We are Diminished

        In a public arena where the surest path to renown often seems, sadly, to be measured by how poorly one acts in public, or how much of an ass one can be in the treatment of others, we are poorer today because two persons whose lives are the antithesis of that profile are gone.

        The first, famous for both her vocal and humanitarian efforts was Montserrat Cabballe. Dead at 85, Senora Caballe was generally considered by opera cognoscenti to have been the best modern interpreter of Rossini (Otello, Barber of Seville, William Tell), and Donizetti (L’elisir d’amore, Lucia di Lammermoor) in the modern era. All the praise one needs to hear is Jose Carreras’ “Of all the sopranos I have ever heard live, I have never heard any like Montserrat.” With a repertoire of 90 roles, her 4,000 performances may be a world record. Maria Callas, hardly a shrinking violet, opined once, that of all the sopranos in the world, “Only Cabbale” was worthy to be her (Callas’) successor.

        A UNESCO good will ambassador, Caballe also established and funded charities for needy children in her beloved Barcelona, which segues into when I first really became aware of this remarkable woman and her magnificent voice. I must admit, it was because of who she also chose to sing with that she first hit my radar. Her duet with Freddie Mercury, “Barcelona” was an international hit, and truth told, probably gained her more notoriety and a wide audience than her formidable operatic exploits. Barcelona, like Gaga’s Oscar Sound of Music medley, was a terrific crossover lifting Mercury’s beautiful tenor and Caballe’s bel canto soprano into a blend of the best of both genres.

        When the video below was shot, Caballe was 79, and still had that remarkable voice. And Freddie wasn’t bad either! The
world of music is diminished by both their deaths.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0wdxj8-mAU

        In another vein entirely, we also lost John Gagliardi this weekend. Yeah, I know – “who?”  John Gagliardi was the winningest coach in American college football history. “So how come I never heard of him,” you say. The reason is that, in a frenzied “win or else” world, John Gagliardi was head coach for the last 60 years at the same school, - 2,000 student. Division III St. John’s University in Minnesota. Not that he didn’t win, mind you, his record of 489 wins against 138 losses and 11 ties will almost assuredly stand forever. To put it in perspective, that’s 80 more wins than the late (and to me, unlamented pedophile enabler) Joe Paterno and 81 more than the legendary Eddie Robinson at Grambling.

        John Gagliardi was unique, however, for many reasons. While winning more games than anyone else, he never cut a player. Most drills were non-contact, lest players get injured in practice. Practices were limited to 90 minutes. No whistles, no hazing, no sadistic rituals. He was quoted as saying “We have one rule – the golden rule. Treat everyone the way you’d want to be treated. We get the right guys; the ones that don’t need any rules.” What a concept, no drug suspensions, no domestic violence predators, no criminals. Who could win with such players?  John Gagliardi could and did. Dead at 91. We will likely never see another head football coach like him.

         If you believe in an afterlife, you gotta believe that Gagliardi, John Wooden, Pat Summitt and Connie Mack are shaking their heads as they watch the Urban Meyers, Rick Pitinos and others trying to manage their gangs of thugs. You know who’s not gonna be there there? Bear Bryant, Bobby Knight, Woody Hayes!