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Leyla Gencer

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Leyla Gencer as Antonina in Gaetano Donizetti's Belisario at La Fenice in 1969.

Leyla Gencer, or Ayşe Leyla Çeyrekgil (October 10, 1928 – May 10, 2008) was a world-renowned Turkish operatic soprano.

Known as "La Diva Turca" (The Turkish Diva) and "La Regina" (The Queen) in the opera world, Gencer was a notable bel canto soprano who spent most of her career in Italy, from the early 1950s through the mid-1980s, and had a repertoire encompassing more than seventy roles. She made very few commercial recordings; however, numerous bootleg recordings of her performances exist. In particular, Gencer was associated with the heroines of Donizetti.

Biography

Leyla Gencer was born in Istanbul as the daughter of a Turkish father and Polish mother. Her mother, Lexanda Angela Minakovska (who later converted to Islam and chose the name Atiye after her husband's death), was the member of a Polish Catholic family of the Lithuanian aristocracy; while her father, Hasanzade İbrahim Bey (who later adopted the surname Çeyrekgil following the Surname Law of 1934) was a wealthy businessman who descended from a Turkish family of the Sunni Muslim faith, from the city of Safranbolu.

Gencer lost her father at a very young age. She grew up in the Çubuklu district of Istanbul, on the Anatolian side of the Bosporus, and began to study singing at the Istanbul Conservatory; but dropped out to study privately in Ankara with her teacher, the Italian soprano Giannina Arangi-Lombardi. She sang in the chorus of the Turkish State Theater until she made her operatic debut in Ankara in 1950 as Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana. During the next few years, she became well-known in Turkey and sang frequently at functions for the Turkish government.

In 1953, Gencer made her Italian debut at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples as Santuzza. She returned to Naples the following year for performances of Madama Butterfly and Eugene Onegin. In 1957, she made her debut at La Scala in Milan as Mme. Lidoine in the world premiere of Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites. She went on to appear regularly at La Scala, performing nineteen roles between 1957 and 1983, including Leonora in La forza del destino, Elisabetta in Don Carlos, Aïda, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Norma, Ottavia in L'incoronazione di Poppea, and Alceste. At La Scala, she also appeared as the First Woman of Canterbury in the world premiere of Pizzetti's L'assassinio nella cattedrale in 1958.

In 1962, Gencer made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Elisabetta di Valois and as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. She made her U.S. debut at the San Francisco Opera in 1956 as Francesca in Francesca da Rimini. She sang at other American opera houses as well, but never sang at the Metropolitan Opera, though there had been discussions for her to sing Tosca there in 1956.

Chopin's 'Lyric Compositions' she performed in Paris with Nikita Magaloff, her Liszt-Bartok performance in La Scala and her concert regarding 'the operas about Turks' within the Venice Carnival at La Fenice Theatre, show her innovative character as an opera singer. In 1985, Gencer retired from the operatic stage with a performance of Gnecco's La Prova di un'opera seria at La Fenice. She continued to appear in concerts until 1992. As of 2007, she was still active, and had recently been appointed by La Scala's music director Riccardo Muti to run its school for young artists.

Throughout her career, Gencer was known primarily as a Donizetti interpreter. Among her best-known Donizetti performances are Belisario, Poliuto, Anna Bolena, Lucrezia Borgia, Maria Stuarda, and Caterina Cornaro. Her most acclaimed and best-known performance, though, was Roberto Devereux, which she sang in Naples in 1964.

In addition to the bel canto roles for which she is best known, Gencer's repertory also included works by such composers as Prokofiev, Mozart, and Puccini. She appeared in many rarely performed operas, including Smareglia's La Falena, Rossini's Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra, Spontini's Agnese di Hohenstaufen, Pacini's Saffo, and Gluck's Alceste.

Gencer achieved an international career in a short time and performed with renowned Italian maestros such as; Gui, Serafin, Gavazzeni and Muti. She contributed to the improvement of the 'Donizetti Renaissance' with her great performances of Donizetti's forgotten operas.

Gencer's repertoire consists of 72 roles including works from composers such as; Monteverdi, Gluck, Mozart to neo-classical period; from Cherubini, Spontini, Johann Simon Mayr and the romantic period to Puccini, Prokofiev, Britten, Poulenc, Menotti and Rocca; from a lyric soprano varying to dramatic colorature.

In 1982, Gencer dedicated herself for education of young opera artists. She worked as a didactic art director of As.Li.Co. of Milan between 1983-88 and was appointed by Maestro Riccardo Muti to run La Scala's School for Young Artists between 1997-1998. Gencer was the artistic director of the academy for opera artists formed in Teatro alla Scala where she taught opera interpretation.

