Alessandra Marc

Composers

Biography

Born: July 29, 1957; Berlin, Germany  
American dramatic soprano Alessandra Marc emerged in the 1980s as a rejoinder to those who claimed the day of the large voices had disappeared forever. Not only was Marc's instrument of heroic caliber, but it was also of a sleek, fine-grained timbre, capped by an inexhaustible top register. It astounded many with its firm, spinning conformation and a quick silvery vibrato that kept its sound trim, even in the most strenuous outbursts. It seemed Read more the perfect voice for Strauss and Wagner, and Verdi and Puccini's Turandot. Progress to the uppermost echelon of artists was slowed by Marc's large physique, a subject she has approached with candor and often obvious hurt. Nevertheless, conductors and directors who have understood the rarity of such a voice have been unhesitating in engaging Marc, much to the public's advantage.

Born Judith Borden to a German mother and a Polish-born father who worked for United States Army Intelligence, Marc heard stories from both parents of wartime privations. In her final year of high school, she began voice lessons and entered the University of Maryland as a music major. During an audition, Marc was confronted by a voice instructor who was in attendance, Marilyn Cotlow, the first Lucy in Menotti's The Telephone. Cotlow informed her that she was no lyric soprano, but one destined for Strauss and Wagner, and thereupon offered to be both teacher and mentor to the young woman. Under Cotlow's ministrations, Marc's instrument became still more secure in the top register even as she was cautioned not to push for more amplitude in the middle and lower voice. A chance meeting with friends at a New York café in the mid-'80s led to Marc's being overheard by a Herbert H. Breslin representative. Several individuals from the firm subsequently attended Marc's audition for the Richard Tucker Foundation and the pleased soprano walked away from the experience with two grants from the Tucker Foundation and a five-year contract from the Breslin office.

Several stunning debuts took place over the next several years, most notably at Ireland's Wexford Festival when Marc won raves for her Lisabetta in a 1987 production of Giordano's rarely performed La cena delle beffe and, the year following, at Santa Fe Opera's American stage premiere of Strauss' Friedenstag. Her success in New Mexico led to an engagement to repeat as the Commandant's Wife under Robert Bass for a Carnegie Hall concert performance. The November 1989 event was recorded and issued on Koch International, allowing a worldwide audience to appreciate Marc's mastery of the role's murderously high tessitura and multiple high Cs.

Successful debuts at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, and San Francisco (all as Aida) failed to win her long-term contracts. She roused London audiences, however, with Turandot in her 1994 Royal Opera debut and found similar favor in France, Germany, Austria, and Italy. Marc also found favor with the late Italian conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli. Introduced to him by a Polygram employee who passed on a tape of some of her performances, Marc was engaged by the maestro first for Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony and later for the title role in his recording of Elektra. In April of 2001, it was the artist's sad duty to sing at Sinopoli's funeral mass in Rome. Conscientious in musicianship, extravagantly gifted with voice, Marc ranks with the finest singers of her time. Read less

Featured Alessandra Marc CDs & DVDs:

