Susan Gritton
Susan Gritton (born 31 August 1965) is an English operatic soprano. She was the 1994 winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award[1] and has sung leading roles in a wide-ranging repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Britten, Janáček and Strauss.
Life and career
[edit]Gritton was born in Reigate, Surrey. She was educated at the University of Oxford and the University of London, where she studied Botany.[2] She sang with the Clerkes of Oxenford, Monteverdi Choir and Hanover Band Chorus.[2] Early on she was inspired by the singing of Lucia Popp on the Cunning Little Vixen recording conducted by Charles Mackerras.[2]
On the operatic stage, her roles include Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes (La Scala, Sydney and Tokyo); Blanche in Dialogues des Carmélites (Bayerische Staatsoper); Countess Madeleine in Capriccio and Tatyana in Eugene Onegin (Grange Park); Micaela in Carmen and Liù in Turandot (Covent Garden);[3] Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (Bolshoi, Opéra de Montreal and Scottish Opera); Elettra in Idomeneo (Netherlands Opera) and Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Deutsche Staatsoper and Bayerische Staatsoper). Title roles include Theodora (Glyndebourne),[1] Rodelinda (Bayerische Staatsoper), The Bartered Bride (Covent Garden), and The Cunning Little Vixen (ENO).
On the concert platform her work spans many periods and styles and includes Ravel's Shéhérazade (RLPO/Mackerras); Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem (Berlin Philharmonic/Rattle & Philharmonia/von Dohnànyi); Berg's Bruchstücke aus Wozzeck (Swedish Radio Orchestra/Harding) and Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher (Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Pappano). Other highlights include Handel's Messiah (ROH Orchestra/Pappano); Elgar's The Kingdom (LSO/Elder); Shostakovich's Blok Romances (Nash Ensemble); Schumann's Das Paradies und die Peri at the Edinburgh Festival (SCO/Norrington) and in Vienna (Vienna Philharmonic/Rattle) and Britten's Les Illuminations – including the world premiere of Britten's three additional Rimbaud settings (BBCSSO/Brabbins). A Grammy nominated artist, she has recorded prolifically for Chandos, Hyperion, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Decca, Philips and Collins Classics among others.
Gritton had no formal "British college or conservatoire training".[2] She is married to the opera director Stephen Medcalf.[4]
Roles
[edit]- Barbarina in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro at Glyndebourne Festival Opera[1]
- Blanche in Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites at Bayerische Staatsoper
- Cleopatra in Handel's Giulio Cesare at Bayerische Staatsoper
- Contessa in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro at English National Opera
- Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni at Bolshoi, Opera de Montreal, Scottish Opera
- Ellen Orford in Britten's Peter Grimes at La Scala, Sydney, Tokyo
- Elettra in Mozart's Idomeneo at Netherlands Opera
- Female Chorus in Britten's The Rape of Lucretia at Snape Maltings
- Fiordiligi in Mozart's Così fan tutte at Mostly Mozart Festival, English National Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper
- Governess in Britten's The Turn of the Screw at Snape Maltings
- Konstanze in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Berlin State Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper
- Liù in Puccini's Turandot at the Royal Opera House[3]
- Madeleine in Richard Strauss's Capriccio at Grange Park Opera
- Marenka in Smetana's The Bartered Bride at the Royal Opera House[3]
- Marzelline in Beethoven's Fidelio at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
- Micaela in Bizet's Carmen at the Royal Opera House[3]
- Pamina in Mozart's The Magic Flute at English National Opera
- Rodelinda in Handel's Rodelinda at Bayerische Staatsoper
- Romilda in Handel's Xerxes at Bayerische Staatsoper
- Theodora in Handel's Theodora at Glyndebourne Festival Opera[1]
- Tatyana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at Grange Park Opera
- Tytania in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream at Teatro la Fenice
- Vitellia in Mozart's La clemenza di Tito at Bayerische Staatsoper
- Vixen in Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen at English National Opera
- Miss Wordsworth in Britten's Albert Herring at Glyndebourne Festival Opera[1]
Discography
[edit]- Beethoven Ah perfido! London Chamber Orchestra, Christopher Warren-Green (Signum)
- Beethoven 9th Symphony BBC National Orchestra of Wales, François-Xavier Roth (BBC Music Magazine Vol. 16 No. 7)
