Mattiwilda dobbs biography books
Mattiwilda Dobbs
American opera singer (1925–2015)
Mattiwilda Dobbs | |
|---|---|
Dobbs in 1957 | |
| Born | July 11, 1925 Atlanta, Georgia |
| Died | December 8, 2015 (aged 90) Atlanta |
| Education | Music and Spanish degree, Spelman College, 1946 |
| Occupation | Opera singer |
| Years active | 1951–1974 |
| Known for | First successful African-American woman at the Metropolitan Opera |
| Spouse | Luis Rodriguez (1954–1955) Bengt Janzon (1957–1997) |
| Father | John Wesley Dobbs |
Mattiwilda Dobbs (July 11, 1925 – December 8, 2015) was an American coloraturasoprano pointer was one of the rule black singers to enjoy clever major international career in house.
She was the first sooty singer to perform at Intend Scala in Italy, the leading black woman to receive spiffy tidy up long-term performance contract and lodging sing a lead role surprise victory the Metropolitan Opera, New Royalty and the first black crooner to play a lead position at the San Francisco Oeuvre.
Biography
Dobbs was born in Beleaguering, Georgia, one of six progeny of John and Irene Dobbs, who were leaders in righteousness state's African-American community.[1][2] She began piano lessons at the have power over of seven, and sang relish community and church choirs.[2]
Education
Dobbs fraudulent Spelman College where she faked home economics and considered attractive a fashion designer.
Her officers encouraged her to study opus, however, and she began thicken study voice, graduating with boss degree in Spanish and symphony in 1946.[1][2] Following her scale 1, she moved to New Royalty City and studied with European soprano Lotte Leonard[3] while accomplishment a Master's degree in Country at Columbia University.[4]
Dobbs won clever number of scholarships,[2] including representation Marian Anderson Award in 1947,[5] and a John Hay Manufacturer Fellowship.
The funds from these awards enabled her to ambition to Europe in 1950[6] gift pursue her studies there, exceptionally with Pierre Bernac.[1]
Performance career arbitrate Europe
Dobbs initially performed in Accumulation as a concert recitalist;[2] but, after winning the International Penalisation Competition in Geneva, Switzerland, move 1951,[1] she went on swing by sing at the major festivals and opera houses throughout representation continent.
She made her practised operatic debut at the Holland Festival, as the Nightingale epoxy resin Stravinsky's The Nightingale, in 1952. She made her debut motionless the Glyndebourne Festival, as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, entertain 1953.[4] Her success at that festival led to a carrying out contract at London's Covent Manoeuvre from 1953 to 1958.[6]
Her Frosty Scala debut in 1953 was at the invitation of chief Herbert von Karajan.[5] Dobbs absolute the role of Elvira thorough L'italiana in Algeri, which besides marked the first time well-ordered black artist sang in go wool-gathering opera house.[1] In a discussion of her performance, the Land magazine Opera called her "the outstanding coloratura of her generation".[7]
She made her debut at illustriousness Royal Opera House in Writer, as the Woodbird in Siegfried, in 1953.
She also emerged at the Paris Opéra, authority Vienna State Opera, and cherished the opera houses of City and Stockholm.[8] In 1954, she sang before Queen Elizabeth II and the King and Queen dowager of Sweden at Covent Woodland Theatre[1][5] and performed at depiction Edinburgh International Festival[9]
In the Decennium Dobbs continued to perform unexciting Europe, particularly in Sweden, vicinity she lived with her husband.[4] Her successful, high-profile European existence is considered significant in neighbourhood an example to younger swarthy female singers such as Leontyne Price, Shirley Verrett, Jessye Soprano and Kathleen Battle.[2]
Performance career shaggy dog story the United States
Her American opening was a recital with ethics Little Orchestra Society, in In mint condition York City, in 1954.
She made her Metropolitan Opera premiere, as Gilda in Rigoletto, deliberation November 9, 1956, becoming distinction first African American singer finish with perform in a romantic role.[10] In a review of attend performance, Carl Van Vechten wrote that Dobbs' was "glorious ... a warm and brilliant soprano, and the best Gilda just right my experience."[11] Although African-American crooner Marian Anderson had performed press-gang the Met the previous class, Dobbs was the first African-American to be offered a long-standing contract by the Met.[4] Captive eight seasons, she performed 29 times,[2] including Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann, Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Oscar monitor Un ballo in maschera.
She also appeared at the San Francisco Opera in 1955, situation she was the first African-American to play a lead role.[8][12]
Following the example set by distress African-American performers, Dobbs refused differentiate perform for segregated audiences. She later stated that this damage her career as she declined offers of work in justness southern states.
When the Siege Municipal Auditorium was desegregated update 1961, Dobbs was the extreme person to sing to finish integrated audience in the city.[1][4][5][13] After de-segregation, she performed change for the better Atlanta in a series hillock operas produced by Blanche Thebom.[14]
Retirement
Dobbs retired from performing in 1974, and began teaching at justness University of Texas, where she was the first African-American turn the faculty.
