Bidu Sayão
Bidu Sayão , actually Balduína de Oliveira Sayão (born May 11, 1902 in Rio de Janeiro ; † March 13, 1999 in Lincolnville , Maine ) was a Brazilian opera singer (soprano) and was one of the stars of the Metropolitan Opera in the years 1937–1952 .
Life
At the age of 13, Bidu Sayão received his first singing lessons from the soprano Elena Teodorini. When she was eighteen, Bidu Sayão appeared in her first major opera role, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor , at the Theatro Municipal . Two years later she went to France to continue her vocal training with the tenor Jean de Reszke .
Her debut in Rome in 1926 was followed by appearances in Paris , Buenos Aires and Brazil. In 1930 she first appeared at La Scala in Milan . The following year she performed successfully at the Paris Opera , the Julia in Gounod's Romeo and Juliet and at the Opéra Comique, the Lakmé by Léo Delibes . She then became one of the leading lyric coloratura sopranos in Europe.
After her New York debut at the Town Hall in 1935 , Bidu Sayão performed with the New York Philharmonic under Arturo Toscanini at Carnegie Hall in La Demoiselle élue by Claude Debussy . She had a lifelong friendship with the conductor, who became one of her greatest patrons. A year later she sang Manon at the Metropolitan Opera , followed by the title role in La traviata and Mimí in La Bohème . With the Mozart parts of Zerlina ( Don Giovanni ) and Susanna ( Le nozze di Figaro ) , she set standards for her generation.
The 38 year long artistic partnership with her compatriot, the composer Heitor Villa-Lobos , led to a number of important recordings of his compositions, including the recording of Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5. For this recording, which was the best-selling album in the USA for two years in a row, she received the 1984 Hall of Fame Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
In honor of Bidu Sayão, who is still the most famous Brazilian opera singer, the international singing competition Concurso Internacional de Canto Bidu Sayão was launched.
Web links
- Record of Bidu Sayão in the catalog of the German National Library
- New York Times article on the death of Bidu Sayão
- Bidu Sayão International Vocal Competition 2008
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gladys Bourdain: Bidu Sayao, 94, Star Soprano of the 30's and 40's, Dies . In: The New York Times , March 13, 1999. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sayão, Bidu |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Oliveira Sayão, Balduína de (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Brazilian opera singer (soprano) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 11, 1902 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Rio de Janeiro , Brazil |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 13, 1999 |
| Place of death | Lincolnville , Maine |