Thomas Hammons
On Tuesday, November 10, Cincinnati Opera lost a member of our artistic family. Bass-baritone Tom Hammons has died. In 10 seasons spanning nearly four decades of our company’s recent history, Tom sang no fewer than 12 roles with us and simply owned The Sacristan in Tosca. A graduate of CCM in the 1970s, Tom was a cherished pupil of the Italian bass Italo Tajo, who brought CCM’s opera program to an international level of excellence during his long tenure. Many considered Hammons to be Tajo’s artistic “heir” following in his teacher’s footsteps in many character bass roles, especially at the Metropolitan Opera in New York where Hammons sang more than 250 performances. Tom made his Met debut in 1996 in Tajo’s most famous role, The Sacristan.
In my own tenure at Cincinnati Opera, I had the privilege of inviting Tom to sing with us in seven seasons. There was of course, The Sacristan, but in my second season of 2007, we produced John Adams’s first opera Nixon in China. Tom reprised the role of Henry Kissinger, which he created at the world premiere in 1987. I was a bit in awe of Tom, but at the first rehearsal he put me at ease with a joke about his dynamic range: “You know, Evans, I can sing anything as long as it’s forte!” Nothing was further from the truth. Tom was an artist of great subtlety, but he was also a tireless prankster. I soon learned that in whatever opera we had Tom I would have to figuratively tie down the scenery, because Tom had that rare ability to walk away with whatever scene in which his character appeared.
His Cincinnati Opera gallery of roles included both Benoit and Alcindoro in La Bohème, Bartolo and Antonio in The Marriage of Figaro, Ortel in our 90th anniversary production of Die Meistersinger, and Simone in the hilarious production of Gianni Schicchi in 2012.
But it was in his signature role that Tom scared us witless. We created a beautiful new Tosca for 2016, the first of our two seasons at the Aronoff during Music Hall’s renovation. Tom would again be The Sacristan, the fourth time he would reprise the role for us. At the second-to-last rehearsal, Tom came on stage for his first scene. In it, The Sacristan fusses about Cavaradossi and listens as the tenor sings his first aria “Recondita armonia.” Tom did his usual great job but seemed just a bit unsteady on his feet.
A few moments, later I was summoned backstage where one of our Aronoff stagehands was urgently administering CPR to Tom. He had walked back to his dressing room and suffered a heart attack. A team of backstage crew, as well as a supernumerary (who also happened to be a celebrated surgeon), quickly went to work. The EMTs arrived shortly after and whisked Tom off to the hospital. Luckily, that quick action saved Tom’s life. Our beloved bass-baritone would make a full recovery and return to singing within the year.
Two years later as we were planning the 2019 season, my colleague Jane Hulburt had an inspired idea. We were planning a new production of Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos inspired by the life and legacy of Cincinnati’s Powel Crosley, Jr. Strauss’s opera calls for an officious Major Domo, master of the household, a speaking role. As we were doing the opera in English, we needed an especially good actor, comfortable around singers, a true musician. Jane suggested Tom! I was a bit hesitant to ask him, but I need not have worried. His manager replied in less than a day that Tom would be delighted to return in this role. Remember what I said about tying down scenery? Tom was hilarious. He achieved the near perfect balance between boorish superiority and comic befuddlement. He even managed a send-up of yours truly when he imitated my “announcer voice” introducing the second act of our production as a radio broadcast.
Sadly, Tom would have returned in summer 2021 as we have announced Tosca to close this coming season. I know I speak for all my colleagues and our stage crews when I say that we will miss him terribly. Our hearts go out to his wife Veronique and his daughters, Margot and Madeline.
Evans Mirageas
The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director
