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To read the Opera Chic exclusive of Juan Diego Florez's moving tribute to Luciano Pavarotti, click here
Reactions -- developing, constantly updated -- in the world of opera and politics and professional sports are here.
To read Opera Chic's own tribute to Pavarotti scroll down or click here
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(Lincoln Center earlier this evening from the balcony of the NY State Theater.)
Opera Chic wrestled herself away from her laptop late this afternoon, and tried to soothe herself by wandering the former haunts of Pavarotti, dutifully searching for tributes or commemorations. But as the great machine of The Big Apple lurches and churns, Pavarotti's legacy fails to evoke responses that so many admirers are seeking.
(Pavarotti's NYC residence, Hampshire House @ 150 Central Park South, seen above and below. Below is a pastiche of two photos, btw.)
At Pavarotti's NYC home-away-from-home, the Hampshire House on 150 Central Park South, there was not a whisper or breath of mourners' footsteps, flowers nor wreaths adorning the facade. The young, pimply-faced doorman was initially restricted from answering anything Pavarotti (whos dat?); but when pressed, finally spaeketh. Apparently, orders came down from high that there was not to be any sort of acknowledgment of Pavarotti's death at the property: Any flowers, tokens, cards, (or 40 oz malt liquor bottles) were to be removed. So much for bearing witness. San Domenico, Pavarotti's #1 restaurant a block away, was equally quiet and stark.
Over at Lincoln Center, the tribute broadened: Metropolitan Opera was pimping Pavarotti tracks throughout the grand lobby, with the LCD displays above the ticket offices beaming images of the great tenor. MET Opera has also devoted a week of Pavarotti broadcasts on their Sirius Metropolitan Opera Radio station, and dropped a press release on their website.
At Avery Fisher Hall, press and paparazzi hovered in the pens, but it was to cull photos for the frumpy *yawnz0rs* attendees of the 75th Anniversary Benefit of the Save the Children organization.
Across the way at the New York State Theater, home to the NYC Ballet and the NYC Opera, it was even quieter for tonight's inauguration of the 2007-08 season [ed: an inauguration of sorts...the season starts, well, again on September 11 with Margaret Garner, and a $500-a-pop ceremony].
Opera Chic was there for a bizarre la prima, and it seems that New York City Opera has dropped the ball on remembrance of all things Pavarotti, and she was left dismayed.
(In da club.)
We applaud New York City Opera for keeping opera extremely accessible, and for making tickets for tonight on par with a manicure, at $25-a-seat. With tonight's City Opera Concert Celebration, the "Opera For All Festival 2007" was initiated to be affordable and democratic. In fact, September 6-8 (boasting the $25 seats) is completely sold-out, so we laud you, NYCO, for your marketing success. However, the "on with the show" mentality wasn't appropriate in light of such an immense loss in the world of opera, and especially one so recent.
Tonight's 1.5 hour concert was a show of a dozen season highlights, bringing singers on stage before the large orchestra in a recital format. Conductor George Manahan acted as Master of Ceremonies, interjecting a few minutes of historical background between each selection, dropping his baton and switching it for a microphone.
(lobby of NYCO)
An announcement was made before the performance, reminding the audience to switch-off cell phones. OC waited anxiously for an announcement that would peg the evening's performance to the great Pavarotti, an action that would have been the most minimal nod to the deceased tenor. But no such gesture was made. The show must go on am I rite?
First up was Bernstein's Candide overture: lacking in Lenny's flamboyant spirit, it came across as cartoonish and pruned. After applause, MC Manahan picked-up the microphone and flogged the audience with self-congratulatory and light-hearted banter. No mention of Pavarotti, no move for a moment of silence, no dedications, no remembrance. It was like: wait for it wait for it wait for it NEIN!!
After the omission, it went like this: two selections from Mozart's Don Giovanni, one from Massenet's Cendrillon, "Ehi paggi! L'onore! Ladri!" from Verdi's Falstaff, then two from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana.
Then another possible vehicle materialized for Manahan to interject Pavarotti:
"Vesti la giubba" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. DENIED. (Well, it was a moment completely obscured, but when tenor Carl Tanner took the stage to sing Canio, he blurted a word utterly curt, almost under his breath, which could have been his own private-ish acknowledgement. What was that, Carl? We didn't hear you!!) After his short and wrenching aria, Manahan used the performance to further push NYCO, stating something to the effect of, "Hey, if you thought that was good now, you've gotta come back and see Tanner's full performance! Coming this Fall at NYCO!" See, that was the whole problem: with Manahan speaking glibly throughout the evening to the audience, there were many, many opportunities to recognize Pavarotti, but the liberty was never taken. OC felt like she was in a vacuum, a time-warp, a parallel universe. Manahan used every spare opportunity to plug the NYCO, and in the absence of even once mentioning Pavarotti's passing, it was odd.
Moving onto the rest of the evening, Prelude to Act III from Puccini's Madama followed, and then Barber's Vanessa. Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Tiller sang, "Must the winter come so soon?", but as she walked-off the stage, she grabbed Manahan's face in her hands and smothered him with a gigantic kiss. Squarely on his lips. Um, what? Srsly, where am i?!
Then came "Come nube" from Handel's Agrippina, one of the brighter moments of the evening. Jennifer Rivera looked really pissed, tho. She's a man eater! She rawks. I have a new favorite mezzo-soprano. Then was Danielpour's Margaret Garner with an all-black chorus, mixing gospel and jazz in a strangely delicious sound.
Rounding third and on the way to home plate was La boheme, "In un coupe?...O Mimi" with some tenor-on-baritone axxion, ending with "Te Deum" from Tosca.
Following the performance, more announcements were made by Manahan NOT ABOUT PAVAROTTI, but thanking D'agostino and CIT for catering and funding. YAY! A party on the main promenade followed, and the East Village Opera Company churned-out opera hits with a truly Bar Mitzvah vibe. Oy vey, indeed. But OC didn't feel like partying at all, still shell-shocked from a world silenced of Pavarotti, and a recognized New York opera company failing to acknowledge it.
(the after-party, where people mingled, but didn't mention Pavarotti.)
