Canadian opera singer
Jonathan Stewart Vickers ,
CC (October 29, 1926 – July 10, 2015), known professionally as Jon Vickers , was a Canadian
heldentenor .
Born in
Prince Albert , Saskatchewan, he was the sixth in a family of eight children. In 1950, he was awarded a scholarship to study opera at
The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. In 1957 Vickers joined London’s
Royal Opera House , Covent Garden company. In 1960 he joined the
Metropolitan Opera . He became world-famous for a wide range of German, French, and Italian roles. Vickers' huge, powerful voice and solid technique met the demands of many French, German, and Italian roles. He was also highly regarded for his powerful stage presence and thoughtful characterizations.
[1] (Conversely, he was sometimes criticized for "scooping"—beginning a note below pitch and then sliding up to the correct pitch—and for "crooning".
[2] )
In 1968 he was made a Companion of the
Order of Canada . Vickers received the
Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, in 1998.
[3]
Career
Vickers studied with
George Lambert at
The Royal Conservatory of Music
[4] and sang professionally in Canada from the early- to mid-1950s. In 1952 he won the
Nos futures étoiles competition on
CBC Radio .
[5] His international career began with his 1957
Covent Garden Riccardo in
Verdi 's
Un ballo in maschera . He continued to appear there into the 1980s, putting his personal stamp on the roles of Énée in
Berlioz 's
Les Troyens , Radamès in Verdi's
Aida and the title role in his
Don Carlos ,
Handel 's
Samson , Florestan in
Beethoven 's
Fidelio , Tristan in
Wagner 's
Tristan und Isolde , Canio in
Leoncavallo 's
Pagliacci , and the title role in
Britten 's
Peter Grimes .
[6] Some critics praised Vickers' Tristan as the best since
Lauritz Melchior 's.
[7]
He debuted at the
Bayreuth Festival in 1958 as
Siegmund in
Die Walküre and sang
Parsifal there in 1964.
[4] Later negotiations with
Wieland Wagner concerning appearances as Siegfried in
Götterdämmerung ceased on Wieland's death in 1966. His debut role at the
Metropolitan Opera in 1960 was Canio in Pagliacci .
[8] He appeared at the Met for a period of 27 years in 280 performances of 17 roles, including Florestan in Fidelio , Siegmund in
Wagner 's
Die Walküre , Don Jose in
Bizet 's
Carmen , Radamès in Aida , Erik in Wagner's
Der fliegende Holländer , Herman in
Tchaikovsky 's
Queen of Spades , Samson in both Handel's oratorio and
Saint-Saëns '
Samson et Dalila , the title role of
Verdi 's
Otello , Don Alvaro in Verdi's
La forza del destino , Peter Grimes ,
Tristan und Isolde , Laca in
Janáček 's
Jenůfa , Vasek in
Smetana 's
The Bartered Bride , and the title role in Wagner's
Parsifal , giving his farewell in 1987.
[8]
Among Vickers' more notable recordings were Tristan und Isolde in 1972 with Herbert von Karajan becoming one of his favourite singers at the lavish Salzburg Easter and Summer Festivals in
Der Ring des Nibelungen ,
Carmen ,
Otello ,
Fidelio as well as
Tristan und Isolde ,
Les Troyens , singing the part of Énée (Aeneas), with
Sir Colin Davis in 1969,
[9]
[10]
[11] and a legendary and controversial 1959 recording of Handel's
Messiah with Sir
Thomas Beecham .
[11]
[12]
[13]
Although scheduled to sing
Tannhäuser at Covent Garden in the late 1970s, Vickers dropped out, claiming he could not empathize with the character,
[14] and that the opera itself was blasphemous in nature.
[6]
[15] He sang Nerone in Monteverdi's
L'incoronazione di Poppea at the Paris Opéra, and Alvaro in La forza del destino at the Met (1975). His roles also included Don Carlos, Andrea Chenier, Herod in
Salome , Giasone in
Medea (with
Maria Callas in the title role), Pollione in
Norma
[11] and rarely heard parts such as Cellini in Berlioz's
Benvenuto Cellini ,
[16] Ratan-Sen in
Roussel's Padmavati and Sergei in
Shostakovitch 's
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District .
