James Pease
Encyclopedia
James Pease was an American bass-baritone
, notable for his Wagnerian
roles but also a very distinguished Balstrode in Benjamin Britten
’s Peter Grimes
, a role he recorded under the composer’s direction in 1958.
A law graduate of Indiana University
in 1939, he won a scholarship at the Academy of Vocal Arts
in Philadelphia and studied there rather than begin practice as a lawyer. He made his debut with the Philadelphia Opera Company
as Mephistopheles in Faust
, and sang many other roles with the company in Philadelphia and Boston. He also pursued concert, oratorio
and radio work on the East Coast of the United States He was praised by Serge Koussevitzky
as having "An exceptionally beautiful, powerful, expansive voice".
In 1943 he was selected a winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air
, but was immediately called for service as an aviation cadet. He served three years as a pilot in the A.A.F. Training Command, flying some 15,000 miles. He also directed and performed in musical shows at his home base in Texas.
On his discharge in 1945, he appeared at the Montreal Festivals and in a series of operas at the New York City Center Theatre, making his debut there as Sparafucile
on 9 May 1946 (continuing to sing at that venue until 1953). That year he also sang in Carmen
at the Hollywood Bowl
in Los Angeles, conducted by Leopold Stokowski
. He was also a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra
in Washington, D.C. and at the Berkshire Festival.
He sang in the 1958 Royal Opera House
production of Peter Grimes as Balstrode, later recording the role under the composer’s direction for Decca.
He returned to the New York City Opera
in 1959-60, and again in 1967.
He married the soprano Adele Leigh.
Bass-baritone
A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende...
, notable for his Wagnerian
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
roles but also a very distinguished Balstrode in Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
’s Peter Grimes
Peter Grimes
Peter Grimes is an opera by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto adapted by Montagu Slater from the Peter Grimes section of George Crabbe's poem The Borough...
, a role he recorded under the composer’s direction in 1958.
A law graduate of Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
in 1939, he won a scholarship at the Academy of Vocal Arts
Academy of Vocal Arts
The Academy of Vocal Arts is a school dedicated to providing free higher education to aspiring opera singers. The school was founded in 1934 by Helen Corning Warden and is located at 1920 Spruce Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:...
in Philadelphia and studied there rather than begin practice as a lawyer. He made his debut with the Philadelphia Opera Company
Philadelphia Opera Company
The Philadelphia Opera Company was the name of two different American opera companies active during the twentieth century in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The first company was founded by impresario Oscar Hammerstein I in 1908. That company disbanded only two years later as a result of financial...
as Mephistopheles in Faust
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
, and sang many other roles with the company in Philadelphia and Boston. He also pursued concert, oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
and radio work on the East Coast of the United States He was praised by Serge Koussevitzky
Serge Koussevitzky
Serge Koussevitzky , was a Russian-born Jewish conductor, composer and double-bassist, known for his long tenure as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949.-Early career:...
as having "An exceptionally beautiful, powerful, expansive voice".
In 1943 he was selected a winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air
Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air
The Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air was an annual singing competition sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera of New York City for more than two decades. The competition's purpose was to find, encourage, and promote developing young opera singers with promising future careers...
, but was immediately called for service as an aviation cadet. He served three years as a pilot in the A.A.F. Training Command, flying some 15,000 miles. He also directed and performed in musical shows at his home base in Texas.
On his discharge in 1945, he appeared at the Montreal Festivals and in a series of operas at the New York City Center Theatre, making his debut there as Sparafucile
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
on 9 May 1946 (continuing to sing at that venue until 1953). That year he also sang in Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
at the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
in Los Angeles, conducted by Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski...
. He was also a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra
National Symphony Orchestra
The National Symphony Orchestra , founded in 1931, is an American symphony orchestra that performs at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.-History:...
in Washington, D.C. and at the Berkshire Festival.
He sang in the 1958 Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
production of Peter Grimes as Balstrode, later recording the role under the composer’s direction for Decca.
He returned to the New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
in 1959-60, and again in 1967.
He married the soprano Adele Leigh.
Discography
- Auber Fra Diavolo: with Wilma Lipp, Ursula Zollenkopf, Rudolf Schock; conductor Wilhelm Schuchter (Relief)
- Beethoven Symphony No. 9 "Ode to Joy": with Frances Yeend, David Lloyd, Eunice Alberts; Boston Symphony Orchestra/Serge Koussevitzky (recorded 1947) (Dante Records Lys)
- Bizet Carmen: with Winifred Heidt, Ramon Vinay, Marina Koshetz; Choir & Orch Of The Hollywood Bowl Symphony/Leopold Stokowski (Eklipse)
- Brahms A German Requiem: with Eleanor Steber; Robert Shaw Chorale, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra/Robert Shaw
- Brahms A German Requiem: with Carl Bamberger, Teresa Stich-Randall; Hamburg Chorus of the Singakademie; Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk/Carl Bamberger (Nonesuch)
- Britten Peter Grimes: with Peter Pears, Claire Watson,Jean Watson; Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Benjamin Britten (Decca)
- Gilbert & Sullivan Mikado: with Martyn Green, Barbara Troxell; North German Radio Orchestra/Richard Korn
- Handel Samson: with Joan Sutherland, Jon Vickers, Joan Carlyle, James Pease, Joseph Rouleau; conductor Raymond Leppard; Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 3 January 1959 (Andromeda)
- Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana: with Astrid Varnay, Hans Hopf, Hanna Scholl, Hanne Münch; Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Wolfgang Sawallisch (Myto)