Following the recent deaths of Jeannette Pilou and Rosalind Elias, it is sad to hear of the passing of the Metropolitan Opera's stalwart basso, John Macurdy, who sang over 1,000 performances with the Company in New York and on tour between 1962 and 2000. A native of Detroit, he had sung with New Orleans Opera from 1952 to 1958, and at New York City Opera from 1959 to 1962 before making his Met debut in 1962 as Tom in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA.
In his first Met seasons, Macurdy sang such roles as Lodovico in OTELLO, Dr. Grenvil in TRAVIATA, and the Old Hebrew in SAMSON ET DALILA. Over time, the basso made several "role jumps": he went from being the King in AIDA to singing Ramfis, from Monterone to Sparafucile, and - the grandest leap of all - from Titurel to Gurnemanz in PARSIFAL
Thru the seasons, Macurdy added a wide variety of roles: the Commendatore, Ferrando in TROVATORE, Colline in BOHEME, Crespel in HOFFMANN, Daland in FLIEGENDE HOLLANDER, the Landgraf in TANNHAUSER, Raimondo in LUCIA, King Henry in LOHENGRIN, Gounod's Frere Laurent and Mephistopheles, Hunding, Alvise in GIOCONDA, King Arkel, Fafner, and Pimen in BORIS GODUNOV.
In the opening season at the New Met, Macurdy sang Sarastro (above) in the Chagall MAGIC FLUTE, and he created the role of General Ezra Mannon in Marvin David Levy's MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA, which I consider to be the "great American opera".
MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA ~ Murder of Ezra Mannon - John Macurdy - Marie Collier - Evelyn Lear
Rocco in FIDELIO was a particularly felicitous role for Mr. Macurdy (above). He made a striking impression as King Marke in TRISTAN UND ISOLDE In 1971 (my first-ever TRISTAN), and enjoyed a great personal success as Narbal in LES TROYENS in 1973. In 1975, Macurdy took on the role of Hagen in GOTTERDAMMERUNG; twenty-five years later - on May 6th, 2000 - he sang his final Met performance in this same role.
John Macurdy appeared in several Met broadcasts and telecasts throughout his career. The 1982 televised TANNHAUSER rated a Hirschfeld commemoration (above: Bernd Weikl, Tatiana Troyanos, Eva Marton, Richard Cassilly, and John Macurdy). The basso sang Ramfis in the 1984 telecast of AIDA that marked Leontyne Price's farewell to opera.
One of Macurdy's most frequent Met roles was that of the Grand Inquisitor in Verdi's DON CARLO. Here is the great scene of King Philip's lament and the argument between the king and the Grand Inquisitor. Cesare Siepi is the tormented monarch.
Cesare Siepi & John Macurdy - DON CARLO scene - Met ~ October 11th 1971
While The Met was John Macurdy's home base, he did make guest appearances at other major opera houses. He sang at the Teatro Colon and the Salzburg Festival, and appeared at L'Opera, Paris, as Arkel in PELLEAS ET MELISANDE, and at La Scala as Rocco and as the Landgraf in TANNHAUSER.
Macurdy portrays the Commendatore in the 1979 Joseph Losey film of Mozart's DON GIOVANNI, with Ruggero Raimondi in the title role and Jose van Dam as Leporello; watch the scene of the Commendatore's statue arriving at the Don's palace for dinner here.
The first time I ever heard SAMSON ET DALILA was on a 1964 Met broadcast; Jess Thomas and Irene Dalis had the title roles that afternoon. Here is the end of Act I of that performance, in which John Macurdy as the Old Hebrew tries to forestall Samson's fatal surrender to the allure of Dalila. It's only a few phrases, but it shows the gentle power of the Macurdy voice.
SAMSON & DALILA - scene from Act I - Irene Dalis - Jess Thomas - John Macurdy - Met bcast 1964
~ Oberon