Brian Dickie

Happy memories

 

The Chicago River 4:50 pm Wednesday January 18 2012

I walked north on Wacker Drive from the Opera House and then headed east along the Chicago river back to the office after the dress rehearsal of Aida this afternoon.  And I reflected on the many performances of Aida I have seen over the years. 

I suppose that the one that must be the most important personally was on my 20th birthday, July 23 1961, in Verona.  Carlo Bergonzi was the Radames and Gabriella Tucci the Aida.  We also had Fiorenza Cossotto and Aldo Protti; and last, but not least, the young Nicolai Ghiaurov as Ramfis.  Gianandrea Gavazzzeni conducted. 

We then, we being me and two friends from Trinity College, Dublin, also opera fanatics, repaired to a splendid restaurant, the 12 Apostoli.  It still flourishes.  Imagine now three students dining there - how times have changed!  But this was over 50 years ago - oh dear!

But then there was Jon Vickers, Galina Vishnevskaya and Giulietta Simionato at Covent Garden in 1964.  Unforgettable also.......just more recent!

Notwithstanding those memories I had a fine time at Lyric this afternoon.  Nicolas Joel's venerable production, first seen at Lyric in 1983 I believe, still serves the piece very effectively.  And Radvanovsky and Giordani, as I predicted, were distinguished........I am sure that it will do well.  This is your irresistible grand opera!

Tomorrow is more fun.  Meanwhile please note than a good many of the links above are to Wikipedia which is blacked out for 24 hours.  It makes you realise what a fabulous resource this is.  I think that they will be back up and running tomorrow,  Meanwhile think about it and support them as best you can.  Please!

Today......

I will be at the Lyric Aida dress rehearsal this afternoon.  How nice for a change to hear a "Grand" opera!  I will report later on the hordes of supernumeraries and the Lyric Chorus in full cry.  And of course the rest.......including one of the best Verdians of the day, Sondra Radvanovsky, and the excellent Marcello Giordani who was Pinkerton and Romeo all those years ago in Toronto when I was General Director of COC.  The boy has done well!

And another lazy one.......

But actually I got a lot done today while the office was closed for MLK Day.  I broke the back of a piece I am writing for Opera America's excellent magazine.  Some other distractions prevented me finishing it this evening, but it will be done tomorrow.

I had the pleasure of lunch with James Gandre, Provost of Roosevelt University and former Dean of the Chicago College of the Performing Arts.  Before that he was a senior guy at the Manhattan School of Music.  Dean of something or other!  He is a positive optimistic spirit who has accomplished an enormous amount during his ten plus years in Chicago.  He arrived soon after me and we have worked really well together.  The establishment of the COT/CCPA diploma program is down to Jim - and me a bit too!  He is one of the many colleagues I will miss when I leave Chicago.

The reason for our getting together was that years ago he invited me to join the advisory board of the CCPA.  And I have served on it for eight or so years I suppose.  It is time to give it up and let my successor perhaps take over - that is up to them.  It has been an enjoyable time and I think that we have made a difference for a series of excellent young singers.  And we have supported an hugely transformed faculty under Jim's leadership, and that continues under his successor Henry Fogel.

Actually there is more CCPA stuff this week although I will not be at the board meeting tomorrow.  Marlena Malas, perhaps the most widely recognized of the great singing teachers here in the US, is giving a masterclass on Thursday.  She is an old friend and I admire her hugely.  It will be good to see her work her magic with some pretty gifted CCPA students.

It was mild and damp today.  It will get colder again as the week progresses.  Now off to watch the Australian Open.  A good way to switch off - difficult enough these days!

Free day.......

It has been a lovely lazy Sunday.  I have for once done only what I wanted to do - well not actually for once.  By and large I am fortunate enough to enjoy pretty much everything!

The CSO program this afternoon was full of mostly unfamiliar but refreshing sensuous music.  Delius, Elgar, Rimsky and Tchaikovsky?  What an orgy!  And there was a full house. 

Tomorrow is another day off - but the days following are full of exciting action so please don't go away!

Out in the cold

 

Lincoln Park with Lake Michigan beyond - 3:45 pm Saturday January 14 2012

We have a relatively big chill on - after the ridiculously warm December I guess we need it.  This afternoon Lincoln Park looked pretty gorgeous and the dogs and their owners were out playing.  I am having a lovely relaxed long weekend here at home (Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day so that is a holiday). A short trip to Whole Foods and Trader Joe and I am stocked up for whatever the weather may bring.  I have Christopher Gillett coming to dinner so I just did a delicious short rib braise - just the thing for winter.  And then instead of taking a tempting nap went for a bracing walk. 

Tomorrow afternoon is the treat of the CSO concert - a Sunday afternoon for a change is particularly welcome.  And what a yummy programme!

Getting to the young

COT has an extensive program of activities with the Chicago Public Schools and the City's cultural department. I am a great believer in participation by the children - getting them to play, sing and dance, and to get involved in all aspects of production as far as it is practical.  And there is no doubt that we have had some great success in this.  And the spin off of higher grades in other studies, as well as improvement in discipline, is well documented not just hearsay.  With the huge reduction of commitment to the arts in our educational establishments, the work that professional companies do in this area is indispensable.

