Josephine Barstow
[Rôles] [Discography] [Upcoming]

English soprano, Dame Josephine Barstow, possesses an expressive and flexible voice which she uses to great effect. It is a very distinctive and personal sound - instantly recognizable. She is also an extremely gifted and intelligent actress. This combination of voice and acting makes her one of the most powerful performers on the operatic stage.

Important dates, débuts and premières

27 September, 1940 born in Sheffield
1964 début as Mimi with Opera for All
1967 joins Sadler's Wells company
1968 Violetta with Welsh National Opera
1969 Covent Garden début as a Niece in Peter Grimes
1970 Denise in the première of Tippett's The Knot Garden
1972 Lady Macbeth for a Glyndebourne production for TV
première of Peter Maxwell Davies' Blind Man's Buff
1973 Jeanne in the first British performance of Penderecki's The Devils of Loudon
1974 Autonoë in the first British performance of Henze's The Bassarids
Marguerite in the world première of Gordon Crosse's The Story of Vasco
1976 Young Woman in the première of Henze's We come to the river
1977 Gayle in the première of Tippett's The Ice Break
US début as Lady Macbeth (Miami)
Metropolitan Opera début as Musetta in La bohème
1985 awarded Fidelio medal and the CBE
1986 tour of the USSR (Tosca and Lady Macbeth)
1987 Benigna in world première of Penderecki's Die schwarze Maske
1995 created a DBE

Rôles have included:

Thanks to the readers of Opera-L and especially Andrew Cooper for their help in compiling this list

Discography

Complete Operas/Musicals and other works

Bart, Lionel - Oliver! - That's Entertainment CDTER 1184 - purchase at Tower Records - purchase at CDNow
with Richard South, Julian Forsyth, Richard Van Allan, Irfan Ahmad, Stuart Kale, Nickolas Grace, Rosemary Ashe, Megan Kelly, King's College School, Wimbledon Boys' Choir, National Symphony Orchestra, John Owen Edwards
Beethoven, Ludwig van - Symphony number 9 - Chandos CHAN 8750
(complete Symphonies - purchase at CDNow)
with Linda Finnie, David Rendall, John Tomlinson, City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, Weller
Britten, Benjamin - Albert Herring - Collins Classics 7042-2
with Christopher Gillett, Felicity Palmer, Peter Savidge, Robert Lloyd, Stuart Kale, Susan Gritton, Della Jones, Gerald Finley, Ann Taylor, Northern Sinfonia, Steuart Bedford
Britten, Benjamin - Gloriana - Decca 440 213 2
with Philip Langridge, Della Jones, Jonathan Summers, Welsh National Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Charles Mackerras
Porter, Cole - Kiss me Kate - EMI CDS 7 54033 2
with Thomas Hampson, Kim Criswell, George Dvorsky, Karla Burns, Damon Evans, Ambrosian Chorus, London Sinfonietta, John McGlinn
Tippett, Michael - The Knot Garden - Philips 446 331 2
with Raymund Herincx, Yvonne Minton, Jill Gomez, Thomas Carey, Robert Tear, Thomas Hemsley, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Colin Davis
Tippett, Michael - Symphony number 3 - BBC Radio BBCRD 9140
conducted by Raymond Leppard
Verdi, Giuseppe - Un ballo in maschera - Deutsche Grammophon 410 210 2
with Plácido Domingo, Leo Nucci, Sumi Jo, Florence Quivar, Kurt Rydl, Wiener Staatsoper Konzertvereinigung, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Weill, Kurt - Street Scene - Decca 433 371 2
with Samuel Ramey, Angelina Réaux, Jerry Hadley, Arleen Augér, Della Jones, Barbara Bonney, Scottish Opera Chorus and Orchestra, John Mauceri

Recital CDs

Josephine Barstow: Opera Finales - Decca 430 203 2 - Scottish Opera Chorus and Orchestra, John Mauceri
Strauss, Richard - Salome ("Es ist kein Laut zu vernehmen...")
with Graham Clark and Claire Livingstone
Cherubini, Luigi - Médée ("Eh quoi je suis Médée!")
with John Treleaven and Clare Shearer
Janácek, Leos - Vec Makropulos ("Ona pije whisku...")
with Jason Howard, Steven Page, Anne Williams-King, Graham Clark and Alasdair Elliot
Puccini, Giacomo/Alfano, Franco - Turandot ("Principessa di morte!")
with Lando Bartolini
Verdi Arias - That's Entertainment TERCD VIR 8307 - Orchestra of English National Opera, Mark Elder
La forza del destino - "Pace, pace, mio dio"
Otello - Willow song and Ave maria
Macbeth - Sleepwalking Scene
with John Connell and Sally Burgess
Aida - "Ritorna Vincitor"
Aida - "Qui Radames verra... O patria mia"
Don Carlo - "Tu che la vanita"
Macbeth - "La luce langue"

Videos

Mozart, Wolfgang - Idomeneo - Video Artists International 3900 69025 3 - purchase at Amazon
with Richard Lewis, Glyndebourne, John Pritchard
Verdi, Giuseppe - Macbeth - Video Artists International 3900 69007 3
with Kostas Paskalis and James Morris, Glyndebourne, John Pritchard

Upcoming Performances

Check Operabase listings of recent and upcoming performances

Links

Maria Callas (for the Callas pages it's probably best to use the link in the first menu frame)
 Eva Turner

Not in frames?
If you want to easily navigate the entire site, I recommend using the frames version of these pages (even if you normally hate frames - try it out).
Enter the frames version at http://www.oocities.org/Vienna/Strasse/1523/

Counter added on 16 November, 1997 at 5:00 pm

Wednesday, 17 July 2002