Cantor Don Goldberg Fills Levittown Public Library with Music

The usually quiet and serene atmosphere of the Levittown Public Library was enlivened and transformed into the magical world of opera on Wednesday.

Opera has existed for over 400 years. It is the composition of a variety of art forms. Dance, visual art, costumes, extraordinary sets and music that enters into the soul.

Cantor Don Goldberg presented a heartfelt, lively and at times humorous discussion  accompanied by recordings of world renowned Italian tenor Franco Corelli, occasionally referred to as “The Frightened Tenor".

Goldberg was introduced to opera as a teenager by his music teacher at Evans Hughes High School in Brooklyn. He was captivated  by  the first sounds of  “Carmen” by Bizet. "Tears  welled up in my eyes and I knew the sounds would stay with me forever,” he said.

His life has been filled with numerous careers including taxi driver, businessman and teacher, but it was his time as an opera singer at the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera that he cherishes most.

Fate brought Goldberg on the same stage with the “Frightened Tenor” in the production of “Cavalleria Rusticana” by Mascagni.

Franco Corelli was born in1921 in Ancona, Italy into a family with little musical background. His father was a shipbuilder, and in his attempt to follow in his father’s footsteps he pursued a degree in naval engineering at the University of Bologna. While studying there he was coaxed by a friend to enter a music competition. Though he did not win, he was encouraged by the judges to  continue a singing career. He studied at the Pesaro Conservatory of Music and followed with an extraordinary opera career from 1951 to 1976.

His handsome features and charismatic stage presence endeared him to audiences around the world. However afraid of living up to his expectations, he suffered intense stage fright. Prior to performances he would fill up with coffee and would have to be gently pushed onto the stage. Once he began singing in his powerful voice in operas such as "Tosca" by Puccini and "Aida" by Verdi, he became a “stage animal,” said Cantor Goldberg. Retiring from the stage after the weakening of his voice, he became a popular teacher of music in New York City before passing away at age 82.