Opera Gala / Alessandra Marc, Litton, Dallas So And Chorus
Opera Gala / Alessandra Marc, Litton, Dallas So And Chorus
Release Date: 05/30/2000   Label: Delos  
Catalog: 3240   Number of Discs: 1
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Strauss: Elektra / Barenboim, Meier, Polaski, Marc, Et Al
Strauss: Elektra / Barenboim, Meier, Polaski, Marc, Et Al
Release Date: 06/04/1996   Label: Teldec  
Catalog: 99175   Number of Discs: 2
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Albéniz: Henry Clifford / De Eusebio, Machado, Marc, Et Al
Albéniz: Henry Clifford / De Eusebio, Machado, Marc, Et Al
Release Date: 08/12/2003   Label: Decca  
Catalog: 473937   Number of Discs: 2
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Strauss: Elektra / Sinopoli, Marc, Voigt, Schwarz, Et Al
Strauss: Elektra / Sinopoli, Marc, Voigt, Schwarz, Et Al
Release Date: 09/16/1997   Label: Deutsche Grammophon  
Catalog: 453429   Number of Discs: 2
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American Diva / Alessandrea Marc
American Diva / Alessandrea Marc
Release Date: 12/11/1992   Label: Delos  
Catalog: 3108   Number of Discs: 1
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Browse 1-24 of 24 Available Recordings
  • 1.
    Wagner: Orchestral Excerpts Vol 3 / Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony
    Wagner: Orchestral Excerpts Vol 3 / Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony
    Label: Naxos   Catalog: 8572769 Release Date: 09/25/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Richard Wagner
    Performer:  Alessandra Marc
    Conductor:  Gerard Schwarz
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Seattle Symphony Orchestra
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  • 2.
    Wagner: Orchestral Excerpts, Vol. 2 / Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony
    Wagner: Orchestral Excerpts, Vol. 2 / Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony
    Label: Naxos   Catalog: 8572768 Release Date: 08/28/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Richard Wagner
    Performer:  Alessandra Marc
    Conductor:  Gerard Schwarz
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Seattle Symphony Orchestra
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  • 3.
    Mahler: Symphony No 8 / De Waart, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic
    Mahler: Symphony No 8 / De Waart, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic
    Label: Rca   Catalog: 27609 Release Date: 06/17/2012   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Gustav Mahler
    Performer:  Doris Soffel,  Vinson Cole,  Regina Nathan,  Nancy Maultsby  ... 
    Conductor:  Edo De Waart
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Leipzig Opera Chorus,  Elburg Boys' Choir,  Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 4.
    Beethoven: Missa Solemnis; Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem; Verdi: Messa Da Requiem
    Beethoven: Missa Solemnis; Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem; Verdi: Messa Da Requiem
    Label: Erato   Catalog: 663202 Release Date: 04/24/2012   Number of Discs: 5
    Composer:  Johannes Brahms,  Ludwig van Beethoven,  Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer:  Janet Williams,  Thomas Hampson,  Tina Kiberg,  Waltraud Meier  ... 
    Conductor:  Daniel Barenboim
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Chicago Symphony Orchestra,  Chicago Symphony Chorus
    CD: $34.99
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  • 5.
    Richard Strauss Edition
    Richard Strauss Edition
    Label: Brilliant Classics   Catalog: 9249 Release Date: 02/28/2012   Number of Discs: 35
    Composer:  Richard Strauss
    Performer:  Paul Tortelier,  Max Rostal,  Ulf Hoelscher,  Peter Damm  ... 
    Conductor:  Rudolf Kempe,  Michel Plasson,  Herbert von Karajan,  Giuseppe Sinopoli  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Dresden Staatskapelle,  Vienna String Trio,  Sinnhoffer Quartet  ... 
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  • 6.
    Krenek: Jonny Spielt Auf / Zagrosek, Posselt, St. Hill, Scholz
    Krenek: Jonny Spielt Auf / Zagrosek, Posselt, St. Hill, Scholz
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 001615602 Release Date: 11/21/2011   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Ernst Krenek
    Performer:  Krister St. Hill,  Marita Posselt,  Dieter Scholz,  Andreas Korn  ... 
    Conductor:  Lothar Zagrosek
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra,  Leipzig Opera Chorus,  Chinchilla
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  • 7.
    Strauss: Elektra / Barenboim, Botha, Falewicz, Wottrich, Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra
    Strauss: Elektra / Barenboim, Botha, Falewicz, Wottrich, Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra
    Label: Warner Classics   Catalog: 4677013 Release Date: 03/29/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Richard Strauss
