Jessye Norman, Research Paper Example

Singer Jessye Norman occupies a prominent place in American music. An opera singer and soprano, Norman quickly made her impact felt across the classical music scene. Citing countless remarkable renditions in her performances, Norman was always engrossed in the genre of opera. Giving recitals and concerts, as she still does to this day, Norman has made her impact felt across America and the entirety of the classical world, in music. With regard to the many awards she has won, and her qualitative commitment to music, it is easy to see Norman’s impact in music. The present analysis takes a look at the prominent artist’s life, accomplishments, and influence.

Early Life and Career Rise

Born in 1945 on the 15^th of September, the future classical music star was named Jessye Mae Norman. The early part of her life was spent in Augusta, Georgia, which is where she was born with parents Silas Norman and Janie King-Norman. The former an insurance broker and the latter a schoolteacher, Norman ‘s parents would have an immediate impact on her future stardom.

One of five children in the family, Norman was born into a family of musicians. Her father was a singer in a nearby choir, while her mother and grandmother were both pianists. With this in mind, it was not surprising that Norman would become immediately involved in music. At the age of four, she began singing. She sang gospel at Mount Calvary Baptist Church, and also started piano lessons at a young age.

It wasn’t long until Jessye Norman found her calling. Reportedly at the age of nine, Norman first noticed opera on the radio (Allmusic). An instant love for music was initiated that day, and she was soon listening to artists that she later credited as inspirational artists in her career – Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price. Additionally, Nat King Cole would fit into that same category for the artist.

Norman would not win the Marian Anderson Vocal Competition at the age of 16. However, this setback would be a blessing in disguise, as it led to a full scholarship at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Singing in the university chorus and under her vocal teacher of Carolyn Grant, Norman got a job as a soloist at the Lincoln Temple United Church of Christ. Winning the National Society of Arts and Letters singing competition in 1965, she would continue her studies at Peabody Conservatory of Music and Baltimore, and at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Elizabeth Mannion and Pierre Bernac would be important figures where Norman would have important studies.

Jessye Norman’s early career would begin in Europe, which is where she moved following graduation. A year after completing her Master’s Degree, Norman would win the ARD International Music Competition in Munich, in 1969. This victory allowed her to receive a three-year music contract with the Deutsche Oper Berlin. According to critics, she had “the greatest voice since the German soprano Lotte Lehmann” (Inspired Minds), which was attributed to the singer following her debut in Richard Wagner’s Tannhauser, as Elisabeth.

Norman’s opera career boomed in subsequent years. Milan’s La Scala and London’s Royal Opera at Covent Garden were some of her roles. Also including the Salzburg Festival and the Hamburg State Opera, Norman would soon turn her attention to the United States. Her European background allowed her to develop her powerful voice and stage presence, not to mention her wide range.

Her American debut came with Oedipus Rex and Dido and Aeneas with the Opera Company of Philadelphia. In the company’s 100^th season singing the role of Cassandra in Berlioz’s Les Troyens, she appeared a year later at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In the words of Inspired Minds: “The Music world hasn’t been the same since.”

Continuing Illustrious Career

Throughout the years, Norman has continued to put her stamp on the operatic world. In the mid-1980s, she had a couple of particularly noteworthy invitations. The first came at the second inauguration of President Ronald Regan, where she performed on the 21^st of January, 1985. One year later, Norman sang on Elizabeth II’s 16^th birthday celebration (New Georgia Encyclopedia). She would soon appear as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic during its US tour. She then joined the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, performing an incredibly noteworthy performance in the Liebestood from Tristan und Isolde by Wagner.

Living in Croton-on-Hudon in New York, Norman has resided in a secluded estate since the 1990s. From there, she has continued to perform in a number of noteworthy roles and performances. Of these are her Leningrad performance at Tchaikovsky’s 150^th Birthday Gala and as Gluck’s Alceste at her Lyric Opera of Chicago debut. In the next several years, she would have popular performances at the Saito Kinen Festival, Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and as a performer at the 700^th Celebration Party of Swiss national Day, among others.

Also in the ‘90s, the world saw some interesting divergences. Norman was soon moving away from soprano stage roles and towards mezzo soprano roles. After performing at the second inauguration of Bill Clinton, she performed an unusual score including music from Duke Ellington at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She also was involved in a television special for Christmas filmed in Augusta, Georgia – her hometown. A spring recital tour in Tel Aviv and more Duke Ellington music, this time in London and Vienna, comprised some of her work in the mid to late 1990s.

