Blanche Thebom Tribute

   We mourn the passing of the superb mezzo, Blanche Thebom. Here are scenes from Aida, Norma, Samson et Delilah, Don Carlo, and Tristan und Isolde. She was a wonderful singer and artist, with a beautiful rich voice.  Rest in peace.

Direct download: 2010-03-28-19-36-56.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:58pm EDT

Magda Olivero is 100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 How can anyone adequately describe the miracle of the today 100 year old Magda Olivero. I spoke to her this morning and she gives you all "un abbraccio!!"

     CENT'ANNI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Listen to the selections and thrill to this great great lady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    (66 min)

 

Correction:The Fedora I mentioned was in New Jersey, not in New York as I stated.

 

P.S.

 
and when I called her and a friend called her she said the entire (new) apt.is covered w.Flowers......
 
GOD BLESS HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Direct download: 2010-03-25-12-53-17.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:19pm EDT

Ballo 1944 Met

Ballo in Maschera highlights from 1944 under Bruno Walter. The cast includes Zinka Milanov,Leonard Warren, Jan Peerce, Frances Greer, and Kerstin Thorborg (67 min.)

Direct download: 2010-03-22-13-39-07.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:07pm EDT

 Tito Schipa

Songs and arias as sung by the legendary tenor, Tito Schipa, a master of exquisite phrasing and the "love of the vocal line." His singing is a true vocal LESSON in how to phrase with beauty and delicacy.   (68 min.)

Direct download: 2010-03-21-14-35-38.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:04pm EDT

Gigli/Melchior Birthdays 3/20/1890

Celebrating the birthdays of the great Beniamino Gigli and the equally great Lauritz Melchior, both born on March 20, 1890. I guess the Gods were smiling on that day!           (45 min.)

Direct download: 2010-03-20-19-39-07.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:57pm EDT

Adriana Olivero 1959

 You want a fabulous cast?????? Listen to this Adriana Lecouvreur from Naples, 1959 under Mario Rossi.

Magda Olivero (100 yrs.old on Mar.25),Franco,Corelli, Giulietta Simionato, Ettore Bastianini   (67 min.)

Direct download: 2010-03-20-12-33-22.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:00pm EDT

Happy Birthday to Diana Soviero

  March 19, 2010 marks the birthday of my two favorite divas:
        First, my darling friend and great opera star, Diana Soviero, heard here in Puccini roles, and then my adored mother, who couldn't sing, but she did a mean fox-trot and was in the Follies. I would add that while mom never met Richard Tucker, she did know Sophie!

     A beautiful happy birthday to dear Diana, someone who captured my heart over 30 years ago. I have heard them all (well, after Melba), and she remains for me one of the greatest sopranos and a beautiful human being!

Direct download: 2010-03-19-11-49-37.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:07pm EDT

Soviero Debut Juliette

 Enjoy highlights from the 1986 Romeo et Juliette, marking the Met debut of my dear Diana Soviero and the marvelous Alfredo Kraus, with Paul Plishka and Brian Shexnayder under Placido Domingo.  (57 min.)

Gee, the photo shows we were young once-upon-a-time.

Direct download: 2010-03-15-17-43-23.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:10pm EDT

Irina Rindzuner

You like divas???????????????

http://www.irinarindzuner.com/video.aspx

 

So go here and sample the art of the marvelous Irina Rindzuner, and also I placed clips on my site:

http://www.youtube.com/mrfriendofopera

  What a great lady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Category:general -- posted at: 11:32am EDT

Cortigiani Compilation

A compilation of baritones (and one lady) singing the Rigolettto "Cortigiani."

Included (in order) are:Riccardo Stracciari, Giuseppe Danise,Michael Bohnen, Heinrich Schlusnus, Paolo Silveri, Piero Cappuccilli, Franz Grundheber, Louis Quilico, Thomas Tipton, Cornell MacNeil, Robert Merrill, Leonard Warren, and in a Julliard coaching  session in 1971 with baritone Sung Kil Kim, MARIA CALLAS!
                                                           (74 min.)

 

Direct download: 2010-03-15-09-47-15.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:19am EDT

Rest in Peace, Philip Langridge

The opera world mourns the passing of the superb Philip Langridge, pictured here in his last role, the witch in Hansel and Gretel. Here is some biographical material:

Philip Gordon Langridge CBE (16 December 1939 – 5 March 2010)[1] was an English tenor,[2] considered to be among the foremost exponents of English opera and oratorio.[3][4]

Langridge was born in Hawkhurst, Kent, educated at Maidstone Grammar School and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London.[5] He started his career as an orchestral violinist, which exposed him to a greater variety of music than professional singers ordinarily experience.

Langridge was admired for his fine technique coupled with keen dramatic instincts. His repertoire was broad, ranging from the operas of Claudio Monteverdi and Mozart to more modern works by Ravel, Stravinsky, Janáček and Schoenberg. At the end of his life, he was adding some Wagner roles, including Loge from Das Rheingold. Langridge was also a fine concert singer and regularly performed the sacred music of Bach and Handel. He also won great acclaim for his assumption of the title role in Elgar's oratorio, The Dream of Gerontius.

For all his versatility, he was at his most distinguished performing the works of Benjamin Britten.[6] Much of Britten's vocal music was written specifically for his artistic and life partner, tenor Sir Peter Pears. Many regarded Langridge as Pears' true successor because they shared similar vocal qualities and brought uncommon immediacy to the music they performed. He recorded many of his famous roles, including Peter Grimes and the Prologue / Quint in The Turn of the Screw, as well as all the orchestral song cycles for tenor voice.

Langridge's association with Harrison Birtwistle began in 1986 when he created the role of Orpheus in his opera The Mask of Orpheus. He also sang The Lawyer in the world premiere recording of Punch and Judy (1989) and created the roles of Kong in The Second Mrs Kong (Glyndebourne, 1994) and Hiereus in The Minotaur (Royal Opera House, 2008).[7] Birtwistle composed Vanitas (based on a poem by David Harsent) especially for Langridge's 70th birthday concert at London's Wigmore Hall in November 2009.[6]

Langridge was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to music in 1994. He was married to Irish mezzo-soprano Ann Murray until his death from bowel cancer. Langridge is survived by their son Jonathan Philip (born 1986, Greenwich, London),[8] and his three adult children from his previous marriage: Anita, Jennifer,[9] and opera director Stephen. [10]

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Category:general -- posted at: 1:52pm EDT

Caballe/Bergonzi Tosca from Vienna

 A fine Tosca from Vienna ,1976 under Horst Stein,

 Featured are Montserrat Caballe, Carlo Bergonzi, and Gianpiero Mastromei  (71 min.)

Direct download: 2010-03-11-15-01-07.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:31pm EDT

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