied her on her journey to Washington to perform at the birthday celebrations of Ted Kennedy, with the expenses of their journey defrayed by the proceeds of benefit concerts that she had organized. When the Bishop of Oakland closed the school in 2017 as part of a diocese-wide rationalization, she described herself as heartbroken. A secular educational programme that von Stade espoused in parallel with her work at St Martin de Porres has proved more enduring. A project built chiefly by the late soprano Daisy Newmannamed by von Stade as the contemporary whom she most admiresthe Young Musicians Choral Orchestra (formerly known as the Young Musicians Program) is a project created under the aegis of the University of California, Berkeley. It caters to some seventy children between the ages of ten and eighteen who came from families with an income of less than $25,000 a year. As well as providing them with subsidised tuition in music, it aims to foster their personal development more broadly: its goal is to enable as many of them as possible to proceed either to a music college or a university. "Most of our kids have been homeless," von Stade said in 2018. "You just can't believe their storiesor their lives. Music is a lifeline for them." She helps the YMCO's students by promoting concerts that showcase them, sometimes performing with them herself; on January 31, 2010, for example, listeners to Garrison Keillor's ''A Prairie Home Companion'' heard her singing the Flower Duet from Léo Delibes's ''Lakmé'' with the YMCO's Nicole Rodriguez. She also devotes a large part of her income to meeting the YMCO's running costs. She is involved, too, with similar enterprises inspired by Venezuela's El Sistema, such as the Longy School of Music of Bard College, Longy School of Music's 'Side by Side' orchestra, with which she appeared in Cambridge, Massachusetts on March 20, 2015. In 2020, inspired by her experience of working with Jonathan Palant's Dallas Street Choir, von Stade launched the People's Choir of Oakland, which aims to do for her neighbourhood what Palant's organization has done for his: to use collaborative music-making to kindle a greater sense of dignity, hope and joy in people enduring homelessness. Headed by the soprano Nicolle Foland, the choir plans to offer its guests a safe place to rehearse and perform for two hours a week with the support of a music director, a pianist and a music therapist.


Recordings

Von Stade has sung on more than a hundred recordings, including symphonic works, sacred music, operas, musicals, art songs, pop songs, folk songs, jazz and comedy. She has been nominated for a
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for best classical vocalist nine times, and her recordings have been honoured with two ''Grand Prix du Disque'' awards, the ''Deutsche Schallplattenpreis'', Italy's ''Premio della Critica Discografica'' and "Best of the Year" citations in ''Stereo Review'' and ''
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 engender the appreciation of opera and also suppor ...
''. Her personal favourites among her albums are her Arthaus video and Decca audio recordings of ''Le nozze di Figaro'', her EMI ''Pelléas et Mélisande'', her Deutsche Grammophon Mahler ''Mahler Symphony No. 4 (Claudio Abbado 1978 recording), Symphony No. 4'', her pop album ''Flicka - Another side of Frederica von Stade'' and her jazz album ''Across Your Dreams, Frederica von Stade sings Brubeck - Across your dreams''. All of the von Stade recordings first released on vinyl have now been issued on compact disc as well, but five are difficult to find on CD except in boxed collections. These are ''Live! (Frederica von Stade album), Frederica von Stade Live!'', available in the 18-CD set ''Frederica von Stade: The Complete Columbia Recital Albums'' (Sony, 2016), and ''Judith Blegen & Frederica von Stade: Songs, Arias & Duets'', ''Song Recital, Frederica von Stade: Song Recital'', ''Italian Opera Arias, Frederica von Stade: Italian Opera Arias'' and the Mahler album ''Frederica von Stade – Mahler Songs, Songs of a Wayfarer, Rückert-Lieder and songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn'', available in that same anthology and in the 4-CD set ''Frederica von Stade: Duets, Arias, Scenes and Songs'' (Newton Classics, 2012). The two SACDs in the discography are hybrid discs which are compatible with any CD machine. Recordings highlighted in blue are the subject of ancillary articles which deal with their taping, cover art, track listings and release histories and provide summaries of reviews by notable critics including Denis Arnold, Alan Blyth, Edward Greenfield, Richard Freed, George Jellinek, William Mann (critic), William Mann, Stanley Sadie and J. B. Steane.