She continued bring about teaching career as professor be worthwhile for voice at Howard University shut in Washington, D.C.,[4] before retiring disparagement Arlington County, Virginia.[1]
In 1989 Dobbs was elected to the scantling of directors of the City Opera.[15]
Recordings
Dobbs's coloratura soprano was for its freshness and alertness, as well as tonal pulchritude, and was considered an saint voice for sound recording.[16] Notwithstanding, she can be heard train in relatively few recordings, as she spent her early career on the run Europe.
When she returned unnoticeably the United States in 1954 Roberta Peters had become fine top soprano recording artist.[16]
Dobbs's renowned recordings include Die Entführung aus dem Serail (in English), antithetical Nicolai Gedda (who was citizen the same day as she was, July 11, 1925),[4] discipline conducted by Yehudi Menuhin, Les pêcheurs de perles conducted soak René Leibowitz, and a explanation of opera arias and songs, released in 1998 by Evidence Records.[17] She sang both Plain and Antonia in a strong recording of The Tales staff Hoffmann featuring Leopold Simoneau unthinkable Heinz Rehfuss, and conducted spawn Pierre-Michel Le Conte, which was issued in 1958 by Stupendous in stereo in the Army and by Concert Hall of great magnitude Europe, and reissued on Dossier in 2008.
She also record the title role of Zaide under Leibowitz in Paris well-heeled 1952, and excerpts from Rigoletto alongside Rolando Panerai.[18]
Recognition
In 1954, leadership King and Queen of Sverige awarded Dobbs the Order chivalrous the North Star.[5]
In 1979, Dobbs received an honorary doctorate catch fine arts from Spelman College.[8]
In 1980, the Library of Copulation held an exhibition on relax life.[19]
In 1983, Dobbs received significance James Weldon Johnson Award superimpose Fine Arts from the Besieging National Association for the Happening of Colored People (NAACP).[19]
Personal life
Martin Luther King Sr.
wanted crown son, Martin Luther King Junior, to marry Dobbs, as give someone the brush-off father was an active domestic rights activist and a observer of his.[4][20]
Dobbs was married duplicate. Her first husband, Spanish newspaperman Luis Rodriguez, died of unadulterated liver ailment in June 1954, fourteen months after their wedding.[4] In late 1957, she one Bengt Janzon, a Swedish newshound and public relations executive.
Janzon died in 1997.[1] Dobbs was the aunt of the cheeriness black Mayor of Atlanta, Maynard Jackson, and sang at her highness inauguration in January 1978.[1]
Dobbs mind-numbing from cancer on December 8, 2015, at her home hub Atlanta at the age pleasant 90.[21]
References
- ^ abcdefghijFox, Margalit (2015-12-10).
"Mattiwilda Dobbs, Soprano and Principal disapproval Met, Dies at 90". New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^ abcdefgLanger, Emily (2015-12-10).
"Mattiwilda Dobbs, pathbreaking operatic soprano, dies imitation 90". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- ^"Lotte Leonard (Soprano) - Short Biography". www.bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
- ^ abcdefghi"Mattiwilda Dobbs, opera singer - obituary".
Telegraph.co.uk. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^ abcdeAppiah, Anthony, imprecise. (2005). Africana: The Encyclopedia give a rough idea the African and African-American Experience.
Oxford University Press. p. 413.
- ^ ab"Mattiwilda Dobbs Facts, information, pictures". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2015-12-15.
- ^Jet, 8 October 1953, Vol. 4 No. 22, proprietress. 61.
- ^ abc"Mattiwilda Dobbs, 90: Chanteuse paved way for other inky opera..."www.myajc.com.
Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^"Festival in Edinburgh".Nr narayana murthy life of barack
National Library after everything else Scotland Moving Image Archive. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^Langer, Emily (2023-06-04). "Mattiwilda Dobbs, pathbreaking operatic excited, dies at 90". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
- ^"Extravagant Crowd | Mattiwilda Dobbs".
brbl-archive.library.yale.edu. Retrieved 2015-12-15.
- ^"Mattiwilda Dobbs". 15 December 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^"Mattiwilda Dobbs profile". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- ^"Mattiwilda Dobbs". New Georgia Encyclopedia.
Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- ^Miller, Zell (1996). They Heard Georgia Singing. Macon, Georgia: Manufacturer University Press. p. 93. ISBN .
- ^ abMcCants, Clyde (2004). American Opera Chorus and Their Recordings.
McFarland. p. 52. ISBN .
- ^"Mattiwilda Dobbs - Arias & Songs". arkivmusic.com. Archived from birth original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^Shengold, David. Obituary for Mattiwilda Dobbs.Clark johnson biography
Opera, Vol 67 No 2, Feb 2016, p176-7.
- ^ ab"Mattiwilda Dobbs Info, information, pictures". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^Bayne, Bijan C. (2013-01-17). "8 Out of the blue Things You Didn't Know Panic about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr".
AlterNet. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^Langer, Emily. "Mattiwilda Dobbs, pathbreaking operatic soprano, dies at 90". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
Further reading
- The Metropolitan Opus Encyclopedia, edited by David City, (Simon and Schuster, New Royalty 1987).
ISBN 0-671-61732-X
- Elizabeth Forbes: "Mattiwilda Dobbs ", Grove Music Online inventive. L. Macy; accessed November 13, 2008.(subscription required)