William Pell (tenor)

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Pell in Parsifal at the 1989 Bayreuth Festival

William R. Pell (August 16, 1947 – July 26, 2003) was an American opera singer who had a major international career during the 1980s and 1990s. He began his career as a baritone in the early 1970s before transitioning into the dramatic tenor repertoire in 1975. He was particularly admired for his interpretations of the works of Richard Wagner.[1]

Early years

Born in

Peabody Conservatory (1965–1967) and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington (1967–1970). While at IU he performed in student productions of Andrea Chénier (Roucher), Deidamia (Fenice), L'italiana in Algeri (Haly), and Love on Trial (Count Asdrubale). After graduation, Pell was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he sang with an Army ensemble and band.[2] Pell then moved to New York City, where he pursued graduate studies at the Manhattan School of Music and sang as a baritone with the professional choir of nearby Riverside Church, under the direction of Frederick Swann.[2][4]

Career in opera

Pell began performing in professional operas with mostly secondary houses throughout North America during the early 1970s as a baritone. He notably sang Figaro in Mozart's

La Traviata in San Francisco. In 1975 he made his first foray into the tenor repertoire with a portrayal of Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohème. In 1977 he became an Affiliate Artist at San Francisco Opera where he sang the role of the officer in Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss and Procolo in Donizetti's Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali.[4]

In the late 1970s he went to Europe where his career thrived. From 1982-1989 he was a principal tenor at the

Ring Cycle and Váňa Kudrjáš in Janáček's Káťa Kabanová.[4]

Pell was also highly active as a guest artist with opera companies on the international stage. In 1980 he returned to the Canadian Opera Company to sing Laca Klemeň in Janáček's Jenůfa and in 1981 he returned to the San Francisco Opera to portray Romeo in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. At Oper Frankfurt he sang in the world premiere of Hans Zender's Stephen Climax on June 15, 1986. He had a major triumph at the Festival dei Due Mondi in the title role of Wagner's Parsifal in 1987, returning there the following year to sing Laca Klemeň. In 1988 he was an admired Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi in Trieste and gave successful performances of Alwa in Alban Berg's Lulu at the Teatro Carlo Felice and Staatsoper Hannover.[4]

Pell gave several performances at the

Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District
.

Death and legacy

Having never retired, Pell died in

Arthaus on DVD in 2013.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Obituary: William Pell". Opera News. December 2003 – via ProQuest.
  2. ^ a b c Hamilton, Mildred (May 17, 1977). "Young opera singers take a short-cut up ladder of success". San Francisco Examiner. p. 20.
  3. ^
    New York Times. August 10, 2003 – via ProQuest
    .
  4. ^ a b c d e "Pell, William Biography at operissimo.com". Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  5. ^
    JSTOR 43672889
    .
  6. ^ Henahan, Donal (June 5, 1990). "Spoleto Festival U.S.A.; In Opera and in Dance, a Blending of Pagan Myth and Religion". The New York Times. p. C13 – via ProQuest.
  7. Reporter-Times
    . Martinsville, Indiana. pp. E6 and E8.
  8. ^ "Faculty: Andrea Pell (Guest Teacher)". Vermont Ballet Theater and School. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  9. ^ "Christopher Pell". Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  10. OCLC 19412711
    .
  11. ^ "'Sacred Classics' Palm Sunday program". Sacred Classics. March 27–28, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
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