Albums of music by a single composer

* Casa Guidi (album), Argento: ''Casa Guidi''; conducted by Eiji Oue; recorded May 2001; Reference Recordings. * La damnation de Faust (Georg Solti recording), Berlioz: ''La damnation de Faust''; conducted by Georg Solti; recorded May 1981; Decca. * Arias and Barcarolles, Leonard Bernstein: ''Arias and barcarolles''; conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas; recorded September 1993; DG. * Leonard Bernstein: ''The Bernstein songbook''; conducted by Leonard Bernstein; FVS's contribution recorded January 1977; Sony. * On the Town (cast album), Leonard Bernstein: ''On the Town''; conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas; recorded June 1992; DG. * Chris Brubeck: ''Convergence''; FVS's contribution conducted by Sara Jobin; copyright 2005; CD/SACD; Koch International Classics. * Chants d'Auvergne, Vol. 1, Canteloube: ''Chants d'Auvergne, Vol. 1''; conducted by Antonio de Almeida; recorded June 1982; Sony. * Chants d'Auvergne, Vol. 2, Canteloube: ''Chants d'Auvergne, Vol. 2 & Triptyque''; conducted by Antonio de Almeida; recorded July 1985; Sony. * Danielpour: ''Elegies & Sonnets to Orpheus''; conducted by Roger Nierenberg; recorded September 1998; Sony. * Debussy Mélodies (1980 recording), Debussy: ''Mélodies''; accompanied by Dalton Baldwin; copyright 1980; EMI. * Pelléas et Mélisande (Herbert von Karajan recording), Debussy: ''Pelléas et Mélisande''; conducted by Herbert von Karajan; recorded December 1978; EMI. * Debussy: ''Pelléas et Mélisande''; conducted by Claudio Abbado; recorded live, 28 May 1986; Opera D'Oro. * Dvořák: ''Dvořák in Prague: A Celebration''; conducted by Seiji Ozawa; recorded December 1993; Sony. [Also on DVD] * De Falla: The Three-Cornered Hat (André Previn recording), ''The Three-Cornered Hat''; conducted by André Previn; copyright 1983; Philips. * Fauré: Fauré Mélodies (Frederica von Stade recording), ''Mélodies''; accompanied by Jean-Philippe Collard; recorded December 1981 and June 1982; EMI. * Fauré: ''L'œuvre d'orchestre, Vol. 1''; conducted by Michel Plasson; recorded June 1980; EMI. * Ricky Ian Gordon: ''A coffin in Egypt''; conducted by Timothy Myers; recorded March 2014; Albany Records. * Joseph Haydn: Die Schöpfung & Harmoniemesse (Leonard Bernstein recording), ''Harmoniemesse''; conducted by Leonard Bernstein; recorded February 1973; issued with Haydn's ''The Creation'' as ''Leonard Bernstein: the royal edition No. 36 of 100''; Sony. * La fedeltà premiata (Antal Doráti recording), Joseph Haydn: ''La fedeltà premiata''; conducted by Antal Doráti; recorded June 1975; Philips. * Il mondo della luna (Antal Doráti recording), Joseph Haydn: ''Il mondo della luna''; conducted by Antal Doráti; recorded September 1977; Philips. * Heggie: ''Dead Man Walking''; conducted by Patrick Summers; recorded October 2000; Erato. * Heggie: ''Dead Man Walking''; conducted by Patrick Summers; recorded January and February 2011; Virgin. * Heggie: The Faces of Love: The Songs of Jake Heggie, ''The faces of love, the songs of Jake Heggie''; accompanied by Jake Heggie; recorded 1998 and 1999; RCA. * Heggie: ''Flesh & stone: songs of Jake Heggie''; accompanied by Jake Heggie; copyright 2007; Classical Action. * Heggie: ''Great Scott''; conducted by Patrick Summers; recorded October and November 2015; Erato. * Passing By – Songs by Jake Heggie, Heggie: ''Passing by: songs by Jake Heggie''; accompanied by Jake Heggie; recorded June 2007 and January 2008; Avie. * Heggie: ''Three Decembers''; conducted by Patrick Summers; recorded March 2008; Albany Records. * Hänsel und Gretel (John Pritchard recording), Humperdinck: ''Hänsel und Gretel''; conducted by John Pritchard; recorded June 1978; Sony. * Kern: Show Boat (John McGlinn recording), ''Show Boat''; conducted by John McGlinn; recorded June - August 1987; EMI. * Frederica von Stade - Mahler Songs, Mahler: ''Songs of a Wayfarer, Rückert-Lieder & Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn''; conducted by Andrew Davis; recorded December 1978; Sony. * Mahler Symphony No. 4 (Claudio Abbado 1978 recording), Mahler: ''Symphony No. 4''; conducted by Claudio Abbado; recorded May 1977; DG. * Mahler Symphony No. 4 (Yoel Levi recording), Mahler: ''Symphony No. 4 & Songs of a Wayfarer''; conducted by Yoel Levi; recorded July 1998; Telarc. * Cendrillon (Julius Rudel recording), Massenet: ''Cendrillon''; conducted by Julius Rudel; recorded June 