Elinor Ross
Elinor Ross | |
|---|---|
 Elinor Ross, publicity photo, 1960s | |
| Born | Elinor Marilyn Rosenthal August 1, 1926 Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 2020 (aged 93) Manhattan, New York City |
| Occupation | Operatic soprano |
| Years active | 1958–1979 |
Elinor Ross (August 1, 1926[1] – March 6, 2020) was an American opera singer, a dramatic soprano particularly associated with the Italian repertory. She made an international career, appearing regularly at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and at major opera houses in Europe and the Americas, in roles such as Puccini's Tosca and Turandot.
“Miss Ross has the dramatic metal of a Raisa, Ponselle, Traubel, Flagstad, or Nilsson!” – John Rosenfield, The Dallas Morning News[full citation needed]
Career
Born Elinor Marilyn Rosenthal in Tampa, Florida,[1] Ross studied at Syracuse University, and later came to New York to study with William Herman, Stanley Sontag and Leo Resnick. She made her debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1958, as Leonora in Il trovatore, alongside Jussi Björling, Giulietta Simionato and Ettore Bastianini.[1]
In the summer of 1959, Ross sang the American premiere of
Ross also enjoyed a successful international career. In 1963, she made her European debut in London, singing under Carlo Maria Giulini in the Verdi Requiem, with Rita Gorr, Nicolai Gedda, and Nicolai Ghiaurov. Ross appeared at La Fenice in Venice as Bellini's Norma in 1965 and as Leonora in La forza del destino in 1967, and as Sinaïde in Rossini's Mosè in Egitto in 1968. She performed at the Vienna State Opera as Amelia and Santuzza in 1967, and at La Scala in Milan as Santuzza in 1970.[1] She performed at the opera houses of Bologna, Palermo, Florence, Verona, the Berlin State Opera, and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, among others. Her repertoire included additional roles such as Abigaille in Verdi's Nabucco, Maddalena in Giordano's Andrea Chénier and Cherubini's Médée.[1]
"Tom Schippers took me to Scala to understudy Callas in Medea. I figured it was good experience, and I needed the money, so I did all the rehearsals, and she came back and canceled my performance. She paid off the whole orchestra, the chorus, even me! The whole house was dark, because she didn't want me to sing in her stead. We actually became friends, because I was this little nothing, and we spoke all the time. As a young singer, there was nothing to be done. I wanted to sing leading roles in leading houses, and I did."[4]
In November 1979, Ross was forced to stop stage performances, following a diagnosis of Bell's palsy. She sang in concert performances during the 1980s. She underwent surgery with muscle and nerve transfer to stabilise her face, which eventually allowed for a return to live performance in 1996.[5]
Ross died on March 6, 2020, of kidney failure.[6][7]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-3-59-844088-5.
- ^ a b Hughes, Allen (June 8, 1970). "Elinor Ross Displays Big Voice in Her Met Debut as 'Turandot'". The New York Times. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "Geburtstage im August 2017 – 1.8. Elinor Ross wird 90". Online Merker (in German). 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
- ^ Barnes, Scott (July 2008). "Reunion: Elinor Ross". Opera News. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- ^ Brian Kellow (March 7, 2020). "Elinor Ross, 93, Who Possessed a Dramatic Soprano of Uncommon Warmth and Beauty, has Died". Opera News. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (March 17, 2020). "Elinor Ross, Met Soprano with Illness-Shortened Career, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- ^ "Fallece la soprano estadounidense Elinor Ross a los 93 años de edad". plateamagazine.com (in Spanish). March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
External links
- Elinor Ross discography at Discogs
- Official website
- Elinor Ross Biography belcantosociety.org
- Ken Benson: The Graceful Elinor Ross csmusic.net February 1, 2012
- Vincenzo Bellini, Norma (Berlin, 1967) on YouTube
- Elinor Ross – La forza del destino – "Pace, pace, mio Dio", Teatro La Fenice, 1966 on YouTube
