At the age of 80, French soprano Régine Crespin died on Thursday, July 5, the victim of liver cancer. Her international career spanned nearly 50 years.
The international opera world has lost another star. On Thursday, July 5th, French soprano Régine Crespin (1927-2007) died in a Paris hospital.
Cause of Death: Liver Cancer
Crespin’s secretary Mireille Gaucher informed the press that the singer had been battling cancer since the late 1970s. After surviving another bout in the mid-1980s, Crespin finally succombed to cancer of the liver. She was 80 years old.
Career Highlights: Singer and Instructor
For a professional musician, Crespin got a late start in her training. She had originally wanted to be a pharmacist and didn’t even begin her first voice lessons until she was 16. Born in Marseilles and raised in Nimes, she later moved to Paris develop her talent at the Paris Conservatory. Crespin began her opera career in 1948, appearing in Bizet's Carmen and Wagner's Lohengrin and Tannhauser. Later, she participated in Germany’s renowned Bayreuth Festival. In 1962, she performed with the New York Metropolitan Opera, the first of 25 years with the Met.
Though medical and personal problems nearly terminated her career in the early 1970s, Crespin managed to come back to the opera world as a mezzo-soprano, a decision that required her to learn a whole new repertoire.
Besides a career in performance, Crespin also taught at France's National High Conservatory for Music from 1976 until the early 1990s. Her classroom lectures were peppered with colorful anecdotes drawn from her experiences backstage. She published her autobiography La Vie et l'Amour d'une Femme (The Life and Love of a Woman), first in French in 1982 and later in English in 1997.
Vocal Timbre: Warm and Rich
Régine Crespin was known for her rich, dark soprano tone. Her powerful voice made her perfect for German opera, and she gained her international fame through roles in Wagner’s operas.
Recordings: French, German, Italian Arias
To enjoy Régine Crespin’s striking voice, try a few of these albums.
- The Very Best of Régine Crespin: This is a good starter album, highlighting some of Régine Crespin's varied roles. Selections include arias by Wagner, Berlioz, Poulenc, and Rossini.
- Berlioz/Ravel/Debussy/Poulanc: This album features Berlioz’s Les Nuits D'ete and Ravel’s Sheherezade.
- Selections from R. Strauss: Crespin performs selections ranging from Salome to Der Rosenkalavier, backed by the London Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras.
- Italian Opera Arias: This album includes the ever-popular “Un bel dì” from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly.
Obituaries and Special Mention
For more information, please see the CBC story and the L.A. Times Obiturary
