Philip Langridge

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Philip Langridge , CBE , (born December 16, 1939 in Hawkhurst , County Kent , † March 5, 2010 in Guildford ) was a British opera and oratorio singer with a lyric tenor voice .

Life

He studied violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London until 1958 and also worked as a violinist until 1964. From 1962 he studied singing in London with Bruce Boys and Celia Bizoni. He made his debut as a concert singer in the oratorio Der Messias by Georg Friedrich Handel . From 1964 he sang in the choir at the Glyndebourne Festival , where he also took on his first small solo parts, including in Capriccio by Richard Strauss . He later sang Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni (1977–1978), the title role in Idomeneo (1983–1985), Laca in Jenůfa (1989) and the title role in La clemenza di Tito (1991). In 1990 he joined Glyndebourne Opera in the New Year by Michael Tippett on. In 1994 he was there in the world premiere of Harrison Birtwistle's opera The Second Mrs. Kong .

In 1973 Langridge appeared as Flimann in the opera Il borgomastro di Saardam by Gaetano Donizetti at the Holland Festival . In 1993 he appeared there again as Pelléas in the opera Pelléas et Mélisande . In 1979 he made his debut at the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff . Since 1983 Langridge has performed regularly at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden . In 1989 he sang the title role in Idomeneo , in 1992 Gustav von Aschenbach in Death in Venice , 1996 the Loge in Das Rheingold and in 2001 the title role in the opera Palestrina by Hans Pfitzner .

Langridge frequently interpreted works by Harrison Birtwistle. In 1986 he sang the title role of Orpheus in his opera The Mask of Orpheus . In 1989 he took on the role of lawyer in the world premiere of the opera Punch and Judy . In 2008, the role of Hiereus in the world premiere of the opera The Minotaur followed at the Covent Garden Opera . In 2009, Birtwistle composed a song specially for Langridge's 70th birthday, which Langridge premiered in November 2009 at a concert at Wigmore Hall .

Langridge appeared several times at the Salzburg Festival . He sang the 1987-1988 Aron in Moses und Aron , in 1990 the title role in Idomeneo , in 1992 the Skuratov in Z mrtvého Domu , 1993 Nerone in L'incoronazione di Poppea and 1998 the Idrisi in the opera King Roger by Karol Szymanowski . At the Salzburg Easter Festival in 1994 he sang Shuiski in Boris Godunow .

He has also made guest appearances at the English National Opera in London (1990 title roles in Oedipus Rex and Peter Grimes ), at La Scala (1985 debut in the opera Orfeo by Luigi Rossi , 1989 title role in Oberon , 2000 title role in Peter Grimes ), at the Metropolitan Opera in New York (1984 as Ferrando , 1997 as Captain Vere , 1997 title role in Peter Grimes , 1999 as Aron , 2000 as Loge ), at the Zurich Opera House (1984 in the Monteverdi cycle, 1987 as Don Ottavio ), at the Cologne Opera House ( 1993 as Captain Vere in Billy Budd ), at the Bayerische Staatsoper (1998 in The Midsummer Marriage by Michael Tippett) and at the Lyric Opera in Chicago (1981 US debut).

Langridge was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 . He was married to the well-known Irish mezzo-soprano Ann Murray (* 1949).

voice

Langridge was an extremely versatile tenor who shone both in the baroque repertoire and as an interpreter of Benjamin Britten , Gerald Finzi and Michael Tippett and who has recorded what is probably the most virtuoso and melodious Aron (under the direction of Georg Solti ). As a Mozart interpreter , but also in general, one can compare him with Nicolai Gedda : a similar youthful charm in the timbre, even at a ripe old age, and just as playful mastery of the technical hurdles, with all limits in terms of vocal range and volume.

Philip Langridge, who also sang the Slavic repertoire ( Mussorgski , Janáček , Szymanowski ...), was one of the most important British tenors of the 20th century alongside Peter Pears and Robert Tear .

literature

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personal data
SURNAME Langridge, Philip
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British opera and oratorio singer (lyric tenor)
DATE OF BIRTH December 16, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Hawkhurst , Kent
DATE OF DEATH March 5, 2010
Place of death Guildford