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Forget brass ring, tenor Jay Hunter Morris appears from nowhere to grab Wagner gold

Submitted by on Feb 9, 2012 – 10:36 am

Interview: The Texas native talks about his unlikely mid-career burst into stardom at the Metropolitan Opera. Morris plays the hero Siegfried in the Met’s HD broadcast of Wagner’s “Götterdämmerung” at cinemas worldwide Saturday, Feb. 11.

By Nancy Malitz

If you haven’t yet caught up with opera’s Cinder-fella Jay Hunter Morris, there is an optimal opportunity mid-day Saturday to see the tall, blond Texas tenor as the hero Siegfried in the Metropolitan Opera’s live HD broadcast of Wagner’s “Götterdämmerung”  (The Twilight of the Gods).

Like so many talented artists who have labored in the trenches, watching their chance for that Big Break wane with each passing year, Jay Hunter Morris was at a place in his career where he felt stuck. “I’m very fond of saying that I clawed my way up to the lower middle echelon of my field,” he said by telephone from the Met, where at last, near his own half-century mark, he is an overnight star.

There is no mistaking the delighted “I just won the lottery” lilt in his voice as he looks back at the incredible season that has put him on every opera company’s speed dial. “I was getting supporting roles and maybe some understudy parts, but the big roles just didn’t come,” said Morris. “There were not really any indicators – none – that I would have the year I’ve had.”

The chronicle of Morris’ sensational last-minute Met debut earlier this season is captured here:

Morris may look and sound like a natural as the guileless hero of “Siegfried” and “Götterdämmerung,” but he says his path to the Met was in no way foreseen: “I’d love to tell you I had a voice inside my head telling me that sometime I would be a Wagnerian heldentenor and sing ‘Siegfried,’ but that is not the way it was.”

Morris first came to New York City’s attention in 1995, in a Broadway show — a supporting role in Terrence McNally’s “Master Class,” about the legendary diva Maria Callas in her later years. “I was Tony Tightpants,” says Morris, tongue-in-cheek, referring to the student tenor with a big ego who eventually gets Callas’ attention. The show started in Philadelphia and went to Los Angeles before opening on Broadway, and Morris stayed with it through several years and three leading ladies — Zoe Caldwell, Patti LuPone and Dixie Carter. His task was to sweep Callas away, in spite of herself, with the same aria from Puccini’s “Tosca” eight times a week.

The aria was “Recondita armonia,” about Cavaradossi’s love for Tosca. Morris insists he never grew weary of it. “I got to sing every day. Really, it was the best training, the best grounding, I could have hoped for. Back then I wanted to sing Cavaradossi in opera houses. I thought I would get the big Italian romantic leading roles, and I did, for a little while. But your voice changes.”

Morris credits Speight Jenkins, general director of the Seattle Opera and a fellow Texan, with nudging him into the German roles. “I remember singing Puccini’s ‘Manon Lescaut’ in Seattle and being really happy with it, certainly convinced it was the best singing that I had ever done,” Morris recalls. “But Speight said to me, ‘You know, I’m not sure your sound is really Italian.’

“At that time, also, I thought it was all about singing loud, but Speight said, ‘Maybe your loudest sound is not your best.’ He encouraged me to seek beauty in my sound, and ease, and elegance. So I have a lot of love for him, and for my teacher Bill Neill, for pointing me in the right direction.”

Meanwhile, as other tenors were undertaking Wagner’s formidable Siegfried roles in both “Siegfried” and “Götterdämmerung,” and feeling the strain particularly in the notorious killer “Siegfried,” Morris was re-grouping, resting his voice and learning the heldentenor repertoire. He understudied the Siegfried roles in Seattle in 2009, and in Los Angeles in 2010, and he was scheduled to cover “Siegfried” in 2011 in San Francisco when he was asked to step into the lead role, getting more than decent notices.

Then in the fall of 2011, Morris was doing his usual understudy drill at the Met when first one and then another tenor pulled out of “Siegfried,” the latter within a short week of opening night. Met general manager Peter Gelb asked Morris if he was ready.

