Tatiana Troyanos did not speak often about her personal life. She was born in New York City on September 12, 1938. It was not a normal childhood. I was totally confused, lost and extremely sensitive. But I felt close to my Aunt Irene, because she had a calming influence. I was born in the French Hospital in New York, and she remembers that area of Lincoln Center where we lived in a tenement. She feels so proud that I was born right there, and my life has gone this way. (Opera News, September 1982, p. 9.) Tatiana was the daughter of a Greek father and a German mother who apparently did not provide a very stable home for her. At age seven or eight, she went to the Brooklyn Home for Children, a welfare-supported institution which she described as bleak but marvelous. It was there that she started to study the piano with Louis Petrini, first bassoonist in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for 25 years. He eventually arranged for a scholarship to the Brooklyn Music School. I had a secret desire to sing, and I had a dark sound and was shy, quiet and hardly spoke to anyone. I think I was saving my voice for the years to come, she joked. I put all my energies into music, which was healthy and positive. We also put on plays and I acted, danced and worked with costumes and took everything seriously, even ballet. I always won the prize for trying the hardest. (Opera News, September 1982, p. 9.)
She left Brooklyn to live on East Nineteenth Street at the Girls Service League, formerly a home for disturbed girls. But she was not very happy. I got disturbed. I felt there must be something wrong with me too. I needed to be put on the right track and got help from a social worker, Emma Hernandez, a big, gorgeous, warm woman who had confidence in her girls. She always said, Tatiana, youll make it. She knew I had tremendous ambition to escape and find my identity. All these were difficult years. I would go to hear Ris Stevens and come back depressed. I was frightened out of my mind! And she would say, Listen, youre every bit as good as Ris Stevens. This was an angel saying this, and I was in wonder. Earlier I loved Mario Lanza and Jane Powell -- my father and mother, obviously... Tatianas own parents had beautiful voices but came here in the Depression and didnt have musical careers. [Later] I was attracted to the voice of Maria Callas and played her records all the time in my room. It was hypnotic. I was eighteen then.
I always felt drawn, extremely drawn to music, and it has held me together. It spoke to my soul and spirit, the communication I had with it. I felt I was another person when involved with music. I didnt know who I was as a teen, so I found identification in music, but there was difficulty in identification -- my intensity comes from this. Early on, I kept asking, who am I? I figured if I worked hard and followed advice, it would work. It did, and it does. Then, after high school, I had to do something to earn a living, so I took a secretarial course. Getting a job took forever, and I was demoralized, but by then I had moved to a coed boarding house on East Thirty-ninth Street and got a job with Random House, where I was secretary to the publicity director.... I was shy and unassuming but underneath not that way at all! Herman Shackman heard me.... He said, You have to study, and I said no, I was going to be a secretary. He was convinced I had something and got me to the Juilliard Preparatory School and my first voice teacher. I was always guided by my angels. (Opera News, September 1982, p. 9.) She eventually ended up in the chorus of The Sound of Music. From there she went to New York City Opera. I disliked City Opera -- it wasnt for me. At first I was accepted for the chorus! But the prime example came after my debut.... Julius Rudel knew I knew Jocastas aria in Oedipus Rex and asked me to come to the orchestral rehearsal and warm up. Maria Kova was singing it and was nervous, and he stopped her. Troyanos! he called to me in the orchestra, and I finished the scene and took her parts. I thought, dear God, Ive got to get out of here if this kind of thing can be done! I cant function that way. Its not healthy for me. There was no room to grow and make mistakes. I need space, the attitude of someone standing behind, protecting me. (Opera News, September 1982, p. 9.)
In 1964 Tatiana turned down an offer of small roles and covers at Met and left for an audition tour to Hamburg, Frankfurt and Zurich. When she was offered a contract at Hamburg she hesitated, leaving it hanging on her mirror for weeks. I was more unfocused then, crazier, which is why I left New York. I was sitting on a park bench and reading the Times, and I was depressed because I wasnt doing anything. I kept reading and didnt see my name anywhere. I had to leave and Hans [Heinz, her long-time vocal teacher] said I must go too. When youre younger, you develop an attitude, your ego is so fragile, and you feel you are very special and the world is waiting for you. As you go on in the career, you discover that is not the case. You have to prove yourself, and it takes time. (Opera News, September 1982, p. 9.)
