Dorothy Lorayne Warenskjold (May 11, 1921 in San Leandro, California - December 27, 2010 in Lenexa, Kansas[1] [2]) was an American lyric soprano who had an active career in opera, concerts, radio, television, and recitals from the mid-1940s through the early 1970s. She made several recordings for Capitol Records; other recordings were later released from restored material. She was fully California born, trained, and resident, in an era when the ranks of classical singers were dominated by Europe or New York. In addition to critical acclaim for her impeccable operatic performances, she achieved several decades of wide affection from cultured listeners across non-Metropolitan North America, for her combination of radiotelevison and touring recitals. However, her early success was followed by later forgottenness. Former Chicago Symphony President Henry Fogel wrote, "Warenskjold was a fine lyric soprano who deserved a bigger career than she had."[3]
Born in San Leandro, California, Dorothy Warenskjold was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. William Earl Warenskjold.[4] Her paternal grandfather immigrated from Norway.[5] Her mother, Mildred Stombs,[6] was a professional pianist and operatic coach.
Warenskjold grew up in nearby Piedmont and Oakland.[7] [8] She attended the private Miss Wallace's School, and was active in school music and theater,[9] as well as winning the mathematics prize upon graduation.[10] She was popular for her kindness, and strongly athletic,[11] enjoying swimming, golf, and riding.[12] Her tennis game in her youth approached professional levels;[13] [14] she had trained with the same coach as tennis champion Don Budge. She would maintain a trim and fit condition throughout her singing career.
Planning to be an attorney, she pursued pre-legal training at Mills College in Oakland and UC Berkeley, until her junior year, when Mabel Riegelman began giving her vocal lessons.[15] She graduated from Mills College in 1943 with a BA in languages and a minor in music.
Her degree background later enabled her to sing in at least 8 languages.
As an opera singer, Warenskjold worked mainly with the San Francisco Opera (SFO). Founder Gaetano Merola had spotted her while conducting a Standard Hour broadcast concert at the California State Fair, in Sacramento.[16] The soprano made her debut on October 7, 1948 as Nannetta in Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff. Her debut ended up being accelerated, on short notice, related to a potential casting emergency at the opera—and in the musically more difficult (though less exposed) Nannetta, compared with the originally announced Micaela in Carmen. William Steinberg from the New York Philharmonic was conducting; she had not previously either studied Nanetta or stood on a professional opera stage. Critical response was strongly positive.[17] [18] She performed Micaela on October 17 as originally scheduled; San Francisco Chronicle reviewer Alfred Frankenstein wrote, "Seldom has an audience given Micaela so marked an ovation".[19] She sang with the SFO for the next eight consecutive seasons (1948-1955), performing such roles as Antonia in The Tales of Hoffmann, Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Marzelline in Fidelio, Micaëla in Carmen, both Mimì and Musetta in La Bohème, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Sophie in Werther, Liù in Turandot, and Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier.[20]
A notable event occurred in Turandot, on October 11, 1953, when Warenskjold disciplined herself to perform the slave girl Liù the day after her father's sudden death from a heart attack. Metropolitan and SF Opera star Licia Albanese, a friend of Warenskjold's, was present in the house and potentially able to take over if she collapsed, but was not needed. The synergy of the tragic Liù role—struggling under torture to save her men—with the soprano's emotional situation (by then known throughout the War Memorial Opera House) produced a result that left a stunned audience[21] and drew mention by over 50 newspapers, including on the East Coast.[22] [23] A house recording survives, which was also distributed by Armed Forces Radio Network; Liù's grim final aria Tu, che di gel sei cinta from this performance appears on the Cambria CD "A Treasury of Operatic Heroines" (see Discography below).
