Yes, we did.

I am grateful for today. I am grateful for the American spirit, and more inclusively, the human spirit performing at it's very best. I am grateful to witness fear losing the battle, and grateful to be led by integrity, intelligence and inspiration.

A few of the inspired highlights from President Obama's Inaugural Speech:

"Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage."

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."

And finally, a mantra that I think everyone should use as a measure for their lives:

"To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."

It makes me question what, in my daily life, I am destroying as opposed to building. I prefer to be in the construction business, without a doubt, but even the slightest drop of fear has an immense destructive power.

I'm grateful to witness such an immensely historic, important and ultimately simple moment - but one that was a long time in coming. Not only 8 years long, but centuries long. Words fail me, but the word gratitude keeps coming to mind.

But as he soberly reminds us over and over: now the work begins.

Was it me, or was this shift felt around the world? Yeah. That's what I thought!

CHEERS!

What does one get a Legend for her 75th birthday? Nothing seems appropriate, and yet if it comes from the heart, I suppose anything goes!

Sunday I had the immense honor of singing on the Gala Tribute to the GREAT, the ONE, the ONLY Marilyn Horne, and to say it was overwhelming is the understatement of the century. She was celebrating many things that day - the 15th Anniversary of her Song Foundation, her 75th "Diamond" birthday, and quite frankly, her being alive. Most people know that she was stricken with the same cancer that got the better of Luciano Pavarotti, and at nearly the same time - to have lost both would have been too much for the world to handle I dare say, so we have been blessed with her radiant presence a good while longer, thankfully. And in return New York City turned out to give her their hearts in a grand fashion.

The artist line-up was replete with young singers that have been encouraged and "reared" through her foundation and Music Academy of the West, singing beautiful songs so close to "Jackie's" heart. A few friends showed up to pay tribute (Flick von Stade, Sam Ramey, Dimitri Horostovky, to name but a few) and everyone was thrilled to pay homage to this incredible life force that changed the landscape of opera in the 20th Century.

There is no denying that she blazed a far-reaching trail with her determination, bold repertoire choices and utter technical brilliance that still leaves an audience breathless and dazzled today - any young singer that doesn't pore over her numerous recordings is an idiot. She marches to no one else's drummer, she galvanizes colleagues and philanthropists alike, seduces audiences with her radiant smile, and laid a legato-strewn path of bel canto possibilities that continues to set the standard for those of us that follow her.

A simple "thank you" is not enough. She gave too much for that to suffice. Being in this career now for a few years and learning the ropes, I know that it could not have been an easy path for her. To be at the top, to give so generously from the throne, and to dedicate so much heart to her craft surely cost her a number of things in private, and yet she still gave, still seduced, and still conquered the hearts of so many - surely making their lives a bit brighter.

I think it was a real desire to pay her back that made Sunday at Carnegie Hall such an emotional day for me. I was asked to close the program with "Tanti Affetti" (my first public performance of that aria, I might add!) and to say I was nervous hardly does justice to the emotions galloping through me. Here was one of the supreme forces of nature that single-handedly brought "serious" Rossini back to the table, redefined bel canto possibilities, and as a result, today I get to open my mouth and sing those limpid, cascading, fiendishly tricky phrases for a new public. She has given the world the gift of music, the gift of JOY, enriching our lives and lifting us up to know there is something bigger than ourselves. How we all need that, indeed!

It was an immense honor to take part in the tribute to Jackie, one which will long stay in my memory, as this will:



*AP photo by Stephen Chernin

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to wish each and every one of you the most wonderful Christmas greeting (or Hanukkah, or Kwanza, or just 25 of December, if the shoe fits!) I hope this finds you all surrounded by people you love and celebrating the best of life.

I also have a present for you: I have made a contribution in your honor to an organization called "Heifer". (Easy with the "fat lady" jokes, please!)

Heifer's Mission to End Hunger
Heifer envisions…
A world of communities living together in peace and equitably sharing the resources of a healthy planet.

Heifer’s mission is…
To work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.

Heifer's strategy is…
To “pass on the gift.” As people share their animals’ offspring with others – along with their knowledge, resources, and skills – an expanding network of hope, dignity, and self-reliance is created that reaches around the globe.

Heifer’s History
This simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief caught on and has continued for over 60 years. Today, millions of families in 128 countries have been given the gifts of self-reliance and hope.

