After some more shows of Pitié, I went to San Francisco to sing the Third Soprano in Mahler's 8th Symphony (Symphony of a Thousand) or in our case, "Symphony of a Lot of People But Not Quite a Thousand." It's a part that always make me feel guilty for taking a fee. I sing at the end for about 50 seconds. Yes, really. It's one of the most nerve-wracking roles I ever sing. If you screw up anything at all, you have no chance to redeem yourself. And we were recording it for posterity (and the MTT Mahler cycle). The concerts were an amazing success - we were all almost in tears every night - and I got to see many wonderful friends while in town.
I stayed again with Suzanne Turley up above Dolores Park. What amazing views! And great company with her and Ed coddling me beyond belief! Irish oatmeal like I love it every morning! Chicken soup! I know, my culinary tastes verge on the geriatric, but I love my warm liquids! Dick and Samira Delancey hosted Suzanne and me for lunch at their beautiful Nob Hill home, as well. What a treat to see good friends. I used to always stay with them when I was in San Francisco, but since Dick has been ill, I thought it better to spread my love around a bit and stay with Suzanne. I also was able to have a girlie day with Joanie Juster - we got our fingernails and toenails done and had a lovely lunch. Time passes too quickly when you're having fun.
One of the best surprises of the trip was the actual voyage to San Francisco. I had to re-route my entire trip because AirFrance was on strike the night before leaving. I had avoided Alitalia in the first place, because THEY had had wildcat strikes off and on. So, foiled again. I ended up flying through Brussels, then Chicago, and then on to San Francisco in order to get there in time for rehearsals (and I was still going to be late!) I would never have taken that trajectory, and I don't remember having EVER been through Chicago airport, although I must've been there once at least, since I sang a recital there once. Anyhow, as I'm walking down the gangway to enter the plane in Chicago, I noticed a familiar-looking head of beautiful grey hair in front of me. I thought, "That looks like my dear friend Kathy Kelly, with whom I was roommates for a while in San Francisco - but what would she be doing here?" Sure enough, it WAS Kathy, and she was doing auditions for the young artist program for Houston Grand Opera, where she is head of music staff. We had a lot of catching up to do, and had brunch at Citizen Cake with her colleague Laura Canning and Adele Eslinger the next day. I was also able to catch up a little bit with Peter Grunberg while in town.
I also sang a horrible audition for the music director of San Francisco Opera, Nicola Luisotti. I have only heard good things about him from esteemed colleagues, so I wanted to take this opportunity to sing for him. As I walked to the audition from the Symphony Hall next door, who did I chance encounter on the sidewalk but David Gockley! As I walked toward him, red hair a-blazing in a beautiful Missoni dress, he got to about 10 feet away from me and DUCKED BEHIND A TREE AND STARTED TO ACT LIKE HE DESPERATELY NEEDED TO CROSS THE STREET to avoid me! WHAT? It's not as if I don't know the man - he hired me for some of my biggest successes in the US onstage when he was director of Houston Grand Opera (Gilda, Lucia, Ilia, Cleopatra, etc...), and he's hung out with me backstage and at numerous parties, etc... I know this man. I have been surprised that I hadn't sung at San Francisco since his tenure started there... So I thought, he can't have NOT SEEN ME - you really couldn't miss me - so I called out to him. At which point, he looks at me, caught, and says, "Oh hi - Laura - what are you doing here?" I answered, "Just singing next door at the Symphony..." He became a bit flustered, "Oh really?" "Yes, I'm singing in Mahler's 8th. You should come!" At which point I saw he was even more flustered, so I said, "Well, it was GREAT to see you, I don't want to keep you... Take care!," gave him a hug and walked on. He then continued along on the same sidewalk that he'd almost gotten run over trying to leave. So he didn't need to cross the street so desperately, after all. Weird.
So needless to say, I was a bit thrown. Then, to top it all off, I thought I would just be singing for Luisotti, but once I went out on stage, the rest of the music staff was there in the house. Here I was, singing an HOUSE AUDITION where I grew up and have sung 14 roles?? The last of which was a fantastic critical and audience success (Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, for those of you who weren't there...)? ????????? I was completely demoralized and sang like utter crap. My voice got all gunked up, so I had to decide whether to breathe or to try and clear my throat. I chose the latter, so probably sounded like some greenhorn young soprano with no breath control. And certainly not much pizazz or much musicianship, as by this point, I was pissed off and depressed. What a disappointment! Oh well, I know I'll be singing for a long time with Symphony, so at least I get to come to my "home" almost every year with them! That's nothing to sneeze at! But, how frustrating to come across as so mediocre at the house that was the cradle of my artistic development!
But did I mention that the concerts of Mahler 8 were FANDAMNTASTIC??????????? Incredibly beautiful and moving. Elsa van de Heever and Erin Wall were in tears almost every night. I had to hold it together until after I sang. What a fantastic, strange piece (Mahler 8, Symphony of a Lot of People and their Dog).
Before the last concert, I was lucky to get to see my dear friend Mary Riley, her daughter and grand-daughters, plus Jane Benson and her friend Maryann for lunch. A great time was had by all... I lived with Jane both Merola summers and the year afterwards, and Mary was my sponsor for my Adler Fellowship. They've both been dear friends ever since. I don't get to see them enough.
An added plus, I ran off that night after our last concert to Berkeley to see Dawn Upshaw and Geoff Nutall perform the Kafka Fragments of Kurtag. Peter Sellars had staged it. I had no idea the show was in the Bay area until I called Peter's mom while in town to inviter her to my concert and she said "Oh, here's Peter now..." What serendipity! So I got to see Peter, his mom, Dawn (who was fantastic, by the way, in this very difficult piece!), Jim Ingalls (lighting designer extraordinaire and good friend) and the sweet Alice Waters got me my ticket! Life is definitely good. I have a confession to make, though... I lived in San Francisco for four years, I go back every year to sing there, I know Alice and yet... I've never been to Chez Panisse. I know, it's shocking! I keep saying, "NEXT time I'm in town..." but it never happens. Maybe NEXT time?
Oh - And added on all this artistic bliss, my dear friend Marc Teicholz and his wife live in Berzerkely, so he served as my chauffeur to the concert from the BART train and tea-provider after the concert. Thank you, Marc and Oxsana! I miss him dearly. He's one of those people that you know will always have a thoughtful response to whatever you're talking about, and on whom you can always depend as a friend. What a wonderful day.
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