Gencer performed leading roles in many famous operas and she is known as the 'last diva of the 20th century'. She achieved her strong presence in the opera world, not only by the variety of her repertoire, but also with the dramatic nuances that she attributed to the roles she performed. Being a good researcher and a teacher, she reintroduced many forgotten works of the romantic period to the opera stages. In 1996 she had a spectacular appearance in Jan Schmidt-Garre's film Opera Fanatic.

Gencer died on May 10, 2008 in Milan, Italy. Following the funeral service in San Babila Church and subsequently cremation in Milan, her ashes were brought to Istanbul and consigned to the waters of the Bosphorus on May 16, 2008 according to her wish.

Obituaries

Discography

  • Bellini: Norma / 1966, de Fabritiis, Gencer, Cossotto, et al.
  • Bellini: Norma / 1965, Gavazzeni, Gencer, Simionato, et al.
  • Bellini: Beatrice di Tenda1964 / Gui, Gencer, Zanasi, et al.
  • Bellini: I Puritani 1961 / Quadri, Gencer, Raimondi, et al.
  • Pacini: Saffo 1967 / Gencer, Del Bianco, Mattiucci
  • Cherubini: Medea 1968/ Gencer, Bottion, et al.
  • Mayr: Medea in Corinto 1976/ Ferro, Gencer, Johns
  • Gluck: Alceste 1967/ Gui, Gencer, Picchi
  • Chopin: Polish Songs; Liszt / Leyla Gencer, Nikita Magaloff
  • Donizetti: Anna Bolena 1958/ Gavazzeni, Gencer, Simionato, et al.
  • Donizetti: Anna Bolena 1965/ Gavazzeni, Gencer, Cava, et al.
  • Donizetti: Caterina Cornaro 1972 / Cillario, Gencer, Aragall
  • Donizetti: Les Martyrs / 1975 Camozzo, Gencer, Bruson, et al.
  • Donizetti: Les Martyrs / 1978 Gelmetti, Gencer, Bruson, et al.
  • Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia / 1970 Gracis, Gencer, Raimondi et al.
  • Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia / 1966 Franci, Gencer, Aragall, Petri et al.
  • Donizetti: Maria Stuarda / 1967 Molinari-Pradelli, Gencer, Verret, Tagliavini et al.
  • Donizetti: Messa di Requiem / Gavazzeni, Teatro La Fenice
  • Donizetti: Roberto Devereux 1964 / Gencer, Cappuccilli, et al.
  • Donizetti: Belisario 1969 / Gavazzeni, Gencer, Taddei et al.
  • Mozart: Don Giovanni 1960/ Molinari-Pradelli, Gencer, Petri, Bruscantini, Stich-Randall et al.
  • Mozart: Don Giovanni 1962/ Solti, Gencer, Jurinac, Freni
  • Ponchielli: La Gioconda 1971 / de Fabritiis, Gencer, Raimondi
  • Zandonai: Francesca da Rimini 1961 / Capuana, Gencer, Cioni et al.
  • Rossini: Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra 1971/ Sanzogno, Gencer, Grilli
  • Verdi: I due Foscari" 1957/ Serafin, Gencer, Guelfi
  • Verdi: Battaglia di Legnano 1959/ Gencer, Limarilli
  • Verdi: Rigoletto 1961/ Quadri, Gencer, McNeil, Raimondi
  • Verdi: Gerusalemme 1963/ Gavazzeni, Gencer, Aragall, Guelfi
  • Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani 1965/ Gavazzeni, Gencer, et al.
  • Verdi: Macbeth 1960/ Gui, Gencer, Taddei, Picchi et al.
  • Verdi: Macbeth 1968/ Gavazzeni, Gencer, Guelfi, Corradi, et al.
  • Verdi: Attila 1972/ Silipigni, Gencer, Hines
  • Verdi: Ernani 1972/ Gavazzeni, Gencer, Bergonzi
  • Verdi: Simon Boccanegra 1961/ Gavazzeni, Gobbi, Gencer
  • Verdi: Trovatore 1957/Previtali, Gencer, Del Monaco, Barbieri, Bastianini
  • Verdi: Un ballo in maschera 1961/ Gencer, Bergonzi
  • Verdi: Aida 1966/ Capuana, Gencer, Bergonzi, Cossotto
  • Verdi: La Forza del Destino 1957/ Serafin, Gencer, Di Stefano
  • Verdi: La Forza del Destino 1965/ Molinari Pradelli, Gencer, Bergonzi

