Norman Bailey 1933-2021

[Keraulophone]

Wotan, Sachs, Holländer, Barak, Scarpia, etc, etc extraordinaire...

R.I.P.

https://twitter.com/operamagazine/status/1438218684615561219/photo/1

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[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I remember the time in the late ‘60s, when there was no stereo studio recording of Die Meistersinger, and the reason given was that there was no suitable Hans Sachs other than DF-D, and he rejected all requests for many years. He relented eventually, but following his ENO success, Norman Bailey’s name began to be seen as the solution, and he performed the part magnificently in the Vienna/Solti/Decca recording in the 1970s.
That recording has been the BaL choice twice.

[Cockney Sparrow]

That's why I sought out that recording of Die M (Eine A. is talking about Solti I presume). And a great contribution, though coming comparatively late to Richard W I'm no expert and can't compare much with others. IIRC it was the selection on a BAL.

I was an ENO season ticket holder in the Elder/Pountney years. Not sure in what I would have seen Bailey there, but I must have seen him live and it made a big impression. (Not even sure I saw him in those years at ENO, I didn't keep many programmes).

Another great British vocalist from a period when much was achieved has passed.....

[LHC]

I think I may have mentioned this before, but my first experience of opera was seeing Siegfried at ENO, with Alberto Remedios, Rita Hunter and Normal Bailey as the Wanderer, and with Charles Mackerras conducting.

I'd never heard a note of the Ring before, and was obviously extremely fortunate to experience such a cast on my first operatic outing. It has led to a lifelong devotion to opera.

Norman Bailey was also in the cast for my second live opera, singing Amfortas in Parsifal at Covent Garden, conducted by Solti and with Kurt Moll, Peter Hoffmann, Yvonne Minton, Gwynne Howell and Franz Mazura also in the cast.

I was also fortunate to see him as Hans Sachs, when he stepped in to replace an ailing Hans Sotin at Covent Garden.

He was, as others have said, one of our greatest singers, and also one of our great Wagnerians. He was not just a wonderful singer, but he also brought great humanity to the roles he sag; his Sachs exuded quiet wisdom, and his Wotan expressed all the anguish and compassion of the character.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I saw Norman several times as Sachs and Wotan at ENO . Aa well as being possessed of the most wonderful voice he bought a nobility of character to Sachs that I have never seen or heard or equalled live .His voice never seem to tire - it was clearly the product of much careful preparation. . The celebrated ENO Ring would not have been possible without him which makes him a key figure in the development of Opera in English. It is wonderful that the magnificence of his Sachs was recognised by Solti and that his performance in English was also captured. I don’t expect to hear the role better sung in my lifetime though Iain Patterson and Bryn Terfel in his prime came close. If I can borrow his final peroration to Brunhilde in Valkyrie…Farewell.

[makropulos]

This is extremely sad news. I have so many happy memories of NB at the Coliseum from the early 70s onwards. Sachs more than once, Wotan, but also things like the Father in Hansel and Gretel, Kutuzov in War and Peace, and the Forester in Cunning Little Vixen (with Charles Mackerras –I went to two marvellous performances from both of them during that run). In the 1970s too, there were TV versions of Flying Dutchman and Verdi's Macbeth which I remember being pretty exceptional too. Very, very much missed. RIP.