Jan DeGaetani
Jan (Janice) DeGaetani (
July 10,
1933 –
September 15,
1989) was an American
mezzo-soprano known for her performances of modern vocal compositions.
Educated at
Juilliard, DeGaetani is best known for her wide range, precise pitch, clear tone, and command of extended techniques that made her voice perfectly suited to the demanding style of modern and
avant-garde vocal composition. Her recording of
Schoenberg's
song cycle Pierrot lunaire is one of the classic recordings of the piece. (Due to its use of
atonality, wide range, and virtuoso techniques such as
sprechstimme, all while requiring a lyrical sensibility, it is exceptionally difficult to sing.) Her collaboration with
George Crumb was also a fruitful one; she premiered his song cycle
Ancient Voices of Children, and many of his other works were written for her. Uncommonly for a singer of her caliber (though her voice was not as powerful as most), DeGaetani never appeared in an
opera, instead concentrating on solo recital work in the art song literature.
Her talent at foreign languages also made her an accomplished interpreter of
lieder; she sang and recorded works by composers such as
Hugo Wolf,
Hector Berlioz, and
Gustav Mahler and was noted for her intelligence and skillful analytical interpretation. Her interpretive skills also lent themselves to songs in her native tongue of English, such as
Aaron Copland's
12 Poems of Emily Dickinson, and the songs of
Charles Ives. On the other end of the spectrum, DeGaetani was also a noted performer of the
medieval and
Renaissance repertoire.
DeGaetani made her New York performance debut in 1958. Afterward, she performed with the
Contemporary Chamber Ensemble regularly, and also appeared with several world-famous orchestras, including the
New York Philharmonic, the
Philadelphia Orchestra, the
Berlin Philharmonic, the
BBC Symphony, and the
Chicago Symphony, and made numerous recordings with them and in
chamber ensembles. She taught singing at
Eastman School of Music from 1973 on. Notable students of hers include American sopranos
Dawn Upshaw and
Renée Fleming.
DeGaetani died in 1989, at age 56, of
leukemia.
*"Janice DeGaetani." Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Centennial Edition. Nicolas Slonimsky, Editor Emeritus. Schirmer, 2001.
*Martin Bernheimer: "Jan DeGaetani"
Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 23 Jan 05)
(subscription access)*
Art of the States: Jan DeGaetani
