Natalie Dessay (; born 19 April 1965) is a French singer, known for her former career as an operatic

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

. She gained wide recognition after her portrayal of Olympia in ''

The Tales of Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died ...

'' in 1992, and then performing at leading stages, such as 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 ...

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 S ...

, and the

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 ...

. Since her earlier career she had been known in

coloratura soprano A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs, leaps and trills. The term '' coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component o ...

roles in the German and French repertoire, such as Olympia in ''The Tales of Hoffmann'', the title role in ''

Lakmé ''Lakmé'' is an opera in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille. The score, written from 1881 to 1882, was first performed on 14 April 1883 by the Opéra-Comique at the (second) Salle Favart in P ...

'', Zerbinetta 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' ...

'' and the Queen of the Night in ''

The Magic Flute ''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 inclu ...

''. After two vocal surgeries she turned her focus to heavier bel canto roles, such as 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 ...

'', Lucia in ''

Lucia di Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel ''The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...

'', Marie in ''

La fille du régiment ' (''The Daughter of the Regiment'') is an opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti, set to a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard. It was first performed on 11 February 1840 by the Paris Opéra- ...

'', Violetta in ''

La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...

'', and further explored

Baroque music Baroque music ( or ) refers to the period or dominant style of Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Classical period after a short transiti ...

with her collaborations with

Emmanuelle Haïm Emmanuelle Haïm (; born 11 May 1962) is a French harpsichordist and conductor with a particular interest in early music and Baroque music. Early life, student and assistant years Haïm was born and grew up in Paris, and was raised Catholic al ...

. Since retiring from opera stage, she has pursued a career in theatre and in concert, where she now performs, besides classical, genres such as jazz and chansons. She has made dozens of recordings under the

EMI Classics EMI Classics was a record label founded by Thorn EMI in 1990 to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogues for internationally distributed classical music releases. After Thorn EMI demerged in 1996, its recorded musi ...

and

Virgin Classics Virgin Classics was a record label founded in 1988 as part of Richard Branson's Virgin Records. The unit, along with EMI Classics, was acquired by Universal Music in 2012 as part of the takeover of the EMI Group, however the terms of the European ...

label, and then under

Warner Classics Warner Classics is the classical music arm of Warner Music Group. The label began issuing new recordings under the Warner Classics banner in 1991. The company also includes the Erato Records, Teldec Records and NVC Arts labels. Based in France, W ...

Erato Records Erato Records is a record label founded in 1953 as Disques Erato by Philippe Loury to promote French classical music. Loury was head of éditions musicales Costallat. His first releases in France were licensed from the Haydn Society of Boston, a ...

. Since 2016 she has been recording under

Sony Classical Records Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by S ...

Early and personal life

Born Nathalie Dessaix in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

, she was raised in

Saint-Médard-en-Jalles Saint-Médard-en-Jalles (; oc, Sent Medard de Jalas) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Located west-northwest of the city of Bordeaux, it is the fifth-largest suburb of the city and a member o ...

, where she had a few singing lessons with madame Saintrais, a former chorister at the Bordeaux Opera. She dropped the silent "h" in her first name in honour of

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

when she was in grade school and subsequently simplified the spelling of her surname. In her youth, she had intended to be a ballet dancer and then an actress. After abandoning German, she began taking acting lessons with Gérard Laurent at the

Conservatoire de Bordeaux The Conservatoire de Bordeaux is an arts conservatory that offers higher education in music, dance and drama in Bordeaux, France. It is one of the leading schools in France for singers and saxophonists. Founded in 1821, the school is operated by ...

. At the age of 20, her vocal talent was discovered when playing a singing

lutin A () is a type of hobgoblin (an amusing goblin) in French folklore and fairy tales. Female lutins are called (). A ''lutin'' (varieties include the '' Nain Rouge'' or "red dwarf") plays a similar role in the folklore of Normandy to household ...

, humming Pamina's aria in

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

's ''Le Sicilien ou l'Amour peintre'', after which she was encouraged to take singing lessons. After graduating with first prize, she joined the choir of the

Théâtre du Capitole The Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse is an opera house within the main administration buildings, the Capitole, of the city of Toulouse in south-west France. It houses an opera company, ballet company and symphony orchestra, Orchestre nationa ...

in Toulouse. In 1988, she won the first edition of competition "Voix Nouvelles", run by

France Télécom Orange S.A. (), formerly France Télécom S.A. (stylized as france telecom) is a French multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications corporation. It has 266 million customers worldwide and employs 89,000 people in France, and 5 ...

and was granted a year's study at the "École d'art lyrique" of the

, where she sang Elisa in Mozart's ''

Il re pastore ' (''The Shepherd King'') is an opera, K. 208, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Metastasio, edited by Giambattista Varesco. It is an opera seria. The opera was first performed on 23 April 1775 in Salzburg in the Ritt ...

''. In 1990, she won first prize at the International Mozart Competition in Vienna. Since 1991, she worked with her private tutor, tenor Jean-Pierre Blivet. Dessay first met bass-baritone

Laurent Naouri Laurent Naouri, Chevalier L.H. (born May 23, 1964) is a French bass-baritone. Initially beginning his education at the École Centrale de Lyon, Naouri decided to concentrate on opera in 1986 and continued his musical studies at the Guildhall S ...

in 1989. They married in August 1994, and she converted to his Jewish faith. The couple have two children, Tom-Solal (b. 1995) and Neïma-Judith (b. 1998). The family lives in La Varenne-Saint-Hilaire.

