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The American contralto, Eunice Alberts, studied singing with Cleora Wood and Rosalie Miller in Boston, and then she was a pupil of Boris Goldovsky in New York. She participated in two years long North America and Europe tour as a member of a Madrigal group, which was under the direction of Nadia Boulanger.
In 1951 Eunice Alberts made her stage debut at the New York City Centre Opera in the premiere of the opera The Dybuk by D. Tamkin. She sang at this house in 1961 in the premiere of another opera, The Crucible by Ward, and in 1971 she appeared as Mrs. Herring in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring. Followed that a successful opera career at the big opera houses of the USA. Thus she sang in Chicago and Cincinnati, in Houston (Texas), Kansas City and New Orleans. She appeared regularly in the 1960’s and 1970’s at the Opera of Boston. Among other things, she appeared in 1977 as Ratmir in the American premiere of Glinka’s Ruslan and Ludmilla, and also in 1988 in the American premiere of the modern Russian opera Tote Seelen by R. Schtschedrin. The singer could also be heard at the Washington Opera, with the Central City Opera Festival and at the Tanglewood Festival.
On the stage Eunice Alberts performed gladly character roles like Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Martha in Faust by Charles Gounod, Mutter (Mother) in Charpentier’s Louise, Mary in Fliegenden Holländer, Wirtin in Boris Godunov, Frugola in Puccini’s Il Tabarro and old Buryja in Jenufa by Janácek.
In addition Eunice Alberts had an important concert career. She appeared together with leading the American orchestras (New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra) and presented in the concert hall a comprehensive repertoire.
Recordings: CRI (participated in the premiere recording of The Crucible as Rebecca Nurse), Westminster (Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) by J.S. Bach, Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuz by J. Haydn), RCA (W.A. Mozart Requiem and 9th Symphony of Beethoven), Vanguard (works of Samuel Barber). |
