Oberon's Glade

Category: Music

  • Julia Varady ~ Vier Letze Lieder

    Snapshot varady

    Julia Varady sings Strauss’s Vier Letze Lieder in a 1992 concert with the Gewandhaus Orchestra conducted by Kurt Masur. Watch and listen here.

  • Souvenirs from Cardiff ~ Part III

    Wall

    Erin Wall, a native of Calgary, Canada, was a finalist at the 2003 Cardiff Singer of the World competition. She had made her international debut the previous year singing Britten’s War Requiem in London. She spent three seasons building repertoire at Lyric Opera of Chicago, and made her Met debut in 2009 as Donna Anna. In 2014, I had the pleasure of hearing her as Strauss’s Arabella at The Met.

    Erin Wall’s repertoire includes Freia, the 3rd Norn, Strauss’s Daphne, Marguerite in Faust, Ellen Orford, Chrysothemis, Helena in Britten’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Thais, and Mozart’s Contessa Almaviva. She does a lot of concert work, most notably the Mahler symphonies 2, 4, and 8, and Strauss’s Vier Letze Lieder.

    Erin Wall – Vier letzte Lieder ~ Frühling

    Rexroth

    Counter-tenor Matthias Rexroth was born in Nuremberg and made his debut in Purcell’s King Arthur at Stuttgart in 1999. Having won major voice competitions at Barcelona and Vienna, Mr. Rexroth was soon performing Bach and Baroque works all over Europe, and he represented Germany at the 2003 Cardiff Competition. He sang often with conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and also with Riccardo Muti and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. His operatic repertory covers numerous Handel roles and ranges from Monteverdi to Britten.

    Watch Mr. Rexroth singing at the the 37th Concurso Francisco Viñas in Barcelona here.

    Since 2014, Mr. Rexroth has been professor of voice at the Opera Academy of Warsaw; he also gives masterclasses internationally.

    Parts of Ms. Wall’s and Mr. Rexroth’s 2003 Cardiff performances are heard here:

    Cardiff 2003 – Matthias Rexroth – Erin Wall

    Donose

    Bucharest-born Ruxandra Donose came to prominence following an impressive showing at a voice competition at Munich in 1990. She soon joined the opera company at Basel, and – thereafter – the Vienna State Opera. Her international career has since continued apace, and lately she has taken on roles like Kundry and Sieglinde.

    Donose @ The Met

    Above: Ruxandra Donose as Nicklausse in Contes d’Hoffmann; a Marty Sohl/Met Opera photo

    I met Ruxandra in 2004 while I was working at Tower Records; she was singing Nicklausse at The Met and she stopped by at the opera room. We had a lovely chat.

    Here’s Ruxandra at the 1993 Cardiff competition:

    Ruxandra Donose – Allerseelen – Cardiff 1993

    And Roger Vignoles is the pianist for Ruxandra’s lovely singing of Dalila’s seduction aria from a 2014 London recital here.

    ~ Oberon

  • Sumi & Dima

    Snapshot

    Sumi Jo and Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the great father-daughter duet from Verdi’s RIGOLETTO, from a concert at Seoul in 2005. Watch and listen here.

  • Jeannette Pilou Has Passed Away

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    My beloved soprano Jeannette Pilou has passed away at the age of 83. By chance, I was at her last-minute Metropolitan Opera debut as Juliette on October 7, 1967, and it was love at first sight…and first hearing.

    I have so many beautiful memories of Mlle. Pilou: not only of her expressive and wonderfully detailed portrayals of such iconic roles as Violetta, Mimi, Mélisande, and Mozart’s Susanna, but also of her great kindness to me as a young and ardent admirer.

    In 2007, I wrote a long appreciation of Jeannette Pilou which includes details of her performances as well as many pictures – for she was a great beauty.

    Her voice was a masterpiece of pastels, with a vein of stainless steel which allowed her to penetrate the orchestra in the heavier passages of FAUST and MADAMA BUTTTERFLY. She could turn the most familiar phrases in a role into something distinctly personal. Singing Mimi’s narrative in Act I of LA BOHEME, Jeannette sang: “Non vado sempre a messa, ma prego assai al Signor” (“I don’t always go to Mass, but I pray often to the Lord”), putting an emphasis on “assai” that gave the statement a charming tongue-in-cheek feeling. Over time, she developed a lovely gift for threading piani/pianissimi into a vocal line. Mlle. Pilou was a singer who could draw the listener in; this made her Mélisande a particular treasure.

