OPERA WARHORSES
2024.01.18
WILLIAM BURNETT
Historical
Performances: “La Gioconda” with Leyla Gencer, Renato Cioni, Grace Bumbry and
Maureen Forrester – San Francisco Opera, October 1, 1967
Eight days after my first ever performance of Mozart’s
“The Magic Flute”, I was back at the War Memorial Opera House for my first ever
performance of Ponchielli’s “La Gioconda”. Of the twelve operas I would see
(either once or twice) during the San Francisco Opera’s Fall 1967 season, nine
of them would be “firsts” for me.
Leyla Gencer’s Gioconda
The celebrated Turkish soprano Leyla Gencer sang the
role of Gioconda beautifully, demonstrating dramatic poise and vocal security.
Gencer projected a passionate woman capable of self-sacrifice for persons whom
Gioconda loved (her mother La Cieca and Enzo Grimaldo) or to whom she showed
gratitude for another’s assistance at a life-threatening moment (Laura).
Gencer’s delivery of O Suicido, one of the
mid-19th century’s greatest arias, was chillingly effective.
← Photo: Leyla Gencer as La Gioconda in the 1967
San Francisco Opera performances of Ponchielli’s “La Gioconda”; edited image,
based on a San Francisco Opera production photograph from the Leyla Gencer
Archives
This was my first time iin a decade attending a Gencer
performance, she being my first Violetta [Historical Performances: San Francisco Opera’s “La
Traviata” in San Diego Stars Leyla Gencer, Robert Merrill – October 31, 1957] and my first Lucia di Lammermoor [Historical Performances: Leyla Gencer’s Stunning
“Lucia” at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium – November 10, 1957].
Gencer had made her mark on San Francisco Opera
history, first in 1956, replacing an ailing Renata Tebaldi for all scheduled
performances of Zandonai’s “Francesca da Rimini”.
Gencer’s services were secured for the following year,
in what all evidence suggests was part of a defensive strategy by the company’s
general manager, Kurt Herbert Adler, to save the opera season should soprano
Maria Callas fail to show (as did happen) for her scheduled performances [see
my Historical Performances: Callas Fired, An Opera
Changed – San Francisco Opera’s “Aida” at San Diego’s Fox Theater, November 7,
1957 for further discussion of this subject.]
Renato Cioni’s Enzo Grimaldo
Italian lyric tenor Renato Cioni was a handsome
presence, although possessing a lighter voice than I would have expected for
the role of the nobleman Enzo Grimaldo. That said, Cioni ardently performed the
role’s showpiece aria, Cielo e mar, another one of the greatest arias of
the mid-19th century.
Cioni’s Enzo believing Laura, the woman he loved, to
be dead, Cioni was effective in the concerted finale of Act 3. Enzo begins the
finale with his solo Gia ti vego immota e smorta, one of Ponchielli’s
most sublime melodies, then is joined by the San Francisco Opera Chorus in a
rousing chorus.
← Photo: Although Enzo Grimaldi (Renato Cioni,
left) is the object of affection of Gioconda (Leyla Gencer, right), she will
give her life to protect his happiness; edited image, based on a San Francisco
Opera production photograph from the Leyla Gencer Archives
Cioni was a favourite tenor of some of the major divas
of the day, including Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland. According to the
Australian director Ian Campbell, Cioni inadvertently advanced the career of
another Italian tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, whose San Francisco Opera debut
occurred later in the 1967 fall season.
Three years prior, Cioni was scheduled to appear with
Sutherland at the Florida Grand Opera. At that same time, Callas wanted Cioni
as her tenor for her 1964 operatic “comeback” performances in England. An
arrangement was made to send Cioni to London, in exchange for Pavarotti
replacing Cioni in Florida, Pavarotti thereby becoming a Sutherland protege.
[For the full story, see see my Interview with San Diego Opera’s Ian Campbell, Part II].
