Linda Esther Gray
Encyclopedia
Linda Esther Gray is a retired Scottish
soprano
and an operatic singing teacher.
(managed out of the Royal Opera House
, Covent Garden
and also acting at that time as the ROH's rehearsal space). It was in London that as a student she made her first appearance in an opera as Malenka in The Bartered Bride
in 1970. Also, during this time, Gray continued to win a number of major singing awards (see awards section below). It was the award money from these competitions that allowed her to fund further study in Italy with the head music coach of the San Carlo Opera; Maestro Campanino.
- a role that remained in her professional repertoire until her retirement. Between her professional debut in 1971 and her final appearance in 1982 Gray toured the UK and Europe performing major roles for a number of major opera companies and houses. These included: Scottish Opera
(1974–1979), English National Opera
(1979), Welsh National Opera
(1981), The Royal Opera House (1982). Her American depute was in Dallas in 1981 where she sang as Sieglinde in Richard Wagner's Die Walküre
. During this time she became the Isolde of choice for famous British Wagnerian conductor Sir Reginald Goodall
. Not only did she perform the role at a number of opera houses with Goodall conducting but Gray went on to record the role for him on the first digital recording of Tristan und Isolde
in 1982. As the early 1980s progressed Gray's international fame and reputation grew and plans began to take place for her perform major roles at both La Scala
and the Metropolitan Opera House
but these were to never come to fruition. Instead, Grays operatic career shortly came to a permanent halt.
Geraint Evans in the BBC
chat show Three's Company and with her former music teacher Dame Eva Turner
in one of several radio phone-ins discussing singing. She took part in BBC Radio 4
's Food Program and was photographed by David Bailey for The Observer
.
After many years of seclusion from the media she published her autobiography in 2007: A Life Behind Curtains: A Singer's Silent Sounds. She is now an opera coach working from her home in Surrey.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
and an operatic singing teacher.
Early life
Gray was born in Greenock, Scotland in 1948. She showed an early talent in music and supplemented the usual Scottish primary and secondary state school education with private lessons in both singing and piano. In 1965 this tuition, and her natural ability, provided her with the skills to successfully gain a place at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama as an undergraduate student. Here she remained for four years concentrating her studies on singing, piano and cello. In 1969 (her final year at the Academy of Music) she won the International Cinzano Singing Award which granted a two year scholarship to continue her musical education at the London Opera CentreLondon Opera Centre
The London Opera Centre, a school for the training of opera singers and other opera professionals, existed in England between 1963 and 1977. It was located in the former Troxy Cinema on Commercial Road in London's East End Borough of Stepney . The Troxy, with 3,520 seats, opened in 1933 and was...
(managed out of the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House 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 of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, Covent Garden
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 site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
and also acting at that time as the ROH's rehearsal space). It was in London that as a student she made her first appearance in an opera as Malenka in The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The opera is considered to have made a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It was composed during the period 1863–66, and first performed at the...
in 1970. Also, during this time, Gray continued to win a number of major singing awards (see awards section below). It was the award money from these competitions that allowed her to fund further study in Italy with the head music coach of the San Carlo Opera; Maestro Campanino.
Opera career
Having completed her studies in Naples, she returned to the UK in 1972 and quickly began to establish her professional career: first with the Glyndebourne Touring Company (part of the Glyndebourne Opera Festival which helps to provide professional experience to young performers) and later within the context of The Glyndebourne Festival itself. It was with this company that, at the age of 23, she made her debut as Mimi in Puccini's La bohèmeLa bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
- a role that remained in her professional repertoire until her retirement. Between her professional debut in 1971 and her final appearance in 1982 Gray toured the UK and Europe performing major roles for a number of major opera companies and houses. These included: Scottish Opera
Scottish Opera
Scottish Opera is the national opera company of Scotland, and one of the five national performing arts companies funded by the Scottish Government...