Career

Early opera career (1990–2000)

Dessay was quickly approached by a number of regional theatres, and engaged in roles such as Blonde (''

Die Entführung aus dem Serail ' () ( K. 384; ''The Abduction from the Seraglio''; also known as ') is a singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's ''Belmont und Constanze, oder Die ...

''), Madame Herz (''

Der Schauspieldirektor ' (''The Impresario''), K. 486, is a comic ''singspiel'' by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, set to a German libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie, an Austrian ''Schauspieldirektor''. Originally, it was written because of "the imperial command" of the Holy Roma ...

''), Zerbinetta (''

''). In 1990, she sang Barbarina (''

The Marriage of 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 premie ...

'') at the

Opéra de Marseille The Opéra de Marseille, known today as the Opéra Municipal, is an opera company located in Marseille, France. In 1685, the city was the second in France after Bordeaux to have an opera house which was erected on a tennis court. However, the fi ...

, Bettina ('' Don Procopio'') at the

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienne ...

, Néméa (''

Si j'étais roi ''Si j'étais roi'' (English: ''If I Were King'') is an opéra comique in three acts by Adolphe Adam. The libretto was written by Adolphe d'Ennery and Jules-Henri Brésil. It was first performed in Paris at the Théâtre Lyrique (Théâtre-Hist ...

'') at the

Opéra Royal de Wallonie The Opéra royal de Wallonie is a Belgian Opera house located on the Place de l'Opéra, in Liège, Belgium. Together with La Monnaie and the Vlaamse Opera, the ''Opéra royal'', as it is colloquially known, is one of the three major opera house ...

. In December 1991, she performed Adele (''

Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original ...

'') at the

Grand Théâtre de Genève Grand Théâtre de Genève is an opera house in Geneva, Switzerland. As with many other opera houses, the Grand Théâtre de Genève is both a venue and an institution. The venue is a majestic building, towering over Place Neuve, official ...

. In April 1992 she made her

debut, singing the role of Olympia in ''

'' with

José van Dam Joseph, Baron Van Damme (born 27 August 1940 in Brussels), known as José van Dam, is a Belgian bass-baritone. At the age of 17, he entered the Brussels Royal Conservatory and studied with Frederic Anspach. A year later, he graduated with diplo ...

. The

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...

production was not well received, but it began her road to stardom. In 1993, she joined in the troupe of the

as Blonde in Mozart's ''Die Entführung''. In December, she was asked to replace

Cheryl Studer Cheryl Studer (born October 24, 1955) is an American dramatic soprano who has sung at many of the world's foremost opera houses. Studer has performed more than eighty roles ranging from the dramatic repertoire to roles more commonly associated ...

, who was going to perform all main female roles, in Olympia in a production of ''Hoffmann''. After attending a performance where

Barbara Bonney Barbara Bonney (born April 14, 1956) is an American soprano. She is associated with lyric soprano roles in operas by Mozart and Richard Strauss as well as lieder performances. Early life Bonney was born in Montclair, New Jersey. As a child she pr ...

had sung Sophie 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'' ...

'' under

Carlos Kleiber Carlos Luis Bonifacio Kleiber (3 July 1930 – 13 July 2004) was an Austrian conductor who is widely regarded as among the greatest conductors of all time. Early life Kleiber was born as Karl Ludwig Bonifacius Kleiber in Berlin in 1930, the ...

, she was cast in the same role with another conductor. Besides Olympia, Blonde, Zerbinetta, her best known and most often played roles, she also performed Italian Singer ('' Capriccio''), Aminta (''

Die schweigsame Frau ''Die schweigsame Frau'' (''The Silent Woman''), Op. 80, is a 1935 comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss with libretto by Stefan Zweig after Ben Jonson's '' Epicoene, or the Silent Woman''. Composition history Since '' Elektra'' and ''Der ...

''), Fiakermilli (''

Arabella ''Arabella'', Op. 79, is a lyric comedy, or opera, in three acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. Performance history It was first performed on 1 July 1933 at the Dr ...

'') with the company. Dessay sang her first Queen of the Night in ''

'' at the 1994

Aix-en-Provence Festival The Festival d'Aix-en-Provence is an annual international music festival which takes place each summer in Aix-en-Provence, principally in July. Devoted mainly to opera, it also includes concerts of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumenta ...

Robert Carsen Robert Carsen O.C. (born 23 June 1954) is a Canadian opera director. He was born in Toronto and is the son of philanthropist Walter Carsen. Early steps towards directing From an early age "I became obsessed with the theatre" Carsen states and he w ...

's staging to critical acclaim. She went on performing the role in productions at the

Opéra National de Lyon The Opéra National de Lyon, marketed as Opéra de Lyon during the last decade, is an opera company in Lyon, based and performing mostly at the Opéra Nouvel, an 1831 theater that was modernized and architecturally transformed in 1993. The inaugu ...

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 ...

, Opéra Bastille,

. In October 1994, she made her New York

debut with Fiakermilli. In 1995, she first performed the title role in ''

'' at the

, and

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 ...

debut in ''The Tales of Hoffmann''. In 1996, she debuted in the role of Ophélie in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' opposite

Simon Keenlyside Sir Simon Keenlyside (born 3 August 1959) is a British baritone who has performed in operas and concerts since the mid-1980s. Biography Early life and education Keenlyside was born in London, the son of Raymond and Ann Keenlyside. Raymond play ...

at the

; the new production by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier revived in 2003 at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

, Covent Garden and the

Liceu The Gran Teatre del Liceu (, English: Great Theatre of the Lyceum), known as ''El Liceu'', is an opera house in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Located in La Rambla, it is the oldest running theatre in Barcelona. Founded in 1837 at another loca ...

with her in the same role. In 1997 she sang the title role in Stravinsky's '' The Nightingale'' conducted by

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 Mont ...

and staged by Stanislas Nordey at the

Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a s ...

