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posterity. Her perceptions are superior to those of both
Haywood (Shaw) and Söderström (Rattle) by virtue of her longer association with the piece, and her tone shows very few signs of the advancing years. Of course, Vishnevskaya's hieratical utterance (Decca) is something unique and inimitable, but for a comprehensive understanding of what Britten wanted, Harper is hard to equal.
708:
Heather Harper has at last recorded the "role" she created – indeed it is her farewell to her many admirers as she has now retired. I heard her sing it in St Paul's not long ago and thought then that her peculiar accents, her inevitable shaping of so much of the part simply had to be preserved for
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in London on a scholarship, with viola and cello as additional subjects. When the opportunity to study voice came up, she won another scholarship.
986:"Remembering Heather Harper (1930–2019) / The British soprano had particular associations with operas by Britten, Tippett and Strauss among others"
262:, the daughter of Mary (née Robb) and Hugh Harper, a lawyer. She and her three siblings received early musical training. She studied piano at the
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1011:"Professor Frederick Husler was a leading vocal pedagogue in Germany, and later in Switzerland, from about 1910 until his death in 1969"
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and the George
Mitchell Singers. Her voice at this time was characterised by its "bright, flexible coloratura", more typical of a
323:. Her performance was a critical success, and she was subsequently given the role of Violetta in a 1956 television production of
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297:. She studied with Helene Isepp, and retrained as a soprano with Frederick Husler and Yvonne Rodd-Marling, the authors of
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Harper married twice. Her first marriage to
Leonard Buck ended in divorce in 1972. She married Argentinian scientist
214:. She was active internationally in both opera and concert. She performed roles such as Helena in Benjamin Britten's
545:, and appeared in the first recording with the same participants. In 1975, she was the soprano soloist in Verdi's
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GRO Register: Leonard H F Buck married
Heather M Harper, April/May/June Quarter, Hampstead, Vol 5c, Page 1523
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in 1981. A critic noted in an obituary: "Her sympathy for the character drew a near-definitive portrayal."
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to international critical acclaim. She sang the soprano solo in the world premiere of
Tippett's
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in 1970: a "high point" in her many performances for television, according to her obituary in
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1160:"CD: Wagner: Orchestral Excerpts from Die Meistersinger, etc: London Philharmonic/ Tennstedt"
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244:. She became known internationally when she stepped in for the world premiere of Britten's
607:
in both audio and video formats. In 1957, she took part in first recordings, conducted by
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at ten days' notice. In 1965, she was the soprano soloist in the second UK performance of
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in 1962, and remained associated with the composer's work, but also sang other premieres.
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Harper also had an extensive concert career. She sang in the premiere of
Britten's
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She recorded
Britten's War Requiem in 1991 in an award-winning CD conducted by
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She retired from her singing career in 1994. Her final performance was at the
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in 1984. In 1964, the soprano sang in the first recording of
Schoenberg's
677:(Covent Garden, 1976, Fiori). Two of her recordings won the Grammy Award,
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Her professional debut came in 1954, singing Lady
Macbeth in Verdi's
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at the ROH; she had previously sung in the television premiere of
208:
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Last Night of the Proms in 1985, she gave the world premiere of
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in Buenos Aires, including roles such as
Marguerite in Gounod's
403:. She appeared at the ROH in 1975 as Ellen Orford in Britten's
1087:"Prom 42 – A tribute to Henry Wood (died 19 August 1944)"
541:. She sang in it again in 1968 in London, conducted by
417:
in the title role. She also created Nadia in Tippett's
939:"Jean Allister: Versatile contralto and Proms veteran"
343:
in 1962. Later roles there included the title role in
337:(ROH) Covent Garden was Helena in Benjamin Britten's
439:. Her farewell performance at the ROH was Ellen in
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207:(8 May 1930 – 22 April 2019) was a Northern Irish
713:In 2005, a live concert performance of Britten's
423:and Mrs Coyle in the stage premiere of Britten's
1227:20th-century women singers from Northern Ireland
742:and her brother was a hornist with the ROH, the
704:wrote, comparing the recording to earlier ones:
706:
619:label. Some 1970s recordings, conducted by Sir
470:in 1977. She also sang Charlotte in Massenet's
299:Singing: The Physical Nature of the Vocal Organ
1217:Honorary members of the Royal Academy of Music
1212:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
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757:in 1965. She died on 22 April 2019, aged 88.