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In 1975, she made her debut in San Francisco in the title role of LIncoronazione di Poppea. The cast included Eric Tappy as Nero, Beverly Woolf as Ottavia, Maureen Forrester as Arnalta, Richard Stilwell as Ottone, Barbara Hendrick as Amor with Raymond Leppard conducting. Robert Commanday of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "The means by which Poppea seduces Nero would melt any man, but could liquefy even stone the way the sensational new mezzo soprano Tatiana Troyanos sang. The rich variety of her tone by itself would be enough, from the voluptuous low register to the beaming, thrilling highs. But how Miss Troyanos turned the exquisitely etched dissonant tones in Monteverdi's harmony, how she caressed her imperial lover with vocal phrases, poisoned his mind against Seneca, exulted in triumph -- these things elevated Miss Troyanos' Poppea from mere courtesan to a woman who shaped history." Arthur Bloomfield of the SF Examiner wrote that she sang with "milky vibrance." Troyanos reprised the role in 1981 in San Francisco to equal acclaim. Later in the 1975 season at San Francisco Opera she sang Adalgisa. Her Norma was to have been Montserrat Caball also in her SFO debut. But Miss Caball canceled leaving Troyanos with two substitute Normas: Rita Hunter and Christina Deutekom. Under the headline "A Stunningly Brilliant Norma," Commanday wrote "Troyanos comes close to completeness. To Adalgisa's conflict between her sacred oaths and her love for the secret father of Norma's children, she added an unforgettable sense of personal loyalty in Act II, entirely devoted to the Norma-Adalgisa exchanges and duets. Troyanos was committed in the role to the point of transport, for her and for us. If her voice is totally splendid with its extraordinary flexibility, its variety of color from brilliance to an amber-hued Stradivarius tone, Troyanos' use of it is supremely intelligent. Her presence as actress is informed with a human vibrance, absolutely stirring beauty and high artistry in one singer. Rarely has there been such an ovation after an Act I curtain (repeated after Act II). Many were standing, flowers were thrown to the two women...." Tito Capobianco's production came up for criticism but "with Hunter and Troyanos up front, who could care?" Adalgisa was also the role she sang for her La Scala debut in 1977. Opera News wrote, Tatiana Troyanos ... triumphed in her local debut as Adalgisa, her splendid voice and dramatic presence making her Normas authentic rival rather than just a maiden betrayed. (Opera News, April 2, 1977, p. 40.)
A Canadian Opera video of Norma was released recently with Joan Sutherland and Troyanos. Troyanos steels the opera. Watching it, one can understand the above reviews. She sings perfectly and makes this odd role very convincing.
One of the most memorable performances I saw occurred in June 1982 at San Francisco Opera. The companys new General Manager, Terry McEwen, chose to inaugurate his tenure with Handels Giulio Cesare. I was disappointed that he opted to perform the opera in English -- I suppose it was because he brought over the English National Opera production with conductor and cast almost in tact (Charles Mackerras with Valerie Masterson as Cleopatra, Sarah Walker as Cornelia, James Bowman as Tolomeo, Delia Wallis as Sesto). But with Troyanos in the title role, my reservations evaporated quickly. Opening night must have been one of her greatest performances. From her entrance as the proud Caesar through all the difficult arias to the final duet with Cleopatra, she was in top form. The voice was secure, completely available to convey Caesars pride, anger, torment, love. She seemed to have it all that night: beautiful phrasing and legatos as well as secure coloratura and athletic ornamentation. Opera News said, "Caesar [was] given magnificent utterance by Tatiana Troyanos, who layered sensuality with nobility in her instrument and playing style, giving inner meaning and subtle coloration to the musical line, attaching the fiendish part with bravado. Her well-placed mezzo sailed forth with fiery intent, climaxed in the brilliant storm aria." (Opera News, September 1982, p. 38.)
Six years later, Troyanos sang Cesare at the Met, again in the English National Opera production. This time, however, it was sung in the original Italian. She was joined by Kathleen Battle as Cleopatra, Sarah Walker as Cornelia, Martine Dupuy as Sesto, Jeffrey Gall as Tolomeo, with Trevor Pinnock conducting. On opening night, there was no denying that the role was more difficult this time around. She seemed ill-at-ease when she entered to sing her first aria. Pinnocks tempi were rapid and allowed for little elasticity. There were moments when the ornamentation was so elaborate she sounded labored in it. But by Non s vago, Caesars Act I aria praising Cleopatras beauty, Troyanos came into form, earning one of the evenings longest ovations. Her Va, tacito, which is almost a duet with the horn, and Se in fiorito, with violin obbligato, were both sung beautifully. When Caesars final aria, Quel torrente, came around she was in heroic form, the coloratura secure, the ornamentation thrilling. Troyanos said the following about Giulio Cesare, Handel is hard for me -- more difficult than Rosenkavalier.... In Handel every line is a matter of life and death, because its so exposed. (Opera News, September 1982, p. 9.)