. She returned to the Metropolitan Opera in September as Zerbinetta, and then returned to the Opéra de Lyon in Offenbach's ''

Orphée aux enfers ''Orpheus in the Underworld'' and ''Orpheus in Hell'' are English names for (), a comic opera with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Hector Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy. It was first performed as a two-act "opéra bouffon" at the Théâ ...

''. In 1998 she portrayed Olympia at the Met, and later in the year in Lyon, performed Tytania in Britten's ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'' and Aspasia in Mozart's ''

Mitridate, re di Ponto ''Mitridate, re di Ponto'' ('' Mithridates, King of Pontus''), K. 87 (74a), is an opera seria in three acts by the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto is by , after Giuseppe Parini's Italian translation of Jean Racine's play ''Mithridate ...

''. In 1999 she took on the role of Amina in ''

'' at the

Lausanne Opera The Lausanne Opera is an opera house based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Once known as a municipal theater, it has transformed into a world renowned opera house that produces and co-produces their own productions. With a stage renovation in 2012 ...

. She collaborated with William Christie in several projects: Carsen's new production of Handel's ''

Alcina ''Alcina'' ( HWV 34) is a 1735 opera seria by George Frideric Handel. Handel used the libretto of ''L'isola di Alcina'', an opera that was set in 1728 in Rome by Riccardo Broschi, which he acquired the year after during his travels in Italy. P ...

'', which premiered at the

Palais Garnier The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from ...

and later staged at the

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria ...

, and

Andrei Serban Andrei Șerban (born June 21, 1943) is a Romanian-American theater director. A major name in twentieth-century theater, he is renowned for his innovative and iconoclastic interpretations and stagings. In 1992 he became Professor of Theater at the ...

's new production of Rameau's ''

Les Indes galantes (French: "The Amorous Indies") is an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau with a libretto by Louis Fuzelier. It takes the form of an ''opéra-ballet'' with a prologue and (in its final form) four ''entrées'' (acts). Following an allegorical prologue, th ...

'', which opened the new

season. Dessay was Olympia in

's new production of ''

'', premiering on 22 March 2000, at the

Opéra Bastille The Opéra Bastille (, "Bastille Opera House") is a modern opera house in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France. Inaugurated in 1989 as part of President François Mitterrand's '' Grands Travaux'', it became the main facility of the Paris N ...

. She starred in ''

'' at the

and later at the

. In July 2000, she opened the new

Jérôme Savary Jérôme Savary (27 June 1942 – 4 March 2013) was an Argentinian-French theater director and actor. His work has democratized and widened the appeal of musical theater in France, drawing together and blending such genres as opera, operetta, and ...

's production as Olympia at the

Chorégies d'Orange The ''Chorégies d'Orange'' is a summer opera festival held each August in Orange located about 21 kilometres north of Avignon in southern France. Performances are presented in the ancient Roman theatre, the Théâtre Antique d'Orange, the orig ...

. Later in the year, she took up the role of Konstanze in ''

'' at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, and then interpreted the Queen of the Night for the last time at

, with her last performance on 24 December 2000.

Vocal problems (2001–2004)

Dessay started 2001 by opening ''La sonnambula'' at

. In February, she took part in a Vienna-Dresden co-production of ''

'' at the Théâtre du Châtelet. During the 2001/02 season in Vienna, Dessay began to experience vocal difficulties and had to be replaced in almost all of the performances of ''

''. Subsequently, she was forced to cancel several other performances, including the French version of ''

'' in Lyon and a Zerbinetta at the

in London. She withdrew from the stage and underwent surgery to remove a

vocal cord nodule Vocal cord nodules are bilaterally symmetrical Benignity, benign white masses that form at the midpoint of the Vocal cords, vocal folds. Although diagnosis involves a physical examination of the head and neck, as well as perceptual voice measures, ...

in July 2002. She returned to the stage in March 2003 in ''

'' at the Met, and later in the year performed in the premiere of

Laurent Pelly Laurent Pelly (born 14 January 1962 in Paris) is a French opera and theatre director. He enjoys a career as one of France's most sought after directors of both theatre and opera, working regularly in the world's most prestigious houses. Biograp ...

's new production of the opera at the

. In the summer of 2003, she gave her first US recital in Santa Fe. She was so attracted to New Mexico in general and Santa Fe in particular that the

Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe Opera (SFO) is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. After creating the ''Opera Association of New Mexico'' in 1956, its founding director, John Crosby (conductor), John Crosby, oversaw the building of the fir ...

quickly rearranged its schedule to feature her in a new production of ''La sonnambula'' during the 2004 season. In 2004, she also performed her first Italian Lucia at the

and first Massenet's ''

Manon ''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was first ...

'' at the

. In the 2004/05 season, she withdrew from ''

'' at the

and cancelled concert performances 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 ...

. She underwent surgery to remove a polyp on the other vocal cord and began vocal training subsequently.

