Performance
Opera Goes Public
Not yet as popular as football, the four opera companies of Texas are setting out to become the people's entertainment.
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Probably no opera in Texas has offered so many important American debuts in the past few years as has the Dallas Civic Opera. They have included such names as Sutherland, Caballe, Vickers, and Domingo. Not bad for the youngest company in the state!
Formed in 1957 by Lawrence Kelly, who had left Chicago's Lyric Opera, DCO started off with an impressive list of plusses: Music Director was Nicola Rescigno, Broadway's Jean Rosenthal joined up as production manager; and a young Italian named Franco Zefferelli (later to do Romeo and Juliet for the movies) came on as stage director. The ace-in-the-hole was an agreement by Maria Callas to sing during the first year.
The opening of the company was inaugurated by Ms. Callas with a concert on November 21,1957, followed by her singing the lead in Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri. The accompanying cast included such artists as Giulietta Simionato, Giuseppe Taddei, and Nicola Monti. The results were sensational. "For a couple of nights running," wrote Newsweek, "Dallas was the operatic capital of the United States."
The Dallas tradition has always had a very cosmopolitan or European flavor. The caliber of production is usually of the highest, and the stars are of the International Variety, names like Schwarzkopf, Del Monico, De Los Angeles and Vickers.
In short, there is something different about DCO. San Antonio will hire the stars for the leads and the secondary roles are local talent; Fort Worth features primarily younger or lesser known talents; but Dallas chooses the cream of the crop for all its productions.
The sets and costumes receive as much care in the choice of designers as does the choice of singers. There is something of the fairy-tale about all this. Artists fly in, sing superlatively and are gone almost as if a kind uncle had bought the services of the greatest entertainers to put on a show and then leave. After it is over we are still dazed by the wonder of it all.
Although limited to a usual three full length productions a year, the company has shown some ingenuity in trying to offer something each season for those who enjoy a taste of lesser known or infrequently played works. Last year, this tendency resulted in the novel pairing of Dido and Aeneas with Pagliacci, and a glimpse at Massenet's bittersweet masterpiece Werther.
Since the DCO season extends barely over a month, readers will already have had their chance to view all three offerings, with perhaps the exception of the last opera Andre Chenier. To mention them, however, is certainly appropriate.
The novelty of the season was certainly selected as the opener: Rimsky-Korsakov's Coq D'Or, featuring Donald Gramm, Jeanette Scovotti, William Johns, and Frances Bible in the leading roles. The second offering on the schedule was the popular Nozze di Figaro, with a star-studded cast led by Sir Geraint Evans, Victoria de los Angeles, Graziells Sciutti, and Sesto Bruscantini. On November 30 and December 4 and 8 the season will culminate with Jon Vickers in the title role of Andrea Chenier. The tenor will be in the good company of cast members Ilva Ligabue, Silvano Carroli, and Nancy Williams.
An "Extra Subscriber-Only Benefit!" (the brochure points out) is a first priorty rating on tickets for the only Dallas appearance of Maria Callas in March. Since Ms. Callas' recital tour marks her return to singing after an absence of eight years, this is certain to be a remarkable drawing card for the DCO. Anyone interested in the musical stage who doesn't avail himself of this opportunity to hear a near legend will surely look back in regret.
"MONEY'S NICE AND OF SOME importance, and singers have their little space, but I'm the one they can't replace!"
This selection from Mozart's The Impresario, although sung by the stage manager, might more suitably be spoken by the impresario himself, for he is the one who produces and oversees the fantastic conglomeration that creates opera. And nowhere in Texas has the importance of this figure been more in evidence than in Houston.
The Houston Grand Opera had its inception under the watchful eye of musical director Walter Herbert. The first production was in January, 1956, with Brenda Lewis in the title role of Salome.
From the first, Houston's emphasis has been toward a more daring repertoire than the other Texas houses. Opera goers have been treated to such rare gems as Rossini's Cenerentola, Strauss' Elektra, (with Inge Borkh in the title role), and a Walkure, in 1959 that gave Texans their first taste of the Ring in over 20 years.
However, the real possibilities inherent in the company were not even vaguely realized until a forthright, outspoken young go-getter named David Gockley assumed the responsibilities of General Director. After a novitiate as Business Manager for the young organization, Gockley felt he was just the man for the job of turning the company into a major professional opera, and his prediction is turning out to be a bull's eye.
