Roberta Peters facts for kids
Roberta Peters (born May 4, 1930 – died January 18, 2017) was a famous American opera singer. She was a coloratura soprano, which means she had a very high and flexible singing voice.
Roberta Peters was one of the most well-known American singers to become very successful in opera. She is famous for working with the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York for 35 years. This was one of the longest times any singer has stayed with an opera company! She also received the National Medal of Arts in 1998, which is a big honor for artists in the United States.
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Early Life and Amazing Start
Roberta Peters was born Roberta Peterman in The Bronx, New York City. She was the only child of Ruth and Solomon Peterman. Her family was Jewish.
When she was 13, a famous singer named Jan Peerce encouraged her to start music lessons. She began studying with William Herman, a voice teacher known for being very strict and thorough. Under his guidance, Roberta learned French, German, and Italian languages. She even practiced singing scales using a clarinet method!
After six years of hard work, her teacher introduced her to a manager named Sol Hurok. He set up an audition for her with Rudolf Bing, who was in charge of the Metropolitan Opera. Bing asked her to sing a very difficult song from The Magic Flute many times. He listened from different parts of the hall to make sure her voice could fill the whole room. He planned for her to sing this role in February 1951.
However, Roberta Peters made her debut even sooner than expected! On November 17, 1950, Bing called her. He asked if she could sing the role of Zerlina in Don Giovanni because the original singer was sick. Roberta knew the song, but she had never performed on a stage or sung with a full orchestra before. Still, she said yes! Fritz Reiner was the conductor that night. Even though he was known for being serious, Reiner went to Roberta's dressing room to encourage her. He helped her through the whole performance. Her singing was a huge success, and her career began that very night.
Becoming an Opera Star
Roberta Peters had a beautiful voice, could sing very fast and tricky notes (called coloratura agility), and looked great on stage. She quickly became a favorite of American audiences. She loved bringing opera to many people.
She soon became known for singing roles in popular soubrette (playful young woman) and coloratura operas. Some of her famous roles at the Met included:
- Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro
- Despina in Così fan tutte
- The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute
- Rosina in The Barber of Seville
- Adina in L'elisir d'amore
- Norina in Don Pasquale
- Oscar in Un ballo in maschera
- Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann
- Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier
- Adele in Die Fledermaus
Later, she also took on more dramatic roles like Amina in La sonnambula, Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Gilda in Rigoletto. Gilda was the last role she sang at the Met in 1985.
Peters also performed often with the Cincinnati Opera. She toured many cities across the United States with the Met. Over the years, she learned even more roles, such as Lakmé, Juliette in Roméo et Juliette, and Massenet's Manon. Sometimes, she even sang Violetta in La traviata and Mimì in La bohème.
Roberta Peters also performed in other countries starting in 1951. She sang at the Royal Opera House in London. From the mid-1950s, she appeared in opera houses in Italy, the Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, and the Bolshoi in Moscow in 1972.
She was also very popular on television. She appeared regularly on shows like The Voice of Firestone and The Tonight Show. On The Ed Sullivan Show, a Sunday night TV program, Roberta Peters was the most frequent guest, appearing a record 65 times! She also appeared in TV commercials, including one for American Express where she famously called a taxi using her powerful singing voice.
Roberta Peters also had a big career singing concerts in halls across the United States. In 1962, early in her career, she sang for over 13,000 people at the "Italian Night" concert series in New York.
Later in her career, she added operetta (a lighter type of opera) and musical theater to her performances. She appeared in The Merry Widow and The King and I. She also recorded songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. Roberta Peters never officially retired and continued to give concerts later in her life.
Personal Life
Roberta Peters was briefly married to another singer, baritone Robert Merrill, in 1952. She later said she fell in love with his voice, not the person. They divorced as friends and continued to perform together. In 1955, she married Bertram Fields, and they stayed together until his death in 2010. They had two sons.
Death
Roberta Peters passed away on January 18, 2017, at the age of 86. She died from Parkinson's disease.
Images for kids
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Roberta Peters in 1974
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Roberta Peters (right) dining with George London (left) and Fernando Corena
See also
In Spanish: Roberta Peters para niños