Later opera career (2005–2013)

Dessay returned on stage in a benefit concert at the

Opéra de Montréal LOpéra de Montréal is an opera company in Montreal, Canada. It performs at the Place des Arts theatre complex in downtown Montreal, in the borough of Ville-Marie. It was founded in 1980 as a company focused on productions in French. History ...

on 8 May 2005, and later in the month, took part in Haydn's '' The Creation'' at the Festival de Saint-Denis. In November she starred in Gounod's '' Roméo et Juliette'' as Juliette at the

. She withdrew the premiere on 14 November, reportedly ill, but resumed in the following performances. In July 2006 she returned to Santa Fe Opera, singing Pamina in ''The Magic Flute''. In September she opened the Paris Opera season in ''

'' at the Opéra Bastille and then performed ''La sonnambula'' in concert version at the Opéra de Lyon and the

, the former of which was recorded and released on CD. The year 2007 saw Dessay starring in the premiere of

's production of ''

'' at Covent Garden, and its reprise at the

. She performed the title role in ''

'' at the

in Barcelona in June/July and opened the season at the

in the new

Mary Zimmerman Mary Zimmerman (born August 23, 1960) is an American theatre and opera director and playwright from Nebraska. She is an ensemble member of the Lookingglass Theatre Company, the Manilow Resident Director at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinoi ...

production of ''Lucia di Lammermoor''. She returned in the same season to sing Lucia again and subsequently reprised in Pelly's production of ''La fille du régiment''. She later returned to the production twice, in London (2010) and in Paris (2012). She went on performing Lucia at 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 he ...

and a joint concert with tenor

Jonas Kaufmann Jonas Kaufmann (born 10 July 1969) is a German operatic tenor. He is best known for the versatility of his repertoire, performing a variety of opera roles in multiple languages in recitalTommasini, Anthony (21 February 2014)"A Tenor Finds Energy ...

as part of the

Festival de Radio France et Montpellier The Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier, formerly the Festival de Radio France et de Montpellier, is a summer festival of opera and music held in Montpellier, France created in 1985. The music festival concentrates on classical music and jaz ...

. In October 2008, she sang ''Manon'' at the

. In January 2009 she sang the part of Mélisande in a much acclaimed production of Debussy's '' Pelléas et Mélisande'' 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 prima ...

. On 2 March 2009, Dessay premiered in Zimmerman's new production of ''La sonnambula'' opposite

Juan Diego Flórez Juan Diego Flórez (born Juan Diego Flórez Salom, January 13, 1973) is a Peruvian operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in bel canto operas. On June 4, 2007, he received his country's highest decoration, the ''Knight Grand Cross in t ...

at the New York

. It was the opera's revival at the company after 37 years since

Renata Scotto Renata Scotto (born 24 February 1934) is an Italian soprano and opera director. Recognized for her sense of style, her musicality, and as a remarkable singer-actress, Scotto is considered one of the preeminent singers of her generation. Since r ...

's performance. On 3 July 2009 she gave her first performance in the role of Violetta in ''

'' at

in a production by Laurent Pelly with her husband

appearing as Giorgio Germont. In October, she performed in Musetta in ''

La bohème ''La bohème'' (; ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions ''quadri'', ''tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe G ...

'' at the

. In 2010, Dessay performed in ''La sonnambula'' at the Opéra Bastille. Due to illness, she cancelled the final two performances in the run as well as the upcoming ''Hamlet'' at the Met, where she was replaced by

Marlis Petersen Marlis Petersen (born 3 February 1968)Heinrich (2018) is a German operatic coloratura soprano. Career Born in Sindelfingen, Baden-Württemberg, Marlis Petersen won six important piano competitions before eventually going to the Stuttgart Conserv ...

. After performing her last ''La sonnambula'' at the

, on 20 April 2010 she was awarded the title of Austrian

Kammersänger Kammersänger (male) or Kammersängerin (female), abbreviated Ks. or KS, is a German honorific title for distinguished singers of opera and classical music. It literally means "chamber singer". Historically, the title was bestowed by princes or ...

in. She debuted in Russia in a solo concert with the

Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...

Orchestra on 18 June, and also participated in the 150 anniversary concert of the theatre on 17 September. She performed in a joint concert with

at the

, before going on

Teatro Regio di Torino The Teatro Regio (Royal Theatre) is a prominent opera house and opera company in Turin, Piedmont, Italy. Its season runs from October to June with the presentation of eight or nine operas given from five to twelve performances of each. Several bu ...

's Japan tour of ''La traviata''. In 2011, she debuted in the role of Cleopatra in Handel's ''

Giulio Cesare ''Giulio Cesare in Egitto'' (; , HWV 17), commonly known as ''Giulio Cesare'', is a dramma per musica ('' opera seria'') in three acts composed by George Frideric Handel for the Royal Academy of Music in 1724. The libretto was written by Nic ...

'', conducted by

, at the

. Ill, she was replaced by Canadian soprano Jane Archibald in some performances, who shared the role in the run. She then returned to the Met for Lucia, and performed in ''Pelléas et Mélisande'' in concert form at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the

Barbican Centre 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 ...

, before heading to Moscow for a concert version of Lucia with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. She portrayed Violetta at the

in a new production of ''La traviata'', which later reprised at the Vienna State Opera with her in the same role. The development of the production in France was filmed as part of the 2012 documentary '' Becoming Traviata''. In January 2012, Dessay starred in the premiere of

Coline Serreau Coline Serreau (born 29 October 1947) is a French actress, film director and writer. Early life and education She was born in Paris, the daughter of theatre director Jean-Marie Serreau and actress Geneviève Serreau. In Paris, Serreau studie ...

