Horne brings legendary voice to 'U'

The world of opera doesn't often lend its prized possessions to Ann Arbor, but when a featured performer visits, it is not merely a concert or performance. It is a happening.

PREVIEW
	Marilyn Horne Saturday at 8 p.m. Mendelssohn Theater $40 and $25

Marilyn Horne, famed mezzo-soprano and American national treasure, will be in town this weekend to deliver a special recital as part of the University Musical Society's annual season. Best known for her recitals, Horne has performed more than 1,300 such concerts during her illustrious career. She is one of the very few artists who can sell out a performance space in this most definitive realm of singing.

Born in Bradford, Pa., Marilyn Horne began her training with her father and eventually moved on to study music at the University of Southern California. By the age of 20, she was Dorothy Dandridge's singing voice in the film version of Oscar Hammerstein's "Carmen Jones" -an alternative twist on Bizet's "Carmen."

Considered to be one of the best opera singers alive today, Horne has sang on some of the world's most respectable opera stages, including La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, l'Opera de Paris, London's Covent Garden, and the Chicago Lyric.

Receiving honorary doctoral degrees from the Juillard School of Music and the University of Richmond, Horne has also received recognition as being one of the nine "all-time, all-star singers in the MET's 100 years," as acclaimed by Harold C. Schonberg in The New York Times.

Mezzo-soprano and national treasure Marilyn Horne will perform Saturday evening.

Most important, however, is her commendation in the Kennedy Center Honors of 1995, at which President Clinton cited her with an honorary medal of recognition for her contribution to the arts in the United States.

Most recently at the Metropolitan Opera, Marilyn Horne appeared in January 1996 as Dame Quickly in six performances of Verdi's "Falstaff." Two years prior she recorded a complete recording of "Falstaff" under the BMG Classical label as well as a complete recording of Handel's "Semele" under Deutsche Grammophon, which received a 1994 Grammy for Best Opera Recording.

Having recorded many Grammy-winning albums, Horne has recently crossed over from classical voice to musical comedy and light pops. Titled "The Men in My Life," the recording features Marilyn with some of the best recent male voices from the MET, including Sam Ramey, Thomas Hampson, Jerry Hadley, and Spiro Malas.

She has often appeared for performances on both David Letterman's "Late Show," as well as Jay Leno's "Tonight Show," among others.

Apart from singing and performing, Horne has led an active career as humanitarian and teacher. In 1994, Horne launched The Marilyn Horne Foundation with a gala birthday concert at Carnegie Hall. The foundation is a non-profit organization that focuses particularly on the art of the vocal recital.

President Clinton was present at the event and offered his praise when he mentioned that her "role in helping to strengthen this rich tradition has helped to beautify our world. The Marilyn Horne Foundation will give many young artists the encouragement they need to continue their vocal careers."

A step into a new career direction occurred when Horne hosted the Marilyn Horne Vocal Workshop at Carnegie Hall, a five-day program that became the first-ever of such to be presented there.

While that particular workshop concentrated on the bel canto form of singing, she insisted that there is no such type of singing. Whatever the truth may be, Horne knows exactly what she is doing.

Accompanying Horne for her Saturday recital will be none other than the University's own Martin Katz, a professor in the School of Music. This year marks their 30th anniversary together as performer and accompanist.

Having Horne in our midst is an event. Her artistry and voice have been praised from the early days of her career, and continue to be done as such today. Her Saturday recital is surely not to be missed, for it will most likely prove to be the best classical concert of the fall season.

10-24-97