DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Cecile Cooper newspaper clippings, 1966-1987 | 1984-03-04 ""Estes, the Wotan of today, essays baritone roles, too"" Page 1

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Cecile Cooper newspaper clippings, 1966-1987

1984-03-04 ""Estes, the Wotan of today, essays baritone roles, too"" Page 1

Estes, the Wotan of today, essays baritone roles, too

DMR - March 4, 1984

By ANDREA HOLLIDAY

The rise of bass-baritone Simon Estes' career is a story widely known, but what lasting impression Estes leaves on the world of opera will depend on what he does with his voice now that he has reached international-star status.

What he is doing now is using the rich top of his range and focusing on singing some of opera's plum roles for baritones.

Estes, who on Saturday night will sing the first of a series of three performances with the Des Moines Symphony, made opera history in 1978 at the first black man to sing at the Bayreuth Festival, winning praise for his first attempt at singing the title role in Wagner's "Der Fliegende Hollander." The 
"Flying Dutchman" engagement was followed by a string of successes, first in Europe and then in America, where he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1982.

Tall, muscular and handsome, Estes at age 45 is in his physical and vocal prime. Now that he has reached the top of his profession, he can pick and choose his engagements - and much depends upon his choices.

Will future generations remember him as the greatest Wotan of his day? Or will he be known best as Verdi's Macbeth? Will he make the fatal mistake of too much heavy singing, as have many of our most promising singers in modern times, or will he still sound glorious at 60?

"Many of my friends and colleagues tell me: 'You are the Wotan for the next 10 or 15 years.' " Estes said last week in a telephone interview. "Birgit Nilsson said I was the finest Wotan she'd ever sung with in her life."

With encouragement like that, Estes clearly plans to enjoy the bass-baritone role. He will star in new productions of Wagner's "Ring" cycle at the opening of the Met's 1986-87 season, in Zurich in 1985 and in the Deutsche Oper in West Berlin this year.

As for the wear and tear of Wagner's music on the voice, Estes puts much of the blame for the problems some singers have with the music on conductors who let their orchestras play much too loudly.

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Estes, the Wotan of today, essays baritone roles, too DMR - March 4, 1984 By ANDREA HOLLIDAY The rise of bass-baritone Simon Estes' career is a story widely known, but what lasting impression Estes leaves on the world of opera will depend on what he does with his voice now that he has reached international-star status. What he is doing now is using the rich top of his range and focusing on singing some of opera's plum roles for baritones. Estes, who on Saturday night will sing the first of a series of three performances with the Des Moines Symphony, made opera history in 1978 at the first black man to sing at the Bayreuth Festival, winning praise for his first attempt at singing the title role in Wagner's "Der Fliegende Hollander." The "Flying Dutchman" engagement was followed by a string of successes, first in Europe and then in America, where he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1982. Tall, muscular and handsome, Estes at age 45 is in his physical and vocal prime. Now that he has reached the top of his profession, he can pick and choose his engagements - and much depends upon his choices. Will future generations remember him as the greatest Wotan of his day? Or will he be known best as Verdi's Macbeth? Will he make the fatal mistake of too much heavy singing, as have many of our most promising singers in modern times, or will he still sound glorious at 60? "Many of my friends and colleagues tell me: 'You are the Wotan for the next 10 or 15 years.' " Estes said last week in a telephone interview. "Birgit Nilsson said I was the finest Wotan she'd ever sung with in her life." With encouragement like that, Estes clearly plans to enjoy the bass-baritone role. He will star in new productions of Wagner's "Ring" cycle at the opening of the Met's 1986-87 season, in Zurich in 1985 and in the Deutsche Oper in West Berlin this year. As for the wear and tear of Wagner's music on the voice, Estes puts much of the blame for the problems some singers have with the music on conductors who let their orchestras play much too loudly.