's production of Massenet's ''Manon'' in the title role at the

. She returned to the Met in April for

Willy Decker Willy Decker (born 1950) is a German theatre director, particularly known for his opera productions. He staged the world premieres of Hans Werner Henze's ''Pollicino'' (Montepulciano, 1980), Antonio Bibalo's ''Macbeth'' (Oslo, 1990), and Aribert ...

's production of ''La traviata'', where she was replaced by Hong Hei-kyung on the opening night and, in another performance, after the first act, due to a cold. She was originally going to portray all main heroines in ''

'' at the

Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by acoustician Gustave Lyon together with architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed in 1927 by ...

, yet she withdrew for unspecified reasons and was replaced by

Sonya Yoncheva Sonya Yoncheva ( bg, Соня Йончева; born 25 December 1981) is a Bulgarian operatic soprano. Early life Yoncheva was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. From the age of 6, she was "working", according to her own words from an interview for ''Me ...

. In 2013, she limited herself to Antonia in a revival of Pelly's production of the same opera, which took place at the

and the

. In April 2013, she was featured as Cleopatra in

David McVicar Sir David McVicar (born 1966) is a Scottish opera and theatre director. Biography McVicar was born in Glasgow in 1966. He studied as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, graduating in 1989. In 2007, ''The Independent'' ra ...

's production of ''Giulio Cesare'' at the Metropolitan Opera. In June 2013, Dessay announced that the title role of Massenet's ''Manon'' at the

in Toulouse on 15 October 2013 would be her final operatic performance. Previously she had mentioned plans of taking a sabbatical from opera performance in 2015. She described her retirement as "opera is quitting her", as she had done all the roles suitable for her light soprano voice and had no intention to be further associated with them.

Post-opera career

Dessay had collaborated frequently with

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many son ...

in concerts. In May 2009, she dedicated two concerts of songs written by him in Toulouse. In 2013, they released a joint album entitled ''Entre elle et lui''. She voices Gabi the poisonous frog in the Canadian French dub of the 2014 film ''

Rio 2 ''Rio 2'' is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. It is the sequel to the 2011 computer-animated film ''Rio'' and the second installment of the ''Rio'' franchise. ...

''. On 27 November 2015, she sang Barbara's ''Perlimpinpin'' accompanied by

Alexandre Tharaud Alexandre Tharaud (born 9 December 1968) is a French pianist. He is active on the concert stage and has released a large and diverse discography. Life and career Born in Paris, Tharaud discovered the music scene through his mother who was a danc ...

at the national tribute to the victims of the

November 2015 Paris attacks The November 2015 Paris attacks () were a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks that took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 9:15p.m., three suicide bombers ...

. In 2016 she released an album inspired by the paintings of

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realist painter and printmaker. While he is widely known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching. Hopper created subdued drama ...

, ''Portraits of America''. The concept started by selecting eight French

prose poem Prose poetry is poetry written in prose form instead of verse form, while preserving poetic qualities such as heightened imagery, parataxis, and emotional effects. Characteristics Prose poetry is written as prose, without the line breaks associ ...

s based on Hopper paintings by the poet Claude Esteban, from his award-winning collection of forty-seven such poems, '' Soleil dans une pièce vide'' (''Sun in an Empty room'', 1991). These were set to music by composer Graciane Finzi, and recording with reading by Dessay. These poems were supplemented by selecting ten additional Hopper paintings, and songs from the American songbook to go with them.

Artistry

Dessay emphasizes the acting aspect in opera and describes herself as a "singing actress" (). She once expounded:

" ctingis more important. For me, singing and music are only a means of expression, the goal being a theatrical and emotional experience. ... it would be 70% theater and 30% music and voice, which is not to say that it is unimportant, because you must have that 30%. You can't say, "I act and I don't care if I don't sing well." You must sing well and make music, be a musician. But that's only 30% of the singer's work, even if that 30% is primordial."

Awards and honours

* 33345 Nataliedessay, asteroid * Singer of the Year (''Artiste lyrique de l'année'') in the

Victoires de la musique classique The Victoires de la musique classique (; en, "Victories of Classical Music") are an annual French classical music award event founded in 1986. The awards are the classical equivalent of the popular music awards Victoires de la Musique and the Victo ...

(1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005) * 2002: Prize of Music of the

Simone and Cino Del Duca Foundation The Simone and Cino Del Duca Foundation is a charitable foundation based in Paris, France. History It was established in 1975 by Simone Del Duca (1912–2004), widow of publishing magnate Cino Del Duca (1899–1967). The Foundation took over r ...

from the

Académie des Beaux-Arts An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

* 2003: Chevalier of the

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

* 2008:

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...

for her

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

performance of ''

'' * 2008: Opera News Award * 2008: Prize ''in honorem'' from

Académie Charles-Cros An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy ...

for her entire career * 2010: Austrian

in * 2011: Chevalier of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

* 2011: Laurent-Perrier Grand Century Prize * 2015: Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Opera roles

The roles which have been performed on stage or fully recorded in studio.Primary source: * Elisa, ''

'' (Mozart) * A little girl, ''

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

'' (Méhul) * Barbarina, ''

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 premie ...