    Jeannette was extremely photogenic; I have a whole folder of photos of her. If she were singing today, everyone would want a selfie with her.

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    She especially loved the above photo that I took of her. After having it developed and blown up, I presented it to her to sign (you can see her exclamations marks), and she asked if I could send her a copy. I did, of course.

    Despite my shyness, I managed to have several conversations with Ms. Pilou; her speaking voice was so enchanting, and so very intimate.

    Pilou thais

    Above: Jeannette Pilou as Thaïs

    ~  Oberon

  • Lisette Oropesa @ The Met’s At-Home Gala

    Snapshot 4

    On April 24, 2020, Lisette Oropesa was one of several Met Opera stars to perform on a special webcast concert wherein everyone sang from their homes. Lisette sang an aria from Meyerbeer’s ROBERT LE DIABLE, live from her hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Michael Borowitz is the pianist.

    Watch and listen here.

  • Arlene Saunders Has Passed Away

    Eva

    Above: Arlene Saunders as Eva in DIE MEISTERSINNGER

    It’s so sad to read of the death of soprano Arlene Saunders, who I saw in four different roles over the course of her career. She died on April 17th, 2020, of complications associated with COVID-19.

    Just last Summer, I discovered a series of films made in the 1970s by the Hamburg State Opera and truly enjoyed watching Ms. Saunders as the Countess in NOZZE DI FIGARO, Agathe in FREISCHUTZ, and most especially her Eva in DIE MEISTERSINGER. The Hamburg film of the Wagner opera can in fact be watched in its entirety on YouTube here.

    It was as Eva that Arlene Saunders sang her only performances with the Metropolitan Opera, in 1976. But I had the good fortune to see her on the Met stage earlier, when the Hamburg company brought Stravinsky’s RAKE’S PROGRESS to Lincoln Center in 1967. She was an ideal Anne Trulove. 

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    In the years to come, I saw Ms. Saunders as the Marschallin (Opera Company of Boston), as Minnie in FANCIULLA DEL WEST (New York City Opera), and as Elsa in LOHENGRIN (at The Bushnell in Hartford). As each of these vastly different characters, she seemed perfect.

    In 2007, I attended a solo recital attended by a young American tenor; during the interval, a woman came over to speak to the people seated in front of me. I was pretty sure it was Arlene Saunders, and sure enough, the couple greeted her as “Arlene…!”  I so wanted to speak to her and thank her for the wonderful performances I’d seen her give, but my innate shyness took over. I always regretted that missed opportunity…now, more than ever.

    And here’s Ms. Saunders in music from my favorite opera, ARIADNE AUF NAXOS:

    Arlene Saunders – Ariadne Monolog Part II ~ ARIADNE AUF NAXOS – Hamburg 1968

    ~ Oberon

  • Hertha Töpper as Octavian

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    Above: Hertha Töpper as Octavian in DER ROSENKAVALIER

    [Update: Hertha Töpper passed away on March 28th, 2020, at the age of 95]

    I’ll never forget listening to Strauss’s DER ROSENKAVALIER for the first time: it was a Saturday matinee broadcast from the Old Met at Christmastime in 1962. I was 14 years old and had been in love with opera for three years.

    At that time, the German operas were not easy for me; I had made it thru my first broadcast RING Cycle in 1961 and I seem to recall having been more thrilled by the story than by the music. ROSENKAVALIER, with its long conversational stretches, posed a challenge all its own. But the singing of the three female leads in the opera’s final scene moved me deeply, and when the broadcast ended I sat down and wrote fan letters to all three of them: Hertha Töpper (Octavian), Anneliese Rothenberger (Sophie), and Régine Crespin (the Marschallin). Within days I received replies from all three.

