Marilyn Horne

Marilyn Horne (born January 16, 1934) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages. She is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, and has won four Grammy Awards. Marilyn Horne was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, to Berneice and Bentz Horne. Her parents were both politicians, with her mother serving as city assessor of the Fifth Ward and her father appointed as McKean County assessor. Bentz was also a semi-professional singer and, noticing Marilyn's talent, sought to move the family to a place where she could have access to professional vocal training and more opportunities to perform. Along with her older brother Richard and sister Gloria, the family moved to Long Beach, California when Marilyn was 11. At age 13, Horne became part of the newly formed Roger Wagner Chorale. She is an alumna of Long Beach Polytechnic High School. As a high school student, she was part of the St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choir of Long Beach under the direction of William Ripley Dorr. The choir often worked for the movie studios and recorded with Capitol Records. Marilyn and her sister Gloria were part of the St. Luke's Episcopal Church Quartet. Horne won a scholarship for the University of Southern California where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. She studied voice under William Vennard and Gwendolyn Koldofsky at the ...

L'italiana in Algeri (1986)

L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli. Rossini composed L'italiana in Algeri when he was 21 in either 18 or 27 days, depending on which source one believes (Rossini, not ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Brian Large  •  Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
CAST:  Marilyn Horne  •  Paolo Montarsolo  •  Douglas Ahlstedt  •  Allan Monk

L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli. Rossini composed L'italiana in Algeri when he was 21 in either 18 or 27 days, depending on which source one believes (Rossini, not ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Brian Large  •  Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
CAST:  Marilyn Horne  •  Paolo Montarsolo  •  Douglas Ahlstedt  •  Allan Monk

Die Fledermaus (1990)

After the Viennese premiere, the Fledermaus (the bat) conquered the world. It is one of the few operettas that are regularly performed at the major opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, the Scala Milan, the Vienna State Opera and the Royal Opera House ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Cox
CAST:  Nancy Gustafson  •  Judith Howarth  •  Joan Sutherland  •  Luciano Pavarotti

After the Viennese premiere, the Fledermaus (the bat) conquered the world. It is one of the few operettas that are regularly performed at the major opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, the Scala Milan, the Vienna State Opera and the Royal Opera House ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Cox
CAST:  Nancy Gustafson  •  Judith Howarth  •  Joan Sutherland  •  Luciano Pavarotti

In Concert at The Met (1983)

In Concert at the Met (DVD) - Highlights Five of the Met's greatest stars - Price, Horne, Troyanos, Domingo, and Milnes - joined James Levine for a series of irresistible concert programs, originally telecast in the 1980s. Featuring works by composers ranging from ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Brian Large
CAST:  Tatiana Troyanos  •  Plácido Domingo  •  Leontyne Price  •  Marilyn Horne

In Concert at the Met (DVD) - Highlights Five of the Met's greatest stars - Price, Horne, Troyanos, Domingo, and Milnes - joined James Levine for a series of irresistible concert programs, originally telecast in the 1980s. Featuring works by composers ranging from ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Brian Large
CAST:  Tatiana Troyanos  •  Plácido Domingo  •  Leontyne Price  •  Marilyn Horne

Semiramide (1990)

In ancient Babylon, SEMIRAMIDE (Anderson) encourages her lover Assur (Ramey) to murder her husband, King Ninus. Her son, Ninius, disappears, believed dead, and Semiramide rules in her own right. 15 years later, as the opera opens, she is about to announce the name ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Brian Large
CAST:  June Anderson  •  Marilyn Horne  •  Samuel Ramey  •  Stanford Olsen

In ancient Babylon, SEMIRAMIDE (Anderson) encourages her lover Assur (Ramey) to murder her husband, King Ninus. Her son, Ninius, disappears, believed dead, and Semiramide rules in her own right. 15 years later, as the opera opens, she is about to announce the name ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Brian Large
CAST:  June Anderson  •  Marilyn Horne  •  Samuel Ramey  •  Stanford Olsen

The Ghosts of Versailles (1992)

What happened to Figaro and his friends after the events told in Rossini’s and Mozart’s operas? One possible sequel is told in John Corigliano’s “grand opera buffa” The Ghosts of Versailles—an uproariously funny and deeply moving work inspired by Beaumarchais’s ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Brian Large  •  Colin Graham
CAST:  Teresa Stratas  •  Marilyn Horne  •  Renée Fleming  •  Gino Quilico

