Introduction
Above: Thomas Hampson photographed by Chris Singer @chrissingerme
To mark the 70th birthday of the great baritone Thomas Hampson, he looks back on his life and career in detail and discusses some of his favourite opera roles, in conversation with Jon Tolansky.
TOPICS COVERED
Below are:
- Details of topics covered and where they are discussed during the feature. Where there is a star -* – this indicates a music illustration that can be accessed separately.
- Details of the separately accessible music illustrations that relate to topics that have a star -*
00’00” – Home background, education, studying political science
08’58” – Vocal study with Sister Marietta Coyle
14’57” – Political science at university and professional singing debuts
20’07” – Attending Music Academy of the West and Martial Singher’s class
32’51” – Qualifying with Law Degree
36’01” – Attending the University of Southern California and studying with Horst Günter
38’16” – Deciding to become professional opera singer, winning the Metropolitan Opera Audition and studying with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in the Merola Opera Program
38’49” – First full-time contract position, as baritone with the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf
39’57” – More on the Metropolitan Opera Audition and receiving coaching from Jack Metz
48’33” – Formative influences: Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Leonard Bernstein, Jean-Pierre Ponnelle *
1h 10’44” – Receiving coaching from Antonio Pappano in New York *
1h 13’58” – Mozart: Don Giovanni and other Mozart roles with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Jean-Pierre Ponnelle *
1h 31’12” – Verdi: Macbeth, and Rodrigue (in Don Carlos) with Antonio Pappano *
1h 37’14” – Verdi: Don Carlos and Don Carlo, and Rodrigue with Antonio Pappano *
1h 41’34” – Amfortas in Parsifal *
1h 46’44” – Doktor Faust in Busoni’s Doktor Faust *
1h 53’27” – Wozzeck in Berg’s Wozzeck
2h 03’42” – Bishop Edvard Vergerus in Karlssohn’s Fanny and Alexander *
2h 14’25” – The Hampsong Foundation
MUSIC EXAMPLES
MUSIC 1 – BACH – CANTATA 140
MUSIC 2 – MAHLER – RÜCKERT LIEDER – UM MITTERNACHT
MUSIC 3 – BRITTEN – WAR REQUIEM – AFTER THE BLAST OF LIGHTNING FROM THE EAST
MUSIC 4 – MOZART – DON GIOVANNI – ACT 1 – LA CI DAREM LA MANO
MUSIC 5 – VERDI – MACBETH – ACT 4 – PERFIDI! ALL’ANGLO CONTRO ME … PIETÀ, RISPETTO, AMORE
MUSIC 6 – VERDI – DON CARLOS – ACT 4 – OUI, CARLOS! C’EST MON JOUR SUPRÊME
MUSIC 7 – WAGNER – PARSIFAL – ACT 3 EXTRACT – MEIN VATER…
MUSIC 8 – BUSONI – DOKTOR FAUST – EXTRACT FROM PROLOGUE 2
MUSIC 9 – KARLSSON – FANNY AND ALEXANDER – EXTRACT FROM ACT 2
