Eunice Alberts

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Eunice Alberts
Born1927
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
DiedApril 2012 (aged 84–85)
GenresOpera
Occupation(s)Contralto, singer
Years active1946–1980

Eunice Alberts (1927–2012) was an American contralto who had an active career as a concert soloist and opera singer during the 1950s through the 1980s.

Early life and education

Born in

Longy School of Music, earning a certificate in vocal performance.[1] She also studied at the Tanglewood Music Center where she drew the attention of conductor Serge Koussevitzky
.

In the 1960s, Alberts attended

New England Conservatory, obtaining a bachelor's degree in 1967.[2]

Career

Early career (1946–1950)

Historic postcard advertising motel, "only three miles from Tanglewood Music Festival", where Alberts gave her concert debut in 1946.

Alberts career started at the

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.[3]

Shortly thereafter she joined a

Missa Solemnis (1951).[4]

Opera: New York to Chicago (1950s)

Alberts moved to New York City in 1950 where she became a pupil of impresario Boris Goldovsky.[1] Her first concert appearance in NYC was as the contralto soloist in Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah with the John Harms Chorus at Town Hall on April 30, 1950.[5] She made her first appearance with the New York Philharmonic in a summer concert at Lewisohn Stadium on June 4, 1951 as the contralto soloist in Verdi's Requiem under conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos.[6] This performance drew the attention of Laszlo Halasz, then director of the New York City Opera (NYCO), who offered her a contract to join the roster of singers at the NYCO. She accepted the offer and on October 4, 1951 Alberts made her professional opera debut as the Elderly Woman in the world premiere of David Tamkin's The Dybbuk at New York City Center.[7] Later in the 1951-1952 NYCO season she portrayed Maddalena in Rigoletto and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with the company.[8][9]

Alberts quickly became one of America's leading contraltos during the 1950s, singing in concerts and operas throughout the United States.[1] In 1953 she was a soloist in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the

Detail from the Philadelphia Academy of Music, where Alberts performed during the early 1950s.

Giuseppe di Stefano and Carlo Bergonzi alternating in the role of Turiddu, and the Old Woman in Italo Montemezzi's L'amore dei tre re with Dorothy Kirsten as Fiora and Robert Weede as Manfredo. In the 1956-1957 Chicago season, Alberts portrayed Wowkle in La fanciulla del West with Eleanor Steber as Minnie, Madelon in Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chénier with Mario Del Monaco in the title role, the Page in Salome with Inge Borkh in the title role, and Grimgerde in Richard Wagner's Die Walküre with Ludwig Suthaus as Siegmund.[13]

Following her stint in Chicago, Alberts performed leading roles with the

Le Nozze di Figaro, Mrs. Cripps in H.M.S. Pinafore, and Rebecca Nurse in the world premiere of Robert Ward's The Crucible.[1][16]

Later career (1960–1980)

During the early 1960s Alberts decided to return to school, having never actually earned a college diploma. She entered the

Avery Fisher Hall under conductor Hermann Scherchen.[20]

As an opera singer Alberts was highly active and formed a strong partnership with

Hänsel und Gretel which was followed shortly thereafter with a performance of Mistress Quickly in Falstaff in 1961. She sang regularly with the company over the next seventeen years, notably appearing in the United States premieres of Arnold Schoenberg's Moses und Aron (as the invalid woman, 1966), Roger Sessions's Montezuma (as Cuaximatl, 1976), Glinka’s Ruslan and Ludmilla (as Ratmir, 1977), Rodion Konstantinowitsch Schtschedrin's Tote Seelen (1988), and Rodion Shchedrin's Dead Souls (as Maslennilov, 1988).[21]

Her other Boston roles included Magdalena (1962), the voice of Antonia's mother in

The Invisible City of Kitezh (1983).[22]

Alberts retired from the stage in the late 1980s.

Miscellaneous

Alberts taught on the voice faculty at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.[23]

Awards

Alberts was awarded the Boston Girls' Latin School outstanding alumni award in 1990.[24]

Personal life

Alberts died on April 13, 2012.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Biography of Eunice Alberts at operissimo.com (in German)". Archived from the original on 2011-08-18. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  2. ^ a b New England Conservatory alumni magazine Archived 2006-09-01 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "TANGLEWOOD ENDS SUCCESSFUL SEASON; 12,000 at Final Concert Bring Festival Total to 88,500 - Beethoven's Ninth Played". The New York Times. August 12, 1946. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  4. ^ Howard Taubman (July 17, 1950). "TANGLEWOOD HOST TO 5,900 BACH FANS; Small Orchestra Used". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  5. ^ "TJOHN HARMS CHORUS IS HEARD IN 'ELIJAH'". The New York Times. May 1, 1950. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  6. ^ "MANZONI REQUIEM GIVEN AT STADIUM; Mitropoulos Conducts Verdi Work--Four Soloists and Schola Cantorum Assist". The New York Times. July 2, 1951. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  7. ^ Olin Downes (October 5, 1951). "CITY OPERA OFFERS 'DYBBUK' PREMIERE; Performance of Tamkin Work Has Rounseville, Sprinzenza, Neway, Winters in Leads". The New York Times. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
  8. ^ "RIGOLETTO' TO OPEN CITY OPERA 5TH WEEK". The New York Times. October 20, 1951. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  9. ^ "CITY OPERA CLOSES 8TH FALL SEASON; Troupe Presents 'Don Giovanni,' Halasz Conducting, Before Starting Mid-West Tour". The New York Times. November 12, 1951. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  10. ^ J.B. (December 9, 1953). "TEMPLE CHORUS SINGS WITH PHILADELPHIANS". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  11. ^ Olin Downes (February 23, 1955). "Music: New Symphony by Hanson; ' Sinfonia Sacra' Has Its World Premiere Ormandy Is Conductor at Carnegie Hall". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  12. ^ New York Philharmonic Archives Archived 2014-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Lyric Opera of Chicago Archives
  14. ^ "CONCERT AT STRATFORD; Connecticut Orchestra Heard in Requiem by Verdi". The New York Times. March 2, 1957. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  15. ^ "'OTELLO' IN CAPITAL; Opera Society of Washington Gives Season's 3d Work". The New York Times. January 24, 1960. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  16. ^ Harold C. Schonberg (October 27, 1961). "Opera: Robert Ward's 'The Crucible'; Work Based on Miller Play at City Center". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  17. ^ "MIT Newspaper Article, Music Festival with Eunice Alberts in 1964" (PDF).
  18. ^ Val Adams (January 3, 1964). "N.B.C. TO TELEVISE A KENNEDY MASS; Boston Symphony to Play in 2-Hour Memorial Jan. 19". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  19. ^ Ross Parmenter (July 11, 1964). "Music: Two Schuberts; Early and Late Works Led by Leinsdorf". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  20. ^ Raymond Ericson (December 21, 1965). "Music: Scherchen Conducts 'Messiah'; Dublin Version Used at Philharmonic Hall". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  21. ISBN 9780810859470
    . Beverly Bower opera.
  22. ^ Sarah Caldwell By Daniel Kessler at Internet Archive
  23. ^ University of Massachusetts Lowell music department Archived 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ "Girls' Latin School Outstanding Alumnae". blagls.org. Archived from the original on 2010-07-21.
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