Gian Carlo Menotti

In 1964, Judy Blegen received her bachelor's degree from Curtis as well as a Fulbright Scholarship through which she traveled to Rome to study under Luigi Ricci.

During her time there, she also made a connection at the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, where she came under the mentorship of Gian Carlo Menotti.

He wrote the role of Emily in Help Help the Globelinks expressly for Judy Blegen, as the character has to both sing and play the violin.

Though she didn't participate in the world premiere of that opera in Hamburg, she did sing it in Santa Fe, in the US premiere in Santa Fe, and less than a year later in New York right before she made her debut at the Met.

Hirtin, sieh, dein Herzen brennet, hast den Schelm doch nicht gekennet.

Sieh, wie flammend, wie mich's verschlinget! Hüte dich, hüte dich vor dem schlauen, dem schlauen Kind! Wägle, lächle, lächle, schlaues Kind.

Apart from her work with Gian Carlo Menotti, Judith Blegen did not sing all that much contemporary music, although she did perform another cycle for coloratura soprano of Dominick Argento and won a Grammy for her recording of the Lulu Suite with Pierre Boulez.

And she also performed at least once some of Webern's thorniest chamber songs.

In quiet September, spring echoes yet.

Now the work of another celebrated immigrant composer, Italian-American Giancarlo Menotti.

This is the world premiere performance of his work, Nocturne, which was written for the birthday of Alice Tully and premiered by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in October 1982.

It's performed by members of the society, as well as guest artist Marvis Martin, another singer I've previously featured on the podcast.