She began her vocal career as a talented high school singer in Park Forest, Illinois. Upshaw received a B.A. in 1982 from Illinois Wesleyan University and went on to study voice with Ellen Faull at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, earning her M.A. in 1984. She also attended courses given by Jan DeGaetani at the Aspen (Colorado) Music School. She was a winner of the Young Concert Artists auditions (1984) and the Walter M. Naumburg Competition (1985), and was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Young Artists Development Program. Since her start in 1984, Upshaw has made over 300 appearances at the Metropolitan Opera.
Upshaw came to international fame with her million-selling recording (1993), with David Zinman, of the hauntingly powerful Symphony No 3 by Henryk Górecki, known as the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (Symfonia pieśni żałosnych).
In the past decade she has premiered more than 25 new works and has embraced several works created for her, including the Grawemeyer Award-winning opera L’Amour de Loin by Kaija Saariaho, The Great Gatsby by John Harbison, the nativity oratorio El Nino by John Adams, and Osvaldo Golijov's chamber opera Ainadamar and song cycle Ayre.
Her rendition of Ayre made her appear almost as a charismatic rock-singer. It is a tribute to her vocal range, as well as her star-stature, that she has moved out of the traditional role of a classical singer. Her engagements with James Levine over the years led to a 1997 recording of Debussy songs.
She tours regularly with piano accompanist Richard Goode. Margo Garrett and Gilbert Kalish are also long-standing partners. She has worked with the director Peter Sellars many times, including his staging of Händel's Theodora at Glyndebourne, his Paris production of Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress (1996), a staging of Bach's cantata BWV 199, presented in the 1995-96 season at New York's 92nd Street Y, and the Salzburg Festival production of Olivier Messiaen's St François d'Assise (1998).
Upshaw was a guest of President of the United States Bill Clinton and Mrs. Clinton on the NBC special, Christmas in Washington. The BBC presented a prime-time telecast of her 1996 London Proms Concert, "Dawn at Dusk", in which she performed songs from the American musical theater.
Dawn Upshaw joined the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra as Artistic Partner beginning with the 2007-08 season, and she is Artistic Director of the Graduate Program in Vocal Arts at the Bard College Conservatory of Music, which accepted its first students in the 2006-2007 academic year. She also is a faculty member at the Tanglewood Music Center.
She holds honorary Doctor of Arts, honoris causa, from Yale University, the Manhattan School of Music, Illinois Wesleyan University and Allegheny College.
Glitter and Be Gay
Dawn Upshaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's the part I play
Here I am in Paris, France
Forced to bend my soul
To a sordid role
Victimized by bitter, bitter circumstance
Alas for me, had I remained beside my lady mother
My virtue had remained unstained
Or other
Ah, 'twas not to be
Harsh necessity
Brought me to this gilded cage
Born to higher things
Here I droop my wings
Singing of a sorrow
Nothing can assuage
And yet, of course, I rather like to revel, ha, ha!
I have no strong objection to champagne, ha ha
My wardrobe is expensive as the devil, ha ha
Perhaps it is ignoble to complain-
Enough, enough
Of being basely tearful
I'll show my noble stuff
By being bright and cheerful
Ha, Ha, Ha -
Pearls and ruby rings
Ah, how can worldly things take the place of honor lost?
Purchased, as they were, at such an awful cost!
Bracelets, lavalieres, can they dry my tears?
Can they blind my eyes from shame!
Can the brightest broach shield me from reproach?
Can the purest diamond purify my name?
And yet, of course, these trinkets are endearing, ha ha!
I'm oh so glad my sapphire is a star, ha ha.
I rather like a 20 carat earring, ha ha!
If I'm not pure, at least my jewels are
Enough, enough, I'll take that diamond necklace
And show my noble stuff
By being gay and reckless!
Ha, Ha, Ha!
Traducir al español
These lyrics are from the song "Glitter and Be Gay" sung by Dawn Upshaw. The song tells the story of a woman who finds herself forced into a life of luxury and status, but at the cost of her dignity and virtue. She is living in Paris, having to comply with the demands of her wealthy, powerful companions. She laments the loss of her mother and the innocence that might have been, and sings of a sorrow that nothing can comfort.
