Tatiana Troyanos:
reflections on an operatic career

Troyanos returned to Chicago in November, 1985 after a l4 year absence to appear in the LOC's production of Bellini's I CAPULETI ED I MONTECCHI as Romeo opposite the Giulietta of Cecilia Gasdia. Manuela Hoelterhoff, writing in the Wall Street Journal said, 'Forget those unendurable performances with Mr. Nobody and Ms. Notagain back East and head for Chicago. Anyone who thinks the operatic beast is sick unto death should come here for a second option. Troyanos stormed through her imaginatively ornamented cabaletta and then sang with a pathos-filled intensity that made every moment spellbinding'. 'We did this production for Tatiana although we considered borrowing the Covent Garden one they did for Agnes Baltsa,' Ardis Krainik, the then general manger of the Chicago Lyric Opera said in an interview. Ulisse Santicchi designed a central staircase with miles of black mylar. Bruce Crawford, President of the Met, was invited out for a ‘look' by Krainik with the thought that the Met might want to share the production and costs with the LOC and while Crawford came and saw, he did not take up the option. 'Bel Canto fans had a field day...the warmth of Troyanos's Romeo matching the security and tonal fluency of the young Gasdia,' wrote Dorothy Samachson for British Opera and went on to add, 'they were a beautiful pair and brought great passion to their roles.'

In February, 1986, Troyanos returned to the Grand Theatre de Geneve to again tackle Handel's ARIODANTE under the baton of Nicholas Kraemer in a spectacular production of that baroque opera by Pier Luigi Pizzi. According to opera critic Andrew Clark, writing for British Opera, 'Troyanos tackled the title-role fearlessly, with no loss of tone even in the most florid sections.' 'The Act 2 'Scherza infida', with its heart-rending basoon obbligato, was a watershed in the performance, because it represented the summit of Miss Troyanos skills as an opera singer; her intensity, magnetism, nobility and all-embracing virtuosity.' Dominique Fernandez, writing for Opera Int'l added, 'Tatiana Troyanos, en sublime ARIODANTE' although regretting 'un trop grand nombre de coupures' [too many cuts in the performing edition] mutilating the score.

>At the following season at the LOC, Troyanos was back in Chicago in October, 1986 for her Kundry opposite the Parsifal of Jon Vickers in another borrowed [Venice] production of PARSIFAL by Pier Luigi Pizzi under the baton of Christof Perick. Writing for Opera Int'l, the French opera magazine, John Koopman stated simply, 'Troyanos et une Kundry magnifique.'

In March, 1987 a revival of Mozart's TITO at the Met displayed her strong suit as Sesto and later that summer at the Sante Fe Opera, Troyanos again assumed the title part in Handel's ARIODANTE with Benita Valente also in the cast. This run of performances was deemed by many as the best offering at Sante Fe that year or for that matter, any other year. Veteran opera critic, Jack Belsom, wrote, that in 'Con l'ali di constanza' and especially in her Act 3 display piece 'Dopo notte', Troyanos was simply superb.

By Sept., 1987 Troyanos was back at the Met as Strauss's Composer opposite Jessye Norman's Ariadne and Kathleen Battle's Zerbinetta. Martin Mayer, writing for British Opera referred to, 'Troyanos's still compassionate composer', while Carla Maria Verdino-Stullwold, reporting for Opera Int'l, was less positive, stating 'her intensity made us forget some questionable notes and a legato less than perfect.' Later that season, Troyanos was Countess Geschwitz with the Met's LULU in the opera's 3-act guise and gave an unforgettable performance.

Early in the Met season, 1988/89 Troyanos again assailed the rigors of GIULIO CESARE to the Cleopatra of Kathleen Battle and gained in strength and assurance in the role. In the fall of '88 Troyanos returned to Dallas Opera on November 3rd, to appear as Eboli in DON CARLO along with the Philip of Paul Pliska and the Don Carlo of Icelandic tenor Kristian Johannsson. Many efforts had been made to improve on the Dallas opera orchestra. However, in the view of local critic John Ardoin, the success of the run of performances was also in part due to Pliska's moving Philip and Troyanos's Eboli which brought 'richness and strength' to the cast. Troyanos repeated her Orlofsky for the holidays at the Met and reprised her Eboli in the late winter and seemed to excel in the difficult part as never before.

In the summer of 1989, Troyanos returned to Sante Fe to sing the role of Diane in Cavalli's LA CALISTO but was found by Andrew Porter to be uncomfortable in the part.

Later that fall, Troyanos again took on her portrayal of Sesto in Mozart's TITO at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on October 18th and was especially praised for the ease and fluidity of the difficult aria, ‘Parto, parto'. Then Troyanos joined the cast of Verdi's DON CARLO at the LOC on November 10th, contributing her stunning Eboli opposite the Philip of Samuel Ramey, the Elisabeth of Kiri Te Kanawa and the Don Carlo of Neil Rosenshein. John Von Rhein, in Opera News wrote, 'Eboli still fits the pliant, sensuously dark-hued mezzo of Tatiana Troyanos like a velvet glove, a few errant high notes in an otherwise splendid "O don fatale" notwithstanding.'

By January, 1990, Troyanos sang Dorabella under Maestro Levine at the Met with Carol Vaness as Fiordiligi in COSI and this run of performances seemed to find her more attuned to the role than before.

February 12, 1990 found her at the Philadelphia Academy of Music in a stunning revival of Handel's ARIODANTE. It was noted that some uncomprehending among the Philadelphia's Academy of Music audience headed for the exits upon realizing that they were not being given their usual Puccini and Verdi and missed out on a wonderful performance.

