Death of leading US composer Carlisle Floyd
RIPThe publishers Boosey & Hawkes have announced the death of Carlisle Floyd, composer of the all-American opera Susannah, a biblical legend reset in Tennessee. Floyd was born in 1926 and turned 95 this summer.
Susannah was a critical and box-office hit in 1956 at New York City Opera with Phyllis Curtin and Norman Treigle, Erich Leinsdorf conducting. Two years later, Wuthering Heights was staged at Santa Fe Opera, with Curtin as the heroine. After several more operas, Of Mice and Men was seen at Seatle in 1970, again with Curtin in a leading role.
His final opera, Prince of Players, was premiered at Houston Grand Opera in 2016.
He married Kay Reader in 1957; she died after a long period of Alzheimers in 2010.
So sorry to hear that! I love his music, and one of the great composers who wrote beautiful music.
Sad news but he had a good run and I have to confess he was a “I thought he was dead already.” He doesn’t seem so well remembered now but I always had a soft spot for his work.
It’s worth mentioning that “Susannah” finally made it to the Met for seven performances in 1999, with Renée Fleming starring in a production borrowed from Chicago.
Dawn Upshaw’s brilliant album of American arias includes a perfect rendition of “Ain’t it a pretty night” (a bit more down-to-earth than La Diva Renée).
Floyd’s music is also not unknown in Europe: I saw a stunning production of “Of Mice and Men” at the Bregenzer Festspiele twenty years ago (in the Festspielhaus; not on the lake stage!) with the young Anthony Dean Griffey in an unforgettable performance.
Fine composer and he lived a long , productive, life.
I think it’s fair to say that Carlisle Floyd was and still is America’s foremost composer of grand opera. Those who knew him well, such as Daniell Revenaugh, knew he was quite the gentleman too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlisle_Floyd
He was too often overlooked, but his operas were a staple for smaller companies.
I have memories of walking across the University Campus in Nantes with Carlisle Floyd where we were both on the panel for a symposium about ‘ Of Mice and Men’ for the English Language Faculty. He was good company , erudite as one would expect and we had enjoyed several conversations already during the breaks of production rehearsals. I was playing the Ballad Singer in the first French production of ‘ Of Mice and Men.’ The company had previously performed ‘ Susannah.’ I know that he was keen for the company to tackle ‘Bilby’s Doll’ – an opera with a strong French connection, but sadly that never happened.
I believe ‘ Susannah’ and ‘Of Mice’ receive fairly regular performances , but it would be nice to think that some of his other works would be revived. A very fine composer and a gentleman.
I feel lucky to have attended the world premiere of Of Mive and Men. And the revival, both in Seattle. I thought it had the right stuff to last, had staying power that few modern operas have and was pleased to find that hunch confirmed. Besides Susannah, Cold Sassy Tree is another fine work and I personally enjoy Willie Stark.
Milwaukee’s Florentine Opera Company, which uses the Milwaukee Symphony in the pit, has recorded Floyd’s “Prince of Players” and “Wuthering Heights,” among the other contemporary operas they’ve recorded.