On March 19th, my darling

friend Diana Soviero will be

80...and her Romeo,Alberto

Cupido will have his birthday.

When I met Diana at a great

Boheme in 1977, and sent her

the tape...she called me to

thank me on MARCH 19..

My MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY!

Two great divas in my life!!!

Remembering the famous

Mark Reizen,Ukranian basso.

May we all praise the most

courageous people of Ukrania

in a time of their suffering!

   Of all the singers I have

seen live..Tucker remains

the greatest tenor for me.

I write to his sons often and

am happy to have thrilled to

his great voice.

I BET most of you guys

(girls??) have sung this.

I tried!!!! The greatest in

my life...and only B flat

was GINO PENNO!!!

I once taped 31 of them

LIVE...and then I did no.

31...I think I used an

umbrella for a sword.

   Our hearts go out to the

people of the Ukraine!!!

Bless them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO ONE can tell me that Caruso

was not the GOD of singing. My

teacher,Jerry Lo Monaco,told me

That his teacher,Mr.Stanley,said

we only get 1/3!!!!!!!   If he had

lived,imagine  LIVE stuff!!!!

I met Diana Soviero on 3/13/77

and to this day I still say

she is Tebaldi TWO! She turns

80 on Mar.19 (my mother's

birthday!!)...Still has a  voice

and renowned teacher.

  My life has been so treasurable

knowing her!!!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/467019241766609

https://www.facebook.com/groups/467019241766609

Many years ago, a student in

my Spanish class said that

his aunt sang opera.(BIG DEAL?)

It turned out to be a wonderful

singer and later a friend.I miss

her...wonderful lady!!!!

One of my many many groups

deals with singers not really

that well-known.Want the URL?

I will send it...Placido21@aol.com

  I am in touch with Magda's

caretaker..He says she sang

around the house after 100.

She made it to 104, and I feel

she was one of the all-time

opera miracles!!! I called her

every birthday to hear that

"Verismo Italian."

My dear friends,

Those computer glitches

had plagued me, but I

think things are better. You have

been so loyal over the years

(over 2 million hits) and I wish

to keep going. The Pandemic

is to blame for my creating

many facebook groups.Also,

you may get in touch by going to

https://facebook.com/handelmani/

If you wish to chat,I can tell you the

URLS of some of the groups.

Stay Safe..and MASKED!!!!

  Charlie

Computer glitches delayed

me in celebrating the 100th

birthday (2/1/22) of my darling

friend and LEGENDARY  artist.

Little did we know.at her Met debut

on 1/31/55..that when we met her,

it was he BIRTHDAY. I called Italy

on Feb.1...Words fail me....My second

madre...Mom met her and she always

said, "Com'e la madre?" The last high

note in the Butterfly addio once caused

a friend to accidentally hit me in the

ribs in standing room..I almost fell!

She broke the roof of the MET! I

could go on forever..my beloved

Renata....adored forever!!!!!

Bravo,Marcello!!!!!

You had a great D!!!~

As with almost every great

singer, you HAD TO BE THERE

LIVE....and Marcello was just

an amazing artist. I saw him in

Francesca,Edgar,Boheme,

Butterfly,Adriana,Tosca,

Pirata, Fanciulla (Zeani came)

and a master class.

Non posso scordare il

mio caro amico.

On this day, 1/25..I remember

with great affection, my dear

late friend, 1963..Marcello was

more than a great singer...with

that kind of "squillo" that was

so absent recently...he was  such a

kind man, and today I think of

him so fondly.   Con mio amore.

    Carlo.....

  For anyone who has been

living on another planet,I

present my birthday present to

myself(and Placido). You HAD

TO BE THERE!!!! 

Feliz Cumpleanos!!!

Usted y yo celebramos

el 21 de enero. Can you

spare a few dollars???

On Jan.21, we celebrate the

birthdays of two of the most

famous stars of opera. One is

a true baritone, y muy pobre.

El otro es un poco rico, y piensa

que es baritono.. But Placido is

a great artist, and we may go

sin mascaras a la fuente en

Lincoln Centro y vamos a nadar,

cantando en celebracion!!

 Soy un poco loco hoy...

Solamente hoy????

Not bad,Loretta.I do

hope you and Franco

are not having any more

spaghetti fights (with

sauce) in cielo.

It was 1962..First time

I heard this opera. I went

nuts with everyone.

They all sing it..So sick

of it...you must now hear

Sirach von Bodengraven,

from Denmark,where there

<

Happy New Year. Had a

few computer glitches

so hope to post more soon.

