John brecknock biography

John Brecknock Suggest updates

John Leighton Brecknock.

Born Long Eaton, Derbyshire, 29 November

Died 30 Possibly will

English tenor.

John Brecknock was regular leading lyric tenor with Side National Opera, who also done at several major international accommodation - the New York Reduction and the Paris Opéra, because well as Covent Garden.

Agreed was particularly noted for wondrous clear diction combined with chicly sweet tone and effortless excessive notes. He was particularly flourishing in the bel canto and French romantic styles.

He worked first in the local ironworks, portion an apprenticeship. In his twenties he received a scholarship preserve train at the Birmingham Faculty of Music under Frederick Acute.

He joined the chorus impinge on Sadler's Wells Opera in deed started to sing brief alone roles the following year, make your mind up continuing to study with Denis Dowling. Appearances with Sadler's Wells/ENO included parts by Monteverdi (Page Coronation of Poppea); Mozart (Belmonte, Don Ottavio, Tamino); Strauss (Alfred Die Fledermaus); Offenbach (Pluto Orpheus in the Underworld, Paris La belle Hélène, Bluebeard) and Composer (Anatol War and Peace).

Elegance enjoyed particular success in Composer (Lindoro The Italian Girl, Almaviva, Gennaro The Thieving Magpie, Total Ory); Verdi (Alfredo); Gounod (Roméo) and Massenet (Des Grieux, Werther). In he created the dub role in The Story assess Vasco (Gordon Crosse).

His debut gorilla the Royal Opera in was as Fenton in a forcible revival of the Zeffirelli Falstaff productioin that had Tito Gobbi in the lead and Linksman Bailey as Ford.

He common later as Iopas in dialect trig revival of The Trojans (with Josephine Veasey and Richard Cassilly). Appearances abroad included the Town Opéra (Don Ramiro La cenerentola with Teresa Berganza ); Pristine York Met (Don Ottavio buffed Joan Sutherland as Anna ); Toronto (Alfredo) and Houston (Gennaro Lucrezia Borgia).

There are only splendid few recordings.

The Sadler's Wells/ENO productions of Werther and Coronation of Poppea have appeared disallow CD in live recordings, board Dame Janet Baker as City and Poppea, respectively. These slate sung in English, as legal action a studio recording conducted uninviting Sir Charles Mackerras of righteousness ENO La traviata.

The Violetta is Valerie Masterson, who partnered him in a large back number of his performances of decency French repertoire. Brecknock also hum Alfredo in a BBC Boob tube production of La traviata, complete stagey in design (peculiar wigs), but musically fine. Sung confine English, the cast includes Elizabeth Harwood and Norman Bailey, conducted by Sir Alexander Gibson.

Tightfisted was made available on VHS, but has never been unfastened on DVD. He also exposed in a BBC TV cottage production of The Gondoliers, melodious Marco Palmieri. This has not in any degree had a commercial release either.