'' (Mozart) * Bettina, '' Don Procopio'' (Bizet) * Néméa, ''

'' (Adam) * Madame Herz, ''

'' (Mozart) * Zaide, ''

Zaide ''Zaide'' (originally, ''Das Serail'') is an unfinished German-language opera, K. 344, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1780. Emperor Joseph II, in 1778, was in the process of setting up an opera company for the purpose of performing ...

'' (Mozart) * Minka, ''

Le roi malgré lui ''Le roi malgré lui'' (''King in Spite of Himself'' or ''The reluctant king'') is an opéra-comique in three acts by Emmanuel Chabrier of 1887 with an original libretto by Emile de Najac and Paul Burani. The opera is revived occasionally, but ...

'' (Chabrier) * Naiad, ''

'' (Strauss) * Adele, ''

'' (J. Strauss II) * Javotte, ''

Le roi l'a dit ''Le roi l'a dit'' (''The King Has Spoken'') is an opéra comique in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet. It is a lively comedy, remarkably requiring 14 singers – six men and eight women.MacDonald H. "Le roi l'a ...

'' (Delibes) * Olympia, ''

Les contes d'Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died ...

'' (Offenbach) * Violante, ''La prova di un'opera seria'' () * Blonde, ''

'' (Mozart) * Zerbinetta, ''Ariadne auf Naxos'' (Strauss) * Sophie, ''

'' (Strauss) * Le feu, ''

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 be ...

'' (Ravel) * Italian Singer, '' Capriccio'' (Strauss) * Fiakermilli, ''

'' (Strauss) * Queen of the Night, ''

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 ...

'' (Mozart) * Lakmé, ''

'' (Delibes) * Ophélie (Ophelia), ''

'' (Thomas) * Aminta, ''

'' (Strauss) * Nightingale (Rossignol), '' The Nightingale'' (Stravinsky) * Eurydice, ''

'' (Offenbach) * Tytania, ''

'' (Britten) * Aspasia, ''

'' (Mozart) * Amina, ''

'' (Bellini) * Morgana, ''

'' (Handel) * Hébé/Fatime/Zima, ''

'' (Rameau) * Konstanze, ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'' (Mozart) * Lucia, ''

'' (Donizetti) * La Musica, ''

L'Orfeo ''L'Orfeo'' ( SV 318) (), sometimes called ''La favola d'Orfeo'' , is a late Renaissance/early Baroque ''favola in musica'', or opera, by Claudio Monteverdi, with a libretto by Alessandro Striggio. It is based on the Greek legend of Orpheus, and ...

'' (Monteverdi) * Manon, ''

'' (Massenet) * Juliette, '' Roméo et Juliette'' (Gounod) * Pamina, ''Die Zauberflöte'' (Mozart) * Marie, ''

'' (Donizetti) * Mélisande, '' Pelléas et Mélisande'' (Debussy) * Violetta, ''

'' (Verdi) * Musetta, ''

'' (Puccini) * Cleopatra, ''

'' (Handel) * Antonia, ''Les contes d'Hoffmann'' (Offenbach)

Discography

Solo recitals and collaborations

* ''Mozart: Concert Arias'' (1995).

Theodor Guschlbauer Theodor Guschlbauer (born 1939 in Vienna) is an Austrian conductor. Decorations and awards * 1995: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class * 1996: Honour "Victoire" for his work on the ''Opéra du Rhin'' and at the Strasbourg Phi ...

, Orchestre de l'

Opéra de Lyon This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names. "Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...

(EMI) * ''French Opera Arias'' (1996).

Patrick Fournillier Patrick Fournillier (born 26 December 1954 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) is a French people, French Conducting, conductor, particularly associated with opera and with the works of Jules Massenet. He studied in Paris with Louis Fourestier and Pierre Derva ...

Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra (french: Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, OPMC) is the main orchestra in the Principality of Monaco. The orchestra gives concerts primarily in the Auditorium Rainier III, but also performs at the Salle ...

(EMI) * ''The EMI Centenary Gala at Glyndebourne'' (1997) * ''Vocalises'' (1998).

Michael Schønwandt Michael Schønwandt (born 10 September 1953 in Frederiksberg) is a Danish conductor. In Denmark, he studied piano, theory, and composition, and later continued musical studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Biography In 1979, Schønwand ...

, Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester (EMI) * ''Mozart Heroines'' (2000).

Louis Langrée Louis Langrée (born 11 January 1961) is a French conductor. He is the son of organist and theorist Alain Langrée. One of his sisters is an amateur cellist. Biography Early years Langrée studied at the Strasbourg Conservatory, but had no fo ...

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) is a British period instrument orchestra. The OAE is a resident orchestra of the Southbank Centre, London, associate orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera Artistic Associate at Kings Place, and h ...

(Virgin) * ''Handel: Arcadian Duets'' (2002).

, Le Concert d'Astrée (Virgin) * ''French Opera Arias'' (2003).

Michel Plasson Michel Plasson (born 2 October 1933, Paris, France) is a French conductor. Plasson was a student of Lazare Lévy at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1962, he was a prize-winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. ...

Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse The Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse is a French orchestra based in Toulouse. It acts as both a symphony orchestra whose main residence is Toulouse's Halle aux Grains, and the permanent orchestra of the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse. ...

, Les Éléments (Virgin) *

Claude Nougaro Claude Nougaro (, oc, Claudi Nogaròu; 9 September 1929 – 4 March 2004) was a French songwriter and singer. Life and career Claude Nougaro was born in Toulouse to a respected French opera singer, Pierre Nougaro, and a piano teacher, Liette ...

