Grammy Winner Aler at Festival

(first published in The Cincinnati Post May 21, 1991)

Some people get it right the first time.

Like tenor John Aler, guest artist for Saturday's May Festival performance of Berlioz's Requiem, to be conducted by Robert Shaw.

In 1985 Aler won the Grammy for best classical vocal soloist - for the Berlioz Requiem with Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony.

Aler's solo, which occurs in the Sanctus portion of the work, was recorded by Telarc in just one take.

"I asked Robert Woods (Telarc producer), 'What if something happens to it?' " Aler said. "He said, 'Nah, nothing will happen to it.' "

Except that Aler won the Grammy - and against such artists as Placido Domingo, Kiri Te Kanawa and Marilyn Horne.

Aler, 41, seems to have been doing the right thing from the beginning. Gifted with a pure, high, silvery voice, he knew early on that it was not meant for the big romantic leads in Verdi and Puccini.

But it opened the door to a wealth of other repertory - Mozart, Rossini, Bach, Handel - and one of the busiest recording careers around.

Aler sings a lot of lesser known music. "I'm a real quick study. I read music very easily, and I have a pretty good facility with languages.

"It's fun, too. I spend a lot of time in libraries and listening to out- of-the-way repertory. It's like a hobby as well as a vocation."

A native of Baltimore, Aler has been a favorite of record companies because of his vocal proficiency and for having what he calls a "phonogenic" sound (a good sound on recordings). His current discography extends to nearly 30 titles for a dozen labels, including Deutsche Grammophon, Philips, EMI/Angel, Sony Classical and RCA.

Different repertory presents different challenges, Aler said.

"I once sang a high F in public (in Bellini's "I Puritani" with the New York City Opera) and got a nice review."

Cole Porter songs are "very hard," he said, because "'the vocal range is kind of wide."

And what about "The Star Spangled Banner"?

"Oh, nobody sings that. It's too hard."

Tenor John Aler sings in Berlioz's Requiem, led by guest conductor Robert Shaw, on Saturday's final May Festival concert at 8:15 p.m. at Music Hall. Shaw also conducts Mozart's Mass in C Minor ("The Great") at 8:15 p.m. Friday at Music Hall. Tickets: $9-$42 (381-3300).