Morris said yes, survived the high wire act as you can see from this excerpt, and now is living the heldentenor’s dream. He’ll be back at the Met in late April, when the company presents three complete cycles of Wagner’s Ring, followed by his first Tristans in concert in Valencia, Spain (June 2012), a turn as Capt. Ahab in Jake Heggie’s “Moby-Dick” in San Francisco (October 2012), a Ring Cycle in Florence (January 2013) and Wagner’s “Flying Dutchman” in Los Angeles (March 2013).

“I cannot believe the things that I am going to get to sing, and the places, and the people I will be singing with,” says Morris, his voice climbing with incredulity. “I mean, my very first Tristans will be with Zubin Mehta. It’s crazy. My name has never appeared anywhere near his. Thanks to San Francisco and the Met, a lot of doors are swinging open.”

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Photo credits and captions: Home page and top: Deborah Voigt as Brünnhilde and Jay Hunter Morris as Siegfried in the Metropolitan Opera’s “Götterdämmerung.” Upper right: Morris as the fearless hero. Below: Siegfried’s Rhine journey. (Production photos by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera.)

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  • Dana DeMartino says:

    This is the most remarkable story and perhaps the most refreshing where a youngish tenor and absolutely lovely guy from Paris, TX., fills in for an ailing tenor who was to sing Siegfried. Jay is almost too good to be true. He is sincere, earnest and adorable. When we think of the Met, only the best get there and many great singers have been excluded because they didn’t have the right connections and here’s a guy who has been trying for a long time, preparing for a role he may never sing and yet as fate would have it, the god of opera came down and annointed him. For me he represents the dreams and aspirations of so many classically trained singers. Few are chosen and only a handful of singers know this role. So my hat goes off to the Met for making this decision – way to go guys! And my hat goes off to Speigh Jenkins who sounds like a great mentor and all the others in Jay’s life who prepared him for this moment. It was extraordinary to hear the broadcast.

  • Dana DeMartino says:

    This is the most remarkable story and perhaps the most refreshing where a youngish tenor and absolutely lovely guy from Paris, TX., fills in for an ailing tenor who was to sing Siegfried. Jay is almost too good to be true. He is sincere, earnest and adorable. When we think of the Met, only the best get there and many great singers have been excluded because they didn’t have the right connections and here’s a guy who has been trying for a long time, preparing for a role he may never sing and yet as fate would have it, the god of opera came down and annointed him. For me he represents the dreams and aspirations of so many classically trained singers. Few are chosen and only a handful of singers know this role. So my hat goes off to the Met for making this decision – way to go guys! And my hat goes off to Speigh Jenkins who sounds like a great mentor and all the others in Jay’s life who prepared him for this moment. It was extraordinary to hear the broadcast.

  • John Koster says:

    Jay Hunter Morris is the greatest Siegfried of this generation. The whole “Ring” was magnificent.

  • John Koster says:

    Jay Hunter Morris is the greatest Siegfried of this generation. The whole “Ring” was magnificent.

  • Sylvia Owens says:

    I was absolutely “blown away” by the superb acting as well as the singing of Jay Hunter Morris when I watched the Ring Cycle on PBS
    this past week. I’m not a big opera fan, but have always known that Wagner’s masterpiece was something I must add to my own knowledge.
    I had no idea that Jay was so new to opera, but wanted to know more about him, and am thrilled for him that he has made such a triumph in a difficult role. It’s wonderful to know that someone from a small town
    (like myself) can reach such heights. Congratulations and Bravo from
    a new fan!

  • Sylvia Owens says:

    I was absolutely “blown away” by the superb acting as well as the singing of Jay Hunter Morris when I watched the Ring Cycle on PBS
    this past week. I’m not a big opera fan, but have always known that Wagner’s masterpiece was something I must add to my own knowledge.
    I had no idea that Jay was so new to opera, but wanted to know more about him, and am thrilled for him that he has made such a triumph in a difficult role. It’s wonderful to know that someone from a small town
    (like myself) can reach such heights. Congratulations and Bravo from
    a new fan!

