Grey and cool autumn day in New York

Grey and cool autumn day in New York

A lone rose. 4:30 PM. Photo: JH.

October 2, 2009. Yesterday was a grey and cool autumn day in New York. The heat went on in my apartment building for the first time since last April. It was welcome as the rooms had taken on that penetrating chill that comes twice a year – in late Spring before the warmth of summer begins and in autumn after summer has left.

Last night at Doyle New York, the auction galleries on 175 East 87th Street, they held an opening reception for the benefit of the New York City Opera of the Estate of Beverly Sills. The auction itself will be held on next Wednesday, October 7th.

Beverly Sills was possibly the first opera diva to popularize Grand Opera for the American people through her television appearances on Johnny Carson where the audience met an effervescent, cheerful personality whose nickname was “Bubbles” and whose laughter was contagious.


	One of a group of photographs, including Sills in La Traviata, 1971, costume by Jose Varona, as well as I Puritani, and Faust, plus Sills with Frank Sinatra, James Levine, her husband Peter Greenough and others. Estimate: $100 - $200.

That ebullience belied a deeply committed artist as well as a woman who knew heartbreak in motherhood first hand. Her daughter Muffy Greenough was born deaf and thus never heard her mother’s voice, and her son was born severely retarded.

Last night at Doyle I had a conversation about her with Jose Varona, the costume designer who created the costumes for Sills’ Met debut in 1975 in “The Siege of Corinth.” Mr. Varona designed many costumes for her including those for Rimsky Korsakov’s “Le Coq d’Or” for the New York City Opera, for Massenet’s “Manon,” also for the NYC Opera, for Handel’s “Giulio Cesare” in which she sang the role of Cleopatra, and Gounod’s “Faust.”

Over the years they became good friends. One day Varona commented to his friend that she had such a “cheerful” personality and asked if she were always like that. She answered that she was cheerful but she was not happy, He knew she was referring to the heartbreak of her children’s handicaps. Varona asked her how she managed to maintain her cheery disposition. “I have no other choice,” she answered.

This collection is a treasure trove for Sills’ legions of fans, not to mention some very good price estimates – from personal property such as the glassware, china and furniture from the apartment at the Beresford which she called home, that which she shared with her husband Peter Greenough and her daughter, to her furs, her collection of the costume designers’ sketches of her costumes, to all kinds of personal photographs (including one of her with Mae West and Bette Davis – and inscribed by West to her), to her Emmys, her many sterling silver awards, her jewelry, her handbags; opera posters of her performances including her La Traviata at the Teatro di San Carlo; a collection of 45 of her opera scores, and an amazing quilt depicting her in various important opera roles inscribed “Brava Beverly/ Happy Birthday Beverly Sills/ With Love and Appreciation/ The Guild of the San Diego Opera/ May 26, 1979" (7’6” x 4’ 2 ½ “).

Many of the estimates are temptingly low – anywhere from $100 to $600 an item (a set of 20 Baccarat Crystal champagne glasses -- $150 - $200) although no doubt many collectors will bid these things up.

You can see the Beverly Sills estate collection today through Tuesday at the Doyle Galleries on East 87th between Lexington and Third Avenues. You can check the time schedules by going to http://www.doylenewyork.com or calling 212-247-2730.

Collection of Beverly Sills' costume sketches by the designers, all inscribed to her as well as a quilt made for her by the Guild of the San Deigo Opera depicting her various roles.

Costume design for Beverly Sils as Cleopatra in Handel's "Giulio Cesare," 1968, inscribed by Jose Varona. Estimate: $600 - $800.

Jose Varona standing next to his design for her as Manon in Massenet's "Manon," Gambling Scene, 1968. Signed and dated NY '68. Estimate: $600 - $800.

Costume Design for Mother Ginger and Children in Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcdracker," San Francisco Ballet, 1986, signed J Varona. Estimate: $400 - $600.

Closeup of the San Diego Opera Guild's quilt made for Beverly Sills. Estimate: $500 - $1000.

Single typed sheet, signed by Sills, 8 lines, a variant on the text of the Portuguese folk song "Tell Me Why..." that she had sung throughout her career. She sang a version at the New York City Opera Farewell Gala, October 27, 1980. Estimate: $80 - $120.

Individual squares from the Quilt panel.