1978; Sony. * Massenet: ''Cendrillon''; conducted by Mario Bernardi; recorded live, July 1979; Celestial Audio. * Massenet: ''Chérubin''; conducted by Henry Lewis; recorded live, February 1984; Voce. * Chérubin (Pinchas Steinberg recording), Massenet: ''Chérubin''; conducted by Pinchas Steinberg; recorded April 1991; RCA. * Werther (Colin Davis recording), Massenet: ''Werther''; conducted by Colin Davis; recorded February 1980; Philips. * A Midsummer Night's Dream (Eugene Ormandy recording), Mendelssohn: ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''; conducted by Eugene Ormandy; recorded April and May 1976; RCA. * A Midsummer Night's Dream (Seiji Ozawa recording), Mendelssohn: ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''; conducted by Seiji Ozawa; recorded October 1992; DG. * Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (Raymond Leppard recording), Monteverdi: ''Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria''; conducted by Raymond Leppard; recorded June 1979; Sony. * La clemenza di Tito (Colin Davis recording), Mozart: ''La clemenza di Tito''; conducted by Colin Davis; recorded July 1976; Philips. * Così fan tutte (Alain Lombard recording), Mozart: ''Così fan tutte''; conducted by Alain Lombard; recorded May 1977; Erato. * Great Mass in C minor, K. 427 (Leonard Bernstein film), Mozart: ''Great Mass in C minor'', ''Ave verum corpus'' & ''Exsultate, jubilate''; conducted by Leonard Bernstein; recorded April 1990; DG. [Also on DVD] * Mozart Mass K. 139 (Claudio Abbado recording), Mozart: ''Mass K. 139, "Waisenhausmesse"''; conducted by Claudio Abbado; recorded October 1975; DG. * Mozart: ''Le nozze di Figaro''; conducted by Herbert von Karajan; recorded live, 1974; Opera D'Oro. * Mozart: ''Le nozze di Figaro''; conducted by Herbert von Karajan; recorded live, May 1977, Orfeo * Le nozze di Figaro (Herbert von Karajan recording), Mozart: ''Le nozze di Figaro''; conducted by Herbert von Karajan; recorded April and May 1978; Decca. * Le nozze di Figaro (Solti), Mozart: ''Le nozze di Figaro''; conducted by Georg Solti; recorded June and December 1981; Decca. * Offenbach Arias and Overtures, Offenbach: ''Arias and overtures''; conducted by Antonio de Almeida; recorded December 1994; RCA. * Anything Goes (John McGlinn recording), Porter: ''Anything goes''; conducted by John McGlinn; recorded August 1988; EMI. * Dardanus (Raymond Leppard recording), Rameau: ''Dardanus''; conducted by Raymond Leppard; recorded November 1980; Erato. * Shéhérazade (Frederica von Stade recording), Ravel: ''Shéhérazade, Chansons madécasses, Mélodies populaires grecques and Mélodies hébraïques''; conducted by Seiji Ozawa; recorded October and November 1979 and April 1980; Sony. * My Funny Valentine (Frederica von Stade album), Rodgers: ''My funny valentine - Frederica von Stade sings Rodgers & Hart''; conducted by John McGlinn; recorded September 1989; EMI. * The Sound of Music (Erich Kunzel recording), Rodgers: ''The Sound of Music''; conducted by Erich Kunzel; recorded December 1987; Telarc. * Rossini: ''Il barbiere di Siviglia''; conducted by Thomas Schippers; recorded live, 31 December 1976; Living Stage. * The Rossini Bicentennial Birthday Gala, Rossini: ''The Rossini bicentennial birthday gala''; conducted by Roger Norrington; recorded February and March 1992; EMI. * Rossini: ''La donna del lago''; conducted by Claudio Scimone; recorded live, 5 October 1981; Ponto. * Otello (Jesus Lopez Cobos recording), Rossini: ''Otello''; conducted by Jesús López Cobos; recorded September 1978; Philips. * Der Rosenkavalier (Edo de Waart recording), Richard Strauss: ''Der Rosenkavalier''; conducted by Edo de Waart; recorded July 1976; Philips. * New Year's Eve Concert 1992: Richard Strauss Gala, Richard Strauss: ''New Year's Eve Concert 1992''; conducted by Claudio Abbado; recorded December 1992; Sony. [Also on DVD] * Mignon (Antonio de Almeida recording), Thomas: ''Mignon''; conducted by Antonio de Almeida; recorded June and July 1977; Sony. * Verdi: ''Don Carlo''; conducted by Francesco Molinari-Pradelli; recorded live, 22 April 1972; Foyer. * Verdi: ''Don Carlo''; conducted by Francesco Molinari-Pradelli; recorded live, 15 June 1972; Living Stage. * Verdi: ''La Traviata''; conducted by Richard Bonynge; recorded live, 22 October 1970; Bella Voce. * Wilberg: ''Requiem & other choral works''; conducted by Craig Jessop; recorded October 2007; Mormon Tabernacle Choir.


