Today's newsletter from Musical America reports the death of Anna Russell:
Anna Russell, soprano, comedienne, author, died yesterday at the age of 94. Her death was reported by her adopted daughter, Deirdre Prussak, with whom she lived in Rosedale, New South Wales, Australia, during her final years. Ms. Russell died peacefully, in her sleep. The cause was esophageal cancer, only recently diagnosed.
Of her New York debut in 1948 at Town Hall, The New York Times reported in part, “An evening of musical satire of highest quality was presented by Anna Russell, singer, pianist, diseuse and mime….Blending a devastating perception of concert singer’s and pianist’s mannerisms with well-timed wit and low buffoonery, she often had to pause for laughter from her large audience.”
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Who can forget the masterpieces: “How to write a Gilbert & Sullivan Opera” and her side-splitting analysis of Wagner’s Ring cycle? I’m prompted to listen to them both once again – in tribute.
Great obituary from The New York Times here. And a more rough and ready report from the local ABC.
Edward Rothstein at the NYT points to the nature of her success at the time:
"In her routines, Ms. Russell tapped into a long tradition of deflating the highly formal manners of the concert hall and its devotees... But the affection and knowledge of an insider accompanied the jest, leaving the art form intact — almost. Ms. Russell’s was a career that could only have been a success at a time when classical music culture was near the center of popular awareness and public education."
Indeed, it could be argued that her wild popularity with an admittedly niche audience (some of us too young to have ever heard her perform live) is based on a nostalgia for that level of awareness and education.
Finally, a question: is it true that the battered grand piano that used to live – and possibly still does – in Studio 1 of the Seymour Centre (Sydney Uni Music Dept) belonged to Anna Russell?