University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Music Music 2014 BEVERLY, “MUSIC MISSES YOU”: A BIOGRAPHICAL AND PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO AMERICAN MEZZO-SOPRANO BEVERLY WOLFF’S CAREER AND HER SUBSEQUENT IMPACT ON AMERICAN OPERA AND ART SONG Sarah C. Downs Trail University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Downs Trail, Sarah C., "BEVERLY, “MUSIC MISSES YOU”: A BIOGRAPHICAL AND PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO AMERICAN MEZZO-SOPRANO BEVERLY WOLFF’S CAREER AND HER SUBSEQUENT IMPACT ON AMERICAN OPERA AND ART SONG" (2014). Theses and Dissertations--Music. 27. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/music_etds/27 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Music at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Music by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless an embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s thesis including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Sarah C. Downs Trail, Student Dr. Everett McCorvey, Major Professor Dr. David Sogin, Director of Graduate Studies BEVERLY, “MUSIC MISSES YOU”: A BIOGRAPHICAL AND PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO AMERICAN MEZZO-SOPRANO BEVERLY WOLFF’S CAREER AND HER SUBSEQUENT IMPACT ON AMERICAN OPERA AND ART SONG DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in the School of Music at the University of Kentucky By Sarah Catherine Downs Trail Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Everett McCorvey, Professor of Voice Lexington, Kentucky Copyright © Sarah Catherine Downs Trail 2014 ABSTRACT FOR DMA PROJECT BEVERLY, “MUSIC MISSES YOU”: A BIOGRAPHICAL AND PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO AMERICAN MEZZO-SOPRANO, BEVERLY WOLFF’S CAREER AND HER SUBSEQUENT IMPACT ON AMERICAN OPERA AND ART SONG American mezzo-soprano, Beverly Wolff has not received the credit or respect that she deserves in operatic history. Her career began in 1952 and flourished until her retirement from the stage in 1981. Her intense characterizations, innate musicianship, and intelligence made her one of the most sought-after performers from the 1950s to the 1970s. For thirty years, she worked with some of the operatic world’s finest musicians, including Leonard Bernstein, Gian-Carlo Menotti, Samuel Barber, Ned Rorem, Beverly Sills, Norman Triegle, Placido Domingo, among others. She was represented by Columbia Artists Management Inc (CAMI), one of New York’s oldest and most prestigious management companies, and maintained an active performance schedule that often included operatic, concert, and recital performances in the same week. She trained at the American Vocal Academy in Philadelphia and was inducted into its Hall of Fame. She performed in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New Orleans, and Atlanta and was an active member of the New York City Opera, Handel Society, Tanglewood, and the Handel Society of Washington, D.C. Wolff is credited with over sixty recordings. She also appeared on several of NBC’s live operatic programs, which brought opera to the masses. Perhaps most importantly, she created and debuted several important roles in American opera. Few have heard of her; the purpose of this document is to fill in this gap in operatic history, and to clarify and correct misinformation about her. In this document, I will answer the following questions: What determines a performer’s worth? What secures a performer’s place in history? Finally, and more specifically, what imprints did Beverly Wolff leave for posterity? KEYWORDS: Beverly Wolff, Songs of Love and Rain by Ned Rorem, Trouble in Tahiti by Leonard Bernstein, Carrie Nation by Douglas Moore, Mezzo-Soprano Sarah Catherine Downs Trail Student’s Signature June 18, 2014 Date BEVERLY, “MUSIC MISSES YOU”: A BIOGRAPHICAL AND PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO AMERICAN MEZZO-SOPRANO BEVERLY WOLFF’S CAREER AND HER SUBSEQUENT IMPACT ON AMERICAN OPERA AND ART SONG By Sarah Catherine Downs Trail Dr. Everett McCorvey____________ Director of Dissertation Dr. David Sogin_________________ Director of Graduate Studies June 14, 2014____________________ Date ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to dedicate this work to the memory of my father, Thomas William Downs. Special thanks also go to Professor Cliff Jackson a man who has served as a constant inspiration to me as a performer and a person. I would also like to thank Dr. Joanne Filkins for constantly supporting me through this entire process, and Dr. David Sogin for helping me work through the process. I would be lost without the support of Glenn Trail my husband, friend, and rock, and Sandra Downs Pittman, my mother and best friend, who never let me give up on this project and more importantly on myself. Lastly, Audrey Jean Trail, my heart, I finished this for you! Never give up on your dreams no matter how difficult and challenging they are! I would also like to thank my committee members: Dr. Karen Bottge, Dr. Ben Arnold, Dr. Noemi Lugo, Dr. Everett McCorvey, Professor Robert Haven, Dr. Nancy Jones, Dr. Lance Brunner, and Dr. Richard Domek. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv PART ONE: Chapter One: Introduction and Project Overview ..............................................................1 Chapter One: Introduction ........................................................................................1 Scope and Goal of Research ......................................................................................1 Need for Study ...........................................................................................................1 Limitations of Study, Methodology, and Sources Used ............................................2 Chapter Two: Beverly Wolff Biography and Performance History .........................4 Chapter Overview ............................................................................................4 Chapter Three: Three Greats in American Music and Their Collaboration with Wolff: Leonard Bernstein, Trouble in Tahiti, Douglas Moore, Carrie Nation, and Ned Rorem, Poems of Love and Rain...............................4 Chapter Overview ............................................................................................4 Chapter Four: Performance Guide to the Role of Dinah from Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, Carrie Nation from Moore’s Carrie Nation, and Rorem’s Song Cycle Poems of Love and Rain ..............................................................5 Chapter Overview ............................................................................................5 Chapter Five: Wolff’s Instrument, Musicianship, Reputation, and Legacy ..............5 Chapter Overview ............................................................................................5 Chapter Two: Wolff Biography and Performance History .................................................6 New York City Opera ..............................................................................................14 Other Major Opera Houses in the U.S. ....................................................................17 New York Philharmonic ..........................................................................................18 Columbia Artists Management Inc ..........................................................................20 Handel ......................................................................................................................21 Berkshire Music Festival-Tanglewood ....................................................................24 Brevard and Ravinia Music Festivals ......................................................................24 Spoleto and other Notable European Performances ................................................25 International Opera Festival in Mexico City, Mexico .............................................26 Carnegie Hall ...........................................................................................................27