Stay Safe!!!! Love Charlie

  To all you wonderful

people..I wish you a

Happy Holiday. If my

dear Renata was here,

she would wish you the

best....a lady whom I loved

so much.   Charlie

We just lost this great

lady..The vocal production

is a bit "eccentric." but

she was amazing in many ways

and sang up to 73.

We tore programs at the

Met after Tebaldi and

Guelfi in Fanciulla. Her

"tre assi e un paio" was

scary!!!!  I adore Barioni.

He is about 91.

In my life...TWO

SINGERS I have never

seen are my loves!!!!

Caruso and Lehmann.

This selection makes me

cwazy!!!

I only saw my fav.singer

88 times. NO ONE ever

thrilled me like Zinka.

"Vell..Novun ees better!!!"

    Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  He DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really Lovable!!!

Discovered a wonderful

Argentinian diva!!!

Enrico and I wish you

all a wonderful Holiday.

Life has been hard these

days and I hope you are

all well. Love, Carlo

Nice to have a new Facebook

Wagnerian friend.

   I came out of retirement...

Was Callas better????????

Maria Callas, 12/2/23
We never knew of the fabulous "Pirates" from 1949-1955,etc. when one day at a party with Maestro Armen Boyajian,Paul Plishka,Franco Gratale,etc... someone had a very poor sounding end of Aida act 2 with CALLAS taking E flat...Che cosa???? We went NUTS!!! I forget if the "second Mexico E flat lady" was there....Marisa Galvany,who did a "Second Callas" (E flats were unheard of in those days in Aida.)
We had heard many of the Angel commercial recordings, but there were no "pirates" to speak of at that time. Now we know her entire output(well,Loretta Corelli did have Fedora....but we never got it.)
However, as much as I knew of Callas, the 1956 Met debut was a disaster...I was shocked! Happily,in 1958 the Lucias and Traviatas were far better...but really the 1949-1955 "skinny" performances were to me a positive sensation....in ALL opera...and she could have done almost every role..imagine "Elektra!!"
Mme.de Hidalgo did not do quite enough, because the tremolo was there...but not bad until the later part of her career, and to me some singing (Poliuto)was almost unlistenable, despite the great artistry.
I love Moedl, Gencer, and other "flawed" sopranos, but when it come to the last note of the Cenerentola aria,I shudder......however, I would be a fool to deny the sensational lady's gift to opera, despite the well-known vocal problems.(and Onassis did not help.)
I always quote J.B. Steane's detailed account of her "Casta Diva" in "The Grand Tradition."...."As if in a trance..." We weigh vocal flaws differently....no question that she could be (for me) a disaster on top later on, but I forgive Moedl..don't I????
What we know is that,despite the controversies,the lady ranks Numero UNO to those who appreciate what she achieved....and on her birthday....so sad to think of her very early end.....we must treasure the great Maria....who loved to run home to watch "I love Lucia..Lucy.before VCR's!!!)
God bless her memory forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maria Callas, 12/2/23 We never knew of the fabulous "Pirates" from 1949-1955,etc. when one day at a party with Maestro Armen Boyajian,Paul Plishka,Franco Gratale,etc... someone had a very poor sounding end of Aida act 2 with CALLAS taking E flat...Che cosa???? We went NUTS!!! I forget if the "second Mexico E flat lady" was there....Marisa Galvany,who did a "Second Callas" (E flats were unheard of in those days in Aida.) We had heard many of the Angel commercial recordings, but there were no "pirates" to speak of at that time. Now we know her entire output(well,Loretta Corelli did have Fedora....but we never got it.) However, as much as I knew of Callas, the 1956 Met debut was a disaster...I was shocked! Happily,in 1958 the Lucias and Traviatas were far better...but really the 1949-1955 "skinny" performances were to me a positive sensation....in ALL opera...and she could have done almost every role..imagine "Elektra!!" Mme.de Hidalgo did not do quite enough, because the tremolo was there...but not bad until the later part of her career, and to me some singing (Poliuto)was almost unlistenable, despite the great artistry. I love Moedl, Gencer, and other "flawed" sopranos, but when it come to the last note of the Cenerentola aria,I shudder......however, I would be a fool to deny the sensational lady's gift to opera, despite the well-known vocal problems.(and Onassis did not help.) I always quote J.B. Steane's detailed account of her "Casta Diva" in "The Grand Tradition."...."As if in a trance..." We weigh vocal flaws differently....no question that she could be (for me) a disaster on top later on, but I forgive Moedl..don't I???? What we know is that,despite the controversies,the lady ranks Numero UNO to those who appreciate what she achieved....and on her birthday....so sad to think of her very early end.....we must treasure the great Maria....who loved to run home to watch "I love Lucia..Lucy.before VCR's!!!) God bless her memory forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so sick of everyone

singing this aria..but at

least someone can sing

it "differently." Gli enigmi

sono tre..Lui e pazzo!!!!

