In our nation and era — Alas! — pop culture dominates. Especially in areas and cities beyond the major-metro enclaves (like NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, etc.) where high culture remains precariously preserved. Yet, even in the artistic “boondocks” (comparatively speaking), classical heroes of exceptional magnitude are still warmly welcomed and appreciated. And just such a classical hero is Dmitri Hvorostovsky: the glamorous, snowy-maned Russian baritone who has been a mainstay at Delos for nearly a decade now. And — of the ten American cities he visited during a recent tour — he was especially welcome in Phoenix, Arizona … where his appearance in concert on January 10 generated quite a bit of advance press attention.
Still, it seems almost a shame that — in order to generate some excitement in an area not exactly famous for its support of the fine arts — publications like the Phoenix New Times found it appropriate to resort to pop metaphors to get peoples attention in its concert preview: “Dmitri Hvorostovsky is to opera what … Brad Pitt is to Hollywood. He’s the Lady Gaga of the aria set. And he’s coming to town.”
But a much more meaningful preview came from the pen of Mr. Bob Stump: a local politician and arts patron who works tirelessly in support of Phoenix Opera: an institution that — in Stump’s words — seeks to “recalibrate (Phoenix’s) reputation” as something other than “a haven for sunshine and golf.” In his “guest opinion” piece, “Opera in the Valley of the Sun: a telenovela gone wild”, he still uses trendy language, targeting readers who may think of opera as “fusty, antiquarian, elitist” — in a noble effort to convince them that opera is well worth discovering — and that anyone can learn to dig it. And he uses Dmitri’s many virtues as a singing actor to support some of his points. He describes him, quite rightfully, as “One of the finest voices of the past 100 years — and arguably the greatest living baritone” … as well as one of “People magazine’s 50 most beautiful people.” He goes on to speak, with wonder and reverence, of the power of great singers’ voices to “elicit listeners’ awe” with their “… vocal pyrotechnics … their razor’s-edge virtuosity,” with the result that “Human beings become, on the opera stage, forces of nature.”
Stump further employs other devices, like sports metaphors, to catch everyman’s attention. Citing the fragility of the human voice and the onstage risks that even the best singers must take, he points out that “… singing resembles the exhilarating high stakes of many sports: a singer ascending to a series of high Cs may be analogous to a baseball player hitting a home run.” Personally — as a rabid fan of both opera and football — I can appreciate that approach. So let me take that trick one step further: how about a moment of sheer vocal glory, at the apex of a supremely dramatic opera scene, bringing on the same kind of edge-of-your-seat excitement and spinal chills as a come-from-behind, fourth-quarter airborne fingertip catch of a hail-Mary pass in the end zone with seconds left on the clock? Hey, it works!
There are many other worthwhile aspects of Stump’s essay that are beyond this post’s scope. But, trust me, it remains one of the most convincing pieces of operatic advocacy I’ve ever seen. And we at Delos are purely tickled that the author has picked our cherished Dmitri to help make his points. READ it, save it, and share it … like with that friend you’ve been trying to drag to an opera for years, kicking and screaming. If Mr. Stump can’t convince him of opera’s irresistible grip and excitement, nobody can.
BTW, despite such advance ballyhooing of Dmitri’s appearance in Phoenix, I found no official press review following the event. But go to Opera Phoenix’s website – right HERE…
Part Two coming up later this week!
—Lindsay Koob