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{{Short description|Welsh tenor}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
'''Robert Tear''', [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (8 March 1939 – 29 March 2011) was a Welsh [[tenor]] singer, teacher and conductor. He first became known singing in the operas of [[Benjamin Britten]] in the mid-1960s. From the 1970s until his retirement in 1999 his main operatic base was the [[Royal Opera House|Royal Opera House, Covent Garden]]; he appeared with other opera companies in the UK, mainland Europe, the US and Australia. Generally avoiding the Italian repertoire, which did not suit his voice, Tear became known in leading and character roles in German, British and Russian operas.

Tear's concert repertoire was wide, extending from music from the 17th century to contemporary works by Britten, [[Michael Tippett|Tippett]] and others. He conducted for some years from the mid-1980s, but found himself temperamentally unsuited to it. As a teacher at the [[Royal Academy of Music]] he was happier, and was well regarded by colleagues and pupils.<ref name=dnb/>

==Life and career==

===Early years===
Tear was born in [[Barry, Vale of Glamorgan|Barry]], [[Glamorgan]], the son of Thomas Tear, a railway clerk, and his wife Edith, ''née'' Dodds. As a schoolboy at Barry Boys' Grammar School he sang in a local church choir and at the age of seven he took part in the nascent [[Welsh National Opera]]'s first production, ''[[Cavalleria Rusticana]]'' in [[Cardiff]] in April 1946.<ref name=dnb>{{cite ODNB|id=103683 |first=Raymond|last=Holden|title=Tear, Robert (1939–2011)}}</ref> In 1957 he won a [[choral scholar]]ship to [[King's College, Cambridge]], where he studied English. His biographer Raymond Holden counts as his chief university influences the critic and teacher [[F. R. Leavis]], the writer [[E. M. Forster]] and the conductor [[David Willcocks]].<ref name=dnb/>

Tear graduated in 1960, and moved to London. where in 1961 he was appointed a [[vicar choral]] at [[St Paul's Cathedral]]. His choir duties left him time to study with the singing teacher Julian Kimbell and to sing with the [[Ambrosian Singers]].<ref name=mg>Ponsonby, Robert. [http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:UKNB:EGLL&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=1364B23EB459A838&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=102CDD40F14C6BDA "Obituary: Robert Tear"], ''The Guardian'', 30 March 2011</ref> In January 1961 he married Hilary Thomas; they had two daughters.<ref name=times>[http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:UKNB:LTIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=1364D32417605830&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=102CDD40F14C6BDA "Robert Tear"], ''The Times'', 30 March 2011</ref>

Tear made his operatic debut in 1963 as the Male Chorus in [[Benjamin Britten|Britten]]'s ''[[The Rape of Lucretia]]'' with the [[English Opera Group]] (EOG);<ref name=grove>Blyth, Alan. [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/27605 "Tear, Robert"], Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press. Retrieved 12 August 2015 {{subscription required}}</ref> the composer approved of Tear's performance, and invited him to understudy [[Peter Pears]] in the original production of ''[[Curlew River]]'' at the [[Aldeburgh Festival]] in 1964.<ref name=dnb/> Tear then played Peter Quint in a production of ''[[The Turn of the Screw (opera)|The Turn of the Screw]]'', before joining Britten and the EOG in a four-week tour of the Soviet Union in September and October 1964.<ref name=dnb/> Britten wrote two roles with Tear's voice in mind: Misael in ''[[The Burning Fiery Furnace]]'' (1966) and the title role in ''[[The Prodigal Son (Britten)|The Prodigal Son]]'' (1968).<ref name=grove/> For the EOG Tear also created the role of Private Todd in [[Gordon Crosse]]'s ''The Grace of Todd'' (1969) and sang Arbace (1969) and later the title role (1973) in [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s ''[[Idomeneo]]''.<ref>Mann, William. "An historic 'Idomeneo' at Aldeburgh Festival", ''The Times'', 12 June 1969, p. 7; and [https://www.jstor.org/stable/954753 "Music in London"], ''The Musical Times'', Vol. 114, No. 1570 (December 1973), p. 1253 {{subscription required}}</ref>

