Remembering Jessye Norman: 11 unforgettable performances by the opera star

At the end of Act I of Wagner's Die Walkure, Sieglinde watches Siegmund pull Nothung (a sword) from a tree. I'll never forget when a former colleague, Jenny, showed me this YouTube clip of that scene and hearing Jessye Norman's scream, which isn't in the score, when the sword almost magically comes free from the tree.

I can't tell you what it was about that moment, but it began a love affair with this one-of-a-kind artist.

To this day, my dear friend Michael and I send recordings of her back and forth to each other, still in awe at the sheer size and sound of her voice, her musicianship, and how vulnerable she was willing to be with the music. And, as Michael said in a tearful exchange Tuesday morning, "Because she was so vulnerable to the music, we listened when we were vulnerable."

Michael and I have exchanged copious videos and recordings of Norman since our admiration evolved into something that feels religious. Her approach to music feels like truth. Below are 11 — just a handful — of her moments we've exchanged over the years.

At Classical MPR and YourClassical, we believe in sharing the power of classical music. For me, Jessye Norman — in so many ways — exemplifies that power. May her memory be for a blessing.

Richard Wagner — Tannhauser: "Dich teure Halle"

Elizabeth was the role she made her professional debut at the Deutsche Oper Berlin at 24.

Richard Wagner — Die Walkure: "Du Bist der Lenz"

Richard Wagner — Die Walkure: "O herhrstes Wunder!"

Two clips from her as Sigelinde in Wagner's Die Walkure at the Metropolitan Opera.

Richard Strauss — Ariadne auf Naxos: "Es gibt ein Reich"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H9LTixHHug

Norman in one of her most famous roles.

Gustav Mahler — Ruckert Lieder: "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen"

The diction. The pacing. She makes every word and moment matter.

Hector Berlioz — Les Troyens

Cassandra was her Metropolitan Opera debut role. During a run of Les Troyens at the Metropolitan Opera, there was a night when Tatyana Troyanos, who was singing the role of Dido, became too ill to go on stage. That night, Norman sang both roles.

Hector Berlioz — The Damnation of Faust: "D'amour l'ardente flamme"

Richard Wagner — Tristan und Isolde: "Mild und Leise" (Liebestod)

One of her most famous recordings, with Herbert von Karajan.

Spirituals

What a gift that this concert was recorded. It's impossible to pick one, so hunker down and enjoy this complete concert of Norman and longtime friend and colleague Kathleen Battle singing spirituals at Carnegie Hall.

Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 9: Finale

It's amazing that the roof to Royal Albert Hall didn't blow off. What a massive sound!

Richard Strauss — Four Last Songs

When I interviewed Norman about her book Stand Up Straight and Sing in 2014, she told me that hardly a day goes by when she isn't asked about this recording of Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs. And there's a reason! Four Last Songs sits beautifully in her voice, she recorded it at the height of her career, and she conveys the text with her awesome, sensitive voice in a way that pierces the heart.

… O vast, tranquil peace,
so deep in the afterglow!
How weary we are of wandering —
Is this perhaps death?

       — from Four Last Songs