Philip Langridge

A world-class opera singer and recitalist, tenor Philip Langridge was in great demand as a performer of a wide range of operatic works, particulalry music by <a href="spotify:artist:7MJ1pB5d6Vjmzep2zQlorn">Britten</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:46xXzoOdtD7SL2PTRq5irp">Janácek</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7ie36YytMoKtPiL7tUvmoE">Stravinsky</a>. Praised for his bright and penetrating voice, Langridge was a singer whose impressive vocal strength did not diminish the clarity of his diction. Born in Kent, Langridge studied at the London Royal Academy of Music, where his teachers were Celia Bizony and Bruce Boyce. He worked his way up the professional ladder, from his first appearance as a Footman in <a href="spotify:artist:6pAwHPeExeUbMd5w7Iny6D">Richard Strauss</a>' Capriccio at Glyndebourne. Not long after his debut at Glyndenbourne, he appeared there in the leading roles of Don Ottavio in <a href="spotify:artist:4NJhFmfw43RLBLjQvxDuRS">Mozart</a>'s Don Giovanni, Florestan in Beethoven's Fidelio, and Laca in <a href="spotify:artist:46xXzoOdtD7SL2PTRq5irp">Janácek</a>'s Jenufa. Langridge's Covent Garden debut in 1983 combined <a href="spotify:artist:17hR0sYHpx7VYTMRfFUOmY">Ravel</a>'s L'enfant et les sortilèges, where he was the Teapot, and <a href="spotify:artist:7ie36YytMoKtPiL7tUvmoE">Stravinsky</a>'s Nightingale, where he sang the role of the Fisherman. In 1985, he debuted at the Metropolitan as Ferrando in <a href="spotify:artist:4NJhFmfw43RLBLjQvxDuRS">Mozart</a>'s Così fan tutte, and his first Salzburg appearance was in the role of Aron in <a href="spotify:artist:5U827e4jbYz6EjtN0fIDt9">Schoenberg</a>'s Moses und Aron. Langridge went on to record the role of Aron for the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Decca%22">Decca</a> release of the opera under <a href="spotify:artist:0dicUFoK5LIbqu6OoHu8VH">Georg Solti</a>, a production that won a Grammy Award. Langridge frequently sang the title role in two major <a href="spotify:artist:7ie36YytMoKtPiL7tUvmoE">Stravinsky</a> operas, Oedipus Rex and The Rake's Progress. He appeared in a production of Oedipus Rex conducted by <a href="spotify:artist:0atCvjK2GL6ezQFGOQOYQo">Seiji Ozawa</a>, which won a Japanese award for best opera production 1994. His portrayal of Zivny in <a href="spotify:artist:46xXzoOdtD7SL2PTRq5irp">Janácek</a>'s one-act opera Osud (Fate), recorded for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22EMI%22">EMI</a> with <a href="spotify:artist:1iyvtzGjtuQa1I5UGpzk6l">Charles Mackerras</a>, brought Langridge the 1984 Olivier Award. He also sang the role of Laca in <a href="spotify:artist:46xXzoOdtD7SL2PTRq5irp">Janácek</a>'s Jenufa, appearing as Albert Gregor in The Makropulos Case. Especially appreciated as an interpreter of <a href="spotify:artist:7MJ1pB5d6Vjmzep2zQlorn">Benjamin Britten</a>'s music, Langridge sang the title roles in <a href="spotify:artist:7MJ1pB5d6Vjmzep2zQlorn">Britten</a> operas Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, Turn of the Screw, and Death in Venice. Langridge received two awards for his performances of <a href="spotify:artist:7MJ1pB5d6Vjmzep2zQlorn">Britten</a>: a Gramophone Award for War Requiem and a Classic CD Award for Turn of the Screw. An enthusiastic performer of contemporary British music, he premiered several works by British composers, including <a href="spotify:artist:6pEGmbFzId5sPVywqzZQdy">Birtwistle</a>'s The Mask of Orpheus and <a href="spotify:artist:0hW5OU8cM6ANp2gTi5WR2P">Tippett</a>'s New Year. Langridge sang other important 20th century roles, including Andres in <a href="spotify:artist:60ju8DuNEmkdLw3ymddLje">Berg</a>'s Wozzeck, Mark in <a href="spotify:artist:0hW5OU8cM6ANp2gTi5WR2P">Tippett</a>'s Midsummer Marriage, and Edrisi in <a href="spotify:artist:3WLh1Qe8WgEBbb2QJWYYal">Szymanowski</a>'s King Roger. However, his repertoire encompassed Baroque and Romantic opera: he sang Nerone in <a href="spotify:artist:5iAhVgz6P8Nylxijb0C65v">Monteverdi</a>'s L'incoronazione di Poppea; Shuisky in <a href="spotify:artist:284mnx33IWcymQEpMxyfHl">Mussorgsky</a>'s Boris Godunov; Loge in <a href="spotify:artist:1C1x4MVkql8AiABuTw6DgE">Wagner</a>'s Das Rheingold; and Benedict in <a href="spotify:artist:11T8SOX82xraocZzUXzkvM">Berlioz</a>'s Béatrice et Bénédict. As a recitalist, Langridge performed with world-class pianists, including <a href="spotify:artist:2VIdKQmRHnWofsR4odfFOh">Maurizio Pollini</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:24K6LTZFqBAvKsorwK0iXd">Andras Schiff</a>. A tour of <a href="spotify:artist:2p0UyoPfYfI76PCStuXfOP">Schubert</a>'s song cycle Winterreise, with pianist David Owens Norris, was completed by a highly acclaimed performance at the Salzburg Mozarteum. Langridge was married to mezzo-soprano <a href="spotify:artist:1DkjobCFpG0oItpueTYIvp">Ann Murray</a>. A recipient of many honors, Langridge became a Commander of the British Empire in 1994 and was an avid collector of watercolors.