The Deutsche Oper Berlin, together with the whole opera world, is in mourning for Jessye Norman. Equally, we are proud that Ms. Norman, a true singer for the ages, began her stage career with us. For a young opera singer, the first years spent in an ensemble are the most formative, especially if they have the chance to work alongside and learn from great colleagues; this was the case withJessye Norman, who came to the Deutsche Oper shortly after winning the ARD Music Competition in 1969. She was immediately entrusted with major roles, and over the following years she was able to try out all the possibilites of her unique voice and mature as a singing actor in such roles as the Countess in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO (alongside Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau), Donna Elvira in DON GIOVANNI, Elisabeth in TANNHÄUSER and the title role of AIDA (conducted by Claudio Abbado).

Jessye Norman als Elisabeth © Ilse Buhs

 

Jessye Norman also got to know the other side of a large repertoire house here: for her role debut as Elisabeth, she had to go on without a single stage rehearsal, on top of which she, the daughter of an American civil rights activist, was made to wear white make-up. She also studied the role of Elsa in Lohengrin as a cover for Pilar Lorengar, but never had the opportunity to sing the role on the Deutsche Oper’s stage. Nevertheless, after her departure from the ensemble in 1975, Jessye Normanemphasised time and again how important her years in Berlin had been to her – for getting to know the major operatic repertoire, but also for the artistic climate of the divided city, whose cultural offerings, from Karajan to Felsenstein, from the Schaubühne to the Schiller Theater, found an enthusiastic visitor in her. That’s certainly why Jessye Norman always stayed true to Berlin, and was always welcomed back as a world star.

This year, on February 20, 2019, Jessye Norman was awarded the Glenn Gould Prize 2018 in Toronto. During the gala concert in her honour, Donald Runnicles conducted the TRISTAN Prelude and "Isoldes Liebestod" with Nina Stemme as soloist. © The Glenn Gould Foundation

 

The Deutsche Oper Berlin commemorates a great artist, who, through her impressive charisma, warm-hearted nature, and exceptional stage presence, shaped the world of opera and will always stay in our memories.