At his brief but beguiling vocal recital Wednesday evening at the Hotel Rex in San Francisco, Thomas Glenn remarked that he had considered calling the program “An Intimate Evening With Thomas Glenn.” He’d decided against it, he said. But the title wouldn’t have been far off. The tenor, who is best known in the Bay Area for originating the role of Robert Wilson in the San Francisco Opera’s world premiere production of John Adams' Doctor Atomic, returned to the city with a heart-on-the-sleeve program of love music.
Singing in Italian, German, and English, Glenn — ably accompanied by pianist Ron Valentino — covered works by Bellini, Liszt, and Richard Strauss, as well as American standards by Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Victor Young, and Barry Manilow. He even recited a little Shakespeare.
Presented as part of San Francisco Performances’ “Salons at the Rex” series, Glenn’s appearance was a bit surprising, even for operagoers who have followed his career closely.
The former San Francisco Opera Adler fellow has attracted high praise for his performances on the company’s mainstage, particularly when called on short notice. This has happened twice at the War Memorial Opera House; first, when he stepped into a production of Wagner’s Der fliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman) as a late replacement in the role of the Steersman. That appearance made audiences and critics alike sit up and take notice.
But Glenn ensured his place in opera history with another 11th hour save, when he replaced Tom Randle in the role of Robert Wilson late in the rehearsal process for Doctor Atomic. He earned rave reviews as the physicist troubled by the implications of the Manhattan Project, and has gone on to repeat the role in Chicago, the Netherlands and, earlier this fall, at the Metropolitan Opera.
Wednesday, Glenn’s 70-minute performance confirmed all earlier reports. His is a richly colored, expressive voice, marked by firm tone, ringing top notes, and secure passagio.
He allowed that he’s often considered a go-to guy for cerebral contemporary roles, and, indeed, he may not possess the most sensuous instrument before the public today. There’s a touch of dryness at the bottom, and the occasional tendency to force. Yet his interpretations were always well-considered and tasteful.
This was particularly true in the opening work, Liszt’s “Pace non trovo” (I find no peace). Lavishing ardent tone on the composer’s setting of Petrarch’s text, Glenn made the song an eloquent, aristocratic expression of courtly love.
The six Bellini songs that followed were also beautifully sung, beginning with an impassioned “Malinconia, Ninfa gentile” (Melancholy, gentle nymph). The voice bloomed in “Vanne, o rosa fortunate” (Go, fortunate rose) and “Bella Nice” (Beautiful Nice). “Almen se non poss’io” (At least, if I am not able) represented the singer’s finest moments, with the voice sounding fresh and wonderfully vibrant over Valentino’s slow, swelling piano part. For “Per pieta bell’idol mio” (For pity’s sake, my beautiful idol), Glenn darkened his instrument, delivering the final lines, beginning with “Sallo amor” (Love knows) with urgency. The final song, “Ma rendi pur contento” (Only make happy), found him singing tenderly, with sweet legato phrasing. May he continue to explore Bellini well into the future.
Three Strauss songs — “Heimliche Aufforderung” (Secret invitation), “Ich trage meine Minne” (I carry my love), and "Liebeshymnus” (Hymn to love) — received a generous, rapturous response as well. Here, Glenn sang with unerring pitch and heroic heft.
The American songs were a delight, even when Glenn fluffed the lyrics of the first number in the set, Porter’s “Night and Day” (that “burning yearning” is a mouthful, even after Strauss). Arlen’s “Let’s Take a Walk Around the Block” was ideal, however, and Young’s “My Foolish Heart” was wonderfully expansive. Glenn’s clear, sentiment-free style even managed to make Manilow’s “When October Goes” sound noble. The encore was a handsomely shaped “Stranger in Paradise.”
Between sets, and in the Q&A session that ended the evening, Glenn endeared himself to the audience by reciting one of Benedick’s soliloquies from Much Ado About Nothing, and chatting about his career, his wife of 11 years (she was his pianist; he wooed her with French lessons), his admiration for Tony Bennett and his experience in the SFO Doctor Atomic (“I will never, ever be that nervous again”). It was congenial, funny, charming, and, well, intimate.
The Rex series, by the way, is one of the city’s best-kept secrets. Presented a block away from Union Square, it’s a great way to hear artists in a salon setting for a small ticket price. The series continues Feb. 4 with soprano Heidi Melton; the schedule also includes Quartet San Francisco (March 4), Triad (May 6), and cellist Jennifer Kloetzel (May 13.) For details, visit www.performances.org.