Albums of music by more than one composer

* ''Angel heart, a music storybook''; conducted by Michael Morgan, recorded 2011 and 2012; Oxingale Records. * ''Ardis Krainik celebration gala''; recorded live, 20 October 1998; Lyric Opera of Chicago. * Judith Blegen & Frederica von Stade: Songs, Arias & Duets, ''Judith Blegen & Frederica von Stade: Songs, Arias & Duets''; music by Schumann, Chausson, Schubert, Alessandro Scarlatti, Mozart, Saint-Saëns and Brahms, conducted by Charles Wadsworth, recorded November 1974 and January 1975; Sony. * A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert, ''A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert''; conducted by André Previn; recorded December 1991; Sony. [Also on DVD] * ''Dance on a moonbeam, a collection of songs and poems''; recorded 1998; Telarc. * ''Flicka - another side of Frederica von Stade''; music by Richard Rodgers, Mack Gordon, Alan Brandt and Jeremy Lubbock, conducted by Jeremy Lubbock; recorded October 1987; Sony. * Nuits d'été & La damoiselle élue, ''Frederica von Stade: Berlioz - Nuits d'été; Debussy - La damoiselle élue''; conducted by Seiji Ozawa, recorded October 1983; Sony. * Frederica von Stade chante Monteverdi & Cavalli (recording), ''Frederica von Stade chante Monteverdi & Cavalli''; conducted by Raymond Leppard; recorded July 1984; Erato. * French Opera Arias, ''Frederica von Stade: French opera arias''; music by Meyerbeer, Gounod, Berlioz, Massenet, Offenbach and Thomas, conducted by John Pritchard; recorded January 1976; Sony. * Italian Opera Arias, ''Frederica von Stade: Italian opera arias''; music by Monteverdi, Rossini, Paisiello, Broschi and Leoncavallo, conducted by Mario Bernardi; recorded August 1977 and July 1978; Sony. * Live! (Frederica von Stade recording), ''Frederica von Stade Live!''; music by Vivaldi, Durante, Alessandro Scarlatti, Marcello, Rossini, Ravel, Canteloube, Copland, Hundley, Thomson and Hughes, accompanied by Martin Katz; recorded April 1981; Sony. * Across Your Dreams, ''Frederica von Stade sings Brubeck - Across your dreams''; copyright 1996; Telarc. * Mozart & Rossini Arias, ''Frederica von Stade sings Mozart and Rossini''; conducted by Edo de Waart; recorded September 1975; CD/SACD; PentaTone Classics. * Song Recital, ''Frederica von Stade: Song Recital''; music by Dowland, Purcell, Liszt, Debussy, Canteloube and Carol Hall, accompanied by Martin Katz; recorded December 1977; Sony. * ''Frederica von Stade: Recital, Edinburgh 1976''; songs by Dorumsgaard, Mahler, Ives, Poulenc, Britten, Offenbach and Carol Hall, accompanied by Martin Isepp; recorded live, 31 August 1976; Gala. * ''Frederica von Stade: Liederabend, Salzburg 1986''; songs by Fauré, Richard Strauss, Mahler, Copland, Ives, Pasatieri, Canteloube, Schonberg, Poulenc and Offenbach, accompanied by Martin Katz; recorded live, 18 August 1986; Orfeo. * Voyage à Paris, ''Frederica von Stade: Voyage à Paris''; songs by Poulenc, Satie, Debussy, Honegger, Ravel and Messiaen, accompanied by Martin Katz; recorded April 1993; RCA. * Marilyn Horne: Divas in Song, ''Marilyn Horne: Divas in song - a 60th birthday celebration''; accompanied by Martin Katz and others; recorded January 1994; RCA. * Marilyn Horne & Frederica von Stade: Lieder & Duets, ''Marilyn Horne & Frederica von Stade: Dvořák, Schumann, Mendelssohn; Lieder and duets''; accompanied by Martin Katz; recorded July 1992; RCA. * James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala, ''James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala''; conducted by James Levine; recorded April 1996; DG. [Also on DVD] * ''Opera stars in concert: gala concert for Polio-Plus''; conducted by Anton Guadagno; recorded September 1988; Amadeo. * ''Puttin' on the Ritz: the great Hollywood musicals''; conducted by Erich Kunzel; recorded December 1994; Telarc. * A Salute to American Music, ''A salute to American music; the Richard Tucker Music Foundation Gala XVI''; conducted by James Conlon; recorded November 1991; RCA. * ''Simple gifts''; music by Handel, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Gluck, Puccini, Vaughan Williams, Schubert, Canteloube, Copland, Carol Hall and Bernstein, conducted by Joseph Silverstein; recorded November 1991; Decca. (Also issued as ''A song of thanksgiving''). * ''Songs of the cat''; conducted by Philip Brunelle; copyright 1991; RCA. * ''Pauline Viardot and friends''; recorded February 2006; Opera Rara.


