The Artist
SUSAN ELAINE LONG – Mezzosoprano
“The cast of FARNACE finds its best elements in the royal partners, Farnace – Susan Long Solustri, excellent even during moments of great dramatic intensity such as “Gelido in ogni vena”
CD CLASSICA October 1995
Farnace was the mezzosoprano, Susan Long Solustri’s debut in Italy at the international music festival, Festival della Valle d’Itria, held in Martina Franca, which resulted in this live CD recording of Vivaldi’s FARNACE.
The mezzo’s debut in France was at Dijon in a gala concert featuring and honouring Renato Bruson. Susan’s personal success lead to several contracts.
Most recently she debuted several of opera’s most interesting mezzo prima donnas; Carmen at Rennes conducted by Guy Condette at Dijon both Eboli and Azucena conducted by Michel Lehmann.
She found herself then on the other side of Europe in Slovakia, to perform Leonora from Donizetti’s LA FAVORITA conducted by Walter Attanasi for the regular season at Banska Bystrica with an invitation back for the Slovakian festival at Zvolen, again as this belcanto prima donna, conducted by Dusan Stefanek.
Despite her “exploit” into the 19th century with Donizetti, Bizet and Verdi, Susan loves Mozart, having performed frequently both Cherubino and Dorabella. She has sung Giacinta from LA FINTA SEMPLICE and Marcellina from LE NOZZE DI FIGARO.
Susan has also sung the mezzo solo from the MOZART REQUIEM conducted by Massimo Gualtieri in a series of concerts performed throughout Umbria, Italy.
Berlin had a unique performance of Francesco Cavalli’s LA CALISTO where she sang Diana and also Giove, during the scenes where he, disguised as Diana, seduces the poor, naïve Calisto. Another early music heroine which Susan has recently interpreted with great beauty and intensity, is Monteverdi’s Ottavia from L’INCONORAZIONE DI POPPEA. In both of these classics her vocal and dramatic finesse were displayed.
The mezzo keeps a busy chamber and symphonic music performing schedule. This season began with an American music recital at the Accademia Filarmonica Romana with Samuel Barber’s DESPITE AND STILL, opus 41 and Leonard Bernstein’s ARIAS AND BARCAROLLES for 4 hands, mezzo and baritone. This lead to two Lieder recitals in collaboration with Roman Vlad’s lecture series on Schubert.
Aside from her frequent performances of her native music from jazz, Gerswin, Copland and company to contemporary American chamber music, Susan keeps standard repertory above standard.
Much of Italy has enjoyed her STABAT MATER and PETITE MESSE SOLLENELLE of Rossini and his GIOVANNA D’ARCO for mezzo and pianoforte. Wagner’s WESENDONK LIEDER, Berlioz’s NUITS D’ÈTÈ, Chanson’s POÈME DE L’AMOUR ET DE LA MER or Mahler’s vast repertory for mezzosoprano are all music Susan loves to interpret.
From its onset Susan has participated in the contemporary music festiva MUSICA SACRA E CONTEMPORANEA held each fall in Rome. Susan has had the pleasure of premiering such pieces as THE EFFICACY OF PATIENCE by the young American composer Christopher Caliendo and MAGNIFICAT by Bruce Saylor both for mezzo/orchestra.
Other pieces which the mezzo has premiered are PASSAGES by Harvey Sollberger, AMEN by Henry Pousser, SALMO XII conducted by the composer Flavio Scogna, and LAUDA by Fabrizio de Rossi Re. In the contemporary opera world Susan has three world premiers to her credit:
- WUNDERTHEATER, by the Austrian Herbert Lauermann performed in Vienna;
- QUARTETT, by the German composer Bertold Türke, premiered in the Kiel Stadtheater for mezzo, tenor, chorus and chamber orchestra;
- L’AMOR DI LUDMILLA, by the Italian Arturo Annecchino performed in the Acquario Romano.
Another CD for the Long Solustri is now available, SOTTO I COLPI DEL SOLE DI FERRO, by Cosimo Solazzi. It is a multi-media piece for mezzo, baritone, 2 percussionists, and dancer recorded live at the Università di Trento, Italy.
Susan has performed frequently with Freon, the contemporary music ensembre of the Scuola Popolare di Testaccio. Some of the repertory which they have performed are of William Walton’s FASCADE, and pieces by Rosario Mirigliano, Pousser, Matteo d’Amico, to name a few.
On the lighter side of this multifacited performer is a singing actress of musicals and comedies. Besides having performed in several of the American classics such as SHOWBOAT or ALLEGRO Susan has performed for one of Italy’s most popular sketch teams Castellacci/Pingitore at the Salone Margherita in Rome. Following this Susan interpreted a role specifically written for her in the political satire CENTRALE ATOMICA A PIZZACAVALLO by Mario Castellacci.