Tear was never a member of Britten's inner circle; he failed to treat the composer with the required reverence, and was seen as a threat to Pears's preeminence as leading tenor.<ref name=dt/> When he chose, in 1970, to create the role of Dov in [[Michael Tippett]]'s ''[[The Knot Garden]]'' for the [[The Royal Opera|Royal Opera]] rather than appearing in the premiere of Britten's ''[[Owen Wingrave]]'' he became one of Britten's "corpses" – former colleagues from whom he completely cut off contact once they had outlived their usefulness to him or offended him.<ref name=dnb/><ref name=dt>[http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:UKNB:DST1&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=136506F20D303498&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=102CDD40F14C6BDA "Robert Tear"], ''The Daily Telegraph'', 30 March 2011</ref> He continued to perform in Britten's operas and concert works, but never saw the composer again.<ref name=dt/>

===Peak years===
Concurrently with his developing operatic career, Tear built up a reputation as a concert singer. In 1965 he made his debut at the [[Edinburgh Festival]], singing Tippett's song cycle ''The Heart's Assurance''; in the same year he made the first of fifty-four appearances at [[the Proms]],<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/events/performers/3021/performances "Robert Tear"]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, BBC. Retrieved 12 August 2015</ref> in [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]]'s ''[[Missa in tempore belli|Paukenmesse]]'', conducted by [[Malcolm Sargent|Sir Malcolm Sargent]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/exxzc8 "Prom 48"], BBC. Retrieved 12 August 2015</ref> His repertoire ranged from [[Tudor era|Tudor]] music to the most modern works.<ref name=dnb/>

Tear sang with many opera companies in Britain, continental Europe, Australia and the US, but his principal base was Covent Garden.<ref name=grove/> His voice was described by his obituarist in ''[[The Times]]'' as "typically British: less expansive than the Italian style and with little of the German heroic tenor in it, but pure, elegant, flexible, capable of sweetness and with a expressive quality at the service of fine musicianship and great intelligence."<ref name=times/> Italian opera did not appeal to him; his rare performances in that repertoire were Malcolm in ''[[Macbeth (Verdi)|Macbeth]]'', Gastone in ''[[La traviata]]'', the comic character roles of Dr Caius in ''[[Falstaff (opera)|Falstaff]]'' and Alcindoro in ''[[La bohème]]'', and the one Italian role with which he became associated, the Emperor Altoum in ''[[Turandot]]'', which he first sang at the Royal Opera House in 1984 and in which he made his final appearance there, in 2009.<ref name=roh>[http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/SearchResults.aspx?searchtype=performance&page=0&person=Robert%20Tear "Robert Tear"], Royal Opera House Performance Database. Retrieved 12 August 2015</ref> At Covent Garden and elsewhere he sang many leading roles, such as Captain Vere in ''[[Billy Budd (opera)|Billy Budd]]'', the title role in ''[[Peter Grimes]]'', Aschenbach in ''[[Death in Venice (opera)|Death in Venice]]'', Lensky in ''[[Eugene Onegin (opera)|Eugene Onegin]]'', Herod in ''[[Salome (opera)|Salome]]'', Loge in ''[[Das Rheingold]]'', Belmonte in ''[[Die Entführung aus dem Serail|The Seraglio]]'', and David in ''[[Die Meistersinger]]''. A greater part of his operatic repertoire consisted of character roles, in which, in the view of ''The Times'', "his humour and his sharp human perceptions were given free rein".<ref name=times/> They included Monostatos in ''[[The Magic Flute]]'', Don Basilio in ''[[Le nozze di Figaro]]'', Jaquino in ''[[Fidelio]]'', Spalanzani in ''[[The Tales of Hoffmann]]'', Valzacchi in ''[[Der Rosenkavalier]]'', and Aegisth in ''[[Elektra (opera)|Elektra]]''.<ref name=grove/><ref name=roh/>

===Later years===
In 1980 Tear made his debut as a conductor with the Thames Chamber Orchestra at the [[Queen Elizabeth Hall]]. Although he subsequently conducted the [[London Mozart Players]] and the [[Minnesota Orchestra|Minneapolis]], [[English Chamber Orchestra|English Chamber]], [[London Symphony Orchestra|London Symphony]] and [[Philharmonia Orchestra|Philharmonia]] orchestras, he found that he was temperamentally unsuited to conducting, because his friendly and easy-going nature made it difficult for him to exert the authority and discipline required in conductors. He found more satisfaction in his role as a teacher; he was the first incumbent of the international chair of singing at the [[Royal Academy of Music]], London. He held it from 1987 to 1989, and was judged a success by students and staff.<ref name=dnb/>