DVDs

* Dvořák in Prague: A Celebration, Dvořák: ''Dvořák in Prague, a celebration''; conducted by Seiji Ozawa; recorded in Smetana Hall in December 1993; Kultur. * Humperdinck: ''Hansel and Gretel''; sung in English; conducted by Thomas Fulton and produced by Nathaniel Merrill; recorded at the Metropolitan Opera in December 1982; Deutsche Grammophon. * Great Mass in C minor, K. 427 (Leonard Bernstein film), Mozart: ''Grosse messe c-moll KV427''; conducted by Leonard Bernstein; recorded April 1990; Deutsche Grammophon. * Idomeneo (Luciano Pavarotti film), Mozart: ''Idomeneo''; conducted by James Levine and produced by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle; recorded at the Metropolitan Opera in November 1982; Deutsche Grammophon. * Mozart: ''Le nozze di Figaro''; conducted by John Pritchard and produced by Peter Hall; recorded at Glyndebourne in 1973; Arthaus Musik. * Mozart: ''Le nozze di Figaro''; conducted by Georg Solti and produced by Giorgio Strehler; recorded in Paris in 1980; Dreamlife. * Mozart: ''Le nozze di Figaro''; conducted by James Levine and produced by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle; recorded at the Metropolitan Opera in December 1985; Metropolitan Opera. * Rossini: ''La Cenerentola''; conducted by Claudio Abbado and produced by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle; filmed in Vienna in 1981; Deutsche Grammophon. * New Year's Eve Concert 1992: Richard Strauss Gala, Richard Strauss: ''New Year's Eve Concert 1992 - Richard Strauss Gala''; conducted by Claudio Abbado; recorded in Berlin in 1992; Kultur. * A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert, ''A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert''; conducted by André Previn; recorded December 1991; Kultur. * Christmas with Flicka, ''Christmas with Flicka''; conducted by Julius Rudel; filmed in Austria, copyright 1987; Kultur. * ''Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square'', also issued as ''The Wonder of Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square''; conducted by Craig Jessop and Mack Wilberg; recorded December 2003; MTC. * Glyndebourne Festival Opera: A Gala Evening, ''Glyndebourne Festival Opera: A Gala Evening''; conducted by Andrew Davis and Bernard Haitink; recorded 1992; Image Entertainment. * The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala, ''The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala''; conducted by James Levine et al.; recorded October 1983; Deutsche Grammophon. * The Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991, ''The Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991 - 25th Anniversary at Lincoln Center''; conducted by James Levine; recorded September 1991; Deutsche Grammophon. * James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala, ''James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala''; conducted by James Levine; recorded April 1996; Deutsche Grammophon.


