213:), and a Covent Garden production. She felt it is "a wonderful acting part because she is almost an interlocutor between the stage and the audience, a wry commentator on her mistresses protestations and on the morals of men, and from that point of view it's a great role to play and you have to have a rapport with the audience". Engaged at a major European house to sing Despina, four days before the opening the conductor and producer fell out and she was asked to substitute Susanna in
98:. Barely out of the London Opera Centre Watson had recorded Barbarina in April of that year for Colin Davis's complete Philips recording. After her first professional engagement in Wexford, in 1970 she joined Welsh National Opera as a junior principal and remained for four years. After her debut there as Papagena opposite
263:
was the star of the production she was not expecting a positive press, saying "You know that the public is coming for him... I never envisaged getting the press I got. It was very gratifying. I thought. .. Oh gosh, they noticed I was there ... It was probably because I was the only thing moving on
235:
at its first cast changes; her "sparkling
Eurydice, a captivating portrayal sung with effortless, bright tone right up to the top of her range and delivered with delectable Gallic insouciance"; the critic continued that her "Bacchic solo, a skilful run along the tightrope that separates opera from
19:, born 4 December 1947 in London, is a soprano whose international career on the concert stage and in the opera house took her to theatres and venues around the UK and throughout Europe; she also made a number of recordings of parts of her repertoire and appeared on film.
205:, the last in 1996. Grove states that "she is ideally suited in voice and personality to Mozart's soubrette roles...". She sang Despina many times - on the Glyndebourne Tour in 1975, in a Michael Geliot production for WNO, at Glyndebourne (productions by
345:
With her interest in the dramatic side of opera, she stated that she prefers to have an extensive rehearsal time when everyone is working together, rather than the situation where big stars "come in and walk to the front and do their piece as we had in
350:". She would have liked to have recorded Oscar and Susanna, but considered that despite her international career, she was not the kind of international name which record companies wanted to have. She was a member of the vocal teaching staff of the
221:
production which was very complicated so we were there rehearsing frantically at all hours". She sang
Susanna on a Glyndebourne Tour in 1976, in English at English National Opera and in Vienna, Hamburg and several houses in France.
185:
role, which was recorded in the studio conducted by Rattle, in
English. In 1990, Royal Opera production was broadcast. She also sang the second act role of the cabmen's 'mascot' Milli-Fiakermilli in Strauss's
225:
In 1975 she appeared as
Susanna at the Glyndebourne Festival, a role she also chose for her debut at the English National Opera in London in 1978. In 1982 she made her first appearance at the
798:
786:
133:
She returned regularly to the Royal Opera; in her first 25 years there she made 179 appearances, progressing from roles such as
Barbarina, Gianetta, Papagena and the Young Girl in
971:
961:
236:
cabaret, was all that
Offenbach is, or should be, about". She appeared in the audio recording of the same production made in 1987. She was engaged at the
446:
259:. At the Royal Opera in 1995, she "single-handedly injected living dramatic movement into derived from the skittish personality of Oscar's music". As
599:, (Frasquita), Orchestre National de France and Choeurs de Radio-France, Lorin Maazel (Gaumont/Marcel Dassault/Opera-Film Production Rome, 1984)
237:
104:
28:
966:
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656:
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457:
201:
651:
102:
as
Papageno, her professional career got underway in Wales for four seasons from 1970 as a contract artist, singing Wanda in
229:
as
Marzelline, and then sang Blonde in Vienna in 1983. Having appeared in a TV production in 1983, Watson joined ENO's 1985
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The
Classical Catalogue, Master edition 1992 No.2. General Gramophone Publications Ltd, Harrow, 1992, p832.
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165:
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799:
Various garments worn by Watson for this role are preserved in the Royal Opera House costume collection
182:
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in Sussex. From 1975 her roles were
Despina, Barbarina, Susanna, Blonde, Tytania, Sophie, and Fire in
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218:
81:
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32:
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443:(Yvette), Ambrosian Opera Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Lorin Maazel (CBS Masterworks, 1983)
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Fairman, Richard. Orpheus in the Underworld. English National Opera at the London Coliseum.
