Sigma Alpha Iota

LEGACIES IN MUSIC Honorary Member Joan Sutherland Remembered D ame Joan Sutherland, initiated as an SAI Honorary Member in 1961 shortly after her American debut, died Oct. 12 in Switzerland following a prolonged illness. The New York Times noted her talents upon her passing: "Ms. Sutherland's singing was founded on astonishing technique. Her voice was evenly produced throughout an enormous range, from a low G to effortless flights above high C. She could spin lyrical phrases with elegant legato, subtle colorings and expressive nuances. Her sound was warm, vibrant and resonant, without any forcing." She was born in 1926 in Sydney, Australia, to a mezzo-soprano mother who began her vocal exercises in the same range early on. She wrote in her 1997 autobiography, The Autobiography of Joan Sutherland: A Prima Donna's Progress that she was "able from the age of 3 to imitate her [mother's] scales and exercises. As she was a mezzo-soprano, I worked very much in the middle area of my voice, learning the scales and arpeggios The May 1961 Pan Pipes included and even the dreaded trill without the initiation of Joan Sutherland as thinking about it. The birds could trill, an Honorary Member by the Iota so why not I?" Nu Chapter at Seton Hall College in SAI Honorary Member Dame Joan Sutherland as she appeared As a teen, she began vocal studies February of that year. in the 1961 La Scala production of Beatrice di Tienda . and was directed toward soprano. In 1947, she made her performing debut in one of the great operatic recitals. Performing 1954, and he convinced her to consider the bel Dido. In 1951, she premiered the title role in Venice the next year, she was dubbed "La canto school. She began gathering attention in of Eugene Goosen's Judith with the Sydney Stupenda" (The Stupendous One) by Italian this style with starring roles in Handel's Alcina, Conservatiorium. A vocal competition success critics. The moniker would follow her Donizetti's Emilia di Liverpool, and Mozart's Don that year led her to London to study at the entire career. Giovanni and recordings of Acis and Galatea, Royal College of Music. The next year, she She made her American debut with the Don Giovanni, and a recital of Donizetti was accepted into the Royal Opera at Covent Dallas Opera in November 1960 as Alcina. In and Verdi. Garden and made her debut as the First Lady in February of the next year, she debuted in New In 1959, she achieved international acclaim York in an American Opera Society concert of Mozart's Magic Flute. In a 1952 Covent Garden in the Royal Opera production of Donizetti's production of Norma, Sutherland worked closely Lucia di Lammermoor. Soon after, she performed Bellini's Beatrice di Tenda. It was then that she was initiated by SAI's Iota Nu Chapter at Seton with Maria Callas. as Elvira in I Puritani and La Sonnambula, both Hall College. "Now look after your voice," Callas said. bel canto works by Bellini. In 1960, she recorded A year later, she debuted with the "We're going to hear great things of you." The Art of the Prima Donna, a collection of 15 arias associated coloraturas still regarded as She married conductor Richard Bonynge in SUTHERLAND continued on page 39 8 PAN PIPES FALL 2010sai-national.org

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