Marilyn Horne and Henry Lewis
(Wikipedia: 1961 photo by Carl Van Vechten)
Los Angeles Times
FEATURED ARTICLES
ENTERTAINMENT
July 28, 2012 |
SANTA
BARBARA - On Oct. 11, 1954, a 20-year-old soprano, a recent graduate of
USC, performed in the premiere of a new version of Igor Stravinsky's
"Four Russian Peasant Songs" at the new and unusual music series Monday
Evening Concerts, then held in an auditorium in West Hollywood Park. An
all-American, a tomboy with the nickname Jackie, she would be singing
Russian for the first time in her life, and the 74-year-old Russian
composer, who had relocated to West Hollywood, coached her in the
language at his home above Sunset Boulevard.
In 1960, Ms. Horne married African American conductor Henry Lewis. They met as student at USC. In her autobiography, Marilyn Horne: My Life,
Ms. Horne wrote that she received many warnings from friends and
relatives alike about problems that would arise from an interracial
marriage in the '60s. She writes about a particularly difficult comment
which came from her mother.Marilyn Horne always gives Lewis credit
where credit is due. In her autobiography, Ms. Horne says: Henry
Lewis was my prophet and my teacher and my right hand ... I certainly
would have had a career without Henry, but it was he who really led me
into the paths of bel canto. He labored and sweated and did everything
he could to teach me the style.
Their only child, Angela, was born on June 14, 1965. The couple divorced in
October of 1974.
On
January 16, 2014 the mezzo-soprano turned 80 and was honored when
Carnegie Hall presented a song celebration at Zankel Hall. See http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2014/01/16/262473452/marilyn-horne-operas-agile-advocate-turns-80
Ms. Horne attended Long Beach, California Polytechnic High School. MusicUNTOLD will honor Ms. Horne on Saturday, June 14, 2014 at the Long Beach Public Library-Main Library Auditorium with support from Mercedes Benz of Long Beach and City of Long Beach Main Library.
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