Your gift is the DREAM BASKET:


Heifer's Dream Basket is filled with shares of a sheep, heifer, goat, rabbits, and a flock of ducks and chicks. These animals give families milk for nutrition and a source of income. And with additional income there is money for school supplies, medicine and doctor expenses, and improved quality of living. The Heifer Dream Basket offers the hope a family needs for a sustainable future.

If you like it, and you can, please pass it on!

Merry Christmas!

(photo c/o Heifer.org)

Hasta luego! (Tour: Day 19)

As is only fitting, to conclude this nearly three-week sojourn, I end it as I began: sitting in an airport with an 8-hour delay! Of course, this time the difference is that I'm functioning on 2 hours of "sleep", having had to get up at 5:30 this morning to take the car to Madrid in order to promptly and patiently wait for the enormous travel delay I saw coming 3 days ago from all the US weather forecasts of winter "wonderlands". But I can't help but be struck by the difference in myself - not only the sleep deprivation, but the stark difference between eager anticipation and exhausted satisfaction.

Leaving Kansas City three weeks ago, I hadn't sung the program with the orchestra since April, and a lot of musical water had passed under my bridge (Monteverdi, Romeo, Idamante, Vivaldi, Elvira, Chausson, Beatrice...) - how would I feel coming back to this enormously demanding Handel project? The tour was off to a jet-lagged start, with that crucial 24-hour delay throwing me for a curve, but we blasted off and found our footing very quickly. Enormously important venues - some "home towns", some new ground - greeted us warmly and generously, and I have very treasured memories of each stop on this 7-city tour. A blasted bug gripped me for the last 2 shows, but with the wonderful help of the organizers, I weathered the viral storm, and left the amazing hall of Zaragoza knowing I had given my all.

So how does "The Fury" feel after 7 intensive concerts? Draining, to be sure. But I relished having my hypothesis of Handel's ability to probe the psychology of characters proven so correct. I found myself discovering new things in each and every piece throughout the tour - sometimes Medea reveled in her nastiness just for the sake of feeding her loss of power, sometimes she betrayed herself to be much more a victim; Ariodante more cruel one night in his scorn for Ginevra, the next more destitute in his confusion and loss; Dejanira, well, always mad!

It also reminded me that even in the course of the very exact program, singing the same notes, uttering the same words, delivering the same essential character - there is no accounting for the magic that can unpredictably take over and carry you (or the orchestra) through a musical kaleidescope into a different realm, and this is something you simply cannot script or plan for. Each piece took on a different life of it's own, causing different reactions in different people - and this is the ethereal thing I ADORE about what I do - the moments you cannot control, the emotions you must simply let fly and land as they will. It is alive!

Now, all that having been said, I'm thrilled last night was the last concert! I'm glad I have 3 weeks ahead of me to recoup, study and hibernate a bit (so you won't see me here quite as much, I'm afraid - it's DOWN TIME!) That's part of the essential pacing of something like this - building recovery time (mental as well as physical) into your schedule and taking full advantage of it. When I step back into the fray in January, I hit the ground sprinting, so I plan to take full advantage of each day.

But before signing off, a few souvenirs from the tour, and a very heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out in the bad weather to attend the concerts, who saved money to purchase tickets, who took a risk and bought DISCS (!), who waited so patiently in line to say hello, and who supported with your applause, your words and your enthusiasm. It was a pleasure to sing for you all!

From "Delphi" who apparently had a seat behind the stage in Salle Pleyel - a different vantage point I never see:


Also from "Delphi" who apparently moved around to the front for the second part:


Taken by my dear friend, Michael B after the Paris concert, as my other dear friend, Bill M, finally realized his dream of re-enacting his favorite scene from the movie, "Diva": strolling with a diva through the rainy streets of Paris in the wee hours of the morning, holding her umbrella, standing just a pace behind her. Apparently this is my diva-look:


After the final concert, we let down a bit. I'm holding the ties of two of the FABULOUS wind players - the ties which the entire section bought for €3 to color coordinate with my red "furious" corset, and who also stood up on stage to toss me 4 red carnations after the final bow last night, which was the sweetest thing in the world:


And finally, the entire group, Maestro Rousset, included. It was a real pleasure to make music with you all! Until we meet again in Kansas City, and New York, Hasta luego, amigos!

Highs and Lows (Tour: Days 16 & 17)

My husband took in his first circus while in NY last night - the Big Apple Circus, I think it's called? And as I caught up with him at the end of the concert in Biboa, I wrote, "Did you see one of those high-wire acts tonight? That was me!!!! I was on the tight rope!" Singing when ill is like walking on a thread-bare-wisp-of-a-wire high above a crowded room of people waiting to be entertained. As some of you may know, I'm a "tripper" with bad balance, so needless to say, it's a feeling I don't like.

