Bass-baritone Alan Held is just across the river in D.C., rehearsing for Washington National Opera’s Tosca, and he’ll be here next week for our anniversary concert.
Surf on over to his blog for today’s post Trapping Wolves – Part 1. In it he talks about his audition for Wolf Trap, in which he sang “Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge” from Das Rheingold. (Which, not incidentally, he’ll sing next Wednesday night at the Filene Center with full orchestra.:))
Alan is too much of a gentleman to write this. But, as beautifully as he sang the “Rheingold,” and as mightily as it added to his burgeoning career, he was discouraged from offering it as an audition piece by the late Adelaide Bishop, former director of the opera department at the Hartt School of Music in my hometown of Hartford, CT, and former artistic director of the Wolf Trap Opera Company from 1981-1983. I believe her words of wisdom to him were, “Wagner is like meatloaf, Alan: fine to serve to family, but never to guests.” Not all advice is good advice.
OH, my. Peter, I had forgot about that. Thanks for the very fine memory (and for giving me the chance to sing this aria in public). As far as being a “gentleman”, STOP—you’re destroying my reputation.