Richard Tucker
West 66th Street, Broadway, and Columbus Avenue
This bust of the famous tenor Richard Tucker sits seemingly discarded in a small cobblestoned space, in the midst of a small herd of tables and chairs at the intersection of West 66th, Broadway and Columbus Avenue.
Tucker was one of the most accomplished American tenors in history. He had a long career with the Metropolitan Opera, performing more than 30 roles, but also was a regular cantor at the Brooklyn Jewish Center, conducting services even at the height of his fame.
A view of Tucker.
You'd never think a statue of a guy like that could stir up controversy, but Tucker's did. The original design called for a seven-foot figure of Tucker dressed for the role of Des Grieux in Puccini's "Manon Lescault." But after the idea was proposed, a member of the local community board, apparently not a lover of Puccini, groused. As The New York Times told the story in its May 8, 1978, editions, the board member was not enamored with the possibility of Tucker towering over the tiny triangle-shaped park, pointing out that a statue like that would be more appropriate in the Met's Hall of Fame. The board member also took umbrage that approval process for the statue wasn't going by the book, offering a brief civics lecture to The Times's correspondent.
Through it all, Tucker's wife was steadfast, displaying an unemotional confidence in her brief quotes to The Times. Four days later, The Times blandly reported the community board's endorsement of the statue.
Tucker's statue was finally dedicated April 20, 1980, officially a gift from the music foundation his wife set up after his death. A similar bust was unveiled in Tel Aviv, Israel, that same year.
In the end, the final design was an enormous, unadorned bust of bronze perched atop an inscribed pedestal of polished granite, with Tucker's serene gaze directed to the south. The front is inscribed matter of factly with his name and life span; on the back is a list of the operas he performed. The whole of it is seven feet tall, probably half the size of the original design. It was sculpted by Milton Hebald and cast in 1979.
Tucker was born Aug. 28, 1913, in Brooklyn, and died Jan. 8, 1975, while preparing for a performance in Kalamazoo, Mich. His funeral service was on stage at the Met, the only such service ever performed there.
Updated August, 2007, SIRIS 87870191
