- Jennifer Vyvyan
Jennifer Vyvyan (
13 March 1925 -5 April 1974 ) was a Britishsoprano . A member ofBenjamin Britten 'sEnglish Opera Group , she created roles in some of his operas, including:*Lady Rich in "
Gloriana "
*The Governess in "The Turn of the Screw"
*Tytania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
*Mrs. Julian in "Owen Wingrave "The warmth and flexibility of her voice made her an outstanding exponent of the music of
Purcell ,Handel and other baroque composers. Her gifts of characterisation allowed her to portray a wide range of operatic heroines.Jennifer Vyvyan 's beautifully clear, steady voice made made her also wonderful for oratorio. The Royal Choral Society sang with her many times (including, often, under
Malcolm Sargent in 'Messiah'). There is a recording of her withThomas Beecham inBeethoven 's Mass in C with other singers of similar high quality, includingMonica Sinclair andMarian Nowakowski . She sang frequently withNorma Procter and withKathleen Ferrier .She can be heard on records of Britten's "The Turn of the Screw" and "Owen Wingrave", Handel's Messiah (twice - in versions conducted by Sir Adrian Boult and Sir Thomas Beecham.
Jennifer Vyvyan died on 5 April 1974.
Literature
* D. Brook, "Singers of Today" (Revised Edition - Rockliff, London 1958), 192-194.
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