: ''La note bleue'' (2004). (Blue Note) * ''Strauss: Amor (Opera Scenes and Lieder)'' (2004).

Antonio Pappano Sir Antonio Pappano (born 30 December 1959) is an English-Italian conductor and pianist. He is currently music director of the Royal Opera House and of the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. He is scheduled to become chief con ...

Orchestra (Virgin) * ''Delirio: Handel Cantatas'' (2005). Emmanuelle Haïm, Le Concert d'Astrée (Virgin) * ''Italian Opera Arias'' (2007).

Evelino Pidò Evelino Pidò (born 1953 in Torino) is an Italian conductor. Acclaimed for his Vincenzo Bellini, Bellini and Donizetti interpretations, he has served as conductor of the Lyon Opera. ''Gramophone'' said "Evelino Pido is a specialist in this reperto ...

Concerto Köln Concerto Köln is an ensemble specialising in music of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The group formed in 1985, one of many groups associated with the surging interest in period instruments in that decade. Its members consisted mainly o ...

(Virgin) *

David Linx David Linx (born 22 March 1965) is a Belgian jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. ...

: ''Changing Faces'' (2007) * ''The Miracle of the Voice'' + documantary ''Greatest Moments on Stage'' (2006, compilation). (Virgin) * ''Lamenti'' (2008). (Virgin) * ''Bach: Cantatas'' (2008). Emmanuelle Haïm, Le Concert d'Astrée (Virgin) * ''Mad Scenes'' (2009, compilation). (Virgin) * ''Fiction: Live at Folies Bergère'' (2009). VD*

Quatuor Ébène In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations ...

: ''Fiction'' (2010). (Virgin) * ''Handel: Cleopatra'' (2011). Emmanuelle Haïm, Le Concert d'Astrée (Virgin) * ''Une fête Baroque'' (2012). Emmanuelle Haïm, Le Concert d'Astrée (live, Virgin) * ''Debussy: Clair de lune'' (2012).

Philippe Cassard Philippe Cassard (born 12 September 1962) is a French classical pianist. Biography Born in Besançon, Cassard was trained at the Conservatoire de Paris where he won two first prizes, for piano (Dominique Merlet's class) and for chamber mus ...

(Virgin) *

: ''Le Bœuf sur le toit'' (2012). (Virgin) * ''Rio–Paris'' (2014). (Erato) * ''De l'opéra à la chanson'' (2014, compilation). (Erato) * ''Fiançailles pour rire: Mélodies françaises'' (2015). Philippe Cassard (Erato) * ''Baroque'' (2015, compilation). (Erato) * ''Pictures of America'' (2016). (Sony) * ''Schubert: Lieder'' (2017). Philippe Cassard (Sony) * '' Between Yesterday and Tomorrow'' (2017). (Sony) * ''Nougaro: Sur l'écran noir de mes nuits blanches'' (2019). Yvan Cassar (Sony)

Operas

CDs

* '' Méhul: La Légende de Joseph en Egypte'' (1989). Claude Bardon, Orchestre Régional de Picardie (Le Chant du Monde) * '' Offenbach:

'' (1996).

Kent Nagano Kent George Nagano GOQ, MSM (born November 22, 1951) is an American conductor and opera administrator. Since 2015, he has been Music Director of the Hamburg State Opera and was Music Director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 20 ...

, Orchestra & Chorus of the

(Erato) * ''Mozart:

'' (1996). William Cristie, Les Arts Florissants (Erato) * '' Delibes:

'' (1998). Michel Plasson, Chœur & Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse (EMI) * ''Offenbach:

'' (1998). Marc Minkowski, Choir & Orchestra of the Opéra National de Lyon (EMI) * ''Handel:

'' (1999). William Christie, Les Arts Florissants (live, Erato) * ''Stravinsky:

Le rossignol , description = ''conte lyrique'' , librettist = , based_on = , premiere_date = , premiere_location = Palais Garnier, Paris ''The Nightingale'' (Russian: Соловей – ''Solovyei''; French: ''Le Rossignol'') ...

'' and '' Renard'' (1999).

James Conlon James Conlon (born March 18, 1950) is an American conductor. He is currently the music director of Los Angeles Opera, principal conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, and artistic advisor to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Early ...

, Orchestra of the

(EMI) * ''Mozart:

'' (1999).

Christophe Rousset Christophe Rousset (; born 12 April 1961) is a French harpsichordist and conductor, who specializes in the performance of Baroque music on period instruments. He is also a musicologist, particularly of opera and European music of the 17th and 18 ...

Les Talens Lyriques The French musical ensemble Les Talens Lyriques was created in 1991 in Paris, France, by the harpsichordist and orchestral conductor Christophe Rousset. This instrumental and vocal formation derives its name from the subtitle of ''Les fêtes d'Hé ...

(Decca) * ''

Strauss Strauss, Strauß or Straus is a common Germanic surname. Outside Germany and Austria ''Strauß'' is always spelled ''Strauss'' (the letter " ß" is not used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland). In classical music, "Strauss" usually ref ...

'' (2001).

Giuseppe Sinopoli Giuseppe Sinopoli (; 2 November 1946 – 21 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer. Biography Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin ...

Staatskapelle Dresden The Staatskapelle Dresden (known formally as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden) is a German orchestra based in Dresden, the capital of Saxony. Founded in 1548 by Maurice, Elector of Saxony, it is one of the world's oldest and most highly re ...

(

Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...