    Metropolitan Opera House
    December 22, 1962 Matinee/Broadcast

    DER ROSENKAVALIER

    Octavian.....................Hertha Töpper
    Princess von Werdenberg......Régine Crespin
    Baron Ochs...................Otto Edelmann
    Sophie.......................Anneliese Rothenberger
    Faninal......................Ralph Herbert
    Annina.......................Rosalind Elias
    Valzacchi....................Paul Franke
    Italian Singer...............Sándor Kónya
    Marianne.....................Thelma Votipka
    Mahomet......................Marsha Warren
    Princess' Major-domo.........Robert Nagy
    Orphan.......................Loretta Di Franco
    Orphan.......................Nadyne Brewer
    Orphan.......................Dina De Salvo
    Milliner.....................Lilias Sims
    Animal Vendor................Frank D'Elia
    Hairdresser..................Harry Jones
    Notary.......................Gerhard Pechner
    Leopold......................Erbert Aldridge
    Lackey.......................Joseph Folmer
    Lackey.......................John Trehy
    Lackey.......................Lou Marcella
    Lackey.......................Edward Ghazal
    Faninal's Major-domo.........Andrea Velis
    Innkeeper....................Charles Anthony
    Police Commissioner..........Norman Scott

    Conductor....................Lorin Maazel

    Ms. Töpper sent me the gorgeous photo which appears at the top of this article. Ever since then, this has remained the quintessential image of Octavian for me. As it turned out, Octavian was Töpper’s only Met role, though she had an enormous career in Europe.

    Here’s a sampling of the Töpper Octavian, with  Erika Köth as Sophie:

    Hertha Töpper & Erika Köth – Presentation of the Silver Rose ~ ROSENKAVALIER

    Hertha Töpper was born in 1924 and made her operatic debut at Graz as Ulrica in BALLO IN MASCHERA in 1945. By 1951 she was singing at Bayreuth, and had debuted at Munich as Octavian. She went on to sing at all the major opera houses and festivals of Europe; among her most prominent roles were Brangäne, Carmen, Fricka, and Dorabella. She also was a well-loved recitalist and concert singer, specializing in the music of Bach.

    A couple of years ago, by chance, I plucked Töpper’s recording of Bartok’s BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE (in German) from the library shelf; it proved to be a revelation, with fantastic singing from both the mezzo and the great Dietrich Fisher-Dieskau, and truly atmospheric conducting by Ferenc Fricsay.

    ~ Oberon

  • Krzysztof Penderecki Has Passed Away

    KP

    It’s sad to read of the death of one of the greatest composers of our time: Krzysztof Penderecki. His music means a lot to me, most especially his 7th symphony which is subtitled The Seven Gates of Jerusalem. Read an article about this incredible work here. His Polish Requiem is another enduring favorite of mine, but then there is just one treasure after another to be found in the Penderecki catalog.

    Penderecki ~ O gloriosa virginum

    K & E

    There is an excellent documentary about the composer, wherein we meet his lovely wife Elżbieta Penderecka (née Solecka), whom he married in 1965. They lived in the Kraków suburb of Wola Justowska…

    Home

    …on a 70-acre estate where the composer had planted thousands of trees which he imported from around the world.

    Penderecki was the only contemporary composer who truly fascinated me – both thru his works and his personality – and the only one whose music I return to frequently. He lived a long life, and his music will continue to touch people’s souls. Now may he sleep in peace.

    ~ Oberon

  • Sandra Warfield & James McCracken

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    Mezzo-soprano Sandra Warfield and tenor James McCracken were husband and wife. McCracken of course had a huge international career, Verdi’s Otello being one of his finest roles. Ms. Warfield’s career was not so hi-profile, though substantial.

    The couple were married in 1953. In 1957, feeling that The Met was not utilizing him to his full capabilities, McCracken headed to Europe where he and Ms. Warfield joined the Zurich Opera. In 1964, McCracken returned to The Met in triumph as Verdi’s Moor.

    In 1966, the couple sang together as Samson and Dalila in a Met concert performance at Lewisohn Stadium. In 1968, they sang these roles together again in the Met’s New York City Parks series. On January 13th, 1972, Warfield and McCracken finally appeared together in principal roles on The Met stage in a performance of SAMSON ET DALILA that marked Ms. Warfield’s final Met appearance.