At the close of the 1989/90 Met season, the Met's Ring was back on the boards with Troyanos scheduled for her first Fricka in RHEINGOLD and WALKUERE in that house. However, it was not be. Troyanos's indisposition caused her to cancel her dates which were taken up by Helga Dernesch, Ruthild Engert-Ely and Christa Ludwig.

In the following season 1990/91, Troyanos was scheduled for CARMEN with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in December but withdrew due to indisposition. She was to join the cast of the Met's ROSENKAVALIER in February as Octavian but was replaced by Delores Ziegler.

The close of the Met 1990/91 season found Troyanos again in the cast of LA CLEMENZA DI TITO on April 8, 1991. John W. Freeman, writing again in Opera News said, 'despite problems with the quick triplets concluding her "Parto" aria, again proved an affecting Sesto.' In the meantime, another recording opportunity had arisen when James Levine asked her to sing the 2nd Norn in upcoming recording of GOETTERDAEMMERUNG for DGG.

Troyanos was listed on the boards to return to the 1991 Aix-en-Provence summer festival but later withdrew because of indisposition from the role of Baba the Turk in Stravinsky's THE RAKE'S PROGRESS with Samuel Ramey and was replaced by Victoria Vergara. In the fall of 1991 Troyanos was heard in a series of duo recitals with Benita Valente and pianist Warren Jones.

In February, 1992 Troyanos returned to the Met for the revival of the Met's TANNHAEUSER, appearing as Venus, a role she appeared in the Met telecast of 1982. It was thought that she still managed to convey both sensuousness and vocal glamour. John W. Freeman, writing for Opera News said, 'Troyanos was Venus, most effective in velvety, caressing phrases.'

On Oct. 12, 1992 in the world premiere of Philip Glass's THE VOYAGE, a Met commission saw Troyanos playing Queen Isabella, the second role she created at the Met. Although thought to be vocally uneven by some, she brought a certain authority and presence to the role of Queen Isabella. In January and February, 1993 Troyanos took on Fricka in the Lyric Opera of Chicago's new RHEINGOLD under Zubin Mehta. Some said she presented a vulnerable Fricka and looked and sounded like a goddess from her first entry, but OPERA NEWS was less positive, saying, 'Troyanos, looking like a displaced Herodias, stalked the stage with grave dignity, casting imperious glances at her errant husband.' As noted earlier, Troyanos often improved in roles after her initial run of a first performances. Therefore, in the course of time, one would have hoped for more depth, had she been allowed the opportunity to grow in the role.

Troyanos was scheduled to join the cast for the Met 1993 revival of Wagner's Ring first for the RHEINGOLD and WALKUERE Fricka and to undertake her first ever Waltraute in GOTTERDAEMMERUNG and was replaced by Hanna Schwarz but did go on to her last new role, that of Waltraute in GOETTERDAEMMERUNG performed on the last night of the Met season. Since she was no stranger to adversity, I would have to say that her Waltraute had a sense of dread and foreboding about it.

In June of 1993, Troyanos appeared in her last role, that of Clairon in R. Strauss' CAPRICCIO for San Francisco Opera. Again, as in the case of her professional debut back in 1963, I was fortunate enough to travel to San Francisco to attend one of her last performances. Considering the Clairons known to me--Gisela Litz, Hertha Toepper and Charlotte Berthold for Munich [1959, l961 & 1971], Kirsten Meyer at Glyndebourne [1975], Evelyn Lear in a semi-staged version at Carnegie Hall [1985], Hanna Schwarz for San Francisco Opera in 1990, Korby Myrick for Catania's Teatro Bellini [Feb. 1993] and the recent Kathryn Harries at the Met this past season, Tatiana Troyanos will always remain in my personal pantheon as type of Clairon who was the embodiment of Troyanos's on or off-stage persona, one who was foremost a generous colleague, whose sense of fun was played with a certain relish.

In addition to opera, there was an occasional recital or appearance as a soloist in Mahler's Third Symphony or a Verdi Requiem. There are indications she might have wished to do more recital work, such as the joint appearances she had with her good friend, soprano Benita Valente. One can only speculate as to what we, the public, have been deprived of by her loss -- Christa Ludwig wanted her to take on FIDELIO but Tatiana kept insisting it was not her fach. Perhaps, the Nurse in Strauss' FRAU? Certainly her Frickas or her Waltraute had the potential of becoming very special.

Every performing artist needs time, not only to learn a role but to grow into a role as well. On her first assail of the role of Charlotte for Chicago Lyric's WERTHER back in the fall of 1971, director Lotfi Mansouri took her aside at one point and said, 'you know Tatiana, this would be a great role for you, if you would only learn it!' Perhaps she did not immediately have the intuitive sense with a new role that a Maria Callas was reportedly blessed with but, in the course of time, she managed to grow in her roles and even excel in them and particularly with her Handel, seemed seized with the idea of the joy that there was in making music. She was a very private person, lived alone and loved spending time with her two schnauzers.

In his profile of Troyanos in British Opera, Martin Mayer said of her, 'she was an ugly duckling who became a swan.' However, I would like to say that beneath the veneer of the casualness of her Clairon for San Francisco on those late 1993 Spring evenings, with each performance she gave, there was a conscious endeavor to build or perfect over what had gone before, and in that sense, each of her roles was truly burnished and this had come after many years of hard work so that it could truly be said of each of her portraits -- they were rubbed until polished.