Natalie Dessay - French opera singer, owner of an extremely high coloratura soprano. Owns a wide performing range.
Natalie Dessay: biography
The singer was born on April 19, 1965 in the city of Lyon. She dreamed of becoming a ballerina, but choreographers dissuaded her, proving the futility of the venture. Natalie did not grieve for long and soon enrolled in acting classes, deciding to become an actress. However, this dream did not come true, as the girl suddenly showed vocal talent. Once on the stage of the student theater, Natalie sang the aria of Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night, from Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute. The shocked audience sitting in the hall could not believe that the young student had such a strong and beautiful voice. Shortly after this performance, the girl left the actors' courses.
Carier start
Natalie Dessay entered the Conservatory of Bordeaux, which she successfully completed in 1984 and began working as a soloist in the National Orchestra of the city of Toulouse. Once, at the prestigious Les voix Nouvelles competition, the singer took first place, received the main prize and, in addition, an internship at the Paris Opera for a period of one year. For a young performer, such a twist of fate was a real gift.
At the end of the internship, Natalie Dessey received several offers from leading opera houses. She performed in the New York Metropolitan Opera, performing the part of Fiacermilli in the opera Arabella by Richard Strauss. This was followed by several performances at the Vienna Opera.
"Tales of Hoffmann"
In the spring of 1992, Natalie Dessay performed the part of Olympia in the opera production of The Tales of Hoffmann (tales of Hoffmann) Offenbach. Her stage partner was then Jose Van Dam. Critics reacted rather coldly to the play, but Natalie Dessay received good reviews. The role of Olympia became fateful for the singer. Her Dessey played until 2001. With the party of Olympia, Natalie performed on the stage of "La Scala".
In 1993, the Vienna Opera held the Mozart International Competition, in which Dessey won first place. And again, an internship, this time for an already held singer. Now I had to combine my studies with work on the stage. Here Natalie acted in the role of the Blonde in the production of "Abduction from the seraglio." This party has become one of Dessey's favorite arias.
Natalie Dessay and Placido Domingo
And in December 1993, the singer replaced the famous Cheryl Stader on the stage of the Vienna Opera and from that moment she became the darling of the Vienna public, captivating the audience with her unsurpassed crystal-clear coloratura soprano. Then Natalie Dessay, an opera singer of great original talent, received an enthusiastic response from the world-famous tenor Placido Domingo, who later became a true friend and admirer of her singing skills.
Natalie Dessay reached the peak of her popularity in the mid-nineties. By that time, the singer was already known throughout the world, the best conductors sent her invitations. Dessey performed at the Bavarian Opera, then at Covent Garden, she was applauded by connoisseurs of opera art in Berlin, Paris, Rome and New York.
Disease
In 2001, Natalie Dessey, whose soprano suddenly began to lose clarity, was forced to seek the advice of ENT specialists. The state of the vocal cords of the singer alarmed the medical professors, after a thorough examination, it was decided to operate on the patient.
All concerts and performances had to be canceled, but the audience understood the misfortune of the beloved performer with understanding and wished her a speedy recovery. In July 2002, Natalie Dessay lay on the operating table. Surgery was necessary, and it was successful. Six months of postoperative rehabilitation helped the singer regain her strength, and she returned to the big stage at the end of January 2003.
However, after only a year and a half, the opera diva again turns to the doctors. And again consultations, analyzes, a monthly stay in a hospital. The second operation was also successful. The singer does not think to say goodbye to the scene, she is full of creative plans. In April 2005, Natalie Dessay performs at the Montreal Opera House and receives significant confirmation of her popularity. There was not a single empty seat in the huge hall.
After performing in Canada, the singer carefully revises her repertoire and refuses roles that are simple in terms of performing skills, as well as opera arias containing uninteresting libretto. Such a reverent attitude to his own repertoire is explained by the fact that Dessey was determined to bring people only the best music.
Opera diva in Russia
Natalie Dessay was in Moscow twice: the first visit dates back to 2011, the second one took place recently, at the end of October 2015, when the singer gave the only concert in the Tchaikovsky Hall. The program of the performance consisted of works by Giuseppe Verdi, Donizetti, Massenet and vocal miniatures of Mendelssohn, Schubert and Dupark. The singer’s next visit to Moscow will take place in 2017, she will perform at the International House of Music, on the Kosmodamianskaya Embankment.
On June 18, 2010, Natalie Dessay took part in a large gala concert at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.
The singer’s life today
Currently, the opera diva lives mostly in the USA and tours across European countries. The singer’s personal life was successful, she has been married to opera singer Laurent Nauri for many years. The spouses have two children. To combine legal marriage with her husband, Natalie converted to Judaism.