Esther Heideman developed her gorgeous soprano voice serenading the cows on her family’s Wisconsin dairy farm. Today, the winner of the 2000 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Licia Albanese Competition spends much of her busy international career performing in the Washington area.
Now a resident of Georgetown, where nature paths remind her of home, she solos Saturday with the National Philharmonic Chorale in Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.” While many presentations are limited to the smaller version, Stanley Engebretson will conduct the complete oratorio.
“I started out doing oratorios and I still love them,” Heideman says. “It was a thrill singing ‘Pamina’ at the Metropolitan Opera, and after performing on that stage I thought, I’ve done all I ever wanted in my life and will die happy. Although I adore the traditional roles, I like all kinds of music and do many contemporary things.”
Three season ago, she performed the title role of Moore’s “The Ballad of Baby Doe” with Opera Illinois. It was a crystal moment for one who admires Beverly Sills, the star of the 1958 world premiere. Another favorite role was that of opera star Jenny Lind in the world premiere of “Barnum’s Bird,” a Library of Congress commission by composer Libby Larson.
“It was amazing to embrace the engaging Swedish Nightingale,” Heideman says. “That experience ties in so well with ‘Elijah’ because Mendelssohn wanted Jenny Lind to perform at the London premiere.
“He wrote a beautiful biblical oratorio in two parts in which Elijah comes across as a real prophet, rather than in a negative way as he sometimes appears in the Bible. Mendelssohn treats him as compassionate and expresses the deep grief he feels because people are ignoring him.
“Even though Mendelssohn was only 37 at the time he wrote this work, he appears to be giving up on life. He died at year later at the age of 38. Most oratorios have choruses, but he wrote in a variety of episodes that are like tone paintings to express emotion through the words and mood of the music. Certain pieces in ‘Elijah’ are so beautiful they’ll break your heart. Some have the same kind of religious feeling you get from Brahms’ ‘Requiem.’ ”
Heideman performs frequently with major orchestra throughout the United States and Europe, but always gravitates to invitations for return engagements with Engebretson’s National Chorale and with the Concert Artists of Baltimore conducted by Edward Polochick. Wherever she performs, she contacts area schools to offer master classes to music students.
“I love performing in small towns where the music teachers often have scant training and welcome my input. Young people become receptive to opera when they see I’m not so much older than they. At a recent master class in a Philadelphia high school, I convinced the students that opera and jazz are in the same world,” she said.
‘Elijah’
National Philharmonic Chorale Masterworks, Stan Engebretson, conductor, presents Mendelssohn’s “Elijah”
» When: 8 p.m. Saturday
» Venue: Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda
» Tickets: $25 to $79; children 7 to 17: free
» Information: 301-581-5100 or www.strathmore.org
