- Time and Tide
- by Cami McNamee
-
- The day after the Newport News
concert, I awoke to look out on the dismal Virginia morning with the
melodramatic thought that all the Italians had left and taken the
sunshine with them. The faithful flow of followers who had flooded
this tidewater town to hear the beloved tenore had ebbed again. The
concert is now just a widening series of quietly expanding,
enchanting ripples in the tidepools of memory.
-
- But this concert in Ferguson Hall at
Christopher Newport University marked a sea change for Andrea. Not
since that very first time in the United States in 1998 at the
Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, had he stood on the concert stage
without a microphone. But between the voice of 1998 and this voice
of 2005 has been a viaggio italiano! We are riding the growing wave
of a maturing voice and a confident and more relaxed performer. It
was a sheer delight to watch Andrea’s physical being revel in the
freedom of singing unmiked. For us, it was as if the natural voice
pierced straight to the senses without need for the artificial
translation of the amplifying apparatus—pure, unadulterated
essence of Andrea! Beati noi!!
-
- As always, after a concert we
meditate internally on the memories: we recount the times Andrea
registered his pleasure with a finished aria, the times that
megawatt smile illumined his face, the times he held the audience
silently spellbound in the grasp of his singularly crafted
pianissimos, the times he gripped us in the helpless throes of
terminal grins with the pleasure of jaw-droppingly high notes, and—oh
dio—how he made our eyes widen at the thrillingly impossible final
D-flat of Tu che m’hai preso il cuor (yes, I cried again at that
achingly beautiful melody). Time after time, the audience simply
couldn’t believe what they were hearing…the applause was
deafening. And how many times have I heard O soave fanciulla? At
least 12. But without a doubt, the stunning Eugenia Garza has nailed
the top prize as the quintessential Mimi beside Andrea’s Rodolfo…such
tender, perfectly timed caresses, such flirtations that fit his
responses like a glove, such glances of an adoring soprano for the
manly tenor, such sweetly coordinated partnership, and finally, the
emotional climax of the electrifying high C that brought down the
house…the first time I recall a standing ovation to end the first
half of a concert. And if you think these precision, state-of-the
art acoustics were good for Andrea’s voice, you can’t even
imagine how they made Ferguson Hall reverberate with the unbridled
enthusiastic adulation of that crowd unleashed in appreciative
applause for Andrea and his lovely partner.
- Eugenia Garza was a worthy and
extraordinary colleague for this evening with Andrea. With vocal
control, power, and dramatic tour de force, she performed the
challenging Vissi d’arte from Tosca and Musetta’s waltz from La
Boheme. Particularly in this last, she was breathtaking in her
ability to take on the flirtatiously self-possessed presence of
Musetta the instant the spotlight flashed on her and the first note
emerged. What a gold-sequined, radiantly sparkling joy she was to
behold and to hear!
-
- Maestro Marcello Rota too deserves
high praise. The Virginia Symphony, whose strength was clearly in
the lush string section, responded to his disciplined and detailed
touch with emotionally charged precision. Far from seeming a
distraction, these orchestral interludes—the fiery Carmen Overture
of Bizet, the reverent Nabucco Overture of Verdi, and Rossini’s
Overture to The Barber of Seville—were an enjoyable treat, again
showcasing the near magical acoustics of the hall.
-
- This was my first (and probably the
last, at these prices) experience with being in the front row at a
concert. To say it is powerful is a pathetic understatement—words
simply fail. The intimacy of it is untranslatable. It is almost as
if you feel the responsibility on your shoulders of holding Andrea
up and energizing him with the force of your front row encouragement.
