The location is New York City Opera. Dad was moonlighting- with permission- across the plaza.
This is the last few minutes of the last act of Boito's Mephistofeles. For my money Boito, Verdi's librettist,
matched or out-did his employer in every department on "Mefisto". I love other operas, but Mefisto is "it" for me. The recurring melody line is woven through like rich Italian musical upholstery fabric. The giant choir, the overwhelming bass/devil character, super-opulent sets, utter human decadence and timeless story of the fight for man's very soul...it's a knockout. It is what you go to see opera for. Its sewn up in these last few minutes with a high-blood pressure inducing sensory crescendo - via the alternation of Tenor and Bass....orchestra and then choir coming in and finishing you off.
The sirens of hell are one of the last things you hear. Its Hair-raising. You walk out transcended.

Dad's voice is un-apologetically American sounding. You never for a minute doubt that it will
sink under this giant swell of literally hundreds of other musicians and voices. It cuts through like a
well-tempered sword... not strained -but confident - and with it's emotional appeal in-tact -even at
110 decibels.

Most companies won't dare mount Mefisto because of the requirements. It is just too expensive. NYC opera dared a totally modern production in 1969. Norman Treigle was the devil/bass...and was up to the task in spades. Rear-projection scrims, lots of dry-ice, a mammoth choir..and of course "one of the loudest voices ever heard on the Met stage"- Robert Nagy in the tenor slot as Faust.

Excuse my enthusiasm....take a listen.

Robert Nagy Jr.
Hot Springs, AR.