Norman Bailey

Norman Stanley Bailey (23 March 1933 – 15 September 2021) was a British operatic bass-baritone who appeared in leading roles in major opera venues. After an early career in Austria and Germany, he settled in England and was associated with the English National Opera. One of his signature roles was Hans Sachs in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, which he performed at La Scala in Milan in 1968 and at the Bayreuth Festival the following year. Later that year he was called upon at the last minute to play the part at the Royal Opera House in London when Hubert Hoffman had to pull out with a sore throat. He also played this part in his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1976.

Career Bailey was born in Birmingham, England on 23 March 1933. He finished his studies with Josef Witt, Adolf Vogel and Julius Patzak in Vienna, with F. Carvino in Düsseldorf and in Essen.

Bailey has been particularly associated with Richard Wagner's operas, including the title role of Der fliegende Holländer, which he recorded with the Chicago Symphony conducted by Georg Solti, and the role of Wotan in the Ring cycle the ENO and the New York City Opera. He recorded it with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Solti on Decca/London, and in English from the ENO conducted by Goodall on Chandos. In 1976, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in this role. In 1971, he sang Amfortas in Parsifal at Covent Garden, again under Reginald Goodall's Baton, alongside Jon Vickers, Donald McIntyre and Amy Shuard.

He appeared as Barak in Die Frau ohne Schatten by Richard Strauss in a 1981 Welsh National Opera production, and as the Father in Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel at the ENO. and celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday by singing the role of Sarastro in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte at the Eliza R. Snow Performing Arts Center in Rexburg, Idaho.

Bailey appeared on BBC television and radio almost 100 times, including both performances and interviews. He was a castaway on an October 1976 edition of Desert Island Discs, and was pictured, alongside Patricia Johnson, on the cover of the 3–9 December 1977 edition of the Radio Times. In 1981, he was appointed Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music (Hon RAM).

Bailey built up a sizable teaching studio and taught for several years at the Royal College of Music, London. He met his second wife, Kristine Ciesinski, in another musical capacity, while appearing as Hans Sachs for Cincinnati Opera in 1983. He married the American soprano in 1985,

Awards 1977 Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II