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Read Previous Notes 
November 1, 2004
What an AUTUMN it's been already!! I just finished an amazing run of Mozart's masterpiece Don Giovanni, with the stellar cast of Bryn Terfel as the Don, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo as a delicious Leporello, Karita Mattila - a very intense Donna Anna, Kurt Streit - her long-suffering noble beau Don Ottavio, and Isabel Bayrakdarian and Kyle Ketelson as the feisty Zerlina and Masetto. AND the unbelievably imposing (vocally AND dramatically!) Andrea Silvestrelli as the Commendatore. He's a GIANT who even made Bryn look small in the final scene!
This was directed by Peter Stein, another giant- in the German theatre world. His mission was to strip the piece of extraneous "opinions," adhering instead to Mozart's and da Ponte's intentions. We went so far as to actually follow Mozart's stage directions in the score!! Can you imagine!!?
We came up with what I called "Armani-Giovanni:" very clean lines, no frills, immaculately stitched and very expensive! Christophe Eschenbach brought his deeply-felt musicianship to the mix, and Andrew Davis took the last two performances to pep us up at the end of the run!
Donna Elvira was a big revelation for me; a meaty character musically AND dramatically. Who hasn't experienced some of her disappointment and heartbreak by a love gone wrong? And what better place to work it out than wailing and railing at Bryn Terfel all night!! Actually, I tried very hard to avoid making her a ranting harpy. Mozart actually writes a lot of floaty soft music for her as well, and therein lies her vulnerability and sadness. But with a big red wig and a bigger red dress, I was armed and dangerous!
Then I returned to Chicago last weekend for the 50th Anniversary Gala. What a great event, beginning with a dinner honoring some of the Jubilarians who were very instrumental (VOCAL, actually!) in creating the 50-year legacy we were all celebrating. It was wonderful to be at this dinner in the Casino dining club in Chicago, to honor Giulietta Simionato, Carlo Bergonzi, Regine Crespin, Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart, Marilyn Horne, and Maestro Bruno Bartoletti, whose 48-yr association with the company shaped it indelibly. To be in the room and be reminded of the history that these people made, was rather overwhelming. I've known Marilyn Horne for years, but in that context, I thanked her for opening the door for people like me to have the kinds of careers that have brought MEZZOS out of the 2nd-banana role! Flicka von Stade was there too, as a performing artist, and the two of them are HUGELY responsible for my ever wanting to be a singer in the first place. It was an outstanding program, featuring (among others) Renée Fleming, Thomas Hampson, Karita Mattila, Ben Heppner, Debbie Voigt, Jane Eaglen, Andrea Gruber, Olga Borodina, Richard Margison, Sam Ramey, Jim Morris, David Daniels, Elizabeth Futral, Flicka, Bryn Terfel ending the evening with the Falstaff finale!
A quick catch up, and apology for this LONG-overdue update!! Sometimes I'm so busy just trying to keep up with myself and all that's going on, that I can't manage to find the time or energy to WRITE about it! Forgive me.
Working backwards: Last summer, I enjoyed 4 weeks off in my beautiful Santa Fe retreat. Too much going on musically in the summer there for me to REALLY relax, but it was a nice break anyway!! Before that I was in London for "that" Ariadne at Covent Garden. The production was great, all the cast were wonderful, and I missed my pal Miss Voigt. Basta. During that time, I got to sing on the 100th Anniversary Gala of the London Symphony Orchestra, which was great fun and a big honor. Prince Charles was there and hosted a dinner at Windsor Castle the night before! (Pinch me.) Very thrilling, and at a certain point I was chased down by a tiny, gorgeous woman who was draped in white silk and ruby necklaces, who said to me, "YOU have the most gorgeous gown here, you MUST tell me where you got it, who designed it and how I can get one just like it!!" I thought for a second, and then told her: "I'm terribly sorry, but I don't know who the designer is, and I bought it at a small department store in Dallas Texas!!" She then led me into the ladies' room where she proceeded to search the back of my dress for any label that would give her more information, but there was none! We did get to know each other though, and it turns out she's the First Lady of Iceland, and has invited me to Rejkavik!
Highlights of last season were of course, my first Didon in Berlioz' Les Troyens, in Paris at the Châtelet Theatre, and the Met's Merry Widow, as well as another very exciting recital tour in the US with the wonderful Brian Zeger, and in Europe with my pal Malcolm Martineau.
Libby is alive and well, for those of you who have insistently inquired!!! She's 15, healthy, gorgeous, and staying with my mother while I embark on a very hectic concert tour in the next weeks. Oh, and we're talking about my dog, for those of you who aren't acquainted with her! She is equally remiss in her journalizing delays, but rest assured that she is enjoying a big back yard, great warm weather, and lots of treats from a grandmother who spoils her!
Stay tuned for the release of some exciting recordings: The latest is the Ives disc with Pierre-Laurent Aimard, to honor Ives at the 50th anniversary of his death.
BUT COMING SOON TO A RECORD SHOP/WEBSITE NEAR YOU:
Samuel Barber's "VANESSA" - recorded live in concert in London, starring Susan Graham, Christine Brewer and Bill Burden, BBC Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin.
Berlioz' "LES TROYENS," DVD - live performance from Paris' Châtelet Theatre, starring Susan Graham (Didon), Anna Catarina Antonacci (Cassandre), Gregory Kunde (Enée), Laurent Naori (Narbol), directed by Yannis Kokkos, Orchestre Romantique et Revolutionnaire conducted by John Eliot Gardiner.
Wishing you all a healthy and happy performance season 2004-2005! Hope to see you at the Opera House or Concert Hall soon!!!
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