Gala for the Richard Tucker Music Foundation

4 November 2007

Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York

Featuring:

Eric Cutler

Diana Damrau

Joyce DiDonato

Andrzej Dobber

Renée Fleming

Bryn Terfel [cancelled]

Susan Graham [cancelled]

Brandon Jovanovich [2007 Tucker Award winner]

Simon Keenlyside

Matthew Polenzani

New York Choral Society

Members of the Metropolitan Opera Chorus

Asher Fisch, conductor

Programme Details

Richard Wagner
“Entrance of the Guests” from Tännhauser
Members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
New York Choral Society

Opening remarks by Barry Tucker

Guiseppe Verdi

“La donna e mobile” from Rigoletto [recording]

Richard Tucker

Luciano Pavarotti

Further remarks by Barry Tucker

Richard Wagner

“Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond” from Die Walkure

Brandon Jovanovich

Ruggero Leoncavallo
“Prologue” from Pagliacci
Simon Keenlyside (see below for photos)

Richard Strauss
“Presentation of the Rose” from Der Rosenkavalier
Diana Damrau
Joyce DiDonato

Charles Gounod
“A leve-toi soleil” from Romeo et Juliette
Eric Cutler

Giacomo Puccini
Te Deum from Tosca
Andreiz Dobber
New York Choral Society

Giuseppe Verdi

“Ella mi fu rapita! Parmi, veder le lagrime” from Rigoletto

Matthew Polenzani

Gioacchino Rossini:

“Una voce poco fa” from Il barbiere di Siviglia

Joyce DiDinato

Gaetano Donizetti
“Tornami a dir” from Don Pasquale
Diana Damrau
Eric Cutler

Giuseppe Verdi

“O don fatale” from Don Carlo

Luciano D’Intino

Georges Bizet
“Au fond du temple saint” from Les pecheures de perles
Matthew Polenzani
Simon Keenlyside (see below for photos)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
“Ah, guarda, sorella” from Cosi fan tutte
Renee Fleming
Joyce DiDinato

Giuseppe Verdi

“Pace, pace, mio Dio” from La forza del destino
Maria Guleghina

Giuseppe Verdi
“Cortigianni” from Rigoletto
Andreiz Dobber

Leonard Bernstein
“Glitter and be Gay” from Candide
Diana Damrau

Francesco Cilea
“Poveri fiori” from Andriana Lecouveur
Renee Fleming

Giuseppe Verdi
“Triumphal Scene” (with reprise) from Aida
Maria Guleghina
Luciana D’Intino
Brandon Jovanovich
Adreiz Dobber
Dimitri Kavrakos
New York Choral Society

Photo gallery

“Prologue” from Pagliacci

What the critics say

Anne Midgette, New York Times, 6 November 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/arts/music/06tuck.html?_r=2&ref=music&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Richard Tucker Night Is Opera’s All-Star Game
Big opera galas have much in common with sporting events: Fans gather to watch, and compare, feats of physical prowess. This parallel is always particularly clear at the annual gala of the Richard Tucker Music Foundation, held this year on Sunday at Avery Fisher Hall.

Every year — perhaps inevitably in an event involving so many singers — illness plays havoc with the rotation. By the end of Sunday’s performance, the changes had left the printed program as filled with excised names and emendations as a manager’s lineup card in the ninth inning. (For starters: Dolora Zajick, Susan Graham and Bryn Terfel were out; Luciana D’Intino, Joyce DiDonato and Andrzej Dobber were in.)
One difference between sports and opera is that while live broadcast slows down a sporting event (all those commercials), it seems to speed up opera. Sunday’s performance was simulcast to nine university campuses and moved along at a notable clip, with singers entering stage right as their predecessors were still exiting stage left, while Asher Fisch, the conductor, kept members of the Met Orchestra playing with animation.
There were two clean-up hitters on the program, Ms. DiDonato and Diana Damrau. It is hard to say who was better. Ms. DiDonato, having flown in from Switzerland for the day to pinch hit, evidently decided to make her trip worth everyone’s while, especially with an “Una voce poco fa” from Rossini’s “Barbiere di Siviglia” that was among the most spectacular vocal feats this listener has ever heard, thrown off with ease, a sense of fun and pinpoint control.
Ms. Damrau offered a “Glitter and Be Gay” from Bernstein’s “Candide” that was over the top in every sense, including the top of the staff, above which she floated with starry radiance. You might have called it too campy (and a little hard to understand) had she not had the vocal goods to back up her active wooing of the adoring audience.

Ms. Damrau even overshadowed Renée Fleming, who said something rueful about having such a hard act to follow before offering an attractive if rather unidiomatic “Poveri fiori” from “Adriana Lecouvreur.” It was in a duet from “Così Fan Tutte,” with Ms. DiDonato, that Ms. Fleming truly shone.
Another highlight was “Au fond du temple saint” by Bizet, a perfect fit for the tenor Matthew Polenzani and the baritone Simon Keenlyside, who outdid their respective forays into the Italian repertory earlier in the evening.
Ms. D’Intino gave a large if blunt “O don fatale” from Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” Mr. Dobber pumped out a doughty Rigoletto; and Maria Guleghina very nearly stayed on pitch in a relatively restrained “Pace, pace” from Verdi’s “Forza del Destino.”
The winner of this year’s Tucker award for promising young professionals, the tenor Brandon Jovanovich, opened the evening by making pleasant but unremarkable noises in “Winterstürme,” a piece that is still a few sizes too big for him.

