Joy Clements

Joy Clements (born on April 29, 1932; died on October 24, 2005) was an American operatic soprano of note. She was born in Dayton, Ohio, and made her debut at the New York City Opera in 1959, as Monica in "The Medium", opposite Claramae Turner in the name part, conducted by Werner Torkanowsky. Over the next ten years, she was frequently heard with that company, including roles in "Carmen" (as Micaëla), "L'Orfeo" (as Speranza, conducted by Leopold Stokowski), "Così fan tutte" (as Despina, conducted by Julius Rudel), the world premiere of Robert Ward's "The Crucible" (as Mary Warren, with Chester Ludgin, 1961), "Gianni Schicchi" (as Lauretta), "Le nozze di Figaro" (as Susanna, with Tatiana Troyanos as Cherubino), and the title role in "Susannah" (opposite Norman Treigle as the Reverend Blitch).

Clements was first seen at the Metropolitan Opera in 1963, as the Countess Ceprano in "Rigoletto" (with Cornell MacNeil). The coloratura was heard there, until 1972, in "La sonnambula" (as Lisa, with Dame Joan Sutherland), "La bohème" (as Musetta), "L'elisir d'amore" (as Giannetta, opposite Mirella Freni, then Renata Scotto), "Fidelio" (as Marzelline), "Die Fledermaus" (as Adele, with Phyllis Curtin), "Un ballo in maschera" (as Oscar, with Leontyne Price, later Montserrat Caballé and Plácido Domingo), "Hänsel und Gretel" (as Gretel, opposite Frederica von Stade), and "Orfeo ed Euridice" (as Amor).

A highlight of her career was the July 28, 1965, Concert Version of Aaron Copland's "The Tender Land", as part of the French-American Festival, with the New York Philharmonic. Clements sang the leading role of Laurie Moss, with Turner, Richard Cassilly, Treigle and Richard Fredricks also in the cast, which was conducted by the composer. Three days later, Columbia recorded an abridged version of the opera, at the Manhattan Center. (In 2000, Sony released the performance on Compact Disc.)

In 1972, Clements returned to the City Opera, again in "Susannah". Later the same year, she appeared in "Le nozze di Figaro" at the Wolf Trap Farm Park, with Treigle, Curtin and Susanne Marsee in the cast. Also in her repertoire was the doll, Olympia, in "Les contes d'Hoffmann".

At the age of seventy-three, the soprano succumbed to complications from multiple sclerosis.

References

* "Obituaries," "Opera News", September 2006.