[10] Many critics praised his interpretation of Verdi's
Otello ,
[17] which he recorded twice: in 1960 with
Tullio Serafin and 1973 with
Herbert von Karajan . Vickers also was a long time collaborator with American pianist
Richard Woitach .
[18]
[19]
Vickers further sang at the 'home' of Italian opera, Milan's
La Scala , as well as in the major opera houses of
Chicago ,
San Francisco ,
Vienna , and at the
Salzburg Festival . He retired in 1988.
[20]
Personal life and death
Vickers was born into the musical family of William, a teacher and school principal, and Myrle (née Mossop). As a youth he sang in his father's church, and his initial intention was to study medicine. He worked on a neighbour's farm and acquired the muscular stature that characterized him. During a semi-professional production his leading lady made a recording of his voice and sent it to The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He auditioned there with
Every Valley Shall be Exalted and was offered a scholarship.
[21]
In 1953 he married Henrietta (Hetti) Outerbridge. They had five children. After her death in 1991, he married Judith Stewart.
[21] Vickers died of
Alzheimer's disease on July 10, 2015, in Ontario.
[22]
[23]
Religion
He was a dedicated, outspoken Protestant; one writer referred to him as "God's tenor" for this reason.
[24]
Discography
Vickers' voice was recorded in dozens of performances, including:
[10]
Opera recordings
Aeneas in
Berlioz 's
Les Troyens , with conductor
Rafael Kubelik , live recording from the Royal Opera, Coven Garden in 1957
Giasone in
Cherubini's
Medea , with conductor
Nicola Rescigno , live recording from
Dallas Civic Opera 1958.
Don Carlo in
Verdi's
Don Carlos , with conductor
Carlo Maria Giulini , live recording from the
Royal Opera House , Covent Garden 1958.
Siegmund in
Wagner's
Die Walküre , with conductor
Hans Knappertsbusch , live recording from the
Bayreuth Festival 1958.
Samson in
Handel's
Samson , with conductor
Raymond Leppard , live recording from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden 1959.
Otello in Verdi's
Otello , with conductor
Tullio Serafin , RCA Victor 1960.
Siegmund in
Wagner's
Die Walküre , with conductor
Erich Leinsdorf , Rca-Decca 1961.
Radames in Verdi's
Aida , with conductor Sir
Georg Solti , Rca-Decca 1961.
Florestan in
Beethoven's
Fidelio , with conductor
Otto Klemperer , EMI 1961.
Samson in
Saint-Saëns'
Samson and Delilah , with conductor
Georges Prêtre , EMI 1962.
Gustavo III in Verdi's
Un ballo in maschera , with conductor
Edward Downes , live recording from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden 1962.
Parsifal in Wagner's
Parsifal , with conductor
Hans Knappertsbusch , live recording from the
Bayreuth Festival 1964.
Siegmund in Wagner's
Die Walküre , with conductor
Herbert von Karajan , Deutsche Grammophon 1966.
Énée in
Berlioz 's
Les Troyens , with conductor
Colin Davis , Philips 1969.
Don José in
Bizet's
Carmen , with conductor
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos , EMI 1969–70.
Florestan in Beethoven's Fidelio , with conductor Herbert von Karajan, EMI 1970.
Tristan in Wagner's
Tristan und Isolde , with conductor Herbert von Karajan, EMI 1971–72.
Otello in Verdi's Otello , with conductor Herbert von Karajan, EMI 1973.
Pollione in
Bellini's
Norma , with conductor
Giuseppe Patanè , live recording from the Festival d'Orange 1974.
Cellini in Berlioz's
Benvenuto Cellini , with conductor
Sarah Caldwell , VAI 1975.
[25]
Grimes in
Britten's
Peter Grimes , with conductor Colin Davis, Philips 1978.
Concert recordings
Elgar :
The Dream of Gerontius , with conductor Sir
John Barbirolli , live recording Rome 1957
Handel :
Messiah , with conductor Sir
Thomas Beecham , RCA Victor 1959
Vaughan Williams :
Serenade to Music , with conductor
Leonard Bernstein , live recording from the Lincoln Center NY 1962
Verdi :
Requiem , with conductor Sir John Barbirolli, EMI 1969–70
Mahler :
Das Lied von der Erde , with conductor Sir
Colin Davis , Philips 1981
Beethoven :
Symphony No. 9, "Choral" , with conductor
Zubin Mehta , RCA Red Seal 1984.