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The Mets 1983-84 season (its centennial) opened with Les Troyens. Troyanos was Didon, Jessye Norman made her Met debut as Cassandre, Plcido Domingo was Ene and James Levine conducted. There was excitement and nervousness in the weeks before opening night when Domingo announced he would not sing the role, saying he was worried that it would harm his voice. There was also some worry about Troyanos. Earlier in the summer during a performance of Cosi fan tutte in San Francisco she had collapsed backstage while waiting to make an entrance. In early September, there were still rumors that she was not in good health.
Opening night finally arrived and it was obvious that there need not have been any worry. Norman made a powerful Cassandre, her voluptuous voice filling the house. Domingo was in heroic form, even if the role had been adjusted to accommodate his limitations. But Troyanos raised the heat on the evening. She made a majestic entrance, her presence conveying the grand and statuesque Didon. If her first few moments were tentative, by Nuit divresse, Ene and Didons love duet, Troyanos voice was in full bloom. In her final scene she delivered a thrilling rendition of Didons death -- the anguish and horror pouring out through her voice. Opera News wrote of her Didon: Tatiana Troyanos started timorously as Didon, though her regal presence and Hellenic glamour made her queen a figure with which to contend. In the final scenes she evolved into a fiery tragedienne, her mezzo opening in scope and coloration to provide the moment of theatrical truth after nearly five hours." (Opera News, December 24, 1983, p. 36.)
In the fall of 1984, La clemenza di Tito arrived at the Met for the first time, giving Troyanos the opportunity to show off one of her most famous roles. Sesto had been one of the first major collaborations of Troyanos and Levine. During the 70s and early 80s, they performed Tito together three seasons in Salzburg as well as in the film version. Here is what she had to say about Sesto: [He is] a multidimenional character. Hes torn, really, between love for Vitellia and fidelity to Tito. Loyalty is a very rare virtue. Love for Vitellia wins out because he is extremely young, and romantic attraction is important to him -- something hes just discovered, really. He grew up with Tito but discovered physical passion with Vitellia, and hes absolutely held by her, in every sense. He loves Tito but is completely under Vitellias spell. Everything evolves around that. She of course knows how to use her power over him to get what she wants. It doesnt matter if the character of Vitellia looks bad to everyone else -- hes in love with her, and thats that." (Opera News, February 14, 1987, p. 26.)
Troyanos sang Countess Geschwitz in Lulu in two seasons at the Met: at the company premiere in 1977 and at a revival (with Catherine Malfitano) in 1988. She was perfect for the role, capturing Geschwitzs tragic persona as well as her pride and her complete devotion to Lulu. Troyanos commented, It is [Geschwitz] who seems to get all the sympathy in the end, because she is the only one who truly loves Lulu. She gives everything, because she has nothing to gain by not doing so. No man has risked so much for Lulu -- fortune, name, safety, even health. The audience must feel the intensity of this love. Geschwitz is interesting to play. You look at a part for what you can get out of it and give to it." (Opera News, April 2, 1977, p. 31.)
Of course no discussion of Troyanos could omit Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier. She sang the role in several seasons at the Met, including her debut season as well as the 1982 opening night. Levine praised her Octavian as a high-water mark, a quintessential example of her own very personal artistic profile, for it is almost unfair to ask that someone sing that role the way she could, have the gift for comedy that she had, and look as aristocratic and handsome as she did....'
I was sorry never to see Troyanos as Kundry in Parsifal. But, I heard the 1986 broadcast from the Lyric Opera of Chicago. It was a thrilling performance. Jon Vickers was Parsifal; the two were almost overwhelming in the the second act. Troyanos called Kundry a timeless, roaming earth spirit. [She] could take a mans soul to heaven but more easily drag it to hell. Kundry desperately seeks rest, having once laughed at Christs promise of salvation. Consumed by guilt and self-hate, her service to the Grail is obsessive and resentful. Her other master, Klingsor, alone knows who can set her free -- the first man strong enough to resist her. At first Parsifal seems destined to end up as yet another victim, because he is so dependent on this precious link with an unknown mother. Kundry uses everything shes got to seduce Parsifal -- mother love, pity, rage. But he never reacts as expected. That first kiss leads not to desire but to Parsifals anguish, compassion and realization that resistance will save Kundry, Amfortas and himself. Parsifals will ensures her salvation, and the personality change in the third act is remarkable. She finally achieves peace and inner tranquillity, serving happily, not resentfully." Opera News, April 5, 1980, p. 19. continued ->