By Jay Nordlinger, the New york Sun, 6 November 2007

http://www.nysun.com/article/65898?page_no=2

The Operatic Event Of the Year

The Richard Tucker Gala is a big event on the operatic calendar. Every year, the foundation named after the late, great tenor gives out a major award to an upand-coming singer. And this fundraising gala is held, presenting a parade of stars — many of them past Tucker winners themselves.

This year’s Tuck-o-rama unfolded at Avery Fisher Hall on Sunday evening. The Israeli conductor Asher Fisch led “Members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,” as the program booklet phrased it, along with the New York Choral Society. This event always feels under-rehearsed, if not unrehearsed. There is a seat-of-the-pants quality to it. But the results can be wonderful.

Near the beginning of the evening, Barry Tucker, the tenor’s son, gave his annual address, in his glorious New York-ese. He hailed Peter Gelb, the Metropolitan Opera’s general manager, who, he said, is making opera “hip and cool.” Yeah, that’s what they say. Lotsa luck. How about keeping opera good? That would be achievement enough for any Met GM.

Mr. Tucker also paid tribute to Luciano Pavarotti, who died in September. Then he played a video showing Pavarotti and Richard Tucker singing “La donna è mobile.” How’d that work? Through the splicing together of two films: Tucker would sing one line, and Pavarotti would sing another. Tucker’s tempo was faster than Pav’s. But no matter. And Tucker got the last word — as is perhaps appropriate in his gala.

This year’s award winner was Brandon Jovanovich, a tenor from Billings, Mont. He sang Wagner’s “Winterstürme,” and did so rather heavily, gulpily, and slidily. Approaching verismo-style. But he has an admirable voice.

Then came the parade of stars (and not-quite-stars). The British baritone Simon Keenlyside sang the Prologue from “Pagliacci,” using hat and scarf as props. He was in fine, gleaming voice, and enjoyed himself. Diana Damrau and Joyce DiDonato walked out for the Presentation of the Rose (“Der Rosenkavalier”). Ms Damrau was as she usually is: sinuous, slinky, delicious — floating her high notes. Ms. DiDonato was regal.

Then Eric Cutler, an American tenor, sang the aria from “Roméo et Juliette.” He proved a worthy French interpreter, if a tad forced. Then the Polish baritone Andrzej Dobber — substituting for an ailing Bryn Terfel — sang the Te Deum bit from “Tosca.” He was short on power and short on snarl — but he was sturdy enough. Matthew Polenzani sang “Ella mi fu rapita! … Parmi veder le lagrime” from “Rigoletto.” This is a notoriously difficult aria. Mr. Polenzani sang it with obscene ease. It might as well have been “Twinkle, Twinkle.” There were two imperfect notes, including a big high one. This only showed how good the rest of the notes were.

Then Ms. DiDonato reemerged to sing “Una voce poco fa.” She was substituting for Susan Graham — and had flown all the way from Switzerland to do so. It was worth it, certainly for the audience. In “Una voce,” Ms. DiDonato was viper-like, charming, and dazzling. She can dream up no end of interpolations for this aria. I wish Rossini could have heard her.

Ms. Damrau and Mr. Cutler sang a duet from “Don Pasquale,” warbling nicely. And then Luciana D’Intino walked out. Do you know this formidable lady? She is an Italian mezzo, and one of the great Verdi mezzos in the world. Fittingly, she sang “O don fatale” — and sang it awesomely. I wish Verdi could have heard her.

No gala would be complete without “Au fond du temple saint,” the tenor-baritone duet from Bizet’s “Pearl Fishers.” Doing the honors were Messrs. Polenzani and Keenlyside, and they were creamy and satisfying. The orchestra’s flute gave a nice assist. Another frequent gala duet is “Ah, guarda, sorella,” from “Così fan tutte.” Doing these honors were Ms. DiDonato and Renée Fleming. Ms. Fleming was less pure than she can be in her Mozart. But one should not complain.

At this point, we had the Russian soprano Maria Guleghina, singing “Pace, pace” (Verdi). She was somewhat rough — and her Italian diction won’t win any prizes — but she was definitely powerful. Verdian. When she was through, Mr. Dobber gave us some more Verdi: “Cortigiani, vil razza dannata,” from “Rigoletto.” The sturdy baritone was flavorful, and did himself most proud.

Then it was Diana Damrau Time, in a big way. She sang “Glitter and Be Gay,” and chewed it up. This was the hammiest “Glitter and Be Gay” in world history. But it was also irresistible. Ms. Damrau was born to sing this flirty, pouty, high-flying song. You couldn’t understand many of the words. But you really didn’t need to. I have said, more than once, that Ms. Damrau has a little Lucille Ball in her — and she confirmed this on Sunday night. She is an extraordinary combination of Lucy and Grace Kelly. (But could those ladies sing a lick?)

Then Renée Fleming came back out, saying, “Imagine having to follow that.” But follow it she did, singing “Poveri fiori” (Cilea). I will say again what I’ve said frequently about Ms. Fleming (and Leontyne Price and others): One man’s mannerisms are another man’s endearing characteristics. Ms. Fleming sang this aria Flemingesquely, and that was good enough for most.

Finally, Maestro Fisch led parts of the Triumphal Scene from “Aida.” Onstage were a massive chorus, a massive orchestra, and five soloists. Plus, brass were in the balconies. It was an avalanche of sound. And Maria Guleghina was prominent through it all. The forces were almost out of balance, so powerful was the soprano!

Yes, the Richard Tucker Gala is a big event on the operatic calendar, and this was a wonderful evening of opera singing. Let’s hope it raised a boatload of money, too.