After his official retirement, Tear made a cameo appearance at the 2009 Proms as Bunthorne's solicitor in a performance of ''[[Patience (opera)|Patience]]'', conducted by [[Charles Mackerras|Sir Charles Mackerras]], whose final Prom appearance it also was.<ref name=dt/>

Tear died of [[bronchopneumonia]], secondary to [[Esophageal cancer|oesophageal cancer]], at his home in [[Hammersmith]], London, on 29 March 2011.<ref name=dnb/> A memorial service was held in September of that year at [[St Martin-in-the-Fields]], at which readings and songs were performed by Tear's former colleagues including [[Janet Baker|Dame Janet Baker]], [[Thomas Allen (baritone)|Sir Thomas Allen]], [[John Mark Ainsley]], [[John Tomlinson (bass)|Sir John Tomlinson]] and [[Felicity Palmer|Dame Felicity Palmer]].<ref>[http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:UKNB:LTIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=139CDDF50BC01A38&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=102CDD40F14C6BDA "Memorial service: Robert Tear"], ''The Times'', 16 September 2011</ref>

==Honours and publications==
In 1984 Tear was appointed [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]].<ref name=who/> He was an Honorary Fellow of the [[Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama]] and of King's College, Cambridge.<ref>College website [http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/news/2011/honorary-fellow-robert-tear-dies.html Honorary Fellow (and former choral scholar) Robert Tear dies], King's College Cambridge, 4 April 2011</ref>

Tear published two volumes of memoirs: ''Tear Here'' (1990) and ''Singer Beware'' (1995). In a memorial tribute Robert Ponsonby commented that they were both written "in a style so odd, so metaphysical and so idiosyncratic as sometimes to defy comprehension", although Tear's "seriousness and his interest in things spiritual (he had discovered Buddhism) were self-evident – as they were in his paintings and drawings)."<ref name=mg/>

==Recordings==
Tear made more than 250 records, and wrote in his ''[[Who's Who (UK)|Who's Who]]'' entry that he had worked for every major recording company.<ref name=who>[http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U37204 "Tear, Robert"], Who Was Who, Oxford University Press, 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2015 {{subscription required}}</ref> Roles he sang on disc range from Uriel in [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]]'s ''[[The Creation (Haydn)|The Creation]]'' to the painter in [[Alban Berg|Berg]]'s ''[[Lulu (opera)|Lulu]]'', and from Pitichinaccio in [[Jacques Offenbach|Offenbach]]'s ''[[The Tales of Hoffmann]]'' to Sir Harvey in [[Gaetano Donizetti|Donizetti]]'s ''[[Anna Bolena]]''. His many classical recordings include performances of [[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]], [[George Frideric Handel|Handel]], [[Claudio Monteverdi|Monteverdi]], [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]], [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]], [[Gustav Mahler|Mahler]], [[Anton Bruckner|Bruckner]], [[Igor Stravinsky|Stravinsky]], [[Leoš Janáček|Janáček]], [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]] and [[Olivier Messiaen|Messiaen]]. In the English canon, he also recorded songs by [[Edward Elgar|Elgar]], [[Ralph Vaughan Williams|Vaughan Williams]], [[George Butterworth|Butterworth]] and [[Benjamin Britten|Britten]].<ref>[http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_cda&q=Robert+Tear&fq=fm%3Acda "Robert Tear"], WorldCat. Retrieved 12 August 2015</ref>

==See also==
* [[Le nozze di Figaro (Georg Solti recording)|Mozart: ''Le nozze di Figaro'' (Georg Solti recording)]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/files/news/james-whitbourn-address.pdf Memorial Service Address at King's College Cambridge]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tear, Robert}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:Academics of the Royal Academy of Music]]
[[Category:Alumni of King's College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:20th-century British male opera singers]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Honorary members of the Royal Academy of Music]]
[[Category:People from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan]]
[[Category:Welsh conductors (music)]]
[[Category:British male conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Welsh operatic tenors]]
[[Category:20th-century British conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Choral Scholars of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge]]

Robert Tear - Revision history

imported>Charles Matthews: format ref