# Bonus Round: Embroidery in Childhood. Cross, Lott, Harper



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

See my notes below.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon and I communicated after the first Peter Grimes aria contest. It became very plain to me that although I know a good bit about sopranos, the Brits and him specifically, really know Britten and the singers best associated with his works. After all, he is one of the jewels in the crown of British opera composers. I asked him to come up with this contest for you. I think you will enjoy these talented ladies singing this hauntingly beautiful aria. The conclusion of the Tomb Scene plus Callas's duet is next. I am sure he will have a good deal to add. After that an extravaganza of two epic contests


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Not being familiar with any of these singers (well Lott from "Dialogues") but I heard a voice that seemed to be so plaintive in sound that as close as they all seemed to me, and believe me I played them back and forth often enough, I really was stopped dead each time by Heather Harper. Being that I had not looked at the names, it really was a true choice without underlying prejudice of knowing who was who.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Of these three singers, the one that really draws me into the story and the mind of Ellen Orford is Heather Harper. Her voice has steadiness and power to spare for an emotional climax, swelling out beautifully on the high A, and her diction is as good as might be expected in this music (there are some words I've never been able to hear regardless of who is singing). This performance is part of the superb recording featuring a fine cast headed by Jon Vickers under Colin Davis.

Felicity Lott (or "Flott," as she's called) hasn't quite the vocal fullness or dramatic urgency of Harper, and there's something not quite right about Haitink's conducting. Joan Cross, with whom I'm not familiar, has a vocal timbre that doesn't please me. She does nothing wrong but nothing special either.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I wanted to include Joan Cross here because it is rare indeed in these competitions that we get to hear the creator of a role. Not only did Joan Cross create the role of Ellen Orford, but she also created the Female Chorus in *The Rape of Lucretia* (with Kathleen Ferrier as Lucretia), Lady Billows in *Albert Herring*, Elizabeth I in *Gloriana* and Mrs Grose in *The Turn of the Screw* and her repertoire included the Marshcallin, Brünnhilde and Aida. In later life she turned to directing opera and was a well loved and respected figure in post war British opera. That said, the voice as recorded here has no great individualty, though there is nothing wrong with her technique and we get quite a few of the words coming through. Incidentally, of the roles she created, only Mrs Grose is on disc as she had already retired by the time Britten recorded the others. She was 47 when these excerpts were recorded with Reginald Goodall.

Heather Harper can be seen as Cross's successor, taking on many of the roles Cross created. She can be heard on Britten's recording of *The Rape of Lucretia* and as Helena on his recording of *A Midsummer Night's Dream*. Her operatic career was mostly centred in the UK, but she did sing the Countess in *Le Nozze di Figaro* at the Met and Elsa for two seasons at Bayreuth. She also had an extensive concert career. She made quite a splash at the premiere of Britten's *War Requiem*, when she stood in at ten day's notice for Galina Vishnevskaya, whom the Soviet authorities wouldn't allow to travel to the UK. When Britten came to record the piece, he did so with his originally planned group of soloists, which included Vishneskaya, but many felt she compared unfavourably to Harper. Ellen Orford was probably her most famous role and she sang it with both Vickers and Pears and there are video recordings of her singing it with both tenors. To me she is absolutely ideal, the voice quite beautiful and the melismas spun out in masterly fashion, her singing simple and unaffected, letting the emotions speak for themselves. Incidentally, she sang quite a bit of Strauss, being well known for her Empress in *Die Frau ohne Schatten*, Chrysothemis and Ariadne and also recorded an excellent version of the _Vier letzte Lieder_.

Felicity Lott comes from a younger generation of British singers. She too was know for her Strauss roles (the Marschallin, the Countess and Pauline in *Intermezzo*) and recorded the _Vier letzte Lieder_. She too had an extensive concert and recital repertoire. I liked her version here, but it makes much less of an impression than Harper's, which seems just so unobtrusively right. I suspect that for me, and many other British opera lovers, Heather Harper simply is Ellen Orford.

Incidentally the above video is not available for me, so here it is for anyone residing in the UK.






If anyone is interested , there is a complete performance on youtube with Harper as Ellen and Peter Pears as Grimes, directed for television by no other than Joan Cross. The embroidery aria comes at about 1 hour 53 mins in. Harper's acting is as simple and unaffected as her singing.


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## khalid (11 mo ago)

Joan Cross sounds a bit constricted and nasal. Both Felicity Lott and Heather Harper are good, Lott reminds me in a way of Moffo whom I like. Harper has a better diction, while Lott manages the high tessitura better. I slightly favor Lott's timbre so I'm going for her.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I can see what all the fuss is about Heather Harper. It is not the big things so much as it is a lot of little touches that result in a big win for me. Very very beautiful.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

I was ready to stop listening to Cross as I thought she sounded old - I have no idea if she is - but then she left that opening section and her connection to the words caught me. Unfair to the first group, I had the words this time and it helped. All three singers had a connection and simplicity of expression that felt just right. Harpers tone seemed the warmest so she got my vote but again...I thought all sang it affectingly.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

ScottK said:


> I was ready to stop listening to Cross as I thought she sounded old - I have no idea if she is - but then she left that opening section and her connection to the words caught me. Unfair to the first group, I had the words this time and it helped. All three singers had a connection and simplicity of expression that felt just right. Harpers tone seemed the warmest so she got my vote but again...I thought all sang it affectingly.


Ellen isn't young though. She is a widow and the Borough schoolmistress, so a more mature singer is not necessarily a problem. Heather Harper wasn't the most glamorous of sopranos but I think her rather homely appearance in the video I posted above is absolutely perfect for the role.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Ellen isn't young though. She is a widow and the Borough schoolmistress, so a more mature singer is not necessarily a problem. Heather Harper wasn't the most glamorous of sopranos but I think her rather homely appearance in the video I posted above is absolutely perfect for the role.


Thanks for your help in creating this contest for me and in sharing your knowledge about this aria . People seemed to enjoy it!!!!!!!


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Thanks for your help in creating this contest for me and in sharing your knowledge about this aria .* People seemed to enjoy it!!!!!!*!


Very Much!!! One listen would not have done it but after six, plus some repeating, I do feel I'm starting to "get it" and I really haven't felt that with Britten before!....and it's well timed. When the Met schedule came out my opera buddy mentioned Grimes and I said he'd probably be solo. I don't think that's the case now.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

ScottK said:


> Very Much!!! One listen would not have done it but after six, plus some repeating, I do feel I'm starting to "get it" and I really haven't felt that with Britten before!....and it's well timed. When the Met schedule came out my opera buddy mentioned Grimes and I said he'd probably be solo. I don't think that's the case now.


You really should try to see it. I've seen it several times on stage in various different productions and it never fails to exert its cumulative power. If you want to try another section, listen to the Four Sea Interludes, which are often performed as a concert piece.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> You really should try to see it. I've seen it several times on stage in various different productions and it never fails to exert its cumulative power. If you want to try another section, listen to the Four Sea Interludes, which are often performed as a concert piece.


I find modern operas really work best live. They are more theater pieces.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Tsaraslondon said:


> You really should try to see it. I've seen it several times on stage in various different productions and it never fails to exert its cumulative power. If you want to try another section, listen to the Four Sea Interludes, which are often performed as a concert piece.


I will. I've heard them live and I've seen Grimes onstage and both times I thought I was going to take away more than I did. But I recognize they are major works and I think I probably need to let go of some expectations and just let Britten do his thing. I think this aria is haunting and that's new!


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

*I find modern operas really work best live. They are more theater pieces.*

I agree completely!


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

ScottK said:


> *I find modern operas really work best live. They are more theater pieces.*
> 
> I agree completely!


Yes, but what s modern? Grimes is almost 80 years old now, *Wozzeck* almost 100. Incidentally around the same period of time separates *Die Zauberflöte* and *La Boheme*.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> You really should try to see it. I've seen it several times on stage in various different productions and it never fails to exert its cumulative power. If you want to try another section, listen to the Four Sea Interludes, which are often performed as a concert piece.


I saw the ROH production with Jon Vickers and Colin Davis and it was terrific, however it isn't my preferred recording which would be the Philip Langridge/Richard Hickox.

Incidentally, that performance of _Peter Grimes_ was done in Los Angeles in 1984 and came a few days after them doing _Zauberflote_ and a few days before _Turandot_!!


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Becca said:


> I saw the ROH production with Jon Vickers and Colin Davis and it was terrific, however it isn't my preferred recording which would be the Philip Langridge/Richard Hickox.
> 
> Incidentally, that performance of _Peter Grimes_ was done in Los Angeles in 1984 and came a few days after them doing _Zauberflote_ and a few days before _Turandot_!!


I think *Peter Grimes* as been extraordinarily lucky on record, especially when you consider it was written post WWII. Apart from the recordings you mentioned, conducted by Davis and Hickox, there is Britten's own recording with Peter Pears, Davis's second LSO recording with Glenn Winslade, the Haitink with Anthony Rolfe Johnson,the Bedford "Peter Grimes on the Beach" with Alan Oke, the Wigglesworth with Anthony Dean Griffey and the most recent Edward Gardner with Stuart Skelton. The Ellen on that recording is Erin Wall and I thought of including her version of te Embroidery Aria in the competition, but I can't say I took to her vibrato.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I think *Peter Grimes* as been extraordinarily lucky on record, especially when you consider it was written post WWII.


I don't think that it's a matter of luck - rather, it's that Britten really knew how to write for voices. He had close relationships with a lot of singers, who no doubt provided feedback. He also knew to keep orchestration light when the singers are singing (unlike Wagner, for example).


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