One of the many high notes of today's three-hour love fest, a.k.a. Marilyn
Horne's farewell appearance, in the War Memorial Opera House was a silent
moment.

Horne and Frederica von Stade stood on stage, holding hands, and they
turned on, in tandem, the two most dazzling smiles in all of show biz.
The light radiating from them suffused the entire concert: it was an
event of smiles, laughs, and superb performances in honor of a singer
with a presence going way beyond the world of opera.

In-between film clips of some of her great operatic roles and cutting
up riotously with Carol Burnett, colleagues and friends serenaded her and
the audience of 3,400 with some remarkable musical performances, including
Ruth Ann Swenson, Benita Valente, Sonia Ganassi, Flicka and Samuel Ramey
all in top form; and an astonishing "Summertime" by Renee Fleming (in a
spectacular outfit, complete with a cape that gave the impression of two
gigantic cobras gently copulating).

Donald Runnicles, Patrick Summers, and Richard Bonynge took turns
conducting.  Mrs. Bonynge made an appearance, to speak of the grand
Sutherland-Horne performance history.  Mansouri and SFO music administrator
Kip Crenna narrated the event, Mansouri trying to steer Horne to various
spots, complaining that she has never taken direction from him, not since
they were students together in LA.

Tributes can be awkward and even boring.  This lady, at 61 and with her
San Francisco debut 39 years behind her, made it all joyous and gracious.
Escorted by Lotfi Mansouri to an ornate chair on-stage, she ventured the
opinion that if Mansouri wants to play the role of Ralph ("This Is Your
Life") Edwards, he should really get a toupee.  She listened to the
performances as a fan -- thigh-slapping, applauding, smiling, laughing,
tearing up...  and singing -- singing wonderfully well.  A tribute to -- or
even just with -- Horne is guaranteed to be a hearty, genuine, endearing
event, very much in the nature of the lady herself.

Coming from Hawaii and Wyoming (fulfilling her plan to sing in all 50
states before retirement) and on her way to other farewell galas, Horne's
San Francisco stop was an emotional, meaningful event.  Over four decades,
she had nothing but success here, in two dozen roles, some performed in the
War Memorial for the first time.

At the end, she made a short, heartfelt speech, thanking not only those
present, but those who are gone: Kurt Herbert Adler (with whom she had
some big fights, freely acknowledged and left behind by Horne, keeping only
the good memories), Terence McEwen, and her former husband, the conductor
Henry Lewis -- and then she turned her attention to the present and, in the
person of her year-old granddaughter, to the future.

The program:

Rossini, "L'Italiana in Algeri" overture.
Handel, "Amor e qual vento" from "Orlando" -- Ruth Ann Swenson.
Handel, "Lascia ch'io pianga" from "Rinaldo" -- Benita Valente.
Rossini, "O che muso!" from "L'Italiana in Algeri" -- Horne and Samuel Ramey.
Rossini, "Una voce poco fa" from "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" -- Frederica
   von Stade (with interesting variations by the singer).
Rossini, "Serbami ognor" from "Semiramide" -- Horne and Renee Fleming.
Rossini, Act I finale from "Il Barbiere" -- von Stade, Catherine Cook,
   Norman Shankle, James Westman (a Horne Foundation Fellow), John
   Relyea, John Ames, Todd Geer, Alfredo Daza, Armando Gama.
Verdi, "Reverenza!" from "Falstaff" -- Horne, Christopher Robertson,
   Joseph Frank, Relyea.
Saint-Saens, "Printemps qui commence" from "Samson et Dalila" -- Elena
   Bocharova.
Foster, "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" -- Horne.
Gershwin, "Summertime" from "Porgy and Bess" -- Fleming.
Thomas, "Elle ne croyait pas" from "Mignon" -- Jerry Hadley.
Rossini, "Nacqui all'affanno" from "La Cenerentola" -- Sonia Ganassi.
Berlin, "You're Just in Love" from "Call Me Madam" -- Horne, Hadley.

Janos Gereben/SF
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