) * ''

Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the '' bel canto'' opera style dur ...

Lucie de Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel ''The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...

'' (2002). Evelino Pidò, Orchestra & Chorus of the Opéra National de Lyon (Virgin) * ''

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 ...

'' (2004).

, Le Concert d'Astrée, Les Sacqueboutiers (Virgin) * '' Bellini:

'' (2007). Evelino Pidò, Orchestra & Chorus of the Opéra National de Lyon (Virgin) * ''Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor'' (2011).

Valery Gergiev Valery Abisalovich Gergiev (russian: Вале́рий Абиса́лович Ге́ргиев, ; os, Гергиты Абисалы фырт Валери, Gergity Abisaly fyrt Valeri; born 2 May 1953) is a Russian conductor and opera company d ...

Orchestra & Chorus (live, Mariinsky)

DVDs

* ''Méhul: La Légende de Joseph en Egypte'' (1989) * ''Offenbach:

'' (1997) * ''Offenbach:

'' (1997) * ''Strauss:

'' (2002) * ''Strauss:

'' (2003) * ''

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 Ap ...

'' (2004) * ''

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'' ...

'' (2007) * ''Donizetti:

'' (2007) * ''

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 ...

: Pelléas et Mélisande'' (2009) * ''Bellini: La sonnambula'' (2010) * ''

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 ...

'' (2012) * ''Handel:

'' (2012)

Sacred and concert works

* ''

Carmina Burana (Orff) ' is a cantata composed in 1935 and 1936 by Carl Orff, based on 24 poems from the medieval collection '' Carmina Burana''. Its full Latin title is ' ("Songs of Beuern: Secular songs for singers and choruses to be sung together with instruments a ...

'' (1995) * ''Mozart:

Great Mass in C minor ''Great Mass in C minor'' (german: Große Messe in c-Moll, links=no), K. 427/417a, is the common name of the musical setting of the mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which is considered one of his greatest works. He composed it in Vienna in 1782 ...

and Masonic Funeral Music'' (2006) * ''

Magnificat (Bach) Johann Sebastian Bach's Magnificat, BWV 243, is a musical setting of the biblical canticle Magnificat. It is scored for five vocal parts (two sopranos, alto, tenor and bass), and a Baroque orchestra including trumpets and timpani. It is the ...

'' and ''

Dixit Dominus (Handel) ''Dixit Dominus'' is a psalm setting by George Frideric Handel (catalogued as HWV 232). It uses the Latin text of Psalm 110 (Vulgate 109), which begins with the words ''Dixit Dominus'' ("The Lord Said"). The work was completed in April 1707 wh ...

'' (2007) * ''Handel:

Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno ''The Triumph of Time and Truth'' is the final name of an oratorio by George Frideric Handel produced in three different versions across fifty years of the composer’s career: ''Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (The Triumph of Time and Disi ...

'' (2007) * ''

Symphony No. 2 (Mahler) The Symphony No. 2 in C minor by Gustav Mahler, known as the ''Resurrection Symphony'', was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. This symphony was one of Mahler's most popular and successful works during his lifetime. It was ...

'' (2010, live) * ''

A German Requiem (Brahms) ''A German Requiem, to Words of the Holy Scriptures'', Op. 45 (german: Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift, links=no) by Johannes Brahms, is a large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, a soprano and a baritone soloist, com ...

'' (2011, live)

Soundtrack / spoken

* '' Time Regained'' (1999,

Jorge Arriagada Jorge Arriagada (born 1943) is a Chilean film composer. He is perhaps best known for his long-term collaboration with director Raúl Ruiz (director), Raúl Ruiz. He has also worked with directors Patricio Guzman, Barbet Schroeder and Olivier Assay ...

) * ''

Joyeux Noël :''Joyeux Noel means Merry Christmas in French. For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation) and Merry Christmas (disambiguation)'' ''Joyeux Noël'' ''('Merry Christmas')'' is a 2005 war drama film based on the Christmas truce of December ...

'' (2006,

Philippe Rombi Philippe Rombi (born 3 April 1968) is a French film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to b ...

) * ''La boîte à joujoux'' (2007, spoken children's story) * ''La petite sirène'' (2008, spoken children's story) * ''

Le lac des cygnes ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...

'' (2017, spoken children's story)

Joint albums

* ''Entre elle et lui'' (with

) (2013)

Films

* Stravinsky: ''Le rossignol'' (2005) * '' Becoming Traviata'' (2012) * ''

'' as Gabi (2014) * ''

Dilili in Paris ''Dilili in Paris'' (french: Dilili à Paris) is a 2018 French, German, and Belgian computer-animated period adventure film written and directed by Michel Ocelot, with pre-production by Studio O and animation production by Mac Guff, about a K ...

'' as

Emma Calvé Emma Calvé, born Rosa Emma Calvet (15 August 1858 – 6 January 1942) was a French operatic soprano. Calvé was probably the most famous French female opera singer of the Belle Époque. Hers was an international career, and she sang regularly ...

(2018)

Notes

References

External links

*
Former official website
archived on 22 November 2016 *
Natalie Dessay
on

Natalie Dessay
on

Sony Classical Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by S ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dessay, Natalie 1965 births Living people People from Gironde French operatic sopranos Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Conservatoire de Bordeaux alumni Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Laurence Olivier Award winners Österreichischer Kammersänger EMI Classics and Virgin Classics artists Sony Classical Records artists Converts to Judaism 20th-century French women opera singers 21st-century French women opera singers Erato Records artists