<<  -- 3 --  Bill Newman    MAESTRO

I took the plunge and quoted a critical assessment that read: 'His meteoric success of the 1940's and early 1950's was not sustained into the 1960's and '70's.' Was this due to his working commitment towards the Spoleto Festival, formed some 42 years ago? Having listened to Maria Golovin  (1958) - the RCA recording is now a collector's item - and enjoyed it, I didn't quite understand the cold reception from critics, public and management.

'I like that opera, but one of my best pieces is La Loca  (1979). You don't know it? I wrote it for Beverley Sills and.....she gave a horrible performance. So, I never published it as I wanted to make corrections and am very lazy about correcting proofs.' He completed them one month ago and it now awaits publication. How did he rate Goya  (1986) beside it - composed at the request of Placido Domingo?

'Goya, I also like except for the third act - it is somewhat overwritten. But I wrote an opera, really a little operetta, and a charming work - The Hero  (1976) - for the World Fair in Brussels. About the same time as I wrote my Suite for two Celli and my songs for Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - the last year she sang'. Food for thought!. And there's Martin's Lie  (CHAN 9605), an opera for children. 'Yes, but what that critic said about the operas I wrote - they brought something new. The productions, the staging, revolutionised them a little bit. Then they got used to Menotti! As you know there are composers who go up, and down.' Exactly! 'Look at poor Janácek; they couldn't say anything nice about him when he was alive, he had to wait until he was dead! If they are any good, they will be revived.'

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