(1974–1979), English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
(1979), Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
(1981), The Royal Opera House (1982). Her American depute was in Dallas in 1981 where she sang as Sieglinde in Richard Wagner's Die Walküre
Die Walküre
Die Walküre , WWV 86B, is the second of the four operas that form the cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
. During this time she became the Isolde of choice for famous British Wagnerian conductor Sir Reginald Goodall
Reginald Goodall
Sir Reginald Goodall was an English conductor, noted for his performances of the operas of Richard Wagner and conducting the premieres of several operas by Benjamin Britten.-Biography:...
. Not only did she perform the role at a number of opera houses with Goodall conducting but Gray went on to record the role for him on the first digital recording of Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
in 1982. As the early 1980s progressed Gray's international fame and reputation grew and plans began to take place for her perform major roles at both La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
and the Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
but these were to never come to fruition. Instead, Grays operatic career shortly came to a permanent halt.
Concert career
Like many established opera singers, Gray also had a successful concert career. This included performances of works by Mahler, Verdi, Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Elgar, Rossini and Britten, together with song cycles by Wagner, Richard Strauss, Sibelius and Schumann. Special mention should be given to three performances: First, in 1981 she sang with the English National Opera when it celebrated its Golden Jubilee in the presence of the Queen. In 1982 she performed in front of the Prince of Wales at the London Coliseum, as part of a national tribute to British troops returning from the Falklands War. Finally, and also in 1982, Gray became the first Scottish soprano to sing at the opening night of the Edinburgh Festival, performing in Beethoven's 9th Symphony.Media personality
During her career Grey became something of a media personality, appearing alongside baritoneBaritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
Geraint Evans in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
chat show Three's Company and with her former music teacher Dame Eva Turner
Eva Turner
Dame Eva Turner DBE was an English dramatic soprano with an international reputation. Her strong, steady and well-trained voice was renowned for its clarion power in Italian and German operatic roles.-Career:...
in one of several radio phone-ins discussing singing. She took part in BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Food Program and was photographed by David Bailey for The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
.
Retirement from the stage
Grey retired from the opera stage in 1982 after an illness left her unable to continue. She has been described as "one of the most lyric of modern sopranos", and was "expected to be the next Callas".After many years of seclusion from the media she published her autobiography in 2007: A Life Behind Curtains: A Singer's Silent Sounds. She is now an opera coach working from her home in Surrey.
Principal roles
While Gray sang many major opera roles (a number of them many times), her principal roles are considered to have been:- Isolde: Tristan und IsoldeTristan und IsoldeTristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
(Wagner) - Sieglinde: Die WalküreDie WalküreDie Walküre , WWV 86B, is the second of the four operas that form the cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
(Wagner) - Kundry: ParsifalParsifalParsifal is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail.Wagner first conceived the work...
(Wagner) - Tosca: ToscaToscaTosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
(Puccini) - Leonore: FidelioFidelioFidelio is a German opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto is by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly which had been used for the 1798 opera Léonore, ou L’amour conjugal by Pierre Gaveaux, and for the 1804 opera Leonora...
(Beethoven)
Discography
- Mahler: Symphony no. 8. BBC Symphony Orchestra. Pierre BoulezPierre BoulezPierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
(BBC) 1975 - Wagner: Die Feen (The Fairies). Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Wolfgang SawallischWolfgang SawallischWolfgang Sawallisch is a retired German conductor and pianist.-Biography:Sawallisch was born in Munich, and studied composition and pianoforte there privately: at the conclusion of the war, in 1946 he continued his studies at the Munich High School for Music and passed his final examination for...
. Orfeo. (Live Recording: Released 1995). - Wagner: Tristan und Isolde. Welsh National Opera Orchestra. Reginald GoodallReginald GoodallSir Reginald Goodall was an English conductor, noted for his performances of the operas of Richard Wagner and conducting the premieres of several operas by Benjamin Britten.-Biography:...
. (1982)