One of the things we talked about last night with good friends, all of us unwinding from a long stressful week, was Anna Russell.
And today, I learned this:
A great loss for both the world of opera, and the world of humour.
One of the things we talked about last night with good friends, all of us unwinding from a long stressful week, was Anna Russell.
And today, I learned this:
A great loss for both the world of opera, and the world of humour.
Oh dear! :( I’m saddened by this. I just loved Anna Russell’s musical comedy — particularly her take on the Ring Cycle. (“Remember the Rhine maidens?”) She had such great talent. Her autobiography — entitled ‘I’m Not Making This Up, You Know’ — was wonderful. Apparently, during her early career, she trained (or attempted to train) as a serious opera singer, but she made people laugh, and her true calling emerged. With the exception of PDQ Bach and Tom Lehrer, there’s so little intelligent musical comedy around any more. Anna Russell, however, was one of a kind.
I should look for her autobiography, then. I enjoy them in general, and I can only imagine that hers has the same flavour that her recorded work does.
It really does.
Here are some links to video clips from several of Anna Russell’s performances, in case you haven’t yet seen them:
(‘How to Become a Singer’)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4731710351443776889&q=Anna+Russell&hl=en
(‘The Ring of The Nibelung: An Analysis’ — parts 1, 2, and 3)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7934013448528553422&q=Anna+Russell&hl=en
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4072924897854634794&q=Anna+Russell&hl=en
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5162801843485353179&q=Anna+Russell&hl=en
Oh, that’s sad. Just as we were talking about her, too.
Then again, 94 is a perfectly respectable age at which to go.
Thanks for the links, Asherah — everyone should see her in action!
Now I must go search for Flanders & Swann clips on YouTube…
I am happy to say that I actually got to see her live at Place Des Arts a few years back. She was really very funny and knowledgable about her music.
Her wagner one is still my favorite sketch followed by the Gilbert and Sullivan sketch.
It is sad that she is gone, but her videos will live on.