Recital recordings
Italian Opera Arias : Arias by
Cilea ,
Flotow ,
Giordano ,
Leoncavallo ,
Ponchielli ,
Puccini and
Verdi , with conductor
Tullio Serafin , RCA Victor 1961.
Franz Schubert :
Winterreise with pianist Geoffrey Parsons, EMI 1983.
Franz Schubert :
Winterreise with pianist Peter Schaaf, VAI 1995.
Richard Strauss :
Enoch Arden , Op. 38, with pianist
Marc-André Hamelin , VAI 2006.
References
^
"Jon Vickers, tenor – obituary" . The Telegraph . July 12, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015 .
^
"Reputations – Jon Vickers" . Gramophone . Retrieved August 29, 2021 .
^
"Jon Vickers biography" . Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation. Retrieved February 4, 2015 .
^
a
b
Jon Vickers
Archived July 14, 2015, at the
Wayback Machine (in German) Bayreuth Festival. Retrieved July 14, 2015
^ Suzanne Thomas (December 15, 2013).
"Nos futures étoiles" .
The Canadian Encyclopedia .
^
a
b
"Canadian-born tenor Jon Vickers dies" . Royal Opera House. July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015 .
^ Classical Music: The Listener's Companion (2002), ed. Alexander J. Morin, pp. 1038
^
a
b
"Remembering Jon Vickers 1926–2015" . Metropolitan Opera. Retrieved July 14, 2015 .
^
"Mort du ténor Jon Vickers, interprète inoubliable d'Enée et d'Otello" . Le Monde (in French). July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015 .
^
a
b
c Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life (1999) by Jeannie Williams and
Birgit Nilsson
^
a
b
c Cooper, Katherine (July 13, 2015).
"Obituary – Jon Vickers" . Presto Classical. Retrieved July 14, 2015 .
^
"Messiah" . Classical Net. Retrieved July 14, 2015 .
^
"Jon Vickers obituary" . The Guardian . July 12, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015 .
^ Baker, John (July 13, 2015).
"Farewell to Canadian-born Tenor Jon Vickers" . Texas Public Radio. Retrieved July 14, 2014 .
^ Cohen, Steve (January 1, 2011).
"Tannhäuser': Blasphemy or piety" . Broad Street Review. Retrieved July 14, 2015 .
^ Henahan, Donal (May 10, 1983).
"MUSIC: BERLIOZ'S 'CELLINI' " . The New York Times . Retrieved July 14, 2015 .
^
"Chicago Classical Review » » Vickers' Moor revisited and Domingo's "Otello" farewell" . Retrieved August 29, 2021 .
^ Crory, Neil (June 30, 2001),
"New York" ,
Opera Canada , vol. 42, no. 1, p. 34, retrieved September 9, 2013
^ Winters, Ken (April 16, 2005),
"Classical: Recital will long shine in the memory" ,
The Globe and Mail , p. R6, retrieved September 9, 2013
^ Tommasini, Anthony (July 12, 2015).
"Jon Vickers, Opera Star Known for His Raw Power and Intensity, Dies at 88" . The New York Times . Retrieved July 14, 2015 .
^
a
b Barker, Frank Granville; Blyth, Alan (July 10, 2015),
"Obituaries" ,
The Guardian , p. 35, retrieved July 14, 2015
^ William R. Braun (July 11, 2015).
"Jon Vickers, 88, Heroic Canadian Tenor, Has Died" .
Opera News .
^
Anthony Tommasini (July 12, 2015).
"Jon Vickers, Opera Star Known for His Raw Power and Intensity, Dies at 88" .
The New York Times .
^ Rhein, John von.
" 'God's tenor' Jon Vickers dead at 88" . chicagotribune.com . Retrieved August 29, 2021 .
^ Performed in English,
OCLC
54404309 .
Bibliography
Kuhn, Laura (ed.). "Vickers, Jon(athan) Stewart" in Baker's Student Encyclopedia of Music: R-Z , p. 1952. Schirmer Books, 1999.
ISBN
0-02-865315-7
Macdonnell, W.M. and Norman, Barbara.
"Vickers, Jonathan Stewart"
Archived February 10, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine .
The Canadian Encyclopedia
Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life by Jeannie Williams, Northeastern University Press, 1999.
ISBN
1-55553-408-2
External links
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