What happened to Figaro and his friends after the events told in Rossini’s and Mozart’s operas? One possible sequel is told in John Corigliano’s “grand opera buffa” The Ghosts of Versailles—an uproariously funny and deeply moving work inspired by Beaumarchais’s ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Brian Large  •  Colin Graham
CAST:  Teresa Stratas  •  Marilyn Horne  •  Renée Fleming  •  Gino Quilico

Falstaff (1993)

It is to composer and librettist Arrigo Boito and his constant pestering of the octogenarian Verdi that there remained within him one last great comedy fighting to get out that we owe this absolute miracle of an opera. Produced in 1893 as Verdi turned 80 there is ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Franco Zeffirelli  •  Brian Large
CAST:  Mirella Freni  •  Barbara Bonney  •  Paul Plishka  •  Bruno Pola

It is to composer and librettist Arrigo Boito and his constant pestering of the octogenarian Verdi that there remained within him one last great comedy fighting to get out that we owe this absolute miracle of an opera. Produced in 1893 as Verdi turned 80 there is ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Franco Zeffirelli  •  Brian Large
CAST:  Mirella Freni  •  Barbara Bonney  •  Paul Plishka  •  Bruno Pola

Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! (1994)

Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! was a 1994 TV special that aired on ABC to celebrate Sesame Street's 25th anniversary. It was originally broadcast on May 18, 1994. The show featured Joe Pesci (as Ronald Grump), Corbin Bernsen (as ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Chuck Vinson
CAST:  Joe Pesci  •  Julia Louis-Dreyfus  •  Charles Grodin  •  Susan Sarandon

Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! was a 1994 TV special that aired on ABC to celebrate Sesame Street's 25th anniversary. It was originally broadcast on May 18, 1994. The show featured Joe Pesci (as Ronald Grump), Corbin Bernsen (as ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Chuck Vinson
CAST:  Joe Pesci  •  Julia Louis-Dreyfus  •  Charles Grodin  •  Susan Sarandon

En lek på blodigt allvar (1999)

Göran Gentele (1917 - 1972) was a Swedish actor, director, and opera manager. He studied at The Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school 1944-46, followed by acting and directing theatre and film, became artistic director of the Swedish Royal Opera in 1963 and of the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sofia Nyblom  •  Elisabeth Husmark
CAST:  Göran Gentele  •  Marit Gentele-Gruson  •  Jeanette Gentele  •  Isaac Stern

Göran Gentele (1917 - 1972) was a Swedish actor, director, and opera manager. He studied at The Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school 1944-46, followed by acting and directing theatre and film, became artistic director of the Swedish Royal Opera in 1963 and of the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sofia Nyblom  •  Elisabeth Husmark
CAST:  Göran Gentele  •  Marit Gentele-Gruson  •  Jeanette Gentele  •  Isaac Stern

Vivaldi Orlando Furioso (2001)

For those with any interest in Vivaldi's operas Orlando Furioso is essential viewing, being a 1989 San Francisco Opera revival by Pier Luigi Pizzi of his own 1979 production which was largely responsible for beginning modern interest in Vivaldi's stage work. The ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Pier Luigi Pizzi
CAST:  Marilyn Horne  •  Susan Patterson  •  Kathleen Kuhlmann  •  Sandra Walker

For those with any interest in Vivaldi's operas Orlando Furioso is essential viewing, being a 1989 San Francisco Opera revival by Pier Luigi Pizzi of his own 1979 production which was largely responsible for beginning modern interest in Vivaldi's stage work. The ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Pier Luigi Pizzi
CAST:  Marilyn Horne  •  Susan Patterson  •  Kathleen Kuhlmann  •  Sandra Walker

Carmen Jones (1954)

The tale of the cigarette-maker Carmen and the Spanish cavalry soldier Don Jose is translated into a modern-day story of a parachute factory worker and a stalwart GI named Joe who is about to go to flying school. Conflict arises when a prize-ring champ captures the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Otto Preminger
CAST:  Harry Belafonte  •  Dorothy Dandridge  •  Pearl Bailey  •  Olga James

The tale of the cigarette-maker Carmen and the Spanish cavalry soldier Don Jose is translated into a modern-day story of a parachute factory worker and a stalwart GI named Joe who is about to go to flying school. Conflict arises when a prize-ring champ captures the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Otto Preminger
CAST:  Harry Belafonte  •  Dorothy Dandridge  •  Pearl Bailey  •  Olga James