Welcome Back

Well, that's what all the kids are hearing throughout school these days. For me, it's an apology that I've been "on vacation," as it were. Ironically enough, "school" is the reason I've been in absentia. I've been taking some online classes that are quite challenging. They've required a lot of time. Add to that the past three plus weeks of 95-plus--and for a few days, 100 plus!--degree weather we've been experiencing around here, and you see a great reason for just standing still in front of the AC doing nothing. Then there are things beginning to happen on the house my bro and I are remodeling. Ah, yes! And rehearsals for various thing have already started.

Where did the summer go? I was in shock when I looked on the calendar and noticed it was August 1st. Then, before I knew it, people were talking about football in a non-hypothetical context and some teacher friends of mine were counting down the days to the Labor Day holiday! Geez it! September! Next thing you know, I'll be getting a packet of opera music. (I maybe already have. I don't check my mailbox everyday. Just how many Papa John's coupons and Bed, Bath, and Beyond catalogs do you need?)

Ah, well. If you don't jump on the bandwagon, you get left behind. And so...

Two recent opera-related obituaries came to my attention recently. The first was the tragic suicide of Jerry Hadley. Being an English tenor myself, I've always highly admired Hadley's work. His willingness to do English Sacred Music projects certainly enriched my collection. He was even willing to give modern composers support, premiering Paul McCartney's first major work for chorus and orchestra, Liverpool Oratorio. (I must admit, that's one of my only-listened-to-once CDs.) But his voice--unlike many "English" tenors--was capable of more power and brightness, such that he was able to have an excellent opera career.
But having so many commitments, working long hours through rehearsals, and living out of a suitcase the vast majority of the time can take its toll. Then, when you get older, maybe your voice starts showing a little wear, people stop calling your agent, and you see you career moving into its twilight.

Depression is a terrible, debilitating illness. I can speak from experience. Even with the advancements in pharmacological treatments in recent years and new theories of thought in psychology, it still takes a lot of painful and draining personal work to conquer it... if you ever do! Statistics show that people suffering an episode of depression are highly likely to suffer other episodes in the future. Though I can't name any research done on this topic, it stands to reason that people that are more sensitive emotionally (e.g., artists of any type) could suffer from a more severe form of the illness. So, when things go wrong in life, when negative things add up, sometimes the pain just becomes too great. Hadley's sagging career, financial problems, and apparently difficult divorce, compounded with any depression he may have been suffering from previously, overwhelmed him.

One of the opera choristers I sing with struck up a friendship with Hadley through a mutual acquaintance a few years ago. She had kept in touch with him, attended some of his performances, and visited him on several occasions. I do hope she is doing okay, as I don't have her email.

The second obituary I noted was the passing of Edward Zambara, who transformed a rag-tag southern university's vocal department into a top destination for the finest young singers in America. To drop a few names influenced by Mr. Zambara, try Delores Ziegler and Cheryl Studer on for size. And even though Zambara left UT in 1980 (one year before I first entered the university as a freshman--though, as an instrumental major), his influence is still being felt to this day in the opera apprentice program and his support for the establishment of a professional regional opera company in Knoxville. Even today, there are tales told about past professors in the UT Music Building, and Zambara's famous temper--surely a sign of his commitment to the highest artistic goals and to "encouraging" some students in the only manner that they understood--is legend. For a director to go from UT to Eastman School of Music speaks volumes about his talent and abilities, not to mention involvement with the Met. The word of his death reverberated around the email systems of Knoxville for several weeks.

It will be interesting to see what the KO does this season to honor him.

Stay cool!