Inventory to the Percy Lavon Julian Family Papers

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Percy Lavon Julian Family Papers
Series III: Folder 6
Julian Memorial Lecture, Christine Cook Schreiner
March 16, 1982

     Opera singer Christine Schreiner is a native of Greencastle, Indiana, and the daughter of Professor and Mrs. Donald J. Cook of DePauw University. She makes her permanent home in Bloomington, Indiana, where her husband is Professor of Voice at Indiana University.

     Following her graduation from Indiana University she spent a year in Munich, West Germany, studying under the late Kammersanger Max Lorenz, famous German Wagnerian tenor. The past four years she has lived in Krefeld, West Germany, where she has been under contract with the Krefeld City Opera Company as its leading dramatic soprano. She has also appeared as guest artist in Barcelona, Spain, and in Darmstadt and Bremerhaven, West Germany. She will spend the summer in Florence, Italy, where she will prepare Italian repertoire.

     Miss Schreiner made her debut in Europe in the fall of 1977 singing the role of Elsa in Richard Wagner's opera LOHENGRIN. Since then she has sung the leading soprano role in a number of operas, including Verdi's OTHELLO and DON CARLOS, Richard Strauss' DER ROSENKAVALIER, and Johann Strauss' DIE FLEDERMAUS.

     During the past season she sang the role of Leonore in Beethoven's FIDELIO, Donna Anna in Mozart's DON GIOVANNI, and Georgette in Puccini's IL TABARRO. She has also appeared as the lead in such varied operas as Smetana's THE BARTERED BRIDE, Stravinsky's THE RAKE'S PROGRESS, and Wolf-Ferrari's FOUR RUFFIANS.

     Her reviews include:

     from OPERN WELT
     Marie in THE BARTERED BRIDE
     "...in the best sense of the word, a singing actress!"

     from KREFELDER PANORAMA
     Feldmarschallin in DER ROSENKAVALIER
     "...ROSENKAVALIER deserves praise above all because of the outstanding performance of Christine Schreiner as the     Marschallin ...she was the dominant stage figure."

     from KREFELDER KURIER
     Elsa in LOHENGRIN
     "Her clear and powerful voice rose over the heavy orchestration with no apparent effort ... a magnificent dramatic climax in the third act."

     It is appropriate that this memorial concert honoring Dr. Percy L. Julian, Sr. be presented in DePauw's historic East College, where he studied and worshipped as a student. Distinguished scientist and humanitarian, the Julian Science and Mathematics Center bears his name. Dr. Julian was a lover of music. An accomplished pianist, he was a patron of the arts throughout his life. It was in Vienna, Austria, while a young man studying for his doctorate in chemistry that he developed his great love of opera. Some of his happiest memories were of the operas he attended at the Vienna Opera House. The Department of Chemistry of DePauw University takes great pleasure in presenting this program of music in Dr. Julian's memory.