In memoriam: Maria Ewing

Maria Ewing, January 1977. Photographer: Jack Mitchell. Image source: The Detroit News

Mezzo-soprano Maria Ewing has died at age 71. She had an acclaimed opera career performing roles such as Carmen, Salome, Mélisande, Poppea, and Dido, but I want to honor her for an earlier role.

When I was a teenager I watched, mesmerized, as she embodied the passionate 16-year-old page Cherubino in Jean-Pierre Ponelle's film version of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), broadcast on my local PBS station. Cherubino's ardent behavior, confused feelings and obsession with sex were a mirror of my own; that he was portrayed by a beautiful woman (who, at 25, was not that much older than her character) was delightfully disconcerting. Her performance planted in me a seed of curiosity about opera; that it took almost two more decades to finally germinate and begin to develop is due solely to my own stupidity.

Maria Ewing's performance of Cherubino's "Voi che sapete" from Ponelle's film, with Mirella Freni as Susanna and Kiri Te Kanawa as the Countess, accompanied by the Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Karl Böhm:

https://youtu.be/qtDQvKB4kvA?t=3538 [ends at 1:02:03]

Lorenzo Da Ponte's words:

Voi che sapete che cosa è amor, donne, vedete s'io l'ho nel cor. Donne, vedete s'io l'ho nel cor. Quello ch'io provo vi ridirò, è per me nuovo, capir nol so. Sento un affetto pien di desir, ch'ora è diletto, ch'ora è martir. Gelo e poi sento l'alma avvampar, e in un momento torno a gelar. Ricerco un bene fuori di me, non so chi'l tiene, non so cos'è. Sospiro e gemo senza voler, palpito e tremo senza saper. Non trovo pace notte né dì, ma pur mi piace languir così. Voi che sapete che cosa è amor, donne, vedete s'io l'ho nel cor. Donne, vedete s'io l'ho nel cor.

You who know what love is, Ladies, see if it is what I have in my heart. Ladies, see if it is what I have in my heart. All that I feel I will explain, Since it is new to me, I can't understand it. I have a feeling Full of desire, Which is now delight, Now suffering. I freeze, then I feel My soul is on fire, And in the next moment I turn again to ice. I seek for a treasure Outside of myself; I know not who holds it Nor what it is. I sigh and I groan Without wishing to, I flutter and tremble Without knowing why. I find no peace By night or day, But still I like to languish this way. You who know what love is, Ladies, see if it is what I have in my heart. Ladies, see if it is what I have in my heart.

Maria Ewing's comic expressions, yearning eyes, trembling lips and sheer adolescent ardor are simply adorable. She remains for me the definitive Cherubino.

In 1978 while performing as Dorabella in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte at Glyndebourne Festival Opera she met renowned director Peter Hall. Despite the two-decade gap in their ages they fell in love. After his divorce, in 1982 they married and their daughter Rebecca Hall was born. Hall, an actress and director, has written about her mother's mixed-race heritage. For more information about Maria Ewing's operatic career, please see The Guardian.