Items for auction of the Beverly Sills estate.

The Toy Seller, Costume Design for "The Nutcracker," San Francisco Ballet, 1986. Signed and inscribed Jose Varona /"The Toy Seller"/ dedicated To Beverly, with love/for the music and the magic/ in remembrance/ Jose/ Oct. 98. Estimate: $400 - $600.

One of several opera posters of various performances in which she starred.

Our peripatetic New England outdoor furniture designer Nan Quick (QDG Design) made a recent trip to San Francisco and the Northwest and kept a Diary of it for her friends, as well as some photographs too beautiful not to share.

All: ... home late this morning. I managed to spend 2 afternoons in San Francisco, on the way to and then back from Medford and Ashland, Oregon. As soon as I arrived in Medford, after a hair-raising plane flight from SFO over the mountains to Medford "International," on a turbo-prop (when was the last time you were on a plane with propellers??), where the stewardess wore earplugs, and where only 30 passengers (all sort of green around the gills) fit, Oregon got hit with a 95 degree heat wave, which I thoroughly enjoyed because the dryness and sun felt wonderful.

Of course the next day various local nuts set fires in both the Ashland and Medford hills. I've attached a photo of the Sept. 21st brush fire in Medford, as seen from the hill where my Aunt Audrey and Uncle Arthur live. Some view, eh? I watched a small army of aircraft fight the Medford blaze, which galloped northeast over the hills, away from the built up area.

Sept. 21st brush fire in Medford, as seen from the hill where my Aunt Audrey and Uncle Arthur live.

The next photo is of the Shakespearean outdoor theatre in Ashland, as seen below from Lithia Park. I took this picture on my birthday: my hosts treated me to an entire day in Ashland. Morning's entertainment was a 2-hour backstage tour of the Shakespeare festival theatres, and the afternoon's was a play.

Over the course of 3 afternoons I went to 3 plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which is celebrating its 75th year and is the largest repertory theatre company in America (84 actors, 400+ staff, all full-time ... now those are good gigs!).


	tThe Shakespearean outdoor theatre in Ashland, as seen below from Lithia Park.

The first, MACBETH, was the best performance I've seen of anything, anywhere, anytime. The second, ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL was uneven, but featured a scarily-talented young actor named John Tufts, who bears watching. The third, a new play about Wm. Shakespeare called EQUIVOCATION (in which John Tufts played multiple roles)--a huge hit in Ashland--was good, but not nearly so profound as reviewers have written.

And on Saturday night, my Aunt and Uncle took me to the (I just LOVE the name) "Craterian Ginger Rogers Theatre" in downtown Medford (Ginger had a retreat on the Rogue River that attracted all the Hollywood heavyweights) to see the Rogue Valley Symphony, which was superb ( a surprise) as they performed the very difficult Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor," along with Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique.

The remaining pictures are from this Sunday afternoon, when I spent a couple of hours in Golden Gate Park ... bliss. The new deYoung Museum is peculiar looking and poorly integrated with its site, but its 9th floor observation platform offers brand new 360-degree views of San Francisco that are stunning and make one forget the awkward exterior, which from some angles looks like a confused tortoise. And the new California Academy of Sciences across the plaza looks wonderful, but I didn't have time to go inside. Since many happy hours of my childhood were spent exploring the Japanese Tea Garden, I revisited: same loveliness, more bliss.

The deYoung Museum.

The new California Academy of Sciences across the plaza as seen from 9th floor observation platform of the deYoung Museum.

The Japanese Tea Garden -- the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States.

Harry and David (the dried fruit guys), with a big store in Medford, have fruit orchards stretching out in all directions. And Ashland is a jewel: great entertainment, climate, scenery, food & inhabitants. Lorn Razzano, owner of the Ashland Wine Cellar with whom I've had a telephone friendship for the past 20 years, and who I finally met in person last week (he'll probably press a glass of excellent wine into your hand the minute you walk through his door), encouraged me to move there. I've half a mind to do just that, someday.

Of course this first night home is cold and rainy. My lightweight California clothes are back in the closet. New Hampshire's Autumn is beautiful, but tomorrow our winter battening-down must begin.

Best- Nan

P.S. Fly Virgin America to San Francisco ... their service is perfect and they actually seem to LIKE their customers.

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