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Cecile Cooper newspaper clippings, 1966-1987
1986-04-20 ""Simon Estes sings gospel songs""
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Simon Estes sings gospel songs Argus Rock Island Il. April 20, 1986 [[photo caption]]Simon Estes[[end caption]] By Mary Campbell AP Newsfeatures writer A number of opera singers recently have made recordings of pop songs. Simon Estes has made one of gospel songs, titled "Spirituals," which Philips Records is released in late January. Estes, an opera star whose Metropolitan Opera contracts extendedthrough 1989 and who is booked into 1990 in Europe, hasn't made an album of gospel songs before. He has known gospel songs since childhood. He said he has previously sung all but a couple on the album. "Harold Roberts, the man who arranged them, and I discussed what songs to choose," Estes said. "We wanted to give a variety, some fast, some slow, some expressing despair, some joy, some hope. We didn't discuss if they were well known. People will have heard most of them at some time. "The first performances I sang, of spirituals and hymns, were at the Second Baptist Church in Centerville, Iowa, between ages 7 and 9. I was a soloist; I didn't sing in the choir. "In high school I was in a choir. I sang first soprano and tenor. I had a high C that just didn't stop. My voice changed late. My senior year I couldn't sing my high notes any more and after 10 minutes my voice just went away. I thought there was something wrong with my throat. They sent me to one of our local GPs and he said, 'Your voice is changing.' "For two or three years I couldn't sustain anything. All of a sudden my voice started coming back. I thought I was a tenor. I ended up being a bass-baritone." After this album of spirituals, Estes may make a pop album, of the kind of love songs that Nat Cole used to sing. A native of Centerville, Iowa, Estes, who has sung for the last eight summers at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany where Wagner operas are presented, made a solo Wagner album in 1984 which won France's 1985 grand prix de disque for operatic solo album of the year. In December he cut a solo Verdi album. Estes was Porgy and Grace Bumbry was Bess when the Metropolitan Opera first performed Gershwin's 1935 opera in early 1985. He and Roberta Alexander are on an album of "Porgy and Bess" highlights. Last summer, Estes as the Dutchman, with Lisbeth Balslev from Copenhagen as Senta, recorded Richard Wagner's "Flying Dutchman" which will come out this year. The same cast sang it last summer at Bayreuth and filmed it. A recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which includes Estes, also will be released in 1986. All his records are on Philips. "Parsifal," recorded at Bayreuth last summer, will be released later. This season at the Met, Estes is singing Amfortas in "Parsifal" and Porgy. "I've just done my first Macbeth," Estes said. He sang it in October in Zurich and Munich. "I think it is probably the biggest success I've ever had. People say so. I've always sung Banquo in that opera before. "From there I went to Berlin and did 'Das Rheingold' and 'Die Walkure' in the new Ring production. I came back to the states to do Porgy and orchestra dates in Des Moines and San Antonio and recitals in Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. "Then back to Europe for recitals in Paris and Zurich and to start rehearsals for a new production of 'Salome' in Zurich. I sang John the Baptist. In the future, this busy singer has more top-notch engagements coming up. He'll sing Wotan in "Die Walkuere" next September at the Metropolitan Opera's opening night. He'll sing Macbeth in Vienna in January 1987 and in Berlin that year. He'll sing his first Renato in "A Masked Ball" at Covent Garden in December. He'll record Verdi with Jesse Norman and Margaret Price with Leonard Bernstein conducting next August. Next year he'll record the toreador in "Carmen" and the four villains in "Tales of Hoffmann." He has sung Escamillo in "Carmen" on stage. He said, "I'm starting to sing more baritone parts. Macbeth is a baritone part. I've always had the high notes. When I was younger I could never sustain the tessitura (prevailing level) of higher repertoire. Now I can; my voice is more mature. I'm going to sing a lot more Verdi baritone parts. In 1988 he'll stage "Porgy and Bess" and sing Porgy in Anchorage, which is building a new opera house. "I'm trying to limit myself to not singing more than 60 or 70 performances a year," Estes said. "At this stage of my career, I feel honored to say I can kind of choose and accept what is offered to me. I don't want to sing too much, so I can give the public the best I can give." Estes his Swiss wife and children, Jennifer Barbara, nearly 3, and Lynne Ashley, 1, live in New Jersey and Zurich. Estes said, "We're happily married and grateful we have two healthy children. I'm the happiest of my life. When I'm happy at home, I can be happier on the stage. My family comes first."