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List of recipients of Honorary Membership of the Royal Academy of Music, as of March 2024
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66:
54:
53:, asking her to join some recordings of Monteverdi madrigals where she sang alongside
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36:
573:(Fido), Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Richard Hickox (Chandos 1999)
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603:
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419:(Flora) Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Colin Davis (Decca 1981)
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40:
511:(Vixen Sharp-Ears), Chorus and Orchestra of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,
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244:. In 1993 she portrayed the Fairy Godmother in the first British performance of
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549:(soprano) Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, English Chamber Orchestra,
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BBC genome link giving full cast of simultaneous broadcast on BBC2 and Radio 3
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488:
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245:
110:
58:
336:(1974) in English, André Previn's Christmas Music Night in 1977, Eurydice in
617:, (Ismene) Royal Opera Chorus & The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House,
332:
181:- as it was both physically challenging and musically difficult - her first
889:
188:
423:
354:, London, where she received an Honorary Membership (Hon RAM) in 2012.
836:
Performances of Lillian Watson at BBC Proms, Proms performance archive
848:
Maddocks, Fiona. "It's a jungle out there... if you're a trombonist"
74:
while still at the Opera Centre. Watson's debut was as Papagena in
281:
in 1991, a late night Prom in 1995 of Vivaldi and Handel with the
297:
in Manchester, and appeared several times in popular programmes
581:(O Mimosa San), New London Light Opera Chorus & Orchestra,
409:(Gianetta), Orchestra of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,
120:
as well as Despina, Blondchen and Adina. She sang Clairette in
163:(as well as covering one performance as Aspasia) and Bella in
761:
Blyth, Alan. La Fille de Madame Angot, John Lewis Theatre.
47:
when he came to coach singers in a student production of
84:(WNO) in 1971. On 1 December the same year she made her
64:
In 1970 Watson made her formal operatic debut as Cis in
607:(Norina) Welsh Philharmonia, National Opera Chorale,
330:
On television she appeared in an abridged version of
289:
in 2001. In the concert hall and radio she has sung
169:(1996). Her biggest challenge was the title role of
811:
Entry for Lillian Watson at Glyndebourne Opera site
561:(Chou-Chou), BBC Singers & Concert Orchestra,
461:(Blonde), Mozartorchester des Opernhauses ZĂĽrich,
878:BFI page for Orpheus in the Underworld, BBC 1983
660:. Macmillan, London & New York, 1997, p1111.
192:at Covent Garden in 1981, 1986, 1990 and 1996.
931:Brèque, Jean-Michel. Carmen by Francsco Rosi.
730:Canning, Hugh. People: 218 - Lillian Watson.
319:. She appeared as Elida in a rare revival of
217:. "Susanna's a very long role and it was the
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327:at the BOC Covent Garden Festival in 2000.
323:'s 1932 satirical department store musical
195:Watson appeared for several seasons at the
471:(Despina), London Philharmonic Orchestra,
251:Watson first sang the page Oscar with the
752:, ed Blyth, Alan. Hutchinson, 1979, p.62.
647:
645:
643:
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972:20th-century British women opera singers
248:at the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff.
151:(1990 and 1993), the Italian Soprano in
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670:
668:
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635:
497:- A Contemplation upon Flowers, op.90,
449:(soloist), London Symphony Orchestra,
173:at Covent Garden, first in 1990 under
962:Fellows of the Royal Academy of Music
856:, 4 June 2000, accessed 2 March 2024.
342:in 1983, and other televised operas.
7:
736:, March 1996, Vol.47 No.3, p255-262.
43:, and was spotted by the conductor
29:Guildhall School of Music and Drama
775:BFI archive entry for TV broadcast
611:(Screen Legends, HTV SL 2007 1988)
35:, with private vocal tuition from
14:
657:The New Grove Dictionary of Opera
126:for the annual production of the
765:, June 1972, Vol.23 No.6, p.575.
377:Madrigali Libro VIII (ensemble)
105:The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein
271:appearances include Arsena in
255:in the late 1970s and then in
240:in Paris in 1989 as Strauss's
1:
933:L'Avant Scene Opéra et Cinéma
866:BFI page for Rigoletto (1974)
458:Die EntfĂĽhrung aus dem Serail
88:debut, as Barbarina in a new
499:BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra
311:, as Miss Ivy Smith, at the
689:. Aldershot: Scolar Press.
523:Drottningholm Court Theatre
303:Friday Night Is Music Night
197:Glyndebourne Opera Festival
988:
801:, retrieved 11 March 2024.