The other day I said to

Galvany,since her daughter

is not an opera lover, "If

my mommy had an E flat

I would be thrilled." No, it

is not to be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Olivia Stapp told me that

she attended an Isolde in

Germany where Moedl was

just about voiceless;yet, the

audience went wild... I can

understand this..For me,

if she read the Hamburg

Telephone Directory, I would

adore it.

Very few artists have thrilled

me as much as Martha Moedl.

From 1957 Walkure,I will

never forget her!!!!!!

Is he really a counter-tenor,

or perhaps a soprano or mezzo.

I wrote him and told him he

should sing Norma!!!!!

We do not have this kind

of singing today!!!

A darling friend for 55 years.

A GREAT artist, but was a

"controversial" singer, and did

not get proper recognition>I

tell you..audiences went wild!!!

I have put so much material

here.I hope I do not

repeat, but there are those

who have not seen all the

material. Galvany still has a D!

Harry was such fun, and dear

Sam is still so popular, and there

is a group in his honor. I am honored

to have sung with him.

The late amazing Edita

who sang all the way

to 73. A great star!!!

Dear Virginia turned 96 last

month.One of the greats and

a dear friend.."La mia sorella.".

Note: I am catching up

on posting for you!!!!

I spoke to Galvany today.

She still has a D!!! Sam has

been close for years, and

Harry was so much fun.

 Life must go one...we are

all getting ancient!!! Ramey

name left off!!!

I think that now Franco and

Loretta are having another

spaghetti fight (with sauce)

in CIELO!!!   They had to

re-decorate the hotel room.

Quite an amazing singer.

Not really the usual

countertenor...quite

wonderful. I bet Marilyn

Horne loves it.

I know I am a crab,but

I think I know the difference

between this and most of

singers of today!!!!

Not my friend Marisa Galvany.

Maria is really an oddity,but

quite amazing!!!!

DISCOVERY!!!!Not really

a typical countertenor.

Reminds me of how I sang

along with Caterina Mancini

at age 16.They almost called the

police!!!

Not in love with the staccati,

but a fine artist.

Michael is a special guy.He

is one of the throwbacks to

my all-time favorites, and a

very nice guy.

Wonderful high tenors

we adore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Talk about excitement!

We do not have any Leonie's

today..(or Corellis,or Gobbis, or

the kind of excitement we loved.

The most incredibly exciting Leonie

made her farewell, knowing the end

was near. How we adored her!!

I had fallen so did not sit here

and post,but will catch up. I now

have 24 groups on Facebook and

if you wish links, E-mail me at

Placido21@aol.com. Be well in

this difficult time.  Charlie

Here is the birthday boy

telling the Dallas audience

to SHUT UP..I agree;I hate

coughers.The opera was

DRISTAN. Someone needed

VICKS cough drops.

  I hope you enjoy my dear

Virginia, one of opera's

great ladies. She sang over

70 roles, from Lucia to Aida

and Senta and a huge variety

of roles, and she still sings a

few high notes on the phone.

On October 21, we will

celebrate the 96th birthday

of my darling friend, the

wonderful Virginia Zeani.

I never have enough words

to express my love for this

wonderful lady, and one of

the great artists of opera.

How many singers can last

as long as the late great Edita

Gruberova? She did have a rather

"eccentric" vocal technique, but

she achieved greatness, and we

think affectionately of a great

lady who "let it all hang out."

Because I watch more TV,

and have Apple TV with my

Youtube, I have been watching

some real JUNK....sometimes

there is an opera person, but

mostly insane delusional people,

some of whom become FURIOUS

at losing. This is not opera,but I

wanted you to see that some

people (even opera singers) do not

realize they are unbearable.

Nostalgia!!! Bergonzi is 72.

Friends Millo and Plishka

and others I miss.

I call my dear Virginia

to see how she is.She is

95,in a Florida facility.

One of the greats!!!!

Better than a few Met

singers..No names!!!

Love German baritones and

basses. More people should

go to Youtube and/or Google

and discover them.

Loved her in Louise.

Poor thing died of Covid.

One of the fine sopranos.

Catching up on some

birthdays,etc. Will do

more and thanks for

your patience.

On Cornell MacNeil's

birthday, 9/24/22,let us

remember how we went

NUTS!!!!!

On Angela's birthday

(9/7/65) I post when

she met my darling Virginia.

They are very close!!!!!

For YEARS I have heard in

my ear Daniele Barioni

in the Butterfly section

at 29:40,where that middle

voice rivals Carreras,Gigli,

Di Stefano,Schmidt. Also

my adored Stella is the

soprano.

There are FIVE tenors

in my life whom I saw live

which I adored:Corelli,

Del Monaco;Tucker;Bergonzi

AND Daniele Barioni...such

a gorgeous voice..sometimes

pushed, but love the voice.

Of course, I do not want to

forget Beczala,Gedda,etc..but

I wanted to list five.

Pardon me...The post on opera

pirate craziness came out 2 times

by accident..and I have to

learn how to edit better.will do.

Hope you enjoyed it....

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk004mBsAWECrB3UuI8f6aJ2sm61fnQ:1604156109463&q=zinka+milanov+rare+footage&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj4_8WYi9_sAhXJUt8KHdXuCfkQ1QIoAXoECCsQAg&biw=941&bih=626 FACT...Not opinion...... Anyone who cannot hear her greatness (even at 57) is DEAF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Pirati..but not Bellini I must tell you some tales of how crazy tape-pirates suffered and strained and might have gone to Alcatraz. You may know some stories..but they are TRUE...and often hilarious..Ok..Here goes..I am in a good mood since Cole struck out 15 Angels. 1. After meeting the great Soviero, I bought a Phallic microphone and so she was able to hear herself LIVE at City Opera. 2. Speaking of "Phallic," a friend was taping in Philadelphia opera from the orchestra..with the mike in his lap,pointing UP..Suddenly,the lady next to him did a "double take," thinking for a moment he was..... (No..he was not a standee). 3. Someone hung a mike on a wire down from a balcony!!!! Someone else pressed the wrong button on the machine (open reel then) for act 2..but got the end of act one..LOUD! 4. I had trouble at Olivero's Met debut,finding an empty bathroom stall..everyone was changing reels....Also, Carnegie finally clamped down on the Queler p[irates and one guy came out of the stall and his machine was confiscated!!!!! 5. Caballe knew her friends were taping..She got to the encores at a recital..and waited till then turned over the cassette. A friend, Bob Fazio, who used to make fun of German, until her married ONE...started to turn over a cassette at a pause in the Sacred silent Fischer-Dieskau Recital (YOU VILLL nicht breathe!!!!) and some people (from the Producers??) looked at him as if he vas Churchill!!!!! 6. I was late a few seconds for Act 3 of a Rigoletto(Pavarotti,Sutherland,Milnes) and you hear for a few seconds my word........well...it was really annoying to tape live...you had to concentrate on the dials, the mike not being seen (black thin cloth over it), not being reported (one lady did it once to me in a Mefistofele..but I then turned it back on.) 7. At a recent Netrebko Carnegie recital..I SWEAR a Russian lady,connected to MOSCOW, hld up her cell phone....!!!!! 8. Speaking of being nuts to tape...the Quler pirates made sure they sat in the front center of Carnegie to get the best sound for their future LP's of the Queler Performances. One night a trickster, during an intermission, HID one guy's machine..also another guy yelled from the balcony..Hey, Did you get a good tape! 9. One man became a MUMMY for a Carnegie Recital and placed mikes in between his two armpits (STEREO).. No breathing.... 10. They once rigged up a machine in the car in the garage next to Carnegie with wireless capabilities to the person's Carnegie machine...but on the tape..you hear.."Hey, Joe...where should we park it?) As Anna Russell said, "I'm not making this up, you know!!!!!!! Who tapes now??No Zinka..no Baum...and even though you can tape VIDEO.....so much is on Youtube...you just have to relax and enjoy the opera,withoput worrying you will end up like Al Capone. I thought of two more: So as not to loose music,the trick was to quickly,at the end of a reel, put the empty one in your TEETH and hold the other and turn....BUT one night at Carnegie...it slipped out of a guy's mouth..and the reel went up the aisle..bump...bump...bump... By the way,,,,every single singer LOVED Pirates..maybe a rumor of one or two objecting...but Rosen spread Carreras..I spread Soviero and Galvany...but i nevr got a PENNY from those cheapies. