Rita Hunter's guest appearances

Rita Hunter

Desert Island Discs: Fragment Archive 1970-1986

Chris's Cache

handelmania's Podcast

No More Broken Pieces Network with Ramonda Moore-Brown

Pilar Lorengar

Rita Gorr

Janet Baker

Marisa Galvany

Luisa Miller

Eugene Onegin

Nelly Miricioiu

Birgit Nilsson

Piccolo Marat

L'Amico Fritz

Boris Godunov

Simon Boccanegra

Manon Lescaut

Adriana Lecouvreur

Kirsten Flagstad

OwlTail

Verdi’s early success with Rita Hunter, Kostas Paskalis and Ferruccio Furlanetto, plus a cabaletta quiz in which 15 sopranos tackle “Salgo già!"

Nabucco (Rita Hunter)

This time of prayer and worship is set aside for those who desire to carry the glory of God. It is indeed a sacrifice to seek the will and ways of the Father early in the morning. I am so excited about what God is getting ready to do in this season. There is an open heaven for those who choose to put the work of the kingdom FIRST!

Glory Sunrise Prayer and Worship Call with Evangelist Rita Hunter

Rita Hunter sings arias from Aida,Macbeth, Forza, Gioconda,Tosca, Fidelio, Idomeneo,Cavalleria, Schicchi (in English),  and "My Hero" (from the Chocolate Soldier), and " Tosti's "Goodbye."   Rita Hunter CBE (15 August 1933 – 29 April 2001) was a British operatic dramatic soprano. Rita Hunter was born in Wallasey, Merseyside and lived in Limekiln Lane. During her childhood, her parents, both fans ofmusic-hall, would take Rita to many of the final tours of the last music-hall artists.[1] She studied singing in Liverpool with Edwin Francis and later in London with Redvers Llewellyn and Clive Carey. She joined the Sadler's Wells Opera Company in 1957, and sang in the chorus with them for two years before touring with the Carl Rosa Opera Company. She then obtained a grant from the Countess of Munster Trust, which made it possible for her to study for a year with Dame Eva Turner. After this she went back to the Company as a principal, where her roles included Senta in The Flying Dutchman, Musetta in La bohème, Odabella in Attila, Fata Morgana in The Love for Three Oranges, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Amelia in A Masked Ball, Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana, Elizabeth in Don Carlos and Leonora in Il trovatore. Rita Hunter will be remembered as one of the major Wagnerian sopranos of the later 20th century, especially for her performances as all three of the Brünnhildes in the Ring cycle, conducted by Reginald Goodall at the English National Opera.[2] In this production she was partnered by Alberto Remedios (who had studied singing at the same time as Hunter inLiverpool with Edwin Francis) as Siegfried, and Norman Bailey as Wotan. The recordings based on this production, with the same artists, are regarded as amongst the finest available, even though they are sung, in accordance with ENO practice, in English. In an interview in 1979 Hunter expressed her dissatisfaction with having to sing the same part in both English and the original languages. "I find it very difficult learning a role in different languages. The phrasing is different - one has to take breath in a different place." She also recalled having to know "Santuzza in three different English translations as well as in Italian". She found Italian easier to learn and memorize than German.[1] In the Glen Byam Shaw Ring production, the quality of Hunter's singing and interpretation enabled audiences to set aside her outsize stature (which conformed to all prejudices about Wagnerian sopranos), and few have matched her conviction as Brünnhilde. She made her debut at the New York Metropolitan Opera on December 19, 1972, in Die Walküre, with great success (conductor Erich Leinsdorf and Dame Gwyneth Jones as Sieglinde). She performed the GötterdämmerungBrünnhilde at Covent Garden, and also sang the part of Senta there at short notice. Hunter's later Metropolitan Opera performances of Die Walküre in 1975 featured Birgit Nilsson as Sieglinde and were conducted by Sixten Ehrling. She also performed in Wagner and other operas in Munich, Seattle, New Orleans, San Francisco, and with the Welsh National Opera. In a memorable San Francisco season, she played the roles of Norma and Sieglinde in the same week. Among conductors with whom she worked whom she found sympathetic to the singer, she cited Carlo Felice Cillario andRichard Bonynge.[1] In 1980 she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). In 1981 she moved to Sydney and joined the Australian Opera. In 1986 she published her memoirs, Wait till the sun shines, Nellie. She died in Sydney in 2001, aged 67.