748:. Le nozze de Figaro. In:
687:Who's Who in British Opera
483:(in English), (Euridice),
238:Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
202:L'enfant et les sortilèges
967:English operatic sopranos
777:, accessed 20 April 2024.
685:Adam, Nicky, ed. (1993).
533:A Midsummer Night's Dream
379:English Chamber Orchestra
339:Orpheus in the Underworld
232:Orpheus in the Underworld
50:The Coronation of Poppaea
525:Orchestra & Chorus,
509:The Cunning Little Vixen
171:The Cunning Little Vixen
148:The Cunning Little Vixen
123:La fille de Madame Angot
880:accessed 10 March 2024.
868:accessed 10 March 2024.
838:accessed 11 March 2024.
826:, January 1986, p94-95.
813:accessed 10 March 2024.
789:accessed 20 April 2024.
537:City of London Sinfonia
447:Midsummer Night's Dream
130:Music Society in 1972.
935:, May 1987 No.98, p84.
892:accessed 5 March 2024.
654:. Lillian Watson. In:
615:Mitridate, re di Ponto
543:(Virgin Classics 1993)
487:Chorus and Orchestra,
485:English National Opera
395:Philharmonia Orchestra
368:BBC Symphony Orchestra
352:Royal Academy of Music
315:in 2000, conducted by
166:The Midsummer Marriage
160:Mitridate, re di Ponto
128:John Lewis Partnership
95:The Marriage of Figaro
27:Watson studied at the
429:Wiener Philharmoniker
417:The Turn of the Screw
277:in 1981, the Poulenc
31:in London and at the
621:- Stage Directed by
463:Nikolaus Harnoncourt
82:Welsh National Opera
515:(EMI Classics 1991)
313:Royal Festival Hall
177:then in 1993 under
33:London Opera Centre
390:Adriana Lecouvreur
364:Le nozze di Figaro
305:, and Bernstein's
215:Le nozze di Figaro
157:(1991), Ismene in
117:The Elixir of Love
652:Forbes, Elizabeth
609:Richard Armstrong
480:Orphée aux Enfers
393:(Mlle Jouvenot),
274:Der Zigeunerbaron
253:Netherlands Opera
227:Salzburg Festival
142:Der Rosenkavalier
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406:L'elisir d'amore
325:Send for Mr Plim
299:Melodies for You
285:, and Britten's
283:Gabrieli Consort
72:Wexford Festival
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563:Martyn Brabbins
547:Israel in Egypt
519:Die Zauberflöte
473:Bernard Haitink
413:(Columbia 1977)
383:Raymond Leppard
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287:Spring Symphony
179:Bernard Haitink
114:, Gianetta in
77:The Magic Flute
45:Raymond Leppard
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23:Life and career
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385:(Philips 1971)
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370:, BBC Chorus,
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67:Albert Herring
55:Heather Harper
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851:
850:. Review in
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602:
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553:(Decca 1994)
532:
529:(Decca 1992)
521:(Papagena),
518:
513:Simon Rattle
508:
478:
468:
456:
451:André Previn
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435:(Orfeo 1983)
433:Lorin Maazel
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100:Thomas Allen
93:
75:
65:
63:
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41:Jessica Cash
26:
16:
15:
952:1947 births
623:Graham Vick
619:Paul Daniel
583:Ronald Corp
570:Paul Bunyan
558:Die Kathrin
535:(Tytania),
372:Colin Davis
358:Discography
317:Paul Daniel
308:On the Town
211:Trevor Nunn
90:John Copley
946:Categories
630:References
578:The Geisha
565:(cpo 1998)
491:(TER 1987)
489:Mark Elder
475:(EMI 1986)
453:(EMI 1976)
440:La rondine
401:(CBS 1977)
321:Spoliansky
246:Cendrillon
207:Peter Hall
111:Don Carlos
59:Luigi Alva
37:Vera RĂłzsa
495:Hoddinott
333:Rigoletto
264:stage!".
261:Pavarotti
154:Capriccio
291:Mahler 4
257:Lausanne
219:Ponnelle
189:Arabella
145:(1989),
590:Videos
424:Fidelio
183:Janáček
70:at the
693:
596:Carmen
293:under
279:Gloria
242:Sophie
824:Opera
763:Opera
733:Opera
348:Ballo
269:Proms
80:with
691:ISBN
301:and
267:Her
209:and
136:Lulu
39:and
948::
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665:^
638:^
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