OK, yeah, I know, "as if"! But that front row position
bestows all the intimacy and closeness you could ever have
fantasized about. You revel in the details of Andrea’s every move…how
his toes wiggle rhythmically to the marching cadence of O surdato
‘nammurato (god he loves to sing that funny little song); how he
calls on the force of his "fist assist" to compel that
high C out of his handsome six-foot-three body; how he whispered at
least a million times into Eugenia’s ear before or after a song (damn,
what IS he saying, still not close enough to hear); how he
thoughtfully, but comically, avoided the intrusion of cold on her
provocatively bare shoulder by clenching his hand instead of laying
it palm open on her lovely skin; how the heartbreak of loss pierces
so much more acutely in the final notes of E lucevan le stelle at
such close range that you just want to enfold him in a comforting
embrace; how the sheen and cut and tailoring of his cutaways, trim
white vest and bowtie, and supple suede shoes suited him so regally
that it was hard to resist the urge to reach out and touch him.
-
- During the concert, as I looked at
the enrapt, upturned faces to either side of me that were basking in
the elegance of Andrea’s voice, it reminded me of why the Italians
have named a certain sunny, typically Tuscan bloom girasole—"turn
to the sun." In fact, the crowd leaned into his warm and golden
O sole mio like so many entranced sunflowers. We simply open up,
petal by emotional petal, in the warmth and light of his beautiful
voice that coaxes the words and melodies into life. Watching and
feeling Andrea perform conjures up words in your vocabulary that you
haven’t thought of using very often…words like "glee,"
as in "you just wanted to laugh with glee as he reveled in the
musical embellishments of Marechiare"; or "beguiling,"
as in "I was mesmerized by the simple, yet beguiling magic of
‘A vucchella and The Merry Widow; or "enthralling," as
in "the poignant tenderness that Andrea spun from the beautiful
Santa Lucia luntana was heartbreakingly enthralling." Sorry, it’s
just so darned difficult to resist unabashed hyperbole when it comes
to this man’s voice.
- Throughout Andrea’s whirlwind stay
in Newport News, The Daily Press had been full of stories of those
who recounted what a thoughtful, kind, generous-hearted human being
he is. As the university president’s wife described him, "one
of the most gracious people I have ever met." Certainly the
little story of Andrea seeking out and kissing the hand of the
harpist who had played the background music for the luncheon he had
attended at the famous Williamsburg Inn pretty much nailed that fact.
For those who attended the concert, the image of the tenorino,
Anthony Colosimo, and the seasoned veteran standing side by side
onstage was proof of Andrea’s personal and professional generosity.
To encourage young talent, Andrea willingly and supportively yielded
the spotlight to the novice tenor, who had recently won the NIAF
music scholarship. With Andrea looking on, a tentative Anthony
tackled La serenata. In our front row seats, we could see what those
in the hall undoubtedly would not…that the lad trembled ever so
slightly all the way from his lips to the tips of his fingertips.
When Anthony came to a challenging point in the Tosti song, you
could see Andrea lean to him in unspoken support, our tenor’s lips
almost imperceptibly mouthing the words in shared solidarity. When
Anthony finished with the final high note, competent but clearly
ended with relief, the beaming smile from Andrea surely echoed a
memory of similar relief Andrea himself must have felt in some
long-ago stage appearance.
-
- It would hardly be surprising to
anyone that this first U.S. concert since we lost Mickie Morgan
would bring introspective moments of sadness that she was not at our
side to share the experience. But I wasn’t prepared for the surge
of emotion when I realized with astonishment near the concert’s
end that Andrea was singing the opening notes of Non t’amo piu’.
This was by far a Mickie favorite, and although I have been to many,
many concerts, I haven’t ever heard Andrea sing it. It wasn’t
listed on this program either. I couldn’t help but smile through
quiet tears to think that she would have assumed it was solely for
her benefit.
-
- Ciao Andrea! Grazie ancora per tanta
bellezza. We wait again for your return. And, as the mariners of
Newport News would say in farewell, "Fair winds and following
seas" as you travel back to your own tidewater town.
Cami McNamee
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- I
consider myself a "recycled Bocelli Concertette" I saw my
first and only prior concert, in Las Vegas 2001. I had to try
and watch on the big screen—was mostly there for our daughter, and
my seats in Las Vegas would have put me in the parking lot in NN.
