RIP Blanche Thebom

[Mme. Hermine]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/nyregion...?ref=obituaries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxDzxX9x6GQ

[dirac]

Thanks for posting, Mme. Hermine. Ms. Thebom was ninety-four.

In a field long dominated by Europeans, Ms. Thebom (pronounced THEE-bom, with the th as in thin) was part of the first, midcentury wave of American opera singers to attain international careers. Associated with the Met from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s, she was praised by critics for her warm voice, attentive phrasing and sensitive acting.

[richard53dog]

Thebom was a very glamorous on stage and was very conscious of her striking appearance. She went out of her way to cultivate it, in a way she had a lot in common with today's opera singers where looks are an important part of the overall "package". She fought opera managements when she felt she was being

saddled with unatractive costuming; she was proud of her fine figure and didn't want to hide it. If all else failed, she would add a sash around her waist to give definition to a costume designed to minimize the less than flattering figure of heftier collegue.

One of Thebom's unusual feature was her long, long hair, which reached the floor when unbound. She was the subject of a Life magazine spread displaying her hair in all it's glory sometime during the 50s (no, I don't remember seeing it, that was a bit before my time, but I've heard stories of it )

Here's a link to some "long hair" photos:

http://www.angelfire.com/art/rapunzellongh...e/portrait5.htm

She also worked extensively with young singers after her own singing career was over, sharing her wealth of experience.

RIP, Blanche

[dirac]

Thanks for those photos, richard53dog, and your comments. That's really an amazing head of hair.