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Simon Estes sings gospel songs Argus Rock Island Il. April 20, 1986 [[photo caption]]Simon Estes[[end caption]] By Mary Campbell AP Newsfeatures writer A number of opera singers recently have made recordings of pop songs. Simon Estes has made one of gospel songs, titled "Spirituals," which Philips Records is released in late January. Estes, an opera star whose Metropolitan Opera contracts extendedthrough 1989 and who is booked into 1990 in Europe, hasn't made an album of gospel songs before. He has known gospel songs since childhood. He said he has previously sung all but a couple on the album. "Harold Roberts, the man who arranged them, and I discussed what songs to choose," Estes said. "We wanted to give a variety, some fast, some slow, some expressing despair, some joy, some hope. We didn't discuss if they were well known. People will have heard most of them at some time. "The first performances I sang, of spirituals and hymns, were at the Second Baptist Church in Centerville, Iowa, between ages 7 and 9. I was a soloist; I didn't sing in the choir. "In high school I was in a choir. I sang first soprano and tenor. I had a high C that just didn't stop. My voice changed late. My senior year I couldn't sing my high notes any more and after 10 minutes my voice just went away. I thought there was something wrong with my throat. They sent me to one of our local GPs and he said, 'Your voice is changing.' "For two or three years I couldn't sustain anything. All of a sudden my voice started coming back. I thought I was a tenor. I ended up being a bass-baritone." After this album of spirituals, Estes may make a pop album, of the kind of love songs that Nat Cole used to sing. A native of Centerville, Iowa, Estes, who has sung for the last eight summers at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany where Wagner operas are presented, made a solo Wagner album in 1984 which won France's 1985 grand prix de disque for operatic solo album of the year. In December he cut a solo Verdi album. Estes was Porgy and Grace Bumbry was Bess when the Metropolitan Opera first performed Gershwin's 1935 opera in early 1985. He and Roberta Alexander are on an album of "Porgy and Bess" highlights. Last summer, Estes as the Dutchman, with Lisbeth Balslev from Copenhagen as Senta, recorded Richard Wagner's "Flying Dutchman" which will come out this year. The same cast sang it last summer at Bayreuth and filmed it. A recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which includes Estes, also will be released in 1986. All his records are on Philips. "Parsifal," recorded at Bayreuth last summer, will be released later. This season at the Met, Estes is singing Amfortas in "Parsifal" and Porgy. "I've just done my first Macbeth," Estes said. He sang it in October in Zurich and Munich. "I think it is probably the biggest success I've ever had. People say so. I've always sung Banquo in that opera before. "From there I went to Berlin and did 'Das Rheingold' and 'Die Walkure' in the new Ring production. I came back to the states to do Porgy and orchestra dates in Des Moines and San Antonio and recitals in Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. "Then back to Europe for recitals in Paris and Zurich and to start rehearsals for a new production of 'Salome' in Zurich. I sang John the Baptist. In the future, this busy singer has more top-notch engagements coming up. He'll sing Wotan in "Die Walkuere" next September at the Metropolitan Opera's opening night. He'll sing Macbeth in Vienna in January 1987 and in Berlin that year. He'll sing his first Renato in "A Masked Ball" at Covent Garden in December. He'll record Verdi with Jesse Norman and Margaret Price with Leonard Bernstein conducting next August. Next year he'll record the toreador in "Carmen" and the four villains in "Tales of Hoffmann." He has sung Escamillo in "Carmen" on stage. He said, "I'm starting to sing more baritone parts. Macbeth is a baritone part. I've always had the high notes. When I was younger I could never sustain the tessitura (prevailing level) of higher repertoire. Now I can; my voice is more mature. I'm going to sing a lot more Verdi baritone parts. In 1988 he'll stage "Porgy and Bess" and sing Porgy in Anchorage, which is building a new opera house. "I'm trying to limit myself to not singing more than 60 or 70 performances a year," Estes said. "At this stage of my career, I feel honored to say I can kind of choose and accept what is offered to me. I don't want to sing too much, so I can give the public the best I can give." Estes his Swiss wife and children, Jennifer Barbara, nearly 3, and Lynne Ashley, 1, live in New Jersey and Zurich. Estes said, "We're happily married and grateful we have two healthy children. I'm the happiest of my life. When I'm happy at home, I can be happier on the stage. My family comes first."
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