Grace Bumbry

One of the most renowned American singers of the past four decades, mezzo-soprano, Grace Bumbry was born in 1937 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was one of Lotte Lehmann's most famous students. She made her concert debut in 1959 in London and her operatic debut at the Paris Opera the following year. Her distinctive dark-timbered voice lent itself perfectly to the core dramatic mezzo-soprano roles, such as Carmen, Amneris, and Eboli; Venus in Tannhäuser was a perfect role for Bumbry. Her appearance at the Bayreuth Festival in 1961 in that role marked the first performance given by a black artist there. It also won her the Richard Wagner medal.

Here is an excerpt from the May 2002 Opera News review of Bumby's "Liederabend in Hommage to Lotte Lehmann" held on 21 February 2002 in Alice Tully Hall. "Grace Bumbry wowed an already affectionate audience without relying on those nostalgic allowances made for a beloved veteran artist. Paying tribute to her mentor in the best possible way -- by example -- she presented a program of Schubert, Brahms, Liszt and Richard Strauss songs....

Lehmann was a singer whose every word brimmed with emotional frenzy; Bumbry has never been about that. She comunicates through the beauty of her voice, her regal pesence and immaculate forward diction..." -Ira Siff

We have a copy of the Munich recital program performed by Ms. Bumbry in honor of Lotte Lehmann.

Here are excerpts from the reviews that followed that program: "...Am Ende ihre Karriere, jenseits des strahlenden Zenits, besann sich Grace Bumbry nun voller Dankbarkeit ihrer Mentorin und Lehrerin Lotte Lehmann und versenkte sich ihr zu Ehren und zu ihrem Gedenken im Prinzregententheater in die subtile und empfindsame Welt des deutschen romantischen Klavierliedes. Niemand im Saal hatte wohl erwartet, dass Grace Bumbry die letzten Geheimnisse von Schuberts 'Liebesbotschaft' oder 'Der Taubenpost' zu entschlüsseln vermag, aber mit welch emotionaler Glut sie 'Von eweiger Liebe' (Brahms) sang oder die zarten Schwingungen von Schumanns 'Nussbaum' zum Klingen brachte, traf dann noch unmittelbarer ins Zentrum als der rauschhafte Klangluxus der "Cäcilie" von Richard Strauss..." Abendzeitung--Rüdiger Schwarz

Here are some words written after Bumbry's recital of February 2002 in New York City:

"...I was amazed at her interpretations. For me they were fabulous because they set an example of how to sing Lieder. The clarity of what she wanted to accomplish and the economy of means by which she did it should be a model toanyone trying to sing this repertoire. Clearly she knew every word of every song she was singing (and perhaps more so, since the program indicates that much of her time is spent teaching master classes at summer festivals) and was able to project this to the audience.

There were so many amazing things to be heard in each piece, but the song that sticks in my mind is Brahms's "Von ewiger Liebe" op. 43, no. 1.

"Dunkel, wie dunkel in Wald und in Feld!
Abend schon ist es, nun schweiget die Welt."

Dark, how dark in the wood and field!
Evenining is here, now quiets the world.

Bumbry shaded the word "Dunkel" as if to send a shiver going up the audience's spines. The word itself was sung within its own darkness. Then when she got to the word "schweiget" she made a quick diminuendo on the word (accompanying its downward leap), almost as if changing to a whisper, so as to demonstrate the quiet that takes hold of the world. All these dramatic touches were so appropriate for a song that speaks of an illicit love affair that has become public.

At the point where the boy (or man) speaks, "Leidest du Schmach," Bumbry indicated a change of tone, becoming somewhat lyrical yet still "nervous" as opposed to the narrator which has been speaking from the outset. Clearly the boy was trying to be sympathetic, yet still carried the feeling of shame within him....

When the girl (or woman) began speaking ("Spricht das Mägdelein..."), Bumbry again signaled a very changed tempo (this time also indicated by Brahms), and shifted her body so as to become the girl. One felt that this girl was not going to be traumatized by the event, but felt that love would vanquish all enemies since it was stronger than them. It was here that Bumbry let loose, showing that love is stronger than ice or steel.

Bumbry kept on astouding me with what she did with the texts of songs, whether it was in German or in French (the latter for which she had a different battery of effects). Having seen a very reputable Lieder singer the previous night whom I felt did not really understand how to sing Lieder, I was thrilled to see Bumbry so totally enter the emotional space of each song. How did she do it? It wasn't merely that she kept still (the previous night's singer kept swaying according to the musical line). Very often, Bumbry did not keep still, but moved her head, her eyes, her left hand, or took a step forward, or changed her expression. I have to admit that, as much as I was conscious of the spell she so easily cast over the audience, I can't figure out how she did it. But it was almost magical in the way, from start to finish of each song, you felt totally held by the music and presentation.

[The recital was in homage to Bumby's teacher Lehmann.] Lacking a recording of Lotte Lehmann teaching "Von ewiger Liebe," I'm not sure we can say that Bumbry transmitted Lehmann's thoughts about it. But perhaps, even better, we might consider Bumbry to have captured the spirit of what Lehmann taught and has made it her own. In that sense it matters less whether Bumbry's interpretational choices are the same as Lehmann's but rather that she carries her mentor's ideals and make them her own, freeing her to make them her own interpretational choices. I was not just convinced by Bumbry's peformance, but was so very moved by the impact it made on me. She made the technical flaws seem insigificant, while the communication was the priority.