Waking up the morning of a concert, knowing you are fighting some sort of bug or another, without a clue as to whether you'll be able to phonate or not is an experience I categorically prefer not to have! The high-wire act begins as you test out your voice - carefully, but with enough "hutzpah" to see if it's really there. When it doesn't respond, you don't have the option of throwing it down on the floor and stamping on it, as I could envision myself doing if I was a violinist. (Harder to do with that cello, but still possible. Ah, must be the reason I'm not a professional instrumentalist - too high an insurance premium for me!) But you also realize there is absolutely nothing you can possibly do, if the voice won't respond. So I find that this thinking keeps my stress levels relatively low. "I'll do all I can to make it through the concert, but if I can't, I simply can't," I think, and then I find I can go about my business.

My business included visiting a wonderful doctor (Graçias, Dottoressa Susanna!), loading up on liquids, vitamins, resting, and coordinating with the Maestro the alternative game plans. They were wonderful, preparing other selections, should I have needed to pull out an aria or two -and all were ready for anything to happen. The gorgeous presenters were the first ones to say, "No worries - you are not a machine, what is most important is your health", which worked wonders on my stress levels as well.

**A little note to any budding impresarios out there - this method of support will go MILES and MILES to win over the loyalty of your artists!!!

So after a methodical warm-up, the cords were responding MUCH better than they did in the morning, and I gained a bit of hope. There were many factors on my mind - this is not "Cenerentola", which is a role I have sung numerous times and I can pace my way through that very cautiously as I did in Barcelona a year ago while quite sick. There is not a single place to hide in a concert like this, and so I knew I would have to go for it, or cancel. I did not want to miss the chance to sing in Bilbao, and knowing that the program was well in my body and that I had the support of the orchestra to help me along, I decided to just go for it. Surprisingly, the voice felt stronger as I went along (again, I declare adrenalin to be the most amazing wonder drug on the planet!!!) and while it was perhaps not my greatest concert ever, I gave everything I had. I will also say that the AMAZING hall helped tremendously, making me feel secure that the voice was going, even if it felt weak.

There are SO many elements that make up a concert experience for a performer (the colleagues, the administration/presenters, the hall, the audience, the day, the food, the bed - a million factors, really) but when sick, these factors are amplified exponentially. The fact that I sang in Bilbao is a testament to everyone who helped make it happen! MUCHAS GRAÇIAS!!!

One more concert to go, here in Zaragoza ("Home of the Jota"!!) and then I get a few weeks free from performing, so I suppose the bug was nearly perfect in its timing, if it HAD to invade.

(Sadly, my mind was on other things and I missed the enormous opportunity to photograph the hall - not to mention missing the Guggenheim, but the weather was so bad and rainy, I probably wouldn't have had any luck if I had been able to get out of bed!!!) But I have a few gems of some of the musicians from Les Talens Lyriques from Valladolid. ENJOY:

Going viral (Tour: Day 14 & 15)

A million "Graçias's" to the wonderful, wonderful public in Valladolid - and an apology: as it was kindly pointed out to me, it was NOT my debut in that beautiful city as I announced from the stage, instead, it was the city of my one-off concert of "Giulio Cesare" a number of years ago with Mark Minkowski! How could I forget that? (Well, I suppose I forgot because it was a very last minute replacement, and I think it was too hectic to think too much on the name of the city!) But I can say with all honesty, it was wonderful to be back!

It was a small, but mighty crowd, and I was so happy to be a part of a concert series that is in the process of building up - from the enthusiasm in the hall, I think you are all off to a wonderful start! Starting a concert series must be an arduous task, and one that involves much risk, so my hat is off to the people with vision and fortitude to make it happen! I hope to be back often!

That's the good news.

The very bad news is that I woke up the next morning chilly, achy and NOT feeling well. I am going to assume this is the same bug that I was fighting off at the start of this tour, but one which I thought I had kicked to the door. Well, it came back, the damn thing! Happily, I'm in great hands here in Bilbao - the wonderful theater supplied a doctor, and I was accompanied to get the prognosis that, indeed, this is some sort of viral thing. No matter how much you rest, or try preventative measures, sometimes it just gets the better of you.