Repertory

OPERATIC ROLES

  • Bellini Betrice di Tenda Beatrice
  • Bellini Norma Norma
  • Bellini La Sonnambula Amina
  • Bellini I Puritani Elvira
  • Boito Mefistofele Margherita
  • Britten Albert Herring Lady Billows
  • Cherubini Medea Medea
  • Cilea Adriana Lecouvreur Adriana
  • Donizetti Anna Bolena Anna Bolena
  • Donizetti Belisario Antonina
  • Donizetti Caterina Cornaro Caterina Cornaro
  • Donizetti Lucia di Lammermoor Lucia
  • Donizetti Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia
  • Donizetti Maria Stuarda Maria Stuarda
  • Donizetti Les Martyrs Pauline
  • Donizetti Poliuto Paolina
  • Donizetti Roberto Devereux Elisabetta
  • Gluck Alceste Alceste
  • Gnecco La prova d'un opera seria Corilla
  • Offenbach I Racconti di Hoffmann Antonia
  • Mayr Medea in Corinto Medea
  • Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana Santuzza
  • Massenet Manon Manon Lescaut
  • Massenet Werther Carlotta
  • Menotti Il Console Magda
  • Monteverdi L'Incoronazione di Poppea Ottavia
  • Mozart Cosi fan tutte Fiordiligi
  • Mozart Don Giovanni Donna Anna
  • Mozart Don Giovanni Donna Elvira
  • Mozart Idomeneo Elettra
  • Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro Contessa d'Almaviva
  • Pacini Saffo Saffo
  • Pizzetti Assasinio nella cattedrale Prima Corifea
  • Pizzetti Lo Straniero Maria
  • Ponchielli La Gioconda Gioconda
  • Poulenc Dialoghi delle Carmelitane Madame Lidoine
  • Prokofiev L'Angelo di fuoco Renata
  • Puccini Madama Butterfly Cio Cio San
  • Puccini Suor Angelica Suor Angelica
  • Puccini Il Tabarro Giorgetta
  • Puccini Tosca Tosca
  • Puccini Turandot Liu
  • Rocca Monte Ivnor Edali
  • Rossini Elisabetta Regina d'Inghilterra Elisabetta
  • Rossini Guglielmo Tell Matilde
  • Saygun Kerem ile Asli Asli
  • Smareglia La Falena La Falena
  • Spontini Agnese di Hohenstaufen Agnese
  • Spontini La Vestale Giulia
  • Tchaikovsky La Dama di Picche Lisa
  • Tchaikovsky Eugenio Onegin Tatiana
  • Verdi Aida Aida
  • Verdi Attila Odabella
  • Verdi Un Ballo in maschera Amelia
  • Verdi La Battaglia di Legnano Lida
  • Verdi I Due Foscari Lucrezia Contarini
  • Verdi Don Carlo Elisabetta di Valois
  • Verdi Ernani Elvira
  • Verdi La Forza del destino Leonora di Vargas
  • Verdi Gerusalemme Elena
  • Verdi Macbeth Lady Macbeth
  • Verdi Otello Desdemona
  • Verdi Rigoletto Gilda
  • Verdi Simon Boccanegra Maria Boccanegra
  • Verdi La Traviata Violetta Valery
  • Verdi Il Trovatore Leonora
  • Verdi I Vespri siciliani la Duchessa Elena
  • Weber Il Franco cacciatore Agata
  • Weinberger Schwanda Dorotea
  • Zandonai Francesca di Rimini Francesca

ARIAS FROM THE FOLLOWING OPERAS

  • Bellini Adelson e Salvini
  • Bellini Il Pirata
  • Cimarosa I Traci amanti
  • Debussy L'Enfant prodigue (Oratorio)
  • Donizetti Alina Regina di Golconda
  • Donizetti Fausta
  • Gilbert-Favart Les Trois Sultanes
  • Gluck Armide
  • Gluck Iphigenie en Tauride
  • Gluck Les Pelerins de la Mecque
  • Gounod Faust
  • Gretry La Caravane du Caire
  • Gretry Zemire et Azor
  • Haendel Alcina
  • Haendel Joshua
  • Haendel Tamerlano
  • Hasse Il Solimano
  • Haydn L'Incontro improvviso
  • Jommelli La Schiava liberata
  • Mercadante Didone abbandonata
  • Meyerbeer Il Crociato in Egitto
  • Monteverdi L'Olimpiade
  • Mozart Il Flauto magico
  • Mozart Il Ratto dal seraglio
  • Paisiello Gli Zingari in fiera
  • Paisiello La Molinara
  • Pergolesi L'Olimpiade
  • Pizzetti Fedra
  • Puccini La Boheme
  • Rameau Hyppolite et Aricie
  • Rameau Les Indes galantes - Le Turc genereux
  • Salieri Axur, Re d'Ormus
  • Vivaldi Bajazet
  • Vivaldi L'Olimpiade
  • Vivaldi Orlando finto pazzo

