Lovely stuff, about 15 minutes of joy. Loads of faces of singers and conductors of yore.
The YouTube blurb:
This is a video taken by the late opera singer and tenor Richard Lewis during his three years working at Sussex opera house Glyndebourne in the mid-to-late 1950s. It’s in colour, unusually for the time, and includes footage, in order of appearance, of: Baritone Sesto Bruscantini, Soprano Sena Jurinac, artistic director Carl Ebert and his son Peter Ebert, conducter Bryan Balkwill, Peter Gellhorn, Moran Caplat, Clarinettist Jack Brymer (playing tennis), Douglas Craig, conducter John Pritchard (talking to Sena Jurinac), Richard Lewis with soprano Graziella Sciutti, Baritone Geraint Evans, repetiteur Jani Strasser, conducter Vittoria Gui.
Enjoy!
PK
I am a trained singer as a result from studying with Elizabeth Lewis, Richard came down stairs in Coombe House and joined in one of my lessons when he took me right through ,( Now sleeps the Crimson petal)I learned a lot from that and I see and remember most of what he explained to me going through every word , phrases and the musicality of that one little song! He was a brilliant singer and his wife too. Elizabeth has been good to me and a good teacher! Had me ready for Glyndebourne and then fete struck, knocked off my motorbike. But I still have a voice and have just sent one of my songs to HRH Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for Prince baby George! Have also found a good musician to record many of my songs and operas in her recording studio. Thank you Elizabeth and Richard! EPH
Kiri te Kanawa lives in Rodmell, which is why you saw her in Waitrose – even Divas have to humble themselves by buying food sometimes!!!!!! See you all tonight! xx
Wow ……love the Glyndebourne video. Look at the sunshine, the flowers, those dresses and sunglasses! Of course, being musically uneducated I don’t recognise anybody but I did see Kiri Te Kanawa in Waitrose fifteen minutes ago. I tried to see what was in her trolley but she caught me staring! Is she in town? Maybe she would like to come to class tomorrow…….
Dear Paul,
What an amazing find, the Richard Lewis film! Dad was very friendly with Richard, who of course sang at Glyndebourne for far more than three years- 1948-1979. Imagine how lucky I was to grow up as part of that idyllic time which had a freedom and innocence unknown today. Cliff Seville (not a barber! principal flautist of the RPO) who stayed with us for several seasons used to say that Sena Jurinac sang so beautifully that some of the orchestra would forget to play! It is of course Vittorio Gui (spelling). Peter Ebert is now 94 and lives very near Dad. Jock Gough , who features strongly, was Chief Technician and John Christie’s right hand man, our next door neighbour for many years. Jani was far more than a repetiteur being head of music staff for many years. I had better stop there. Many thanks Paul. Very best wishes from Mike