Although the budget has more than doubled (from $448,000 to just over $1 million), the percentage of annual deficits has shrunk from 40 per cent to 22 per cent. The subscription list has zoomed from 4100 to 8400 and 14 more performances have been added per season.
As impressive as these figures are, they are secondary to the artistic achievements. Realizing that for any opera to really grow it must develop a reputation and acquire a permanent company, Gockley has aggressively and sometimes blatantly pusued the means to achieve this end.
One of the first innovations of his reign was Gockley's inauguration of opera in English. Each production is given on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The Saturday performance, however, is given in English with young American singers instead of the stars of the previous nights. The prices are also reduced to a more popular level. This was so effective that over 15,000 (mostly opera novices) attended performances last year.
Another innovation was a festival of fully-staged operas in a downtown Houston park during the early summer. The unusual part about the festival is that it is free. (Nowhere else in the world is this done.) The productions are also daring in scope and concept. A highlight of the festival was the American premiere of Ralph Vaughan William's Hugh the Drover.
This penchant for premieres is quickly becoming a Houston Opera trait. This year they will present the world premiere of Thomas Pasatieri's The Seagull based on the Chekhov play. In a brochure—prepared by Ogilvy and Mather Advertising Agency—Gockley explains that not only should the audience find the production enjoyable, but that premieres draw global attention. ("World Premieres are what put Santa Fe and Seattle on the operatic map," explains the promotional literature.)
One of the results of this enthusiasm and courage is that gradually a nucleus of resident singers is forming. Although stars are still imported, ample time is given to assure a satisfactory series of rehearsals. And although the opera is now housed at Jesse Jones Hall, rumors have been flying that a new "Opera House" is in the offing.
Another feather in the Houston cap is in education. In addition to the Saturday English language performances, a full slate of 12 student performances is given throughout the season, more than any other opera company in the country provides.
Houston's major problem is lack of financial support by local industry and business. The largest corporate gift so far has been five thousand dollars. Most of the funds are raised by nickel-and-dime contributions. A dominating feeling about Houston is that area residents have not yet recognized the possible importance and prestige the opera can bring to the city.
This year Gockley has expanded the season from five to six productions. Opening October 9, 12, 13 and 14 was Verdi's Macbeth, which starred Gian Piero Mastromai as the Thane of Cawdor, and Pauline Tinsley as his grisly mate.
The Lone Star State's fourth Figaro of the 1973 season was presented November 13, 16-18 with Michael Devlin in the lead slot, and Patricia Wise as the lovely Susanna. The Count and Countess were portrayed by Benjamin Luxon and Felicity Palmer. All performances were in English.
If you have missed Beverly Sills' Traviata another chance is offered to you when the renowned diva appears as the Lady of the Camellias. Performances are scheduled for January 22, 25, 26, and 27, 1974.
March 5, 8, 9, and 10 will see the premiere of Thomas Pasatieri's The Seagull. Pasatieri's previous works have included the N.E.T. opera The Trial of Mary Lincoln. The new work will be Houston's first world premiere.
The bon-bon of the season is Offenbach's La Perichole to be staged March 26, 29, 30 and 31. To make certain all the humor of this light hearted work comes across, every performance will be in English.
The season will draw to a close with Norman Treigle's impersonation of Boito's villainous creation: Mefistofele. The production opens April 26 and runs the 19 and 21. The entire production is borrowed from City Center in New York.
A definite pattern is emerging in Texas opera. Audiences in San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Dallas are offered productions which tend to favor the out-of-state, out-of-country, imported talent. As fine as these productions are, they still represent a way of viewing the musical stage as something foreign to the talents and abilities of Texas artists. In other words, they are still in the first stage of operatic growth.
Houston can certainly take the credit for entering the second stage. Gockley and company are at work diligently to change the city's operatic self-image. The cover of a recent brochure showed a picture of the General Director with the headline: "Our daring young opera impressario refuses to rest on last season's laurels. He asks you for $225,000 to help Houston get more and more worldwide recognition." The inside pages pose the basic question: "It comes down to this: what does the country think of Houston as a cultural center?"
Whether or not the Houston endeavor is successful or if another city succeeds in taking greater strides is up to the future to decide. Time is proving true the prediction made by Ronald Seeliger in an article about Texas opera In the Sixties: "Opera is nearing the crossroads where something must be done if it is to continue to be a Texas tradition." Let us hope help comes in time.
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