SYMPHONIC AND CHORAL MUSIC

  • Berlioz Les Nuits d'ete
  • Donizetti Messa di Requiem per Berllini
  • Mozart Mottetto: Exultate, jubilate (Alleluja)
  • Rossini Stabat Mater
  • Verdi Messa di Requiem
  • Vivaldi Mottetto: O qui coeli terraeque
  • Vivaldi Mottetto: Canta in prato

VOCAL CHAMBER MUSIC

  • Alnar Canti dell'Anatolia
  • Bartok Ungarische Wolkslieder
  • Beethoven La partenza
  • Bellini Fervido desiderio
  • Bellini Dolente immagine
  • Bellini Vaga luna
  • Bellini Me rendi pur contento
  • Bizet Le matin
  • Carissimi Lamento e morte di Maria Stuarda
  • Chopin 19 Liriche polacche op. 74
  • Chopin Mazurka in sol maggiore per voce sola
  • Chopin Six Mazourkas arranges pour la voix par Pauline Viardot
  • Debussy Les cloches
  • Donizetti Meine Liebe
  • Donizetti Le billet doux
  • Donizetti La mere et l'enfant
  • Donizetti A mezzanotte
  • Donizetti La Sultana
  • Donizetti Saffo
  • Faure Apres un reve
  • Faure Ici - Bas
  • Faure Clair de lune
  • Frank Panis Angelicus
  • Haydn Arianna a Nasso
  • Liszt Tre sonetti di Pertrarca
  • Monteverdi La mia turca
  • Poulenc 8 canzoni polacche
  • Ravel Canti greci
  • Rey Canzoni popolari antiche dell'Anatolia
  • Rossini Les Soirees musicales
  • Schubert Ave Maria
  • Schumann Frauenliebe und Leben Op. 42
  • Schumann Gedichte der Konigin Maria Stuarda Op. 135
  • Schumann Der Nussbaum
  • Schumann Schone Fremde
  • Strauss Heimliche Aufforferung
  • Strauss Morgen
  • Strauss Cacilie
  • Verdi La zingara

Books

Biography of Leyla Gencer:

  • Franca Cella: Leyla Gencer. Romanzo vero di una primadonna

CDS Edizioni Venezia

Other biographies:

  • Umberto Bonadini: Ferruccio Tagliavini. L'uomo la voce

Magis Books editori, Reggio Emilia 1993

  • Martina Boagno e Gilerto Starone: Ettore Bastianini. Una voce di bronzo e di velluto

Azzali editori, Parma 1991

Opera theaters history and annals:

  • BARCELONA: Pau Nadal: Anuari 1947-1997 del Gran Teatre del Liceu

Amics del Liceu, Barcelona 1997

  • BOLOGNA: Lamberto Trezzini (ED.): Due Secoli di Vita Musicale. Storia del Teatro Communale di Bologna.

Bologna, Teatro Comunale di Bologna 1987, Volumes I-III

  • FIRENZE: Aloma Bardi e Mauro Conti: Teatro Comunale di Firenze-Maggio Musicale Fiorentino: Catalogo delle MANIFESTAZIONI 1928-1997

Casa Editrice Le Lettere Firenze 1998, Volumes I-II

  • NAPOLI: Vari Autori (cronologia di Carlo Marinelli Roscioni): Il Teatro di San Carlo

Guida Editori, Napoli 1987, Volumes I-II

  • TORINO : Alberto Basso: Il nuovo Teatro Regio di Torino

Cassa di Risparmio di Torino, Torino 1991

  • WIEN: Harald Hoyer: Chronik der Wiener Staatsopeer 1945 bis 1995 Verlag Anton Schroll & Co., Wien und München 1995
  • GENOVA: R. Iovino, I. Aliprandi, S. Licciardello, K. Tocchi: I palcoscenici della lirica Cronologia dal Falcone al nuovo Carlo Felice

Sagep, Genova 1993

  • GLYNDEBOURNE: John Julius: 50 years of Glyndebourne

Nowich 1985

  • LISBOA: Mario Moreau: O Teatro de S Carlos: Dos Seculos de Historia

Lisbon Hugin Editores, Lisbon 1999, Volumes I-II

  • PALERMO: Guido Leone: L'Opera a Palermo dal 1653 al 1987

Publisicula Editrice, Palermo 1987, Volumes I-II

See also

External links

References

  1. Telegraph.co.uk: Leyla Gencer
  2. "Ashes of Leyla Gencer scattered across Bosporus". Turkish Daily News. 2008-05-17.
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