# June Anderson???



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Mas suggested I listen to Semiramide with Anderson and Horne on Parterre.com. I haven't gone to that site for ages and it had been decades since I listened to June Anderson. I was really really impressed. She had a voice that was both distinctive and beautiful.Hard to say how big the voice was. Likely not as big as Sutherland and Callas BUT I did hear that her voice did grow in size, she lost the upper extension as well as the coloratura facility. She even sang Salome later in her career. I'd be interested in what you guys have to say about her.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Unfortunately, we only heard June Anderson twice in San Francisco; in *Maometto II*, and *I Puritani* in the late '80s -early '90s.

To me, she looked like Sutherland about the jaw area, and sometimes sounded like her (not intentionally). One big difference is the diction, of course, and the middle register was not cloudy, like Sutherland's. The voice was slimmer, and not as big or velvety up top, though very secure.

I didn't have many recordings of Anderson, though I seem to remember only a *Rigoletto* and *Semiramide* in common with Sutherland. The record companies wisely recorded Anderson in more unusual repertoire, in _opera serie_ of Rossini (*Maometto II*, *Mose in Egitto*, and rather obscure French operas (*La Jollie Fille de Perth*, *Robert Le Diable*, *Le Postillon de Longjumeau*).

I think she had a big European career rather than American, though she sang in Chicago and the Metropolitan, too.

Edited: I forgot to mention that only in comparison, does Anderson's voice seem smaller, or rather the reverse: I find Sutherland's voice seems bigger when compared to Anderson's. You don't notice Sutherland's voice is big in the house unless you're thinking about it. I think it's partly the repertoire she sang - all of the fireworks obscure the size of her voice. I never noticed it even in the declamatory passages in *Norma* - I think it's because of the softening of the consonants and the fact that she doesn't spit out the words.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> Unfortunately, we only heard June Anderson twice in San Francisco; in *Maometto II*, and *I Puritani* in the late '80s -early '90s.
> 
> To me, she looked like Sutherland about the jaw area, and sometimes sounded like her (not intentionally). One big difference is the diction, of course, and the middle register was not cloudy, like Sutherland's. The voice was slimmer, and not as big or velvety up top, though very secure.
> 
> ...


I asked and you delivered.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I never saw her live so I can only compare her recordings with those of Gruberova and Sutherland. Due to the similarities in jaw line the comparisons with Sutherland are unavoidable. Like Gruberova she always struck me as a poor man's Sutherland and whilst her smaller voice was perhaps better suited to their rep, she lacks a distinctive sound and didn't particularly characterise her roles well. I think I prefer Gruberova as she could emote more if caught in the right role at the right point in her career.

That said, due to Anderson recording so much rare rep, I have more recordings with her in than Gruberova. I have the Maometto and Mose and she is very good in La Juive (it's a shame the recording isn't complete). I have the DVD of Semiramide with Horne, but haven't watched it yet, it's on my 'to watch' pile!

N.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Along with a certain "coolness" I just think Anderson was thwarted by timing -- Sutherland timing.
Certainly she had a beautiful voice, it just lacked a distinctive quality that stamps a star sound.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Mas suggested I listen to Semiramide with Anderson and Horne on Parterre.com. I haven't gone to that site for ages and it had been decades since I listened to June Anderson. I was really really impressed. She had a voice that was both distinctive and beautiful.Hard to say how big the voice was. Likely not as big as Sutherland and Callas BUT I did hear that her voice did grow in size, she lost the upper extension as well as the coloratura facility. She even sang Salome later in her career. I'd be interested in what you guys have to say about her.


Well, most singers lose notes above high D as they age. Overall, a fine singer imo, with a clear, natural head register and coloratura ability on par with Sutherland and Sills. There are certainly better singers in that role, but she's well worth a listen, if a bid girly sounding.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> Well, most singers lose notes above high D as they age. Overall, a fine singer imo, with a clear, natural head register and coloratura ability on par with Sutherland and Sills. There are certainly better singers in that role, but she's well worth a listen, if a bid girly sounding.


Except for the freak Sutherland who's D's got bigger and richer up till her early 60's to my ear. Your characterization of Anderson was great. I think what stood out for me was that there might have been better singers in her roles in the past, but she would have been top of the heap in her Bel Canto repertoire now.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Except for the freak Sutherland who's D's got bigger and richer up till her early 60's to my ear. Your characterization of Anderson was great. I think what stood out for me was that there might have been better singers in her roles in the past, but she would have been top of the heap in her Bel Canto repertoire now.


well, 
1) Sutherland was a freak
2) she cheated by transposing things down. I think she would have been better off keeping the original key and losing the interpolated high Ds and Ebs.

I'm going to have to disagree though. she relied more and more on falsetto to hit the highest notes and they started to screech a bit imo


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> well,
> 1) Sutherland was a freak
> 2) she cheated by transposing things down. I think she would have been better off keeping the original key and losing the interpolated high Ds and Ebs.
> 
> I'm going to have to disagree though. she relied more and more on falsetto to hit the highest notes and they started to screech a bit imo


Just like Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Anthony Scalia could be best pals, our differences of opinion don't affect my fondness for you in our online correspondence LOL


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I think Damrau is today's equivalent of Anderson and I prefer Damrau (did Anderson ever sing Queen of the Night?) Although I find Damrau can be lacking in the emotive department, she has a touch more metal in her voice and is a more exciting artist.

N.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

The Conte said:


> I think Damrau is today's equivalent of Anderson and I prefer Damrau (did Anderson ever sing Queen of the Night?) Although I find Damrau can be lacking in the emotive department, she has a touch more metal in her voice and is a more exciting artist.
> 
> N.


I forget about her. I don't see much contemporary opera. She is very good.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

The Conte said:


> I think Damrau is today's equivalent of Anderson and I prefer Damrau (did Anderson ever sing Queen of the Night?) Although I find Damrau can be lacking in the emotive department, she has a touch more metal in her voice and is a more exciting artist.
> 
> N.


Their voices are quite different. June Anderson sang the Queen of the Night early I her career.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

MAS said:


> Their voices are quite different. June Anderson did sing the Queen of the Night early I her career.


Damrau has a colder voice with more metal in it, whereas Anderson had a more straightforward and possibly fluid sound. Their repertoire is pretty much the same though. I find Damrau more accomplished when it comes to the coloratura, is that not so?

N.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

The Conte said:


> Damrau has a colder voice with more metal in it, whereas Anderson had a more straightforward and possibly fluid sound. Their repertoire is pretty much the same though. I find Damrau more accomplished when it comes to the coloratura, is that not so?
> 
> N.


Damrau has a voice I associate with coloratura sopranos, very focused, diamantine, though I don't follow her career. Anderson's voice is warmer, but she identified more with the coloratura soprano repertoire earlier in her career. I haven't compared their singing to know which is more accomplished.

Here they are, singing Der Hölle Rache from *Die Zauberflöte*











Addition: I know a little more about June Anderson because she appeared on the scene in the midst of my opera going and ushering period and her recordings came out during my years of collecting everything I could. I did not, however follow her career (she was not a favorite).


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Just like Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Anthony Scalia could be best pals, our differences of opinion don't affect my fondness for you in our online correspondence LOL


lmao! wonderful way to put it


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