San Francisco Classical Voice

Sunday afternoon San Francisco opera fans celebrated a beloved singer and artist, the already legendary Marilyn Horne, or as she is more affectionately called, "Jackie." It was a great tribute to a great lady, and by the end of the afternoon, after much singing (and much of it was fine), the many stories, video clips, and personal homage, only the hardest of hearts could fail to be moved by the outpouring of emotion for Horne's appearance nearly 40 years after she first stepped out onto the stage of the San Francisco Opera House.

There was a tinge of sadness for the realization that we can no longer be thrilled in person by the astounding technique and unique sound of that wonderful voice, but mostly the day was a celebration of the many joys that she has given to her fans (one of whom I proudly claim to be) over her long and glorious career.

Horne's association with the San Francisco began in 1960, when she made her official American opera debut as Marie in Alban Berg's Wozzeck. Since then, she has sung in this house 21 roles in 13 different seasons. In the early years, she sang both soprano and mezzo roles, appearing in such varied parts as Carmen, Nedda in Pagliacci, Marzelline in Fidelio, Musetta in La Bohème, Marina in Boris Godunov, and Eboli in Don Carlo. She was absent from the company from 1967-1978, due in part to a dispute with former director Kurt Herbert Adler. She returned to the company in 1979 in the title role of Rossini's Tancredi, and over the next dozen seasons sang many of the Rossini roles for which she was noted, Arsace in Semiramide (1981), the title roles in La Cenerentola (1982) and L'Italiana in Algeri (1992), and Calbo in Maometto II (1988). Other roles in this time period include Dalila, Orlando in both Handel and Vivaldi's operas, Mistress Quickly in Falstaff, and Adalgisa opposite the Norma of her frequent partner Dame Joan Sutherland.

Dame Joan herself appeared toward the end of the evening, her simple yet heartfelt speech providing the prelude to Horne's being presented with the honor of being admitted to the Classical Music Hall of Fame.

Horne herself sang in five numbers on the program. Richard Bonynge led the duets from L'Italiana in Algeri and Semiramide, recalling her long association with Rossini and the often-underrated conductor. It was interesting to note that the orchestra, with the exception of Runnicles' stylishly conducted overture to L'Italiana in Algeri, sounded the most beautiful when conducted by Bonynge. In L'Italiana, Horne was joined by bass Samuel Ramey, and the two artists clearly made the most of the comic elements in this scene, hamming and mugging for all it was worth.

Renée Fleming was Horne's partner for the Semiramide duet, and while I admire her voice immensely, her singing does not really have the rhythmic clarity and excitement needed for this music. In contrast, the mezzo showed that even with diminished resources, hers voice still does have those very qualities. Mistress Quickly's "Reverenza!" scene from Verdi's Falstaff gave Horne another opportunity to display her comedic gifts and to display that famous booming chest register, where the voice is admittedly now most comfortable. The young baritone Christopher Robertson was her foil as a very young Falstaff, singing and playing the part admirably. Although this is surely (hopefully!) not yet his normal repertoire, he is a young singer to watch out for.

Horne's solo appearance of the afternoon was a touching rendition with harp of Stephen Foster's song "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair." Although the voice has a tendency to dip under the pitch, here the singer showed that she can still spin a delicate phrase and a beautiful messa di voce like the greatest of Golden Age singers. The program ended on a light note with Horne and tenor Jerry Hadley having a grand time in Irving Berlin's "You're just in love." One wondered however, why conductor Patrick Summers couldn't balance the orchestra (they bordered on covering the singers) or follow the stage (rhythm was precarious on more than one occasion).

Sopranos Ruth Ann Swenson and Benita Valente and conductor Summers paid tribute to Horne's association with two Handel operas. Swenson sang a delicious "Amor è qual vento" from Orlando with nearly pin-point accuracy and her usual creamy tone, and Valente offered a quietly hushed and deeply affecting "Lascia ch'io pianga" from Rinaldo. Here Summers provided lovely support with the orchestra.

Mezzo Federica von Stade offered a hilarious version of Rossini's "Una voce poco fa," with cadenzas that lapsed alternatively into snippets from Horne trademarks such as Carmen, Norma, the song "Daisy, Daisy," and an amusingly paraphrased "I Dream of ‘Jackie' With the Light ‘Blond' Hair." Horne was clearly as delighted as the audience. The first half closed with a rather rushed and tepid version of the Act I finale of The Barber of Seville, conducted by Donald Runnicles and joined by von Stade, Catherine Cook, and a select group of the Adler Fellows.

One Adler Fellow, the Russian mezzo Elena Bocharova was given a solo aria, the voluptuous "Printemps qui commence" from Saint-Sa”ns' Samson et Dalila. The voice is still young and at present at least a size too small for Dalila, but she sang with poise and there is a richness in the voice that probably will develop over time.

Renée Fleming offered a ravishingly sung "Summertime," complete with floated high notes successfully calculated to make the listener swoon. Her larger-than-life designer gown had to be seen to be believed. Jerry Hadley presented the aria "Elle ne croyait pas" from Thomas' Mignon, seldom performed now but one of Horne's own favorite operas. Hadley was in good voice and on good behavior (i.e. much less scooping and crooning than usual) but I still often find the voice and mannerisms more attractive in Broadway than in opera.

Vocal honors went to the Italian mezzo Sonia Ganassi, currently appearing in her first season with the San Francisco Opera in Donizetti's La Favorite. She possesses a first-rate instrument and has a first-rate technique, complete with sparkling coloratura, beautiful phrasing and legato, a secure top register, and the ability to project clearly each word of the text. As General Director Lotfi Mansouri mentioned, this is perhaps someone who will inherit the Rossini mantle from the afternoon's guest of honor, so we can hope to hear more of her soon.

Hadley, Ramey, and the other male singers of the day (including the Adler Fellows) rallied around Horne at the end for a rousing chorus of "There is Nothing like a Dame," once more reminding us that there is nothing like Marilyn Horne. "Hello Jackie, it's been swell, Jackie..."

(Pianist William Wellborn performs and lectures in the United States and Europe, and from 1995-97 was host of the program "Piano Legacy" on San Francisco station KDFC. Wellborn is on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory, where he teaches courses in piano, piano history, and opera.)

©1999 William Wellborn, all rights reserved