    Performer:  Gerd Wolf,  Alessandra Marc,  Carola Nossek,  Johan Botha  ... 
    Conductor:  Daniel Barenboim
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra,  Berlin Staatskapelle Chorus
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  • 8.
    Verdi: Requiem / Barenboim, Domingo, Furlanetto, Meier
    Verdi: Requiem / Barenboim, Domingo, Furlanetto, Meier
    Label: Apex   Catalog: 4677168 Release Date: 03/29/2011   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer:  Placido Domingo,  Alessandra Marc,  Waltraud Meier,  Ferruccio Furlanetto
    Conductor:  Daniel Barenboim
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Chicago Symphony Orchestra,  Chicago Symphony Chorus
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  • 9.
    35th Anniversary Opera Gala / Orbelian, Hvorostovsky, Bernadi, Grivnov, Et Al
    35th Anniversary Opera Gala / Orbelian, Hvorostovsky, Bernadi, Grivnov, Et Al
    Label: Delos   Catalog: 3395 Release Date: 09/30/2008   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Ruggero Leoncavallo,  Francesco Cilča,  Sergei Rachmaninov,  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky  ... 
    Performer:  Dmitri Hvorostovsky,  Marina Domashenko,  Olga Guryakova,  Ewa Podles  ... 
    Conductor:  Constantine Orbelian,  Alfred Heller,  Gerard Schwarz,  Mario Bernardi  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia of Russia,  Moscow Chamber Orchestra,  Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 10.
    Holnd Fstvl - A Dutch Miracle - Fifty Years - 1947-1997
    Holnd Fstvl - A Dutch Miracle - Fifty Years - 1947-1997
    Label: Globe   Catalog: 6900 Release Date: 05/09/2006   Number of Discs: 7
    Composer:  Gioachino Rossini,  Rudolf Escher,  Richard Strauss,  Manuel de Falla  ... 
    Performer:  Renato Capecchi,  Teresa Berganza,  Giulietta Simionato,  Elisabeth Schwarzkopf  ... 
    Conductor:  Carlo Maria Giulini,  George Szell,  Jean Fournet,  Kiril Kondrashin  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Hague Residentie Orchestra,  Milan Teatro alla Scala Chorus,  Danzi Woodwind Quintet  ... 
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  • 11.
    Mahler: Symphonies No 1-9, Adagio / Michael Gielen
    Mahler: Symphonies No 1-9, Adagio / Michael Gielen
    Label: Hänssler Classic   Catalog: 93130 Release Date: 06/14/2005   Number of Discs: 13
    Composer:  Gustav Mahler
    Performer:  Juliane Banse,  Cornelia Kallisch,  Christine Whittlesey,  Wolfgang Hock  ... 
    Conductor:  Michael Gielen
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra,  European Soloists Academy,  Aurelius Boys Choir of Calw  ... 
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  • 12.
    Albéniz: Henry Clifford / De Eusebio, Machado, Marc, Et Al
    Albéniz: Henry Clifford / De Eusebio, Machado, Marc, Et Al
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 473937 Release Date: 08/12/2003   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Isaac Albeniz
    Performer:  Jane Henschel,  Aquiles Machado,  Ana Maria Martinez,  Christian Immler  ... 
    Conductor:  José De Eusebio
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Madrid Symphony Orchestra,  Madrid Symphony Chorus
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  • 13.
    Zemlinsky: Symphonische Gesange, Lyric Symphony / Chailly
    Zemlinsky: Symphonische Gesange, Lyric Symphony / Chailly
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 473734 Release Date: 03/10/2003   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Alexander von Zemlinsky
    Performer:  Hĺkan Hagegĺrd,  Alessandra Marc,  Willard White,  Heinz Kruse  ... 
    Conductor:  Riccardo Chailly
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,  Slovak Philharmonic Choir,  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra  ... 
    Recommendation
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  • 14.
    Beethoven: Symphony No 9 / Barenboim, Berlin Staatskapelle
    Beethoven: Symphony No 9 / Barenboim, Berlin Staatskapelle
    Label: Apex   Catalog: 7495702 Release Date: 02/24/2003   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer:  Siegfried Jerusalem,  Alessandra Marc,  Falk Struckmann,  Iris Vermillion
    Conductor:  Daniel Barenboim
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra,  Berlin State Opera Chorus
    CD: $8.99
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  • 15.
    Mahler: Symphony No 8; Schoenberg: Die Jakobsleiter / Gielen
    Mahler: Symphony No 8; Schoenberg: Die Jakobsleiter / Gielen
    Label: Hänssler Classic   Catalog: 93015 Release Date: 11/26/2002   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Arnold Schoenberg,  Gustav Mahler
    Performer:  James Johnson,  John Bröcheler,  Glenn Winslade,  Guy Renard  ... 
    Conductor:  Michael Gielen
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Berlin Radio Chorus,  Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra,  Europa Chorakademie  ... 
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  • 16.
    Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Etc / Runnicles, Ndr So Hamburg
    Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Etc / Runnicles, Ndr So Hamburg
    Label: Apex   Catalog: 741379 Release Date: 05/14/2002   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Richard Strauss
    Performer:  Alessandra Marc
    Conductor:  Donald Runnicles
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  North German Radio Symphony Orchestra Hamburg
    CD: $8.99
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  • 17.
    Entartete Musik - Krenek: Jonny Spielt Auf / Lothar Zagrosek
    Entartete Musik - Krenek: Jonny Spielt Auf / Lothar Zagrosek
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 436631 Release Date: 05/08/2002   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Ernst Krenek
    Performer:  Marita Posselt,  Dieter Scholz,  Andreas Korn,  Matthias Weichert  ... 
    Conductor:  Lothar Zagrosek
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Leipzig Opera Chorus,  Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra,  Chinchilla
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  • 18.
    Opera Gala / Alessandra Marc, Litton, Dallas So And Chorus
    Opera Gala / Alessandra Marc, Litton, Dallas So And Chorus
    Label: Delos   Catalog: 3240 Release Date: 05/30/2000   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Giacomo Puccini,  Samuel Barber,  Richard Strauss,  Gaetano Donizetti  ... 
    Performer:  Alessandra Marc
    Conductor:  Andrew Litton
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Dallas Symphony Orchestra
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  • 19.
    Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire, Erwartung / Sinopoli, Et Al
    Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire, Erwartung / Sinopoli, Et Al
    Label: Teldec   Catalog: 22901 Release Date: 08/03/1999   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Arnold Schoenberg
    Performer:  Alessandra Marc,  Manfred Weise,  Jens-Jörg Becker,  Eckart Haupt  ... 
    Conductor:  Giuseppe Sinopoli
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Dresden Staatskapelle,  Dresden Staatskapelle members
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  • 20.
    Strauss: Elektra / Sinopoli, Marc, Voigt, Schwarz, Et Al
    Strauss: Elektra / Sinopoli, Marc, Voigt, Schwarz, Et Al
    Label: Deutsche Grammophon   Catalog: 453429 Release Date: 09/16/1997   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Richard Strauss
    Performer:  Alessandra Marc,  Elisabeth Wilke,  Goran Simic,  Siegfried Jerusalem  ... 
    Conductor:  Giuseppe Sinopoli
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna State Opera Chorus Konzertvereinigung,  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
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  • 21.
    The Music Survives - An Introduction To Entartete Musik
    The Music Survives - An Introduction To Entartete Musik
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 452664 Release Date: 06/10/1997   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Erwin Schulhoff,  Ernst Krenek,  Pavel Haas,  Berthold Goldschmidt  ... 
    Performer:  Krister St. Hill,  Heinz Kruse,  Michael Kraus,  Martin Petzold  ... 
    Conductor:  John Mauceri,  Lothar Zagrosek,  Berthold Goldschmidt
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra,  Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra,  Hawthorne String Quartet
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  • 22.
    Strauss: Elektra / Barenboim, Meier, Polaski, Marc, Et Al
    Strauss: Elektra / Barenboim, Meier, Polaski, Marc, Et Al
    Label: Teldec   Catalog: 99175 Release Date: 06/04/1996   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Richard Strauss
    Performer:  Alessandra Marc,  Carola Nossek,  Johan Botha,  Magdalena Falewicz  ... 
    Conductor:  Daniel Barenboim
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra,  Berlin Staatskapelle Chorus
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  • 23.
    Secret Classics
    Secret Classics
    Label: Delos   Catalog: 1031 Release Date: 09/20/1994   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Jean Sibelius,  Gregorio Allegri,  Alan Hovhaness,  Antonio Vivaldi  ... 
    Performer:  Kenneth Smith,  Alessandra Marc,  Karen Jones
    Conductor:  Neeme Järvi,  Richard Marlow,  Gerard Schwarz,  Mark Stephenson  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra,  Cambridge Trinity College Choir,  Seattle Symphony Orchestra  ... 
    On sale! $12.99
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  • 24.
    American Diva / Alessandrea Marc
    American Diva / Alessandrea Marc
    Label: Delos   Catalog: 3108 Release Date: 12/11/1992   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi,  Alfredo Catalani,  Francesco Cilča,  Giacomo Puccini  ... 
    Performer:  Alessandra Marc
    Conductor:  Heinz Wallberg
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
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