Despite her misery, she tries to put on a brave face and even enjoys the luxuries afforded to her. The woman sings of her expensive jewelry, but acknowledges that no amount of material wealth can erase her moral shortcomings. In the end, she resolves to show her resilience and spirit by putting on a façade of happiness, or as the lyrics put it, by being "gay and reckless."
The song presents a complex theme of the juxtaposition between wealth and morality. It portrays the dangers of succumbing to societal pressure and materialism, even at the cost of one's dignity and well-being. The lyrics also suggest that people can find solace in putting on a brave face and trying to enjoy life, even in the face of hardship and adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Glitter and be gay
Brilla y sé feliz, ya que ese es el papel que juego.
That's the part I play
Esa es la parte que me toca interpretar.
Here I am in Paris, France
Aquí estoy en París, Francia.
Forced to bend my soul
Forzada a doblar mi alma.
To a sordid role
A un papel sórdido.
Victimized by bitter, bitter circumstance
Victimizada por circunstancias amargas y amargas.
Alas for me, had I remained beside my lady mother
Ay de mí, si hubiera permanecido junto a mi madre señora.
My virtue had remained unstained
Mi virtud habría permanecido sin mancha.
Until my maiden hand was gained by some grand duke, Or other
Hasta que mi mano de soltera fue ganada por algún gran duque, o algún otro.
Ah, 'twas not to be
Ah, no era para ser.
Harsh necessity
Una necesidad cruel.
Brought me to this gilded cage
Me trajo a esta jaula dorada.
Born to higher things
Nacida para cosas más elevadas.
Here I droop my wings
Aquí dejo caer mis alas.
Singing of a sorrow
Cantando sobre una tristeza.
Nothing can assuage
Nada puede calmarlo.
And yet, of course, I rather like to revel, ha, ha!
Y sin embargo, por supuesto, prefiero divertirme, ¡ja, ja!
I have no strong objection to champagne, ha ha
No tengo una gran objeción al champán, ¡ja, ja!
My wardrobe is expensive as the devil, ha ha
Mi guardarropa es caro como el diablo, ¡ja, ja!
Perhaps it is ignoble to complain-
Quizás es ignoble quejarse-
Enough, enough
Ya basta, ya basta.
Of being basely tearful
De ser llorosa y vil.
I'll show my noble stuff
Demostraré mi nobleza.
By being bright and cheerful
Siendo brillante y alegre.
Ha, Ha, Ha -
Ja, ja, ja -
Pearls and ruby rings
Perlas y anillos de rubíes.
Ah, how can worldly things take the place of honor lost?
¡Ah, cómo pueden las cosas mundanas ocupar el lugar del honor perdido!
Purchased, as they were, at such an awful cost!
¡Compradas, como estaban, a un costo tan terrible!
Bracelets, lavalieres, can they dry my tears?
¿Pulseras, lavaliere, pueden secar mis lágrimas?
Can they blind my eyes from shame!
¿Pueden cegar mis ojos de la vergüenza?
Can the brightest broach shield me from reproach?
¿Puede la broche más brillante protegerme del reproche?
Can the purest diamond purify my name?
¿Puede el diamante más puro purificar mi nombre?
And yet, of course, these trinkets are endearing, ha ha!
Y sin embargo, por supuesto, estos adornos son entrañables, ¡ja, ja!
I'm oh so glad my sapphire is a star, ha ha.
Estoy tan feliz de que mi zafiro sea una estrella, ¡ja, ja!
I rather like a 20 carat earring, ha ha!
¡Me gusta bastante un arete de 20 quilates, ja, ja!
If I'm not pure, at least my jewels are
Si no soy pura, al menos mis joyas lo son.
Enough, enough, I'll take that diamond necklace
Ya basta, ya basta, tomaré ese collar de diamantes.
And show my noble stuff
Y mostraré mi nobleza.
By being gay and reckless!
¡Siendo alegre e imprudente!
Ha, Ha, Ha!
Ja, ja, ja!
Writer(s): BERNSTEIN LEONARD, WILBUR RICHARD
Contributed by Eli V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.