The Wagner Society of Washington would be hard pressed to find someone more
suited for this award than Tom Stewart. It is much more than Tom's five decades of
distinguished singing of Wagnerian roles, it is how he has conducted himself during these
five decades, adhering to the basic tenets of Wagner's art.
Anyone who has seen Tom Stewart perform or has listened to his recordings,
particularly those of live performances from Bayreuth, has recognized two distinguishing
qualities to his work, one dramatic and the other lyrical.
One tenet consistent through all of Wagner's prose works and operas is his
commitment to the drama. In Oper und Drama, Wagner made the point that in opera,
drama, which should be the end, had become the means, and music, which should be the
means, had become the end. I agree with Bryan McGee that Wagner's theories derived from
his operas--not the other way around. In Wagner's own words: "I have treated as an
intellectual theory something that my creative intuition has an assured grasp of."
Wagner's intuition was that of a dramatist rather than as a musician. Tom Stewart fully
understands this and has molded his artistry accordingly.
The following are excerpts from the talk Tom have to the Wagner Society of
Washington DC last year:
"Wagner was a man of the theatre--more than a composer--more than a musician. He
used music as another element of portraying the drama.
Yes, it's clear that just as Wagner was a man of the theatre, Tom Stewart is a
man of the theatre.
It is a musical drama, the ultimate form of musical theatre. If it is a drama in
musical form, treat it as such. Don't treat it as some way to impress people of how loud or
beautiful you sing. That's not the way to portray a character.
Start with the text. Treat it as a play and learn that first. Know where you are
coming from, why you are there, and where you are going. That to me is the essence of my
portrayal. If I understand that character fully, then I can perform and hope that the music
enhances the character I have come up with and want to portray until both the drama and
the music become one. I try to keep it simple--what is being projected to the audience and
are they getting it? How can I make it clear to them?"
A second distinguishing feature to Tom's artistry is the lyrical quality of his singing,
often missing among interpreters of Wagner's music. In Tom's words:
"Knappertsbusch played the way Wagner wrote it--a chamber music Ring. There are
twice as many pianissimos as fortissimos in the Ring. To express the character you are
playing, you don't have to bellow all night".
How did Wagner want his music to be sung? Robert Gutman tells us:
"Wagner deplored the technique of the average German singer and wanted to set up
a school where students could styudy Italian pieces in the original language to help students
attain bel canto (Gesangswohlklang). The portato "Bayreuth Bark" that has become
the respected model of widely imitated Wagnerian elocutionary style was a creation of Cosima's
period. Wagner would be greatly appalled by what passes for singing in his operas today."
We are very fortunate to have Tom and his wife, Evelyn Lear, living in the Washington area and to
have the participating
in the Wagner Society's Upcoming Artists Program. In addition, we will
have the pleasure of experiencing Tom's portrayal of Titurel in The Washington Opera's production
of Parsifal this November.
The Washington Wagner Society's award which Tom receives tonight is a mere trifle
compared to what he has given us, but it symbolizes the affection and gratitude of our
membership for his outstanding accomplishments in opera and in expanding an appreciation of
the art of Richard Wagner.