    Sandra Warfield went on to a successful career in cabaret whilst her husband continued to be a major Met star until 1986, when he sang with the Company for the last time in a concert performance of AIDA in Central Park. Aprile Millo and Grace Bumbry were his co-stars that evening. Mr. McCracken passed away in 1988, and Ms. Warfield in 2009.

    In 1983, having absented himself from the Met yet again for three years, McCracken sang at the gala performance celebrating the 100th birthday of The Met. Having been thrilled by two of the tenor’s late-career performances as The Moor at Hartford and Boston, I was so happy to have been there on that gala afternoon to witness the warm welcome he received when he walked onstage to sing Otello’s great monolog, with James Levine conducting. You can watch that performance here. Thereafter he sang about a dozen more performances with the Company, including the AIDA that marked Leontyne Price’s farewell to opera in 1984 – a performance that was televised. 

    I am not sure if Mr. McCracken ever sang Andrea Chenier onstage, but his recording of the Act I Improviso is powerful:

    James McCracken – ANDREA CHENIER ~ Improviso

    Ms. Warfield is heard here as Mozart’s Marcellina in the Act I duet with Roberta Peters as Susanna.  And here are Warfield and McCracken together in the Judgement Scene duet from AIDA:

    Sandra Warfield & James McCracken – AIDA scene 

    ~ Oberon

  • Souvenirs from Cardiff ~ Part II

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    ~ Author: Oberon

    1989 was a banner year for the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition: the “Battle of the Baritones” put the competition on every opera lover’s map. Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Bryn Terfel vied for the top prize; in the end, Dima was named Singer of the Year and Sir Bryn captured the Lieder Prize. Both men went on to hugely successful international careers.

    Of course, at the time, there was no internet to speak of. You could not instantly follow the competition from afar, and even news of it was slow to reach us from the other side of The Pond. But my wonderful friend Mollie Warren diligently taped much of the proceedings directly off the BBC; then she made copies of the cassettes to send to me. So within a couple of weeks, I was listening – in Hartford CT – to the sounds of Mssrs. Hvorostovsky and Terfel: I like to think I was one of the very first people in the Western Hemisphere to hear these voices.

    The three other finalists in the 1989 competition were Finnish mezzo-soprano Monica Groop, Swedish soprano Hillevi Martinpelto, and the Australian soprano Helen Adams. I cannot seem to find much information regarding Helen Adams in the years following her appearance at Cardiff; she is heard here in “Depuis le jour” from LOUISE.  

    Monica Groop

    Above: Monica Groop

    Monica Groop’s extensive international career in opera, concert, and song has included a memorable portrayal of Lucretia in Britten’s RAPE OF LUCRETIA in 2003 at New York City Opera; it marked the only time I saw this wonderful singer live onstage. Her other operatic roles have ranged from Melisande to Zerlina, and she has sung and recorded a great deal of Baroque music – in which she excels – as well as lieder of Schubert and Brahms, and the complete songs of Edvard Grieg.

    Some samples of Ms. Groop’s artistry, singing in Italian, French, and German:

    Monica Groop – Stà nell’Ircana ~ ALCINA

    Monica Groop – D’amour l’ardente flamme ~ DAMNATION DE FAUST

    Monica Groop sings Schubert’s Du bist die Ruh

    Monica Groop at Cardiff, 1989:

    Monica Groop – Cardiff 1989 – CLEMENZA~WERTHER

    Hillevi Martinpelto went on from Cardiff to a very successful career, performing and recording with prominent orchestras and conductors.

    Here she is singing Weber…

    Hillevi Martinpelto – Ocean! Thou mighty monster ~ OBERON

    …and in a true rarity:

    Hillevi Martinpelto – from Karl-Magnus Fredriksson’s The Disguised God ~ Soprano & Chorus

    Here is Hillevi Martinpelto at Cardiff, 1989:

    Hillevi Martinpelto – FORZA aria – Cardiff 1989

    And finally, the winners:

    Dmitri-Hvorostovsky

    …Dima… 

    Dmitri Hvorostovsky – BALLO aria – Cardiff 1989

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    …and Bryn…my original cassette of Bryn from the competition would not play, but here he is, onstage, singing Schumann…

    …and here’s a bit of Wagner, from a commercial recording:

    Bryn Terfel – Song to the Evening Star – TANNHAUSER

    ~ Oberon