Stuart Hamilton: Celebration of A Life
To opera/voice lovers in Canada, Stuart Hamilton (Sept. 28, 1929 – Jan. 1, 2017) was a Canadian icon. Pianist, vocal coach, fine musician, French opera fanatic, radio host, fabulous raconteur, accomplished author, recipient of Order of Canada, and an all-round colourful man-about-town, Stuart Hamilton for over 65 years inspired and trained many generations of singers. His love of Debussy — especially Pelleas et Melisande — was legendary. Many of us, whether as musical professionals or as audience members, were in one way or another touched by him.
Not being a musician, my interaction with Stuart Hamilton was mostly as a journalist and audience member, having attended many recitals where he played for singers, as well as listening to him on radio. I also appeared as a panelist on several Saturday Afternoon at the Opera intermission quizzes when Stuart was host. Our paths also crossed a few times when we were fellow guests at private parties. Full of life and really a rollickingly funny guy, his imitation of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, which I was privy to witness once, had me in stitches. I heard Schwarzkopf near the end of her career when she came to my university to give a masterclass and a Liederabend. Stuart’s imitation of her vocal mannerisms was so spot-on that I think I dreamed about it several times. It was indescribable.
And now he’s gone. I heard the news of his passing very quickly from my many Facebook friends who are in the “business”. His passing has left a void in our Canadian, particularly Toronto, musical community. At the Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Stuart Hamilton this afternoon, under the auspices of Opera in Concert, the Jane Mallett theatre was almost totally full, filled with his friends, colleagues, admirers, not to mention just music lovers whose lives Stuart touched in some way. I spotted many people I’ve known over the years but not seen for some time, what with advancing age and the passage of time in general. It was a poignant, slightly sad, yet uplifting afternoon, one filled with laughter and the occasional tear, but mostly laughter.
It was also a very long afternoon. Don’t get me wrong — I loved every minute of it, and as a Wagnerite, I am used to long operas! As a journalist and an anthropologist by training in my previous life as an academic, I am used to being an observer. I timed the event — the celebration was 2 hours 23 minutes without an intermission. That makes it longer than the Prologue/Act 1 of Götterdammerung, which clocked in at a mere two hours at the recent COC run. It is the same length as Act 3 Die Meistersinger, said to be the longest act of any opera in the standard repertoire. Given the rather mature audience demographic at this event, a few around me were desperately climbing over people to go out near the end, presumably due to the call of nature. But hey you know what, it was worth it!
It’s not every day that I write about a memorial celebration, so I’m not going to wear my critic’s hat. It would be inappropriate of me. I can honestly say every segment of the program was meaningful and touching. There were twenty-nine individuals listed in the program as appearing/performing, plus twenty-two singers in the Opera in Concert Chorus. The afternoon opened with welcoming remarks from OIC Board Chair Gordon D. Baird. It was followed by some two dozen segments, presented with love and admiration by colleagues of Stuart’s.
Some were incredibly funny — I particularly liked the story on page-turning for Schwarzkopf, and the hilarious bit about his non-playing of the Chopin Prelude No. 3, at a tempo that he couldn’t handle. Richard Margison’s reading of Stuart’s experience in army training also broke everyone up. And what can you say about Guillermo Silva-Marin’s reading of the bit about Stuart’s life being transformed by Shirley Temple singing Good Ship Lollipop — well, you had to be there! I should point out that the material comes directly from Stuart Hamilton’s recent autobiography, Opening Windows, and from audio tapes of interviews Stuart had given.
There were very enjoyable live performances as well. The fine OIC pianist Narmina Afandiyeva played the difficult Chopin Prelude No. 3 beautifully; and Nathalie Paulin sang affectingly “Après un rêve” by Fauré. Colin Ainsworth and Brett Polegato teamed up for a terrific “Au fond du temple saint” from The Pearl Fishers. Miriam Khalil, in luscious voice, joined Greg Dahl in a scene from Pelleas et Melisande, Stuart’s favourite opera. The most touching moment for me was at the very end, with Monica Whicher singing “An die Musik.” For me and probably all other music lovers, this Schubert song sums up everything that makes music meaningful in our lives. I remember hearing Lois Marshall coming out of retirement to sing this at Roy Thomson Hall (!) — there was not a dry eye in the house. This afternoon, it was poignant to be sure, yet it was also uplifting. If there were tears, they were tears of gratitude and joy, celebrating a life well lived. I think that’s what Stuart would have wanted.
#LUDWIGVAN
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