Norman continues her illustrious singing career to this day. In the 2000s, she performed “America the Beautiful” at the memorial service for the victims at the World Trade Center, on the September 11, 2011 attacks. Today she no longer reportedly performs ensemble opera, choosing to concentrate on concerts and recitals (New Georgia Encyclopedia).

Involvements and Awards

Norman’s influence surpasses that of her musical performances. In the name of her teacher, she endowed a scholarship at Howard Universtiy. Selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in 1999, she is an honorary Girl Scout for life. For her work against lupus, breast cancer, AIDS, and hunger, she was awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt Cal-Kill Medal in 2000. When returning to Augusta in 2002, she announced that she would fund a pilot school of the arts for children in Richmond County. She has certainly demonstrated a commitment to giving back to communities and supporting those in need.

Jessye Norman has had a wealth of awards over the years. For instance, take the popular Grammy Awards that are recognized instantly by music lovers. To date, Norman has received five of these awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. Countless other awards have joined these, as the current analysis will touch upon in brief.

Norman became the youngest recipient of the Kennedy Center Honor, in in 1997 at the age of 51. Inducted in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1999, Norman was also honored by the renaming of the Riverwalk Ampitheater and Plaza, located in the city of Augusta. The government of France has awarded the Legion of Honor to her. More than thirty honorary doctoral degrees have been awarded to Norman across the United States.

Countless other awards have followed Jessye Norman. For instance, President Barack Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts, a particularly noteworthy achievement for the artist (National Endowment for the Arts). Other national and international organizations have recognized Norman’s incredible talent within music.

Influence

The influence of Jessye Norman is both hard to grasp and difficult to overestimate. Due to her wide body of work within and outside of opera, and in regard to her supreme talent, Norman’s influence on music has been tremendous. As described by Norman Lebrecht, “few names were bigger than Jessye Norman” (300). Her influence can certainly be seen in many regards.

Part of Norman’s influence is that her voice is difficult to classify, due to her body of work in different areas of opera and the whole of the musical world. In the words of New York Times contributor Bernand Holland, “If one added up all the things that Jessye Norman does well as a singer, the total would assuredly exceed that of any other soprano before the public (musicianguide.com).” Her talent level certainly exceeds that of any “normal” outstanding soprano.

As a result, Norman has had an unprecedented impact on the musical world. A student of the languages in which she sings, her professional approach to her music has caught the eyes and ears of many. She also has a direct expressive quality that permeates the music she performs. Thus, it is easy to see how the much-recognized Norman has made her impact felt in the world of music. With regard to her long and distinguished career, she has caught the attention of not only distinguished figures and musical institutions around the world, but her fans and listeners that enjoy her work, as well.

Conclusion

Jessye Norman is a pre-eminent musical performer and figure, by any means. A native of the United States, it is difficult to express the meaningful career that she has – and continues to have. Countless distinguished performances, awards, and noteworthy items have filled the career of the Augusta, Georgia, native. She is one of the most successful performers in classical music.

Over the years, Norman has made her mark in countless performances. Within the United States and Europe, most notably, she has won the hearts of audiences in her expressive, beautiful performances that are truly captivating. This, coupled with her distinguished work in and outside of music, has led her to be recognized for her presence in the contemporary world.

Norman’s significance is great within music and in her humanitarian work. For an artist at the top of classical music, it is interesting to see her focus on the community. This has led to a number of admirable causes, from her hometown to involvement in other countries.

Overall, Jessye Norman is a distinguished classical music performer. With a voice that is hard, if not impossible to categorize, so too does her impact, talent, and significance resonate. Norman is truly a powerful figure within the world of music, and shall continue to be within the long history of classical music itself.

Works Cited

“Jessye Norman.” Allmusic. nd. Web. 16 April 2012.

“Jessye Norman (b. 1945).” The New Georgia Encyclopedia. nd. Web. 16 April 2012.

“Jessye Norman Biography.” Musicianguide.com. n.d. Web. 16 April 2012.

“Jessye Norman – Tannhauser and Thin Mints.” Inspired Minds. nd. Web. 16 April 2012.

Lebrecht, Norman. The Life and Death of Classical Music: Featuring the 100 Best and 20 Worst Recordings Ever Made. New York: Anchor Books, 2007. Print.

“White House Announces 2009 National Medal of Arts Recipients.” National Endowment for the Arts. 25 February 2010. Web. 16 April 2012.