Rita Hunter sings arias from Aida,Macbeth, Forza, Gioconda,Tosca, Fidelio, Idomeneo,Cavalleria, Schicchi (in English),  and "My Hero" (from the Chocolate Soldier), and " Tosti's "Goodbye." Rita Hunter <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CBE</a> (15 August 1933 – 29 April 2001) was a British <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">operatic</a> dramatic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soprano" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">soprano</a>. Rita Hunter was born in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallasey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wallasey</a>, Merseyside and lived in Limekiln Lane. During her childhood, her parents, both fans of<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music-hall" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">music-hall</a>, would take Rita to many of the final tours of the last music-hall artists.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Hunter#cite_note-M.26M-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[1]</a> She studied singing in Liverpool with Edwin Francis and later in London with Redvers Llewellyn and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Carey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clive Carey</a>. She joined the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadler%27s_Wells_Theatre" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sadler's Wells Opera</a> Company in 1957, and sang in the chorus with them for two years before touring with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Rosa_Opera_Company" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Carl Rosa Opera Company</a>. She then obtained a grant from the Countess of Munster Trust, which made it possible for her to study for a year with Dame <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Turner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eva Turner</a>. After this she went back to the Company as a principal, where her roles included Senta in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Dutchman_(opera)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Flying Dutchman</a>, Musetta in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_boh%C3%A8me" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">La bohème</a>, Odabella in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attila_(opera)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Attila</a>, Fata Morgana in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Love_for_Three_Oranges" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Love for Three Oranges</a>, Donna Anna in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Giovanni" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Don Giovanni</a>, Amelia in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Un_ballo_in_maschera" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Masked Ball</a>, Santuzza in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalleria_rusticana" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cavalleria rusticana</a>, Elizabeth in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Carlos" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Don Carlos</a> and Leonora in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_trovatore" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Il trovatore</a>. Rita Hunter will be remembered as one of the major <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wagnerian</a> sopranos of the later 20th century, especially for her performances as all three of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%BCnnhilde" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brünnhildes</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_cycle" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ring cycle</a>, conducted by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Goodall" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reginald Goodall</a> at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_National_Opera" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">English National Opera</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Hunter#cite_note-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[2]</a> In this production she was partnered by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Remedios" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alberto Remedios</a> (who had studied singing at the same time as Hunter in<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Liverpool</a> with Edwin Francis) as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_(opera)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Siegfried</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Bailey_(bass-baritone)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Norman Bailey</a> as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C5%8Dden" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wotan</a>. The recordings based on this production, with the same artists, are regarded as amongst the finest available, even though they are sung, in accordance with ENO practice, in English. In an interview in 1979 Hunter expressed her dissatisfaction with having to sing the same part in both English and the original languages. "I find it very difficult learning a role in different languages. The phrasing is different - one has to take breath in a different place." She also recalled having to know "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavelleria_Rusticana" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Santuzza</a> in three different English translations as well as in Italian". She found Italian easier to learn and memorize than German.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Hunter#cite_note-M.26M-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[1]</a> In the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Byam_Shaw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Glen Byam Shaw</a> Ring production, the quality of Hunter's singing and interpretation enabled audiences to set aside her outsize stature (which conformed to all prejudices about Wagnerian sopranos), and few have matched her conviction as Brünnhilde. She made her debut at the New York <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Opera" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Metropolitan Opera</a> on December 19, 1972, in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Walk%C3%BCre" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Die Walküre</a>, with great success (conductor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Leinsdorf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Erich Leinsdorf</a> and Dame <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwyneth_Jones" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gwyneth Jones</a> as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sieglinde" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sieglinde</a>). She performed the GötterdämmerungBrünnhilde at Covent Garden, and also sang the part of Senta there at short notice. Hunter's later Metropolitan Opera performances of Die Walküre in 1975 featured <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birgit_Nilsson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Birgit Nilsson</a> as Sieglinde and were conducted by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixten_Ehrling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sixten Ehrling</a>. She also performed in Wagner and other operas in Munich, Seattle, New Orleans, San Francisco, and with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_National_Opera" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Welsh National Opera</a>. In a memorable San Francisco season, she played the roles of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norma_(opera)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Norma</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sieglinde" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sieglinde</a> in the same week. Among conductors with whom she worked whom she found sympathetic to the singer, she cited <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Felice_Cillario" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Carlo Felice Cillario</a> and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bonynge" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Richard Bonynge</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Hunter#cite_note-M.26M-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[1]</a> In 1980 she was appointed a Commander of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empire" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Order of the British Empire</a> (CBE). In 1981 she moved to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sydney</a> and joined the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_Australia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Australian Opera</a>. In 1986 she published her memoirs, Wait till the sun shines, Nellie. She died in Sydney in 2001, aged 67.

Roy Plomley's castaway is soprano Rita Hunter.Favourite track: Ingemisco by Giuseppe VerdiBook: Anthology of PoetryLuxury: Oil-painting equipment

Roy Plomley's castaway is soprano Rita Hunter. Favourite track: Ingemisco by Giuseppe Verdi Book: Anthology of Poetry Luxury: Oil-painting equipment