When I was singing full-time in the 70s & 80's in new york, I was able to be a masterclass student with a variety of major singers - Sam Ramy, Roberta Peters, Joan Sutherland, Jerry Hadley, Beverly Sills & Marilyn Horne & many more. I was one of Marilyn's regular master class singers - I learned the absolute most from her. We became quite friendly and I knew her more as Jackie. I was fortunate enough to move to Santa Barbara quite a few years ago and have spent as much time as I could with her for the past 30yrs every Summer at the Music Academy of the West. A classy lady, an amazing talent, and one of the most lovely people I've ever known.
As a resident of her hometown of Bradford, PA - we hate her! She has done nothing for the youth of our town and her garish museum is an insult to our Veteran's Square - where it sits in infamy. AND her voice is fat, guttural, unappealing - and she sweats like a sow when she sings. May she reap in sorrow...
Great speech by Horne always the cheerful communicator. Very interesting the body language of the opera soloists surrounding her especial when she mentions Sutherland. And what is Barbara Cook nearest sweet. The tears came for Horne when speaking to her sister in the audience.
One of my buddies just recently was caring for his dying mother. She had a book of opera, which he gave to me because he and his wife are American Idol fans, if you know what I mean! There was note in the book in his mother’s handwriting: “Mezzo Samson and Delilah.” I sent him the Marilyn Horne video, he played it for his dying mom, and she said, “That’s EXACTLY who I was thinking of, but I couldn’t remember her name.”
What happened to Henry Lewis? Is there still a NJ Symphony? Time cannot wither nor custom stale her infinite variety...met her years ago...always "at home ", affable, genuine...redefined the word "grace"
I heard a recording of her singing mon coure(sp) s'ouvre a ta voix, hitting the octave leap at the end with much perfection. She was as talented as a soprano as well as a mezzo.
I lost it at the end of this. Such a beautiful tribute to one of the greatest ever, and how nice to see Mr. Ramey gracefully escorting la grande dame off the stage. So touching. <3
Its very sad because Barbara Cook said that she was planning her 90th birthday in this video but it didnt happen because she died two months before her 90th birthday. A very beautiful tribute to two greatest artists Marilyn Horne and Barbara Cook(1927-2017)
My favorite non-operatic soprano ever is Barbara Cook, and my favorite mezzo of all time in Marilyn, whom I met after a concert in St. Paul in the late 70s. She couldn't have been sweeter, and when I got home I realized she had signed my program. I was so starstruck I hadn't noticed she had done that while I was speaking to her. What a delight to see all these great stars saluting Ms Horne. May she live to be 100!
Suth Pav unfortunately she now has an inept assistant who has kept my program I kindly asked to get her autograph for 14 months. Even saw him last night. Promised to get it to me at my hotel the next day. Did he? Nope. Sadly the only copy of that program I had from 1990.
