Beverly Wolff

Beverly Wolff (November 6, 1928 - August 14, 2005) was an American mezzo-soprano long associated with the New York City Opera.

Life and career

Beverly Wolff was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and studied music in her native city and in Philadelphia. She made her professional debut asDinah in Leonard Bernstein 's "Trouble in Tahiti", on television (CBS) in 1952. Dinah was also her debut role at the New York City Opera in 1958. Other roles at that house included, Cherubino in "Nozze di Figaro", Siebel in "Faust", the title role in "Carmen". She took part in two Tito Capobianco 's landmark productions there, Handel 's "Giulio Cesare" in which she sang Sesto, opposite Norman Treigle, Beverly Sills and Maureen Forrester, in 1966, and Donizetti 's "Roberto Devereux", in which she sang Sara, opposite Beverly Sills, Placido Domingo, Louis Quilico, in 1970, both operas were conducted by Julius Rudel. She also took part in the creation of Douglas Moore 's "Carry Nation", in 1966, in Lawrence, Kansas.

Wolff was also active as a recitalist, appearing in numerous cities around the Unites States. She also sang abroad, notably in Spoleto,
Florence, Venice, in roles such as Brangäne in "Tristan und Isolde", Dalila in "Samson et Dalila", and Benjamin Britten 's Lucretia in "The Rape of Lucretia".

Beverly Wolff retired from performing in 1981, and began teaching at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, where she remained untilshortly before her death.

Personal life

Beverly Wolff was married to businessman, John Dwiggins, with whom she had two sons. Early on in her career, she established a measured pacefor her professional and personal life, in general, for every two weeks of work, she would spent three weeks at home. She died in Lakeland, Florida, on August 14, 2005, at the age of 76.

Selected Recordings

Handel - "Giulio Cesare" - Norman Treigle, Beverly Sills, Maureen Forrester - NYCO Chorus and Orchestra - Julius Rudel - 1967 - RCA

Donizetti - "Roberto Devereux" - Beverly Sills, Robert Ilosfalvy, Peter Glossop - Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Royal Philarmonic Orchestra - Charles MacKerras - 1969 - DG

Sources

* "The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia", edited by David Hamilton, (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1987). ISBN 0-671-16732-X
* "Opera News Magazine", Obituaries, November 2005 issue.