<<  -- 2 --  Bill Newman    MAESTRO

Another important ballet score - Sebastian  (1944) - became rather popular, especially when Stokowski took it up, and the one-act operas The Telephone and The Medium  (1949/50) faired well, too. As a humour-tragedy double-bill, communication levels in vivid theatre entertainment acquired bonuses of recordings and videos to keep their message alive. The Old Maid and the Thief  (1939), I only know from a couple of recorded excerpts, and I recently saw a photo of American baritone Leonard Warren in The Island God  (1942) since withdrawn. Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street  (1954) was the next operatic event to hit me for six. Not just the RCA recording with Gabrielle Ruggiero, Gloria Lane, David Poleri and Leon Lisher, but that hypnotic 1957 Sunday afternoon BBC black and white TV production with Virginia Copeland, Rosalind Elias, Raymond Nilsson and Jess Walters. The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden gallery fraternity worshipped American baritone, Jess.

LP covers and CD booklets were strewn right across the glass-topped table. At this juncture I was instructed to sit down beside the Maestro. 'How do you remember all these names? I am very moved that someone still remembers my music in England. At 89, I have trouble remembering dates. What do you want to know?'

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