What to do tonight? I will try and sing ... I would hate to lose the chance to sing in this wonderful hall for the first time (I'm certain I've never stepped foot in Bilbao before!), and want to try everything I can to sing. But it will undoubtedly be unpredictable. Sometimes I wish my voice was a cello - outside of myself that wasn't easily put off-form by a little bug, but this is not the case. I'm drowning in hot tea, medication, and lots of crossing of my fingers - now all that is left is to do my best!

(And yes, if I could play any other instrument (other than piano, which I would have a hard time giving up!) it would be the cello. Then Yo Yo Ma and I could play duets together.....!)

The snow in Spain....? (Tour: Days 12 & 13)

It's not a bad sight to wake up to: beautiful, fat snowflakes covering the Spanish countryside in a blanket of white. I'll take it.

I have been quite busy with travel and concerts, etc - so not a lot of time to write (preparations for my Valladolid debut imminent!), but I must say that I was truly overwhelmed in London on Saturday night. Another wonderful crowd, with the warmest of receptions, so many of you waiting so long to say hello afterwards - thank you all.

A few tiny things to share with you, as well. If you're interested in reading a little essay I wrote for The Guardian newspaper in London, you can read it here. They asked me to write about madness in opera, which I played around with a bit, trying to highlight some of the ideas behind my recording and concerts. I enjoy writing, so it was a nice project to take part in.

In more urgent news, if you live in the States, you can flip on your local PBS station TONIGHT (!) to watch the 2007 Richard Tucker Gala Broadcast. (Check for your local listings HERE.) Looks like most times are roughly 8:30 pm for the 90 minute special. It was quite a beautiful concert to take part in, but if you'll remember, it was quite a rush for me, having just flown in from Geneva overnight to sing at the last minute to sing with no rehearsal. An added element of nerves for me, is that they asked me to HOST the broadcast, so I flew to NY while in Kansas City this fall, taped the speaking parts, and had a blast introducing all the singers, as well as sharing some of the backstage chaos. The Gala, once an annual staple on TV has sadly been off the air for the past 6 years, so I'm very happy to have it back!

Thank you so much for all the hints about my favorite dish EVER - I will see if I can give it a shot for Christmas dinner!

Cheers!

Emulsion de Camembert (Tour: Day 11)

Let me be clear - I'm not an expert on french wine and fine dining. I appreciate it, without reservation, but I couldn't tell you that a dish was successful "because of the perfect hint of cumin added to complete the delicate ph balance...", or whatever...I just know something explosively divine when I taste it. Such a delight occurred last night in the most airy, delicate way.

I was honored to be invited to the French Ambassador to London's beautiful home, along with the orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques, in a beautiful evening of chamber music in his perfectly sized salon (giving me the feeling of having travelled on a lovely time machine to late 17th Century France).



The guests were afficionados and great supporters of the orchestra and the arts in general - not bad company to start with. An intimate concert was a welcome "intermission" during this crazy tour, and I relished the chance to sing and listen to intimate, peaceful music.,
And then we were invited to dinner:



I don't quite know how to describe the beautiful 4-course serving of heaven - it truly was something indescribable.

I will simply list the 3rd course as it was described on the menu:

Emulsion de Camembert, chouchous de noix et quelques cubes de réglisse

If ANYONE can send me a recipe for this, I will bow down in eternal gratitude.

It was the lightest, airiest concoction, which gave the full blast of the Camembert flavor, but then simply DISAPPEARED in your mouth into the ether. Truly, it was a remarkable thing. (Followed by a VERY close second with the dessert that consisted of:

Une mousse de vanille et caviar de violette dans un consommé à la clémentine

I didn't care about etiquette as I turned to my right and addressed His Excellency, the Ambassador, "This is RIDICULOUS!!!" Because it was. One should never eat again after a meal like that.

But as if the beautiful music and exquisite fare were not enough, I was able to hear from the Ambassador's mouth how uplifting and galvanizing the US Election was for France, and indeed, for the world. We talked politics and the world outlook, and I again pinched myself that I should be so fortunate to engage in such an encounter. He was utterly charming and to speak with such a distinguished politician not only about world affairs, but also about breath support and Bach - well, it instills a great deal of hope in me!

Oh, I can't resist - here is the rest of the menu - and again, any recipes are WELCOME!!!

1st course: Terrine de foie gras de canard, pâte tendre de pomme verte et huile d'argan en poudre
*perfectly accompanied by Château Guiraud 2004

2nd course: Poitrine de chapon rôtie et fondant de châtaignes, compotée de topinambour au parfum de noisette
*served with Château Pontet Canet 2001

The miracle chef: Gilles Quillot

I should be more than fortified to sing at the Barbican this evening!!