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16:Northern Irish operatic soprano (1930–2019)
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786:The International Who's Who of Women 2002
496:. In 1982, the soprano debuted with the
480:. She appeared as a regular guest at the
349:by Richard Strauss, Blanche in Poulenc's
333:from 1956 to 1975. Her first role at the
258:Heather Harper was born on 8 May 1930 in
1232:20th-century British women opera singers
1202:Operatic sopranos from Northern Ireland
766:
1237:20th-century Irish women opera singers
910:"The soprano Heather Harper has died"
740:City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
738:Harper's sister was a cellist in the
7:
1113:"Britten: Peter Grimes, Royal Opera"
783:Sleeman, Elizabeth (24 April 2019).
1111:Clements, Andrew (3 October 2003).
841:Millington, Barry (22 April 2019).
549:at London's Kingsway Hall with the
1222:Alumni of Trinity College of Music
1158:Clements, Andrew (29 April 2005).
623:, were reissued, notably Mahler's
277:, where her fellow altos included
14:
689:(released in 1971), conducted by
464:as Contessa Almaviva in Mozart's
1169:– via www.theguardian.com.
1122:– via www.theguardian.com.
1050:– via www.telegraph.co.uk.
166:
1038:. 15 March 2016. Archived from
984:Hopkins, Kate (22 April 2019).
950:from the original on 9 May 2022
456:in 1967 and 1968, conducted by
234:, and the Countess in Mozart's
186:
162:
409:in a new production staged by
376:Die Meistersinger von NĂĽrnberg
1:
721:London Philharmonic Orchestra
589:and Ralph Vaughan Williams's
450:, Harper appeared as Elsa in
753:Heather Harper received the
551:Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
500:in the name part of Gluck's
460:. She made her debut at the
352:Les dialogues des Carmélites
537:in Liverpool, conducted by
1253:
525:in 1962, substituting for
329:. She was a member of the
273:. She was a member of the
843:"Heather Harper obituary"
799:– via Google Books.
748:English Chamber Orchestra
490:and Vitellia in Mozart's
355:, Antonia in Offenbach's
340:A Midsummer Night's Dream
217:A Midsummer Night's Dream
661:by Richard Strauss with
613:Michel Richard Delalande
519:Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
319:Opera Club, produced by
269:She initially sang as a
264:Trinity College of Music
254:Early life and education
88:Trinity College of Music
603:Her recordings include
583:, singing Alban Berg's
1197:Musicians from Belfast
711:
683:Songs Of Maurice Ravel
658:Die Frau ohne Schatten
570:Next Year in Jerusalem
467:The Marriage of Figaro
397:and the title role in
394:Die Frau ohne Schatten
361:, Gutrune in Wagner's
237:The Marriage of Figaro
611:, of sacred works by
367:, Micaëla in Bizet's
358:Les contes d'Hoffmann
1207:Grammy Award winners
946:. 7 September 2012.
789:. Psychology Press.