The soprano's final appearance at the SFO was in October 1955 as Sophie in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (in Schwarzkopf's North American debut) as the Marschallin and Frances Bible as Octavian. San Francisco Chronicle reviewer Alfred Frankenstein had previously written, "Miss Warenskjold is one of the most heart-breaking interpreters of Sophie's music that is has been my privilege to hear."[24]
Warenskjold later stated that she left the SF Opera due to new SFO director Kurt Herbert Adler proving to be much harder to work with than founder Gaetano Merola. Others at the SFO experienced this and made their own decisions.[25] The majority of stayees would reap the benefits of Adler's enormous, successful, expansion of programs in the ensuing decades; she would not. She left on polite terms, and was later to collaborate repeatedly with him in adjudicating major opera auditions,[26] [27] as well as being invited by him to sing at the 50th anniversary celebration of the SFO and announced as one of the honored guests at Adler's own 25th/50th Jubilee gala in 1978.[28] The soprano's sudden disappearance from the SFO caused a degree of puzzlement and sense of loss among opera cognoscenti. Longtime operatic scholar and reviewer James Forrest, referencing Rosenkavalier, later wrote of "... the beloved California soprano Dorothy Warenskjold, my first Sophie (1955) whose SFO career inexplicably ended that year only a performance or two after I heard her in Los Angeles. She sang four Micaëlas in Chicago in 1959 (critics raved; I’ve never heard better). I never heard her in person again; she was not yet 40."[29]
However, she did further sing opera in San Francisco under the auspices of the short-lived Cosmopolitan Opera Company (1954–60), at the War Memorial Opera House as with the San Francisco Opera. It was at the Cosmopolitan, on April 1, 1960, that she sang as tenor Jussi Bjorling's last leading lady, Marguerite to his Faust, in his final operatic performance before his death.[30] [31] San Francisco Chronicle reviewer Glifford Gessler wrote: "Bjorling was in splendid voice...one of his finest seasons...but in no way did he outshine Miss Warenskjold."[32]
Warenskjold was a pure lyric soprano. SF Opera founder Gaetano Merola liked to compare her to Claudia Muzio.[33] She was noted for her crystal clarity of line, purity of tone, and meticulous technique. At the same time she was capable of a pleasant conversational tone in her singing when wanted. The soprano had been trained in the Vaccai method by her teacher, Mabel Riegelman. Her surviving recordings show remarkable consistency over a span of several decades.[34] The size of her voice has generally been characterized as "medium". One reviewer described her voice during her Nanetta debut as "a bit light at this first appearance",[35] but this seemed to be remedied with experience. She would not, however, perform dramatic or dramatic-lyric roles: She was a praised Sophie but never a Marschallin (Rosenkavalier). Gaetano Merola once requested her to find out how many half steps downwards she would need to transpose the Mozart Queen of the Night (with its four high F's above high C) if she had to sing it in an emergency. From the result, it may be inferred that her top note was a high E flat above high C in a large hall, or a full E natural in studio or rehearsal. However, Warenskjold was unusually cautious in pushing her voice, and by the standards of some singers she possibly would have been physically capable of going a little higher. In a studio or small hall environment she would occasionally make modest forays into spinto or coloratura repertoire.
The soprano was noted for her "delightful" stage presence, coupled with appearance and personal charm. Her lithe, athletic figure was a help in youthful roles; for example, she wore the Act Three riding habit in Martha easily and convincingly. She stated that her emphasis was on traditional stagecraft, using a repertoire of practiced moves applied with an intelligent awareness of the character; she taught a popular class on Stage Presentation in her later years at UCLA (see "Post Retirement" below). Warenskjold did not have a primary emphasis on modern "Method Acting" techniques or deep psychological involvement with the performance, but acknowledged that in practice she could end up doing some elements of this. While not thought of as a singing actress, her dramatic range was non-trivial, ranging from comical or novelty numbers such as Leo Blech's Telefonische Bestellung ("Telephone Order") to a Depuis Le Jour which led haunted listeners to request repeat performances of it on The Standard Hour radio program, to an "ingenious touch of hysteria" in the final moments of her Marguerite with Jussi Bjorling, which according to critic Alexander Fried provided a needed balance to her earlier vocal "limpid purity and taste" in a role with significant tragedy. Her development of complete characters included her unusual Micaela in Carmen, strong and emphatic arising from the depths of love (which drew demand from multiple Opera companies), and her Violeta in La Traviata—the latter an uncommon item in a career which did not include much Verdi.
In her recital performances, she would employ intelligent banter and humor, particularly during encores.
Warenskjold appeared as a guest artist with various other American opera companies and orchestras. Particularly notable were her summer performance runs at the Cincinnati Zoo Opera for half a decade (1954-1958), and her appearances at the Hollywood Bowl.[36]
In addition to her work on stage, she performed regularly on radio and television during the 1940s and 1950s, enjoying singing Broadway repertoire interleaved with opera. She was frequently heard on the programs Harvest of Stars, Ford Festival, The Standard Hour, The Standard School Hour, The Voice of Firestone, The Railroad Hour, Family Theater, and also on Armed Forces Radio Network. In 1950, she performed the roles of Antonia and Stella in the NBC Opera Theatre's television production of The Tales of Hoffmann. Warenskjold stated that in 1951—at the peak of her RTV success—she had declined an offer from the Metropolitan Opera, and that it was a decision she later regretted for what might have been. Her RTV shows would be cancelled one by one throughout the 1950s, except for the Standard School hour. National Public Television and Public Radio would not provide a replacment outlet until the 1970s, by which time she was reaching retirement age.