Laserdiscs and VHS videocassettes

*Leonard Bernstein: ''On the Town''; conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas; recorded June 1992; Deutsche Grammophon; LD and VHS. *The Rossini Bicentennial Birthday Gala, Rossini: ''The Rossini bicentennial birthday gala''; recorded February and March 1992; EMI; LD and VHS. *''I Hear America Singing''; starring Thomas Hampson; released in January 1997; Kultur; VHS only.


Writings

*Autobiographical essay on ''Le nozze di Figaro'' in Hamilton, David (ed.): ''The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia'': Thames and Hudson; 1987. *Preface to Bretan, Nicolae: ''Dalok Ady Endre verseire: Lieder on Poems by Endre Ady''; Editio Musica Budapest; 1989. *Recipe for Soupe à Sara in Bond, Jules J. (ed.): ''The Metropolitan Opera Cookbook''; Stewart Tabori & Chang; 1994. *Autobiographical notes for ''Voyage à Paris, Frederica von Stade: Voyage à Paris''; RCA Victor Red Seal CD; 1995 *Song: ''And then the setting sun''; music by Jake Heggie; 1996. *Song: ''The car ride to Christmas''; music by Jake Heggie; recorded on ''December celebration: new carols by seven American composers''; Pentatone SACD; 1996. *Song cycle: ''Paper wings''; music by Jake Heggie; recorded on ''The faces of love: the songs of Jake Heggie''; BMG CD; 1997. *Autobiographical essay in Martin, James (ed.): ''How can I find God?: the famous and the not-so-famous consider the quintessential question''; Liguori; 1997. *Song: ''Sophie's song''; music by Jake Heggie; recorded on ''The faces of love: the songs of Jake Heggie''; BMG CD; 1998. *Autobiographical notes for ''French Opera Arias, Frederica von Stade: French opera arias''; Sony CD; 1998. *Autobiographical notes for ''Danielpour: Elegies''; Sony CD; 2001. *Autobiographical introduction to Siberell, Anne: ''Bravo! Brava! A night at the opera''; Oxford University Press; 2001. *Song: ''To my Dad''; music by Jake Heggie; recorded on ''Flesh & Stone: Songs of Jake Heggie''; Classical Action CD; 2004. *Song: ''A hero'' (''Winter roses'' III); music by Jake Heggie; 2004 *Song cycle: ''Into the bright lights''; music by Nathaniel Stookey; AMP; 2009. *Autobiographical essay: ''Gramophone'', May 2010.


Honours

Von Stade was honoured with an award in 1983 at the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 ...
by President Ronald Reagan, Reagan in recognition of her significant contribution to the arts, and by France's second highest honour in the Arts as an officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In April 2012, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She holds honorary doctorates from the universities of Boston and Yale, the Mannes School of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Georgetown University School of Medicine.


Trivia

In the nineteenth episode of the third season of the CBS cult comedy-drama-fantasy Alaska-set television series ''Northern Exposure'', ''Wake-Up Call'', a beat in which Mary Margaret "Maggie" O'Connell slow-danced with a were-bear in his cave was accompanied by an excerpt from von Stade's Chants d'Auvergne, Vol. 1, Columbia recording of the ''Baïlèro'' from Joseph Canteloube, Canteloube's ''Chants d'Auvergne''. The track was among those that appeared on the show's original soundtrack album.


Notes


References


External links


Official Frederica von Stade web site
* * *
Saint Flicka: Frederica Von Stade
*Kellow, Brian

''Opera News'', April 1995 *Spoto, Donald

''Opera News, March 2000 {{DEFAULTSORT:Von Stade, Frederica 1945 births Living people American operatic mezzo-sopranos Grammy Award winners Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Mannes School of Music alumni Musicians from Somerville, New Jersey People from Tewksbury Township, New Jersey Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences United States National Medal of Arts recipients 20th-century American women opera singers 21st-century American women opera singers Singers from New Jersey Classical musicians from New Jersey