RIP Beverly Sills

[arensky]

One of the great divas of the 20th Century, dead at 78. Besides her singing her work as a friendly and non-patronizing propagandist and publicist for classical music drew many people to opera houses and concert halls, who might never have gone there. Classical music had no better friend in the USA than "Bubbles".

https://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/07/03/beverly_sills_peoples_diva_dies/

[pianistimo]

a natural talent.  may she rest in peace.  seemed a bit young, though.  what happened?  she never smoked and died of lung cancer?

[sharon_f]

A great singer and a wonderful human being. The world was a better place for having her in it.

[prometheus]

She died? (obviously yes, duh)

Just a week or so ago I wondered if she was still alive. So I checked wikipedia.

[cmg]

Classical music had no better friend in the USA than "Bubbles".

https://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/07/03/beverly_sills_peoples_diva_dies/

Amen . . . and thanks for that moving Boston obit. 

She was a down-to-earth woman with a fierce drive to be what she had to be.  But not at the expense  of her humanity.  People tell stories of her years at NYC Opera, in the 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic began to sweep through the city.  Make-up artists were afraid to touch one singer who was HIV positive, but Sills stepped in and helped the young man herself.  Quite a gal.  NYC, especially, is going to miss her.

[Floristan]

She single-handedly brought the bel canto repertoire back to opera in NY in the 70s...especially Donizetti.  "Anna Bolena," "Maria Stuarda," "Roberto Devereux," -- all about the Tudors, and "Lucrezia Borgia."  I was lucky to have seen her in some of these.  She had an incredible facility with these bel canto roles, even though her voice was not naturally a "spinto" voice (she was more a lyric soprano), she still managed to handle these spinto roles with aplomb.  It was something to see!  She will be missed.

[cmg]

Here's a link to NY Times with fine piece on Sills, including YouTube links and available recordings.

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/04/arts/music/04tomm.html?th&emc=th

[flashcat]

An ovbiously great talent, and a sweet, sweet soul.

She graciously agreed to serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies on opening night of our city's new performing arts center back in 1993. She was the first person ever to stand in the spotlight at center stage. All the acts that5 night were local musicians, but we asked her to come and be the featured guest. I will never be able to play there without thinking of her.

She, her talent, and her integrity, will be greatly missed.