- Beethoven Vestas Feuer Sir Andrew Davis (Deutsche Grammophon, Beethoven Edition Vol. 3)
- Berlioz Béatrice et Bénédict (Hero) London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis (LSO LIVE)
- Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem Choir of King's College Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury (EMI)
- Brian Gothic Symphony BBC National Orchestra of Wales, etc. Martyn Brabbins (Hyperion)
- Britten Albert Herring (Miss Wordsworth) Northern Sinfonia, Stuart Bedford (Naxos)
- Britten Les Illuminations BBC Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner (Chandos
- Britten Paul Bunyan (Tiny) Royal Opera House Chorus & Orchestra, Richard Hickox (Chandos)[2]
- Britten's Purcell Realizations Graham Johnson, piano (Hyperion)
- Britten The Poet's Echo Iain Burnside, piano (Signum)
- Britten Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente Iain Burnside, piano (Signum)
- Elgar etc. Her Song BBC Concert Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins (Dutton)
- Elgar The Spirit of England BBC Symphony Orchestra, David Lloyd Jones (Dutton)
- Finzi Dies natalis BBC Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner (Chandos)
- Gluck Paride ed Elena (Elena) Gabrielli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Górecki Symphony No. 3 Philharmonic Orchestra, Yuri Simonov (Regis)
- Handel L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato The King's Consort, Robert King (Hyperion)
- Handel The Choice of Hercules (Pleasure) The King's Consort, Robert King (Hyperion)
- Handel Deborah (Jael) The King's Consort, Robert King (Hyperion)[2]
- Handel Israel in Egypt King's College Choir, Stephen Cleobury (Decca)
- Handel Messiah Gabrielli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (Deustsche Grammophon)
- Handel Messiah LSO, Sir Colin Davis (LSO Live)
- Handel Messiah Ensemble Matheus, Jean-Christophe Spinosi (DVD, Unitel Classic)
- Handel Occasional Oratorio The King's Consort, Robert King (Hyperion)
- Handel Saul (Merab) Gabrielli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (Deustsche Grammophon)
- Handel Solomon (Queen of Sheba) Gabrielli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (Deustsche Grammophon)[2]
- Handel Solomon (Solomon's Queen, First Harlot) Berlin RIAS Chamber Chorus, Daniel Reuss (Harmonia Mundi)
- Handel Theodora (Theodora) Gabrielli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Toivo Kuula Orchestral Songs BBC Concert Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins (Dutton Epoch)
- Medtner Goethe Lieder Geoffrey Tozer, piano (Chandos)
- Fanny Mendelssohn Lieder Eugene Asti, piano (Hyperion)[2]
- Felix Mendelssohn Paulus BBC National Orchestra, Richard Hickox (Chandos)
- Mozart Exsultate, jubilate St John's Sinfonia, Andrew Nethsingha (Chandos)
- Mozart Porgi amor, Dove sono London Chamber Orchestra, Christopher Warren-Green (Signum)
- Mozart Requiem Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras (Linn)
- Mozart Ruhe sanft, meine holdes Leben Classical Opera Company, Ian Page (Sony)
- Poulenc Dialogues des Carmelites (Blanche) Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Kent Nagano (DVD, Bel Air Classics
- Poulenc Gloria Polyphony, Britten Sinfonia, Stephen Layton (Hyperion)
- Schubert Mass in E flat major (D 950) Collegium Musicum 90, Richard Hickox (Chandos)
- Smetana The Bartered Bride (Marenka) Philarmonia, Sir Charles Mackerras (Chandos)
- Shostakovich Seven Romances on Poems by Alexander Blok Florestan Trio (Hyperion)
- Verdi Falstaff (Nanetta) English National Opera Orchestra, Paul Daniel (Chandos)
- Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony LSO, Richard Hickox (Chandos)
- Vaughan Williams Sir John in Love (Anne Page) Northern Sinfonia, Richard Hickox (Chandos)
- Vivaldi Ottone in Villa (Cleonilla) Collegium Musicum 90, Richard Hickox (Hyperion)
Prizes and awards
[edit]- 1994 Kathleen Ferrier Award
- 2003 International Handel Recording Prize for Handel's The Choice of Hercules
- 2003 Gramophone Award for Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Masses
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Glyndebourne Archive - Susan Gritton accessed 16 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h The battle of the senses: Susan Gritton branches out with Britten and Fanny Mendelssohn (Interview with Roger Nichols). Gramophone, February 2000, p17.
- ^ a b c d Search for Susan Gritton in the Royal Opera House database accessed 16 December 2024.
- ^ Allison, John (June 2013) "Stephen Medcalf". Opera, Vol 64, No. 6, pp. 696–702.
External links
[edit]- Susan Gritton at Askonas Holt Artists Management Archived 21 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine
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