733:Eduardo E. Benarroch
687:Von heute auf morgen
165: 1952;
1042:on 17 December 2008
716:Our Hunting Fathers
527:Galina Vishnevskaya
498:New York City Opera
493:La clemenza di Tito
478:San Francisco Opera
331:English Opera Group
224:, Elsa in Wagner's
200:Heather Mary Harper
128:English Opera Group
40:Heather Mary Harper
744:Royal Philharmonic
719:was issued on the
649:John Shirley-Quirk
563:Malcolm Williamson
515:Coventry Cathedral
462:Metropolitan Opera
385:, Chrysothemis in
373:, Eva in Wagner's
242:Metropolitan Opera
179:Eduardo Benarroch
990:Royal Opera House
880:Bayreuth Festival
796:978-1-85743-122-3
592:Serenade to Music
448:Bayreuth Festival
400:Ariadne auf Naxos
391:, the Empress in
335:Royal Opera House
317:Oxford University
232:Bayreuth Festival
222:Royal Opera House
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133:Royal Opera House
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1134:"Heather Harper"
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875:"Heather Harper"
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411:Elijah Moshinsky
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364:Götterdämmerung
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727:Personal life
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431:Owen Wingrave
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426:Owen Wingrave
422:
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420:The Ice Break
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283:Pamela Bowden
280:
279:Jean Allister
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271:mezzo-soprano
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111:Organizations
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68:22 April 2019
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1163:. Retrieved
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1141:. Retrieved
1137:
1128:
1116:. Retrieved
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1094:. Retrieved
1090:
1081:
1069:. Retrieved
1065:
1056:
1044:. Retrieved
1040:the original
1030:
1018:. Retrieved
1014:
1005:
993:. Retrieved
952:. Retrieved
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932:
920:. Retrieved
913:
885:. Retrieved
878:
852:. Retrieved
848:The Guardian
846:
785:
778:
769:
752:
737:
730:
714:
712:
707:
695:
691:Robert Craft
686:
682:
681:in 1979 and
679:Peter Grimes
678:
675:Walter Berry
656:
633:Arleen Augér
605:Peter Grimes
604:
602:
590:
584:
578:
569:
555:Carlos PaĂŻta
508:
506:
501:
491:
485:
482:Teatro ColĂłn
471:
465:
458:Rudolf Kempe
451:
445:
441:Peter Grimes
440:
436:The Guardian
434:
430:
424:
418:
413:, alongside
406:Peter Grimes
404:
398:
392:
386:
380:
379:, Hecuba in
374:
368:
362:
356:
350:
344:
338:
324:
321:Jack Westrup
310:
308:
298:
268:
257:
245:
235:
225:
215:
199:
198:
70:(2019-04-22)
18:
1192:2019 deaths
1187:1930 births
883:(in German)
641:Helen Watts
621:Georg Solti
523:Peter Pears
510:War Requiem
415:Jon Vickers
326:La traviata
287:Helen Watts
247:War Requiem
1181:Categories
1138:grammy.com
915:Gramophone
761:References
735:in 1973.
702:Alan Blyth
671:James King
667:Ruth Hesse
645:René Kollo
629:Lucia Popp
599:Recordings
576:in 1972.
567:song cycle
382:King Priam
291:BBC Chorus
123:BBC Chorus
94:Occupation
50:8 May 1930
46:1930-05-08
1062:"Prom 05"
581:BBC Proms
557:. At the
453:Lohengrin
227:Lohengrin
100:Operatic
84:Education
78:, England
1165:22 April
1143:24 April
1118:22 April
1096:22 April
1071:22 April
1046:22 April
1020:22 April
995:24 April
954:22 April
948:Archived
922:24 April
887:24 April
854:23 April
746:and the
615:for the
476:for the
346:Arabella
209:operatic
559:Belfast
547:Requiem
535:Requiem
502:Alceste
473:Werther
446:At the
388:Elektra
315:at the
312:Macbeth
295:soprano
260:Belfast
240:at the
230:at the
220:at the
212:soprano
191:
183:
171:
159:
155:
142:Spouses
102:soprano
54:Belfast
1036:"News"
793:
655:; and
531:Delius
370:Carmen
305:Career
289:, the
76:London
627:with
517:with
487:Faust
185:(
181:
161:(
157:
1167:2019
1145:2019
1120:2019
1098:2019
1073:2019
1048:2019
1022:2019
997:2019
956:2019
924:2019
889:2019
856:2019
791:ISBN
673:and
651:and
521:and
285:and
167:div.
65:Died
36:Born
755:CBE
565:'s
533:'s
513:at
204:CBE
29:CBE
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