In previous seasons, Cioni had been my first Ismaele [Historical Performances: Bastianini’s “Nabucco”, with
Tozzi, Cioni and Janis Martin – San Francisco Opera, October 23, 1961], my first Rodolfo [Historical Performances: de los Angeles, Cioni, Horne,
Baccaloni in “La Boheme” – San Francisco Opera, October 22, 1962] and my first Elvino [Historical Performances: Sutherland, Cioni in
Bellini’s “Sonnambula” – San Francisco Opera, September 14, 1963].
During San Francisco Opera’s following season, I would
see Cioni one more time, in yet another first, the title role in Verdi’s
“Ernani”.
Grace Bumbry’s Laura
The role of Laura was entrusted to American
mezzo-soprano Grace Bumbry. Even though married to the dangerous Alvise, Laura
was Gioconda’s rival for Enzo’s love. Bumbry’s Laura was a vocal triumph,
especially in the dramatic scene in which she and Gencer’s Gioconda display
their rivalry for Enzo’s attention. Gioconda’s temperament changes when she
discovers that Laura has the rosary that Gioconda’s mother La Cieca had given
an unknown woman who saved her life.
← Photo: Grace Bumbry as Laura; edited image,
based on a production photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera
This was my second opportunity to be present at a
Bumbry operatic performance, following her brilliant Carmen of the previous
season [Historical Performances: An Exciting “Carmen” from
Grace Bumbry and Jon Vickers – San Francisco Opera, November 27, 1966.]
Maureen Forrester’s La Cieca
Canadian contralto Maureen Forrester, then 37 years
old (and two years younger than Gencer, who played her daughter) gave an
arresting performance La Cieca. She gained audience sympathy in her affecting
performance of Cieca’s great aria Voce di donna.
→ Photo: the blind La Cieca (Maureen Forrester,
left) is protected by her daughter, Giocoda (Leyla Gencer, right); edited
image, based on a San Francisco Opera production photograph, courtesy of the
Leyla Gencer Archives
Forrester’s vocal career had been advanced by her
selection by Maestro Bruno Walter as the contralto performer on his recordings
of Gustav Mahler’s symphonies. Her San Francisco Opera appearance as Cieca was
early in the operatic portion of her career, that blossomed in the 1970s and
later years. I would see her again a decade and a half later as Madame de
la Haltière in Massenet’s “Cendrillon”.
Chester Ludgin’s Barnaba
The opera contains two villains, the conniving
Barnaba, an operative for the notorious Inquisition, and that evil agency’s
head, Count Alvise, Laura’s murderous spouse.
The role of Barnaba was the latest San Francisco Opera
role performed by baritone Chester Ludgin, who assumed the role after Peter
Glossop whom General Director Kurt Herbert Adler had wanted to perform it,
became unavailable. A central “Gioconda” role, it requires a dramatic baritone,
which Ludgin had shown in previous San Francisco Opera performances.
Ludgin’s colleagues – Gencer, Cioni, Bumbry and
Forrester – brought star power to each of their roles, which I believed
overshadowed his otherwise solid Barnaba performance.
← Photo: Bartione Chester Ludgin; edited image,
based on an historical photograph
Ludgin, whose reputation had been established at the
New York City Opera and on Broadway, had proved to be an invaluable presence in
the two previous seasonsl. In 1965, he was a dramatically powerful Jack Rance
(my favorite Ludgin performance of all) [See Historical Performances: “La Fanciulla del West” with
Marie Collier and João Gibin – San Francisco Opera, September 26, 1965].
In 1966, he had saved the day, replacing an ailing
George London in all performances of the title role of a Russian masterpiece
[See Historical Performances: “Boris Godunov” – San
Francisco Opera, October 23, 1966]. Ludgin
then took on the title role in a Verdi staple [See Historical Performances: A Pleasing “Rigoletto” From
Chester Ludgin, Lee Venora, Ottavio Garaventa and Janis Martin, San Francisco
Opera, November 5, 1966 as well as
a lead role in the American premiere of an iconic Janacek opera [Historical Performances: Marie Collier Triumphs in
American Premiere of Janacek’s “Vec Makropulos” – San Francisco Opera, November
19, 1966.]