  • Walter Vestal says:

    At 72, I have attended, listened to, and watched on DVD many productions of Wagner’s Ring. I was not familiar with Jay prior to his appearances in the Met Ring, so his performance was a wonderful surprise. His physical presence, wonderful voice, and acting ability delivered one of the finest Siegfrieds I have seen. I hope that the Lyric Opera here in Chicago has the good sense to engage him in some future productions. Bravo, Jay! Your success is well-deserved

  • Walter Vestal says:

    At 72, I have attended, listened to, and watched on DVD many productions of Wagner’s Ring. I was not familiar with Jay prior to his appearances in the Met Ring, so his performance was a wonderful surprise. His physical presence, wonderful voice, and acting ability delivered one of the finest Siegfrieds I have seen. I hope that the Lyric Opera here in Chicago has the good sense to engage him in some future productions. Bravo, Jay! Your success is well-deserved

  • Don Larson says:

    I watched Mr. Morris in the live HD Metropolitan Opera broadcasts of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. I then went back and watched the rebroadcasts. Jay Hunter Morris is truly outstanding. I then watched him live in San Francisco singing Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. He is a gifted singer and a superb actor. He also comes across in interviews as a fine human being, a true friend, a great husband and father and a down to earth individual who has worked hard and deserves his success. May it continue for his sake as well as ours. He is an American treasure.

  • Don Larson says:

    I watched Mr. Morris in the live HD Metropolitan Opera broadcasts of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. I then went back and watched the rebroadcasts. Jay Hunter Morris is truly outstanding. I then watched him live in San Francisco singing Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. He is a gifted singer and a superb actor. He also comes across in interviews as a fine human being, a true friend, a great husband and father and a down to earth individual who has worked hard and deserves his success. May it continue for his sake as well as ours. He is an American treasure.

  • Hanna Bortkiewicz says:

    I have just finished watching “Siegfried” as a part of my DVD Wagner marathon – I watch and compare step by step two productions: “Ring” from Bayreuth, 1993, made by Harry Kupfer and conducted by Barenboim, with Siegfried Jerusalem as Siegfried, and “Ring” from 2011 in Met, under Levine and with Jay Hunter Morris in the Siegfried role. I have watched Bayreuth production first and honestly speaking after Jerusalem performance I find Jay Hunter Morris lacking the drama. Nice lyrical voice and soft, sometimes comical acting are in my opinion not suited to the demands of impressive Siegfried. Mr. Morris has good looks and of course has good voice, but definitely not for Siegfried. In comparison with “Siegfried” sung by Siegfried Jerusalem Mr. Morris statement that he sings loud sounds funny. I am big “Ring” fan and even knowing very well the plot, libretto and musical score I always react very emotionally to the drama. In Mr. Morris performance and in the entire Met “Siegfried” drama is lost – personalities have no strength, sing without Wagner feeling and characteristic musical motives are not heard. I am writing on this site probably to late to join the discussion, but I was looking for Mr. Morris credentials not knowing him before. I am pretty sure he is a gifted singer and there are roles good for him – but has he any recordings, YouTube fragments or something which could show his talent? I find only “Siegfried” which under no circumstances could be called his household special.

  • Hanna Bortkiewicz says:

    I have just finished watching “Siegfried” as a part of my DVD Wagner marathon – I watch and compare step by step two productions: “Ring” from Bayreuth, 1993, made by Harry Kupfer and conducted by Barenboim, with Siegfried Jerusalem as Siegfried, and “Ring” from 2011 in Met, under Levine and with Jay Hunter Morris in the Siegfried role. I have watched Bayreuth production first and honestly speaking after Jerusalem performance I find Jay Hunter Morris lacking the drama. Nice lyrical voice and soft, sometimes comical acting are in my opinion not suited to the demands of impressive Siegfried. Mr. Morris has good looks and of course has good voice, but definitely not for Siegfried. In comparison with “Siegfried” sung by Siegfried Jerusalem Mr. Morris statement that he sings loud sounds funny. I am big “Ring” fan and even knowing very well the plot, libretto and musical score I always react very emotionally to the drama. In Mr. Morris performance and in the entire Met “Siegfried” drama is lost – personalities have no strength, sing without Wagner feeling and characteristic musical motives are not heard. I am writing on this site probably to late to join the discussion, but I was looking for Mr. Morris credentials not knowing him before. I am pretty sure he is a gifted singer and there are roles good for him – but has he any recordings, YouTube fragments or something which could show his talent? I find only “Siegfried” which under no circumstances could be called his household special.