Ireland's Best Living Tenor paid tribute to Ireland's Greatest Tenor, on
Saturday night at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, and it was a
spectacular evening of song.....the finest concert I've attended, in
recent memory.
The music performed at this concert was all linked in some way
to John, Count McCormack, so the evening began with the Intermezzo
from Mascagni's opera "Cavalleria Rusticana", to commemorate
McCormack's first operatic role, that of Turiddu. The orchestra was The
Irish Film Orchestra, led by Robert Houlihan. For the most part they
played quite well, although there were periods when the orchestra
overpowered the singers.
Anthony Kearns has been named Ireland's Best Living Tenor, and he
more than lived up to that title, this night. In all honesty, I have never
heard him sing more beautifully. And the songs and arias he sang,
since they did reflect McCormack's repertoire, suited Anthony's voice
wonderfully. After the opening piece, Anthony came out to sing 2 of
McCormack's most famous arias...."Salut Demeure" from Faust,
and "Una Furtiva Lagrima", from L'Elisir d'Amore. The first aria was
sung even more lyrically than in the recent performances of Faust,
with a resplendent Top C. And "Una Furtiva Lagrima" was exquisitely
done, with all the "pianissimi" that both McCormack and Kearns are
known for. During the evening, Anthony sang a lovely Gounod "Ave
Maria", a perfect "Where 'ere You Walk", from Handel's Semele,
and a gorgeous Rachmaninov song, translated in English, as "To
The Children." The latter two pieces were accompanied with grace
and beauty by Patrick Healy, at the piano. Of course "Macushla"
was included, since it was one of McCormack's most famous songs,
and with its final pianissimo high B-flat suspended in air, it was
rapturously received by the audience. Anthony's final solo was a
truly breathtaking "I Hear You Calling Me", which brought the house
down, deservedly so. John McCormack, by all accounts a really
lovely man, would have been quite proud of the man singing this
tribute to him.
The soprano partnering Anthony in several duets, and singing solos
herself, was a singer with a gorgeous voice, named Elizabeth Woods.
She is a tall, beautiful woman. She's very nice, and she does have
the finest soprano voice I've heard in several years. But after I had
a chance to read her bio, and discovered that she had studied with
the great Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge, and most recently
with Renata Scotto, one of the finest singing actresses of the past
30 or so years at the Metropolitan Opera, I wasn't surprised.
Elizabeth and Anthony sang a beautiful "Parigi O Cara", from La
Traviata, and a lovely "Panis Angelicus." One of her solo arias
was a superb "Ebben Ne Andro Lontana", from Catalani's La Wally.
And we also had a chance to hear her sing "She Mov'd Through the
Fair." It was enjoyable for me to hear a good soprano sing this piece,
since most of us are more familiar with Anthony's haunting version
of it. The baritone of the evening was Giuseppe Deligia, who was
very young, I think, and very nervous. He acquitted himself well,
but he does need more work, and more experience. It must have
been daunting for him to sing with Anthony in the famous tenor-
baritone duet from "The Pearl Fishers" although Anthony is a very
generous partner, and gave him vocal and moral support onstage.
The best news however, is the fact that Deligia has begun studying
with Veronica Dunne, and he will benefit greatly from that.
The concert was interspersed with film clips of John McCormack
during his life, and included footage from McCormack's only film,
"Song O' My Heart", in which he sang a golden-voiced "Kitty Me
Love." Also included was a snippet of one of Handel's most
difficult arias, one which needs the ultimate in breath control...
"Care Selve", or "Come Beloved", from the opera Atalanta. It
was magnificently done, and that aria alone, could be used to
show why John McCormack was so revered. Gordon Ledbetter,
the compere, or presenter, introduced the songs and clips,
adding bits of information about McCormack, as he spoke.
Mr. Ledbetter is a very interesting man, and his insights made
me want to rush out and purchase his new book about McCormack,
which includes unpublished letters by the Count.
The concert ended with all three soloists singing a stirring "Ireland,
Mother Ireland", after which there were many curtain calls, and
each soloist received flowers. In a huge oversight, Patrick Healy
did not receive flowers. Someone obviously miscounted, but Mr.
Healy's contribution to the program was immense, and immeasurable.
Aside from that, this tribute to John McCormack was a truly
magnificent event, and my hope is that it will someday make
its way to the United States, McCormack's adopted country.
Berta Calechman
JOHN McCORMACK, ICON OF AN AGE
GALA TRIBUTE CONCERT
NATIONAL CONCERT HALL
DUBLIN, IRELAND
September 23, 2006
Marie Collins
Elizabeth and Berta.