Warenskjold regarded her solo recital touring throughout North America as an important calling;[37] she did considerable research into finding song repertoire. Mostly under the Community Concerts program of Columbia Artists Management (CAMI), she maintained a level of 35-40 touring recitals a year for many seasons, with ticket sales aided by audiences having heard her on the radio.[38] A "first in her career" occurred in the Pacific coast village of Port Townsend, Washington, in 1953, when she shattered the eyeglasses of a 12 year old boy in the audience during a high note; the soprano said she had never succeeded when deliberately trying at home.[39] Her mid-American recital touring was appreciated. In Monticello, Utah, then a town of 1,500 people, over 600 subscribed to her appearance in the opening of their new concert series.[40] In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a local reviewer described the "totally unbearable announcement" of a Warenskjold cancellation.[41]
However, during the 1960s, changing tastes and increasing prosperity shifted audience demand towards group acts, causing a steady decline in the solo recital market. This, combined with the cancellation of the classical radio and television shows, with Warenskjold no longer having an opera house base, and with the underlying prejudice in favor of European singers at the time, led to a very significant shrinkage of her career. She stated that by 1967 she was down to "about a dozen" touring performances for the year.
In response, in 1969, under her Columbia artists' management, Warenskjold formed a travelling musical group, "Dorothy Warenskjold's Musical Theater", with she herself serving as impresario, general director, vocal coach, and performer.[42] [43] The cast comprised Warenskjold, 8 additional (mostly younger) singers, and a veteran piano accompanist, Raymond McFeeters (who had also been accompanist to Lily Pons, Marian Anderson, and Lawrence Tibbet).[44] The first half of the program was an abridged Gounod Faust (opera), with Warenskjold singing the role of Marguerite, and the second half was a history of the American musical theater, "From Minstrel to Musical". The group toured the U.S. and Canada for 3 seasons (1969-1971), averaging 45-50 performances per season. Critics and audiences were enthusiastic,[45] but after the 1971 season, she discontinued the group due to exhaustion from running it.
In August 1972, the soprano was invited to sing at the 50th anniversary celebration of the San Francisco Opera, held outdoors at the Stern Grove park. This would turn out to be her unofficial retirement event. Her signature Faust Jewel Song received multiple critical acclaim, with comments including "stunning" and "she continues to put many season regulars to shame".[46] [47]
Warenskjold did not sing again in public afterwards.
After retiring from singing in 1972, she joined the voice faculty of the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture where she taught for many years as an adjunct faculty member, having declined the chairmanship of the vocal department. She continued and expanded her audition adjudicating, including for the Metropolitan Opera.[48] During this time, a series of oral history interviews were conducted with her by Sybil Hast, the octolingual vocal diction coach of the department. The interview transcript is available from UCLA online; it runs 481 pages.[1] [49]
Dorothy Warenskjold never married. Her fiance had been shot down during World War II, in 1943, leaving her devastated. She was a buoyant person and eventually resumed social relations with other suitors, but her constant musical touring and travelling were a complication. When not on tour, she lived with family (in the San Francisco Bay area before 1953, and thereafter in the Los Angeles area) until her mother's death in 1991. Her many friends included figures such as San Francisco operatic impresario James Schwabacher, philanthropist Noel Sullivan, opera journalist/dog fancier Lilian Barber, recorded sound restorer Lance Bowling, and prominent musical names such as Licia Albanese, Lotte Lehmann and James Melton, among others.[50] In 2004, she moved to Lenexa, Kansas to be near remaining family. She died there two days after Christmas, 2010, at age 89.
Few recordings were released of Dorothy Warenskjold during her career. Los Angeles Times reviewer Allan Ulrich wrote: "In her prime...the California-born and trained soprano was flagrantly ignored by commercial record companies."[51] However, digital restorers commenced additional archival releases after her retirement.
Warenskjold's intra-career releases totalled only three—one as sidekick to Hollywood and Broadway star Gordon MacRae, and two in her own right:
Used availability of these Capitol discs is uneven. Variants included overseas releases and a cut-down "extended play" (EP) of the Grieg/Dvorak songs (Capitol FAP-8250).
Warenskjold also sings The Star Spangled Banner in the opening track of "Hail America", LP, RCA Custom Records (RR3S-1430), Carmen Dragon conductor and arranger. This recording was given out to children participating in the school version of the Standard Hour radio program. Numerous examples are available used.
Commencing in 1979, seven years after Warenskjold's retirement, a series of digital audio and video restorers—Steve Markham (Grand Prix Records), Lance Bowling (Cambria Master Recordings), Richard Caniell (Immortal Performances), and Allan Altman/Edward Cardona (Video Artists International, VAI)--began releasing discs from her archival performance and broadcast material. LA Times reviewer Allan Ulrich further wrote of the second of the Grand Prix discs: "A revelation and a confirmation of native vocal talent...golden-throated."A highlight of the Warenskjold archival releases is the number of tracks with Pierre Monteux as conductor.
Seven archival discs have been released as of late 2024; the first four were done in cooperation with Warenskjold herself:
The Grand Prix LP's are difficult to find. However, they are also digitally available from the Cambria Master Recordings Amazon store (though not at present on the Cambria website) in MP3 format, and from eClassical in the higher-fidelity FLAC 16. All CDs and DVDs are still (late 2024) available from the respective websites.