-
- First,
I met so many people with whom I've corresponded for such a long
time and have gained such friendship, respect and admiration for the
contributions they share to make this man so real to me. What
an awesome and inspiring group. I hope I get to meet the rest of
this "elite" group at other events.
-
- As
far as the concert itself, many others have described it beautifully,
and I won't try to elaborate on such fine writing. I didn't walk
into the concert hall right away, since I wanted to take it all
in and try to capture each moment and make it last forever. When
I did go in, I went in from the door above where we were to sit, as
I wanted to feel the wave of excitement grow even stronger as I made
my way to the first row. As I found my seat and noticed the piece of
wood on the stage that indicated where Andrea would be standing, the
emotions overwhelmed me. I couldn't sit long as my eyes welled up and
I bounded out of my seat to find Carolyn [Parsons] and give her
a big hug and thank her once again. As Andrea walked out, I was
sure he knew we were all there as we, (enthusiastically but politely),
made our presence known. This NN audience was so receptive, and the
ovation for his arrival was surpassed by none. I recall at the
beginning of an encore number "O Sole Mio"—we in the
first two rows knew by the first measure what he would be singing—it
was about 5-6 seconds later that I felt and heard the power of the
rest of the audience as they became aware of this popular number. It
felt as though I had been hit by a 50 foot wave from behind. The
other moment that really impacted me was when Anthony Colosimo was
singing "La serenata." Andrea was turned toward this lucky
young man and we had a clear view of Andrea's face and body. Andrea
was the mentor. I could only think Andrea was reminiscing about his
first times on stage or singing for Corelli. He
indeed subtly sang every word and his brow gave the support of
each note. His right hand hit every powerful entry and cut off
each phrase with the same force. This was not obvious
to all, but evident to his "37" ardent supporters who were
there to encourage, absorb, and even be protective of this wonderful
experience with this magnificent musician. My eyes were glued to
Andrea and I felt we were all bestowed with a special insight
as to how he listens to music and to other performers. Many
others of you may have already experienced this, but that night
he made me feel as though I was allowed permission to
share a special part of HIS music world and how much of his
being exists for this expression of his own personal passion.
-
- I
felt Eugenia Garza was the perfect match for him at this performance
and I'd love to see her return to his side to meld so beautifully
with his voice and movements. We met her after the concert as she
checked into our hotel, with her proud mother. She was gracious
to stop and chat a little with us and made it known that she would
love the opportunity to sing with Andrea again. During the
duets, when there were instrumental interludes, even as small as a
couple of measures, Andrea never missed the opportunity to turn,
with a smile, to Eugenia to whisper something in her ear. s he
would smile and she would smile or respond, we would giggle and he
would respond to us with a smile...he knew we were there. Andrea
always turned with great attention to the first chair, when the
concertmaster would play a beautiful violin solo, which was
more than once, and never missed the turn, back to the audience for
his perfect entrance to the next note he was to bestow on this
receptive audience. He could do no wrong this night. He was down the
middle of every note. When there was a choice of going for the high
note, HE DID, and with perfection, which distributed an abundance
of chills throughout the audience. I don't smoke, but at
the conclusion of his program, I was looking for a breadstick to
light.
-
- His
words at the end, "Tonight, I go ‘in’ Italy, but I promise,
I will never forget you," were spoken with such genuine
sincerity and so well deserved by the warm & appreciative
audience. I did hear someone yell out something during the
program, but could not decipher the words as everyone else, to me, was
muted except this incredible tenor. I will never forget it and
I will never hear Andrea's music the same way ever again. I want to
go to more concerts, but as for now I just need to take all of
this in. I was spoiled with this experience, and I know that.
-
- As
Carolyn said so profoundly at the end, with her arms resting on
the stage where Andrea had just departed, "It doesn't get any
better than this," or something close to that. Going back to
the hotel and staying up till 2AM, talking and sharing with everyone, brought
the perfect nightcap to my experience of a lifetime.
-
- Barb
Parker
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