I was down at the Hampton School on the South side of Chicago this morning - and first of all discovered that it is named for the great Vibraphonist Lionel Hampton.  And as you can see from the photo above its full name includes the words "Fine and Performing Arts School".  In fact I am not sure that they able to concentrate extensively on the arts (resources just do allow that alas) - but their Principal Zaneta Abdul-Ahad is a most distinguished lady who gave an enthusiastic and extremely eloquent welcome to this morning's event. And it is clear that this week has been an important one in the life of these children.

Our work in this and a number of other schools this year is directed to preparing them for COT's production of The Magic Flute next September.  We have a family of teaching fellows who work with the schools throughout the school year.  Today's event was the culmination of a week of intensive exposure to Mozart. 

And so the climax to the week was a visit to the school by the remarkable Classic Kids Live with their excellent show Mozart's Magnificent Voyage.  This was one of their rare excursions into a school - and it was a huge hit in this gymnasium setting (below), a familiar place where the children could relax and enjoy the show without all the complications of an exhausting field trip.  Their attentiveness and clear appreciation was testament to the work done by Mrs Abdul-Ahad and her team, as well as to the preparation by our Education Manager Linden Christ and the teaching fellows.

Yucky Mucky snow......

 

We have been contending with pretty nasty wet slushy snow in downtown Chicago today.  It started around 10 am and is expected to continue on and off until 10 am tomorrow.  But it is quite a pretty sight away from the immediate city core. Above you see my view from the bus stop at home this evening.  I took off early so this was at around 4:45.  No doubt it will pile up further overnight.

Meanwhile we have kept pretty well inside, a welcome break from our hyperactive week to date.  Apart from a meeting about our big March fundraiser this morning things are quiet, for me anyway.......so now a nice quiet evening at home, the first for some time.

January Board meeting

Exceptionally we are having it on a Wednesday - today.  And it will be the first one that Andreas Mitisek will have attended.  So this will be a good experience for us all as he points the way to the future of COT.

Meanwhile life for me goes on.  And yesterday evening I was at the CSO for a wonderful all Berlioz program.  Mark Elder launched the program with the dazzling overture Le Corsaire.  I do not think that I have heard this piece live since the then boy-conductor Simon Rattle opened his first concert at the Royal Festival Hall with it - in 1976 I believe.  This was with the Philharmonia Orchestra and if my date is right he was 21.

Mark Elder has a youthful spirit and he got knock out playing from the CSO in this as you would expect.  But the rare treat was Harold in Italy, with the wonderful English violist Lawrence Power as soloist/protagonist.  I have rarely heard such beauty of tone coming out of this notoriously difficult instrument.  Power will become as indispensable as William Primrose!

A lovely dinner at Rhapsody after the concert rounded off a perfect evening!

Last week I promised to another hot opera ad.  So here you have it!

120 degrees of separation

After a quick lunch in our local pub by the office I took a brisk walk over to the Northern Trust on La Salle Street.  Northern is THE bank in Chicago now.  No more La Salle (B of A), no more Continental (B of A), no more Harris (Bank of Montreal) -   just the behemoths and the tiddlers.  They provide old fashioned personal service just like in the good old days of however many decades ago.......long may they reign independent and as fuddy duddy as they like!

I stood a few yards from the corner of Randolph and State and took two shots from the same spot.  I just had to swivel 120 degrees.  And so I captured the contrasts and some of the tragedy of the financial turmoil. 

To the left above you see the spiffy and huge new Walgreen's which opened today - (Click to enlarge). This is a drugstore for the 21st century.  And to the right you see the shuttered Border's, the former mighty bookseller now bankrupt with all stores in Chicago gone.  The one on Michigan Avenue is now a Top Shop - cheap British clothing (presumably made in China).  This one on State?  Well who knows how long it will be before something arises from these financial ashes?

And what about opera?  Well we are still here.  But our opposite number in Boston has closed down, and the New York City Opera looks more shaky by the day.  Troublesome times indeed.

A busy week

Our General Director-to-be will be in town this week.  We have a board meeting on Wednesday and a good many other activities besides.  But meanwhile I am looking forward to concerts at Symphony Center today and tomorrow.  We have the Chicago Civic Orchestra this evening, some light relief after our Marketing Committee meets at 5:30. 

The Civic Orchestra is the only training orchestra affiliated with a major American symphony; it has been presenting free concerts to Chicago audiences since its founding in 1919 by then-Chicago Symphony music director Frederick Stock.  I feel somewhat ashamed to say that in all  the years I have been here I have not attended any of their concerts.  So this is a red letter day!!  Berlioz, Mahler and Rachmaninov are on the menu and Mark Elder is on the podium.  A good recipe I feel sure.

I will go down to Rhapsody for a light supper before the concert.  Altogether a fine evening in store.......