Richard Lewis
One of England's most famous tenors, Richard Lewis used his strong lyric instrument wisely in a broad repertory, achieving his greatest success in opera and concert work. Lewis was entrusted with the premieres of several important works, gaining a positive reputation abroad first through recordings and, subsequently, in live performance. Indeed, his became a name recognized worldwide during a period in which many British artists lived and performed in artistic insularity. Remarkably versatile, Richard Lewis offered a soft-edged voice large enough to approach some heavier roles, although he was heard at his best in lyric parts and was especially noted for his lovely mezza voce singing. The latter quality contributed to his reputation as the finest Gerontius of his time.
Born in Manchester to Welsh parents, Lewis began training as a boy soprano at age 12. After winning first prize in 13 competitions, he was invited to record for Parlophone. His voice broke before the recordings could be made, however, and he withdrew from singing for the next four years. At 16, Lewis abandoned his schooling to take on an office position. Though a dreary job, it afforded Lewis the time to pursue the private study of music. Over the next several years, he achieved three gold medals in his board examinations and eventually won a scholarship to the Royal Manchester College of Music, where he studied for four years under the famous English bass Norman Allin. In 1941, he was invited to join the Carl Rosa Opera Company with which he toured the English north country until he was called into service. Stationed in Brussels for nine months, he enjoyed opportunities to perform both there and in Norway, where he was later posted.
After the war's end, Lewis traveled to London to seek performing opportunities and after completing his scholarship, transferred to the Royal Academy of Music where Allin was now an instructor. Engagements came quickly thereafter: the male chorus in Britten's Rape of Lucretia for both the Glyndebourne Festival and Covent Garden in 1947 and essaying Tamino, Alfredo, and Peter Grimes at the Royal Opera House that same season. During the years following at Covent Garden, Lewis sang the premieres of Walton's Troilus and Cressida (Troilus), Tippett's The Midsummer Marriage (Mark), and Tippett's King Priam (Achilles), as well as Hoffmann, Don José, Captain Vere (Billy Budd), Gherman (Pique Dame), and Aron in the first English production of Schoenberg's Moses und Aron. Over more than a quarter century at Glyndebourne, the tenor ranged over an even broader field, singing roles from Nero in Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea to Tom Rakewell in The Rake's Progress with (among others) Florestan and Bacchus in between.
Lewis made his debut with the San Francisco Opera in 1955 and for a number of seasons proved his worth in such diverse roles as Don José, Troilus, the False Dimitri, Pinkerton, Herod, Eisenstein, Jeník, Des Grieux (Massenet), Alwa in Berg's Lulu, and the Captain in the same composer's Wozzeck. Lewis was the Aron for the first American stage production of Moses und Aron in Boston in 1966. Lewis' many recordings include a noble Idomeneo, a live taping of the premiere of The Midsummer Marriage, excerpts from Troilus (with Walton conducting and Schwarzkopf as Cressida) and two remembrances of his affecting Gerontius (the second with Barbirolli conducting and Janet Baker as the Angel).
© TiVo
Ähnliche Künstler
-
Mahler Das Lied von der Erde
Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester
Klassik - Erschienen bei Editions Audiovisuel Beulah am 25.11.2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (Live)
George Szell, (Dame) Janet Baker, Richard Lewis, The Cleveland Orchestra
Klassik - Erschienen bei Urania Records am 03.12.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schoenberg: Gurre-Lieder (Mono Version)
Ethel Semser, Richard Lewis, Nouvelle Association symphonique de Paris, René Leibowitz
Verschiedenes - Erschienen bei BNF Collection am 01.01.1900
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38
(Dame) Janet Baker, Richard Lewis, Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Klassik - Erschienen bei Warner Classics am 01.01.1965
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Stainer: The Crucifixion
George Guest, Richard Lewis, Owen Brannigan, The Choir of St John’s Cambridge, Brian Runnett
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca Music Group Ltd. am 18.02.1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler & Dvořák: Symphonic Works
Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Lisa Della Casa, Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Fritz Reiner
Klassik - Erschienen bei Urania Records am 01.10.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Great Welsh Tenor
Klassik - Erschienen bei Regis Records am 28.06.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bernstein conducts Stravinsky and Britten
Leonard Bernstein, Jennifer Vyvyan, London Symphony Orchestra, Regina Sarfaty, Richard Lewis, New York Philharmonic
Klassik - Erschienen bei Urania Records am 20.11.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Handel: Israel in Egypt, HWV 54 (Excerpts)
Richard Lewis, Huddersfield Choral Society, Monica Sinclair, Elsie Morison, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Malcolm Sargent
Klassik - Erschienen bei Fra Bernardo am 03.04.2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast
Sir Malcolm Sargent, Richard Lewis
Klassik - Erschienen bei The Digital Gramophone am 28.08.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
Maureen Forrester, Richard Lewis, Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Vokalmusik (weltlich und geistlich) - Erschienen bei Music and Arts Programs of America am 07.02.2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (Live)
Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Hilde Güden, New York Philharmonic, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Klassik - Erschienen bei Archipel am 30.12.2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Passion selon Saint-Jean, BWV 245 (Mono Version)
Agnes Giebel, Wilhelmine Matthes, Richard Lewis
Verschiedenes - Erschienen bei BNF Collection am 01.01.1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Walton: Scenes from Troilus and Cressida
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Richard Lewis, Philharmonia Orchestra, William Walton
Klassik - Erschienen bei Warner Classics am 01.01.1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Worship Together Live 4: Send Revival (Live)
Gospel - Erschienen bei Integrity Music am 01.01.1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius
Richard Lewis, John Cameron, Marjorie Thomas
Klassik - Erschienen bei Past Classics am 22.11.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (Live)
Christa Ludwig, Richard Lewis, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Fritz Reiner
Klassik - Erschienen bei Archipel am 24.04.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Nono & Debussy: Symphony No. 31, "Paris" - Romeo and Juliet Love Duet (in English) - Canti di vita e d'amore - Nocturnes
Dorothy Dorow, Richard Lewis, Marie Collier, Sir John Pritchard, London Symphony Orchestra, Edinburgh Royal Choral Union
Klassik - Erschienen bei Infinity am 21.12.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Sonata in G, Wanderer Fantasy, Waltzes & Ländlers
Klassik - Erschienen bei Richard Lewis am 28.11.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Walton: Troilus and Cressida - Partita for Orchestra
Richard Lewis, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Monica Sinclair, Philharmonia Orchestra
Oper - Erschienen bei Altair am 15.08.2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Walton: Troilus and Cressida, Excerpts (Mono Version)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Richard Lewis, Philharmonia Orchestra, William Walton
Verschiedenes - Erschienen bei BNF Collection am 01.01.1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo