A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO THE BELOVED
RISE STEVENS,ONE OF THE GREAT ARTISTS IN
MY MEMORY

(Photo: Rise posed with every single member of her music club at our last gathering out on the island at Westhampton Beach, New York..This was followed by everyone being thrown into the swimming pool.(Except me..I never learned to swim!)

Our Happy Birthday tribute to the opera stars born in June.

Fedora Barbieri-6/4/20     

Joel Berglund-6/4/03
Roberto Alagna- 6/7/63    

Jose Palet- 6/7/1877
Mario Filippeschi- 6/7/07  

John McCormack-6/14/1884
Helen Traubel-6/16/1898  

Eugenia Burzio-6/20/1882
Giuseppe Taddei- 6/26/16  

Riccardo Stracciari-6/27/1875
Anna Moffo-6/27/32         

Elena Nikolaidi-6/29/09
Luisa Tetrazzini 6/29/1871
                  

                    "SHAKESPEARE IN MUSIC"

  A podcast in which we hear examples of Shakespeare's influence
  on (mostly) opera. We feature selections from:

Hamlet,Falstaff, Merry Wives of Windsor, Macbeth, 
Antony & Cleopatra, I Capuletti ed I Montecchi,
The Otellos of Verdi & Rossini, The Romeo of Gounod,
The Romeo of Berlioz, West Side Story & Kiss Me Kate.

   The great Bellini opera "Norma" surely lends itself to
    performances by some of our most memorable artists.
    Here are some scenes which feature a number of them:

Maria Callas, Montserrat Caballe, Shirley Verrett,
Lauren Flanigan, Marisa Galvany, Zinka Milanov,
Gina Cigna, Rita Hunter, Beverly Sills, Renata Scotto,
Joan Sutherland, Leyla Gencer, Lili Lehmann,
Marilyn Horne, Ebe Stignani, Gino Penno,Kurt Baum,
Carlos Cossutta, Lamberto Furlan, Carlo Bergonzii, Franco Corelli,  Elena Nicolai, Roberto Francesconi,
AND Olive Middleton (well, nobody's POIFEKT!)

          Truly wonderful singing by La Scala artists who
                 visited Russia in 1964. Included are:

Mirella Freni, Bruno Prevedi, Renata Scotto,
Birgit Nilsson, Carlo Bergonzi, 
Fiorenza Cossotto, and Gianni Raimondi

 Brunnhilde's Battle Cry as sung by a series of sopranos:

Kirsten Flagstad
Frida Leider
Margaret Harshaw
Erna Schleuter
Nadezna Kniplova
Johanna Gadski
Helene Wildbrunn
Gertrude Grob-Prandl
Gertrude Kappel
Pelage Greef-Andriessen

Bonus: the great La Puma Opera Company's version. (Please proceed at your own risk on this last one!)

AS LONG AS WE ARE IN A "RING MODE," 
ON "UNNATURAL ACTS OF OPERA,
LA CIECA IS CURRENTLY PRESENTING
A COMPLETE RING PODCAST



Kirsten Flagstad sings "Hojotoho!" in The Big Broadcast of 1937.

A collection of artists of Dutch ancestry.Included are:

Jacques Urlus, Nan Merriman, Elizabeth Ohms,
Elly Ameling, Maartje Offers, Jard Van Nes,
Cora Canne Meijer, Gre Brouwenstijn (in photo),
Christina Deutekom, and Jo Vincent

In the early part of the 20th century, many artists
recorded mostly Wagnerian material, as performed at the
Sopot (Poland) Forest Theatre Festival, known as the
"Bayreuth of the North."

Tenors:  Jacques Urlus, Richard Schubert, 
Albert Reiss, Fritz Soot                 

Bassos/Baritones:  Georges Baklanoff, 
Desider Zandor, Robert Vom Scheidt,
Heinrich Knote, Adolf Schoepplin

       Sopranos: Frida Leider, Helene Wildbrunn, and 
     Meta Seinemeyer. 

 Part one of an interesting and exciting podcast in which we can
 compare various sopranos singing the great "Pace" from Verdi's
 "La Forza del Destino."
      As usual,with this kind of program, I will not list the sopranos
here, because I have designed the podcast so that you do not know
the names until each group of three has been played.

              Peace be with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Photo:Renata Tebaldi as Leonora)

    An exciting comparison of various sopranos singing the
    great aria from Turandot, "In questa reggia." I am not
    going to list the sopranos here because some of you like
    to play guessing games. Each soprano will be named after
    each group of selections.

        Remember:  "Gli enigmi sono tre...Charlie è una!!"