Tributes flood in for great British tenor
RIPThe death of Graham Clark has brought fulsome tributes from the opera profession. Here are a few:
Silvana Sintow-Behrens: Last night, July 7, the wonderful British character tenor Graham Clarke passed away, aged 81. He was unforgettable as Loge and Mime in the Barenboim/Kupfer Ring in Bayreuth and in so many other theaters and roles. He was also a wonderful and always positive human being. Very sad…R. I. P. dear Clarky
Katharine Goeldner: I am heartbroken to read that the great Graham Clark has passed away. He was one of the kindest, most supportive colleagues I ever had the privilege of working with. I will always remember his entrance as the Tanzmeister in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Met- it was a two-level set and he made his entrance walking on his hands(!) He was an incredible artist and human being.
Garsington Opera: We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of tenor Graham Clark. Not only was Graham an extraordinary and inspirational artist, but he was incredibly kind, and particularly supportive of our young artists. He will be greatly missed by the whole Garsington Opera community both on and off the stage.
Bayreuth Festival: Graham Clark ist tot. Der charismatische (Charakter)Tenor sang zwischen 1981 und 2004 mehr als 100 Vorstellungen bei den Bayreuther Festspielen. Die Opernwelt verliert mit Graham Clark einen herausragenden Sängerdarsteller. Danke für alles, lieber Graham Clark!
Kim Begley: Very sad to report that our great friend and colleague of some thirty odd years, character tenor extraordinaire, Graham Clark, has died peacefully in the Sue Ryder Hospice in Reading after a long battle with cancer. We saw him last Monday and were able to say our goodbyes. He was heavily sedated but managed a smile and half opened his eyes when I told him that I’d see him in that’ great rehearsal room in the sky’! Apart from his unique talents Graham was a loyal friend and mentor to many younger singers. We laughed a lot and with his gorgeous and glamorous wife Joan enjoyed many evenings together. His extraordinary career and joke de Vivienne will, I’m assured, be celebrated in style in the near future. Grahams reputation and achievements are legendary, he was much loved. Sleep tight Lad! Kim, Liz and the boys.XXXX
Birgitta Svendén: Very sad! Graham was one of my dearest friends in this business of opera. He could make the most hopeless rehearsal period to the loveliest time of work. Will miss him and be grateful to all what he gave to the world.
Lucy Schaufer: Years of campaigning to acknowledge Graham’s enormous contribution to our world of stage and music fell on deaf ears. Never given a gong. Never considered. A giant of a man and artist has left us
RIP. That’s right . A very fiery and consummate Loge in the Barenboim/Kupfer Ring.
And a virtuosic Mime!
“Fulsome” means insincere.
Not quite….
My dearest Graham, we did so many operas together, before you became “Superstar “ .I had the privilege of singing at Sarah’s wedding and obviously getting to know your Beloved wife Joan.
You will be MEGA missed not only by your loving family but by your good friends, and the whole Operatic World.
Thank you for being YOU.
Much Love to you in your restful Paradise.
Della xxxx
Fulsome is most likely not the appropriate word. Heartfelt or highest would be a better modifier for praise where everyone appears to have loved and respected the man.
I find it almost impossible to find the right words to describe my grief over Graham’s passing. He was not only a wonderful colleague, but also a close friend – kind, generous, brave and funny. Nobody could match his Mime in the sheer energy and hilarious chaos he brought to the forging scene in Act 1 of Siegfried in the Barenboim/Kupfer Bayreuth Ring, happily caught on film.
Graham was a great survivor. In the mid-Nineties, before the cancer first struck, we were in Siegfried together in Turin. While rehearsing the forging scene he suddenly slumped over the anvil. The Alberich, Wicus Slabbert, recognised immediately that he wasn’t playing the the fool and called for an ambulance and in doing so saved Graham’s life. He had suffered a serious heart attack, from which he recovered.
Not that long afterwards we found ourselves together again in Bayreuth,
where Graham was a much loved figure. He revelled in the sense of friendly ensemble both on and off the stage that marked Bayreuth at the time. There was much laughter. If things went adrift he would call out ‘Don’t panic!’ and everyone would calm own.
Graham was a wonderful human being. My heart goes out to his wife Joan and daughter Sarah.
@Lucy Schaufer: He did get an Olivier Award. Still, Graham was one in a million and probably should have had more.
He was the first Faust I saw (in Reading Town Hall with the Sainsbury Singers in the mid-1970s)
http://www.bruceduffie.com/clark.html
An interview sent over Bruce Duffie, formerly a Chicago radio presenter for WNIB, who interviewed Graham. Worth a read.
So saddened to hear the news that the great Graham Clark has left us for a permanent home in Valhalla. I understudied Graham as Loge (Rheingold) and Skuratov (House of the Dead) two roles at WNO in which, quite frankly, he was incomparable. The remarkable ‘blade’ in the timbre of his high tenor voice would carry over the largest orchestra and his acting ability placed him in the highest eshalons of great singers. The longevity of his operatic career, after a career in sports, was due to his vocal and health fitness. I, for one, learnt so much from him and the opera world owes this underrated and humble performer such gratitude. RIP Graham.