Stephen De Maio Hosts “Opera Night” at Columbus Citizens Foundation

Dec 6, 2011 by admin

Stephen De Maio Hosts “Opera Night” at Columbus Citizens Foundation
A review by Nino Pantano

Stephen De Maio who is Artistic Director of the Giulio Gari Foundation, The
Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation as well as President of The Gerda Lissner
Foundation, is a man of many hats – all of them on behalf of spreading the
word about opera and assisting talented young singers with scholarships.
Friday, November 11th was a special evening at the Columbus Citizens
Foundation located on East 69th Street in New York City. Stephen De Maio
was giving a lecture with dinner showing highlights from Giacomo Puccini’s
unfinished final opera Turandot. De Maio told the intimate audience of 40 that
the original Turandot was a fairy tale by Italian dramatist Carlo Gozzi (1720-
1806) possibly based on Arabian Nights.
With a special intimate dinner during the intermission and dessert afterwards,
the video Highlights were from “Live from the Met” in HD on a large screen with
a cast that included Sicilian tenor Marcello Giordani as Calaf, Russian sopranos
Maria Guleghina as Turandot and Marina Poplavskaya as Liu and American bass
Samuel Ramey as Timur from a “live“ performance in 2009. A truly international
cast as De Maio pointed out.
Marcello Giordani was in glorious voice and his “Nessun Dorma” was thrilling.
Maria Guleghina was truly the “ice Princess” but to see her meltdown was very
exciting. Marina Popavskaya touched us as Liu who dies for love of Calaf and
Samuel Ramey was moving as the blind Timur, father to Calaf.
Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons drew a very strong performance from the
musicians in the wonderful Metropolitan Opera orchestra.
Mr. De Maio told us of Toscanini’s special intervention when Giacomo Puccini
(1858-1924) died (The finale of Liu’s death is the point where the composer
died) and the opera was completed by composer Franco Alfano who tied the
last duet together with his own music and some sketches that Puccini left
behind. The work premiered in 1926 at both La Scala and The Metropolitan
Opera.
In 1961, Rudolph Bing revived the work with Cecil Beaton, in a magical and
thrilling performance starring the handsome, brilliant and golden tenor Franco
Corelli as Calaf, the incredible powerhouse soprano Birgit Nilsson as Turandot,
the glamorous soprano Anna Moffo as Liu, the sonorous Bonaldo Giaotti as
Timur and Maestro Leopold Stokowski conducting his first opera with the Met
at the age of 79. I was privileged to have been at that performance as was
Stephen De Maio. The applause at the finale was deafening for Corelli, Nilsson
and the principals including the comic relief trio of Ping, Pang and Pong. This
truly was Puccini’s Aida with its spectacle and exotic color.
The spotlight was on Stokowski’s hair (dyed light blue) and on his final bow as
he crossed his crutches above him as a symbolic gesture of triumph. Stokowski
had broken his hip playing baseball with his two young sons from Gloria
Vanderbilt a few weeks before!
De Maio informed us that Licia Albanese sang an unforgettable Liu to Franco
Corelli’s Calaf later in that season and received one of the greatest ovations in
Met history.
After we saw and heard excerpts from the first and second acts, we were
escorted to the elegant dining room nearby. There we dined on “Risotto
Puccini” as the pasta dish with a tender and delicious “Veal Tenderloin
Turandotte” accompanied by the excellent wines Chianti Castiglione ‘09 and
Frascati Fontana Candida ‘10.
General Manager of the Columbus Citizens Foundation John Boden prepared
this palate pleasing feast to compliment the evening.
After the final act which combined with the glorious sets of Franco Zefferelli to
the triumphant finale with full chorus, soloists and the melody of Nessun
Dorma, coffee and desserts were served. The Tiramisu “lady fingers” were
cream filled, delicate and delicious.
The friends and members of the Columbus Citizens Foundation were truly the
recipients of a splendid evening. We thank Stephen De Maio for so brilliantly
hosting this event.
We should all, in our humble, way emulate the example that Stephen De Maio
has set for us by putting on an opera DVD at home and enjoying Italian opera
with some good food and wine with family and friends. Such evenings of
beauty truly make life worthwhile!