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Troyanos Talks: World-Class Prima Donna Discusses Opera
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12579 |
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Section : |
THE ARTS
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| Issue
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6 / 1987 |
4,120 Words |
| Author
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Gregory Speck
Gregory Speck is a freelance arts writer based in New York
City. |
Through the medium of television, the once esoteric and rarified world of grand opera has been lifted out of the exclusive realm of moneyed society and brought into the living rooms of middle America. With this new awareness of the most complete of art forms, a recognition of its leading performers has sprung up among audiences who twenty years ago might not have heard of Enrico Caruso, Maria Callas, or even Birgit Nilsson. The contemporary prima donna has thus, through the telecast, achieved a kind of overnight celebrity formerly limited to the cognoscenti of the great cities and aficionados of classical music recordings.
The ranks of the world-class prima donna are composed of perhaps fewer than a dozen divas, each of whom has acquired a devoted following, but only two or three of whom have attained the status of cult figures. Celebrated for her striking performances as Carmen as well as for her convincing portrayals of the "pants roles," Tatiana Troyanos has established herself not only as one of the most sought-after mezzo-sopranos in the world, but also as one of the very few American-born singers to have achieved international standing both for her singing and her dramatic ability. Her performances are consistently sold out; her schedule is planned four or five years in advance; and her star continues to rise. In 1987 alone, she has appeared in three different productions at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Troyanos has a reputation of being a high-keyed presence on stage as well as an exceedingly private person offstage. She is noted for her courage in tackling the most demanding roles in the repertoire of opera today. I met recently with Ms. Troyanos in her spacious Manhattan apartment for a long talk about her career
... (1997 of 22140 Characters)
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