Ara Berberian’s Alvise and Other Cast Members
Bass Ara Berberian exuded the villainy and sonorous
deep voice required of a successful Alvise.
← Photo: Alvise (Ara Berberian, right) confronts
La Cieca (Maureen Forrester, front center) on a charge of sorcery to the horror
of her daughter, La Gioconda (Leyla Gencer, front left); edited image, based on
a San Francisco Opera production photograph, courtesy of the Leyla Gencer
Archives
Berberian had made an auspicious San Francisco Opera
debut the previous season as Un Frate [Historical Performances – Vickers is “Don Carlo” with
Watson, Horne, Glossop and Tozzi – San Francisco Opera, October 1, 1966] and then made a strong impression as Pimen [Historical Performances: “Boris Godunov” – San
Francisco Opera, October 23, 1966.] He
proved to be an operatic workhorse in both the 1966 and 1967 seasons with other
comprimarios bass roles in several operas.
Others in the cast were Allan Monk as Zuàne and John
Beauchamp as a Singer, both making their San Francisco Opera debuts. L. David
Clements was Isèpo; William Booth was a singer and RIchard Styles, a pilot.
Jonathan Hume and Eugene Lawrence were Two Voices.
The San Francisco Opera Ballet
The San Francisco Opera corps de ballet performed the
“Gioconda’s” famous Dance of the Hours. Its solo dancers were Sandra
Balestracci, David Coll, Diana Marks and John DeVere.
← Photo: A scene from the “La Gioconda” ballet;
edited image, based on a San Francisco Opera production photograph, courtesy of
the San Francisco Opera Archives
Thanks to Walt Disney’s animated
film Fantasia and an Allen Sherman novelty song from four years
earlier, it is unlikely that many in the audience were unfamiliar with the
melodies of the “Dance of the Hours”.
Making his San Francisco Opera debut as the ballet’s
choreographer was 35-year-old Thomas Andrew (born Edward Thomas Andrulewicz), a
former solo dancer with the New York Metropolitan Opera. “Gioconda” was one of
six of the season’s operas that Andrew choreographed.
I have referred to San Francisco Opera’s 1967 season
as the “Year of the Operatic Ballet”. Not only was “Gioconda” performed (which
is unthinkable if the famous “Dance of the Hours” ballet were to be excluded),
but Andrew also choreographed the “masked ball” which is integral to the drama
of Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera”, as well as dancing in Charpentier’s “Louise”
and Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore”.
Andrew also choreographed the Walpurgis Night ballet
in Gounod’s “Faust”, which one sees occasionally. Incredibly, Andrew also
choreographed the Witches Cave ballet in Verdi’s “Macbeth” (which has to be
considered a once in a lifetime experience),
Maestro Giuseppe Patane and the San Francisco Opera
and Chorus
← Photo: Giuseppe PatanéSince having been converted by BIrgit Nilsson, Jon
Vickers and Geraint Evans to seeing opera up close at the War Memorial Opera
House [Historical Performances: Birgit Nilsson, Jon Vickers,
Geraint Evans in “Fidelio” – San Francisco Opera, October 17, 1964], this was my first opportunity to observe the
conducting of 35 year old Italian Maestro Giuseppe Patane from my Sunday
matinee subscription seats (that I have continued to occupy over the past 57
San Francisco Opera seasons).
Maestro Patane conducted Ponchielli’s enduring work
masterfully, with obvious appreciation from the members of the San Francisco
Opera Orchestra. Remembered for his encounters with unruly audiences elsewhere,
Patane was fated to die conducting opera in Munich 22 years later.
The chorus director of the San Francisco Opera Chorus
was Vincenzo Giannini. Madi Bacon directed the San Francisco Opera Boys Chorus.
The production, new in 1947, was by designer Armando Agnini, assisted by artist
Eugene B. Dunkel.
Having experienced my first “La Gioconda” performance
ever, I would be back at the War Memorial the following Friday night for my
first ever performance of Verdi’s “Macbeth”.
