Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011
Renowned Recitalists Susan Graham and Malcolm Martineau Return to Carnegie Hall, February 1 at 8:00 pm
Program Focuses on Women
Throughout History and Literature
On Wednesday, February 1 at 8:00 p.m., mezzo-soprano Susan Graham and her frequent collaborator, pianist Malcolm Martineau, return to Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage with a recital program focusing on compelling women throughout history and literature. Ms. Graham, with Mr. Martineau at the piano, made her celebrated Carnegie Hall recital debut in 2003, a performance that was subsequently released on the Erato label. The pair returned to Carnegie Hall in 2007 with a program of French art song.
On this program, Ms. Graham sings works by a wide array of composers—from Purcell, Berlioz, and Liszt to Poulenc, Duparc, and Sondheim—who’ve drawn inspiration from heroines of Shakespeare and the American Songbook alike. Highlights include Purcell’s “Mad Bess,” Berlioz’s “La Mort d'Ophélie,” Joseph Horovitz’s Lady Macbeth, and Poulenc’s song cycle Fiançailles pour rire. See below for more program details; additional selections will be announced from the stage.
Artist Information
Susan Graham, one of the world’s foremost stars of opera and recital, is a compelling and versatile singing actress. Celebrated as an expert in French music, Ms. Graham has been honored by the French government with the title "Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur.” Highlights of her 2011–12 season include her much-anticipated Canadian Opera Company debut as Iphigenia in Gluck’s Iphigenia en Tauride. Ms. Graham also returns to the San Francisco Opera in the title role of Handel's Xerxes, and to the Paris Opera for performances of Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow. In January, she embarks on an American recital tour with her frequent collaborator, pianist Malcolm Martineau, which culminates in this Carnegie Hall engagement.
Ms. Graham’s previous opera highlights include her creating the role of Sister Helen Prejean in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking for San Francisco Opera, as well as creating the leading roles in two Metropolitan Opera world premieres: Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy and John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby. Born in New Mexico and raised in Texas, Ms. Graham studied at Texas Tech University and the Manhattan School of Music, which awarded her an honorary Doctor of Music in 2008. She won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Schwabacher Award from San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program, as well as a Career Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation. Ms. Graham was Musical America’s 2004 Vocalist of the Year, and in 2006, her hometown of Midland, Texas, declared September 5 “Susan Graham Day” in perpetuity.
Malcolm Martineau was born in Edinburgh, read Music at St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge, and studied at the Royal College of Music. Recognized as one of the leading recital collaborators of his generation, he has worked with many of the world’s greatest singers, including Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Janet Baker, Olaf Bär, Barbara Bonney, Ian Bostridge, Angela Gheorghiu, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Della Jones, Simon Keenlyside, Angelika Kirchschlager, Magdalena Kozena, Solveig Kringelborn, Jonathan Lemalu, Dame Felicity Lott, Christopher Maltman, Karita Mattila, Lisa Milne, Ann Murray, Anna Netrebko, Anne Sofie von Otter, Joan Rodgers, Amanda Roocroft, Michael Schade, Frederica von Stade, Bryn Terfel, and Sarah Walker.
Mr. Martineau has presented his own series at St. John’s Smith Square (the complete songs of Debussy and Poulenc), the Wigmore Hall (a Britten and Poulenc series broadcast by the BBC) and at the Edinburgh Festival (the complete lieder of Hugo Wolf). He has appeared throughout Europe, including London’s Wigmore Hall, Barbican, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Royal Opera House; La Scala in Milan; the Chatelet in Paris; the Liceu in Barcelona; Berlin’s Philharmonie and Konzerthaus; Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw; and the Vienna Konzerthaus and Musikverein. Mr. Martineau has also performed at New York’s Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and at the festivals of Aix-en-Provence, Vienna, Edinburgh, Munich, and Salzburg, plus the Schubertiade festival. He was given an honorary doctorate at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2004.
Program Information
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
Susan Graham, Mezzo-Soprano
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
HENRY PURCELL "Tell Me, Some Pitying Angel" (The Blessed Virgin’s Expostulation)
HENRY PURCELL "Mad Bess"
HECTOR BERLIOZ "La Mort d'Ophélie," Op. 18, No. 2
FRANZ SCHUBERT "Heiss mich nicht reden," D.877, No. 2
ROBERT SCHUMANN "So lasst mich scheinen," Op. 98a, No. 9
FRANZ LISZT "Kennst du das Land" (Mignons Lied)
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY "None but the Lonely Heart," Op. 6, No. 6
HENRI DUPARC "Romance de Mignon"
HUGO WOLF "Heiss mich nicht reden"
JOSEPH HOROVITZ Lady Macbeth
FRANCIS POULENC Fiançailles pour rire
•• La Dame d'André
•• Dans l'herbe
•• Il Vole
•• Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant
•• Violon
•• Fleurs
Selections to be announced from the stage
Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.
Ticket Information
Tickets, priced $30—$85, are available at the Carnegie Hall Box
Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by
calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall
website, carnegiehall.org.
For Carnegie Hall Corporation presentations taking place in Stern
Auditorium/Perelman Stage, a limited number of seats, priced at $10,
will be available day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday through
Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance
or until supply lasts. The exceptions are Carnegie Hall Family Concerts
and gala events. These $10 tickets are available to the general public
on a first-come, first-served basis at the Carnegie Hall Box Office
only. There is a two-ticket limit per customer.
In addition, for all Carnegie Hall presentations in Stern
Auditorium/Perelman Stage a limited number of partial view (seats with
obstructed or limited sight lines or restricted leg room) will be sold
for 50% of the full price. For more information on this and other
discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables
members, and Bank of America customers, visit, carnegiehall.org/discounts.
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