AUGUST  2010

It turned out that the operation was a tad more difficult than earlier suggested, when the one-hour procedure became a four and a half hour challenge. It turned out that the cancer had breached the lobe and was resting against the pulmonary artery, so the intrepid Robert McKenna clamped off the spot that had been violated and … cut it out. The pathology was clean and I have been declared “cancer free!” A cautionary six week radiation therapy will follow in a few weeks but, in the meantime … the voice is back and I continue to work with the great Andy Williams for his new show to open at his Moonlight River Theater, in Branson, MO, next month. He’s singin’ just fine!

JOIN A CHORUS (Addendum)

Upon rereading last months Tip, I realized that, while I had written an important ingredient in my head … it had somehow avoided making it to the page.

One of the strongest recommendations for singing in the chorus … is that you learn to tenaciously hang-on to your specific vocal line, making strong entrances, crisp and on time and a comparable musical exit where indicated, at the end of each well-sung phrase. If pitch isn’t initially one of your strong suits, singing in a section with others gives you a cushion of sound in which to improve and hone your skill.  Some of the works you encounter run the gamut of challenges to vocalism, rhythm and pitch. With the University of Denver Choir, Bach’s eight minute a cappella wonder, Be Not Afraid proved be one of our strongest and best pieces, when we consistently ended smack-dab on pitch at it’s conclusion. Even at the end of the tour, when some days we traveled to and sang at four events, it was a rock! Alas, not so, on one occasion in Es Sungen Drei Engel when everyone sang a descending phrase, a half tone flat, except for the bass section that nailed it, with the remainder of the chorus tuning up on its next entrance. Oooops! 

With the exception of a one-act opera at DU, Venus in Africa, by George Antheil, my first full opera was my debut with the New York City Opera, as Schaunard, in La Bohčme. Lots of voices singing lotsa different lines, in that magnificent opera. I realized early on that, even though I hadn’t had time to memorize the Italian of everyone else’s role, I had absorbed all of their individual musical lines. It came to me on stage one night when one of my colleagues missed her cue and I had to sing her line “sotta voce” in order to properly place my line, which was next. But, of all the unusual and bizarre things that happened throughout my career, by far the best was one night in the second act of Bohčme.

 It was my second fall season at N Y City Opera and our “Resident Italian Conductor,” at the time was Franco Patane. He was a man of great ego and limited stature, which he endeavored to overcome with his vast memory, always conducting from memory, albeit with no score on a podium before him. He had it removed, I suspect to highlight its absence. On this particular evening, in one of the busiest parts of the opera, just two pages after Musetta finishes he Quando me’n vo, as she began singing her lovely A Marcello smania, Marcello č vinto! … Maestro’s baton suddenly faltered as though he might be having a fainting spell and as Mimi and Alcindoro finished their respective lines … Colline didn’t come in on his … as the instruments by twos an threes stopped playing, the worst moment you can imagine was about to happen!

T-t-t-t-t-timig. Guess who had the next big solo line … and what a great, lifted, soaring musical  line it is, Quel bravaccio a momenti cedera? I was all by myself so I made it a big, loud allargando (stretch) of it, while in the pit, the concert mistress had taken control, hollered out the bar number for the next entrance. She cued them just as I sang the last syllable of "ce-de-RA." The orchestra played and the individual soloists picked up their cues … and everyone came in singing and finished the grand piece with panache ... with poor Patane still a bit behind. He ultimately got back on board and we finished without and further incidents. Not incidentally, if Patane had regained his composure in time  to bring the orchestra back in, since he had no score in front of him … he couldn’t give a bar number! That’s kinda dumb, ain’t it?

Except for a few winks and a nod or two … no one said a word to me, not even John White, Executive Director of the City Opera who was, as usual in his stage right box. Such is the way of opera … and some musical comedy … but that’s another story.




JULY 10 - JOIN A CHORUS

JUNE 10 - HI THERE SINGERS!