Rest in Peace,Jerry Lo Monaco
Charlie
Date: 1/16/02 5:32:07 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: CharlesH...@cs.com
To: ope...@listserv.cuny.edu
CC: Placido 21, je...@premiereweb.com
Dear friends,
It is with great sorrow that I inform you of the passing, at age
76, of tenor Jerome Lo Monaco, one of my teachers and one of the finest singers
I have ever heard. Jerry had been ill for quite some time and suffered a fatal
heart attack at his Forest Hills residence.
I first heard Jerry at the Amato Opera in the 50's and was
amazed at the absolutely gorgeous "chiaroscuro" quality of the voice. Jerry was
capable of singing both lyric and dramatic roles, and even the great Giovanni
Martinelli,who attended a Faust and a Leoncavallo La Boheme featuring Jerry,
had remarked to a friend how marvelous this young tenor sounded. Jerry sang
around the country,including at City Opera, but ill health prevented a Met
debut in the 70's. However, the voice was still superb, even up to a few years
ago when Ed Rosen and I visited him and he knocked us out with a "Che Gelida'
and an "Amor ti Vieta.At lessons, Jerry could still illustrate a great high C
and it was a thrill to have worked with him for a few years;he actually
"transformed me" into a baritone in one lesson,by showing me how to negotiate
the passaggio more correctly and to lighten the voice,while retaining its basic
resonance. He knew so much about singing and I am one of many who owe a great
debt of gratitude to him for his knowledge and experience.
Jerry's wife is the soprano Anna Ottaviano,who frequently performed
with Jerry. Anna and Jerry have been so very sweet to me in my visits to their
home for lessons. I saw Jerry just a month ago and he gave me some excellent
advice on approaching my Escamillo;Jerry always knew exactly the right thing to
say and could easily illustrate what he wanted to be done.
I have all of Jerry's personal recordings and believe me, that
voice ranks up there with the most beautiful of the last century. I will miss
him, but fortunately I have much to remember of his rich and productive life.
If anyone wishes specific information, they can telephone the Fox
Funeral Home in Forest Hills at (718) 268-7711. The funeral will be held this
Saturday morning at St.John's Cemetery in Queens.
Rest in Peace, dear Jerry. You now join the great tenors of the
past you loved so and they will welcome you most graciously.
With my deepest sympathies to the family Charlie
My best, Charlie. Check out my website dedicated to the wonderful world
of opera, and request my huge free catalogue of live opera tapes.
Ken B Lane
January 16th at 76 years old. Charlie Handelman posted his tribute to Jerry,
otherwise I would not have known.
Those who were his colleagues and friends send our sympathy to his widow Anna
Ottaviano.
Jerry and his brother Tommy and I sang with the Amato Opera Company in its
early years, David Poleri, preceding us by about one year.
Jerry's voice , as his personality, was warm and evinced a joy in living.
I always thought that Jerry was younger. Maybe, his personality effected that
impression.
All four of us undertook all the lyric roles, but Tommy and I also did the
Canio, Manrico and Rhadames roles.
David Poleri and Jerry had lyric tenor voices of such beauty and ease of
prooduction, it is a sad fact that neither reached the international fame both
deserved.
I am sorry that I first learned of his death today, Monday for I would have
wanted to pay my respects to his memory on Saturday at his funeral.
"The highest reward for a man's toil is not what he gets for it, but what he
becomes by it" John Ruskin
Kudos to Jerry for a life that gladdened others by his marvellous singing
voice.
Horatio in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" assigns his personal tribute to that
deceased noble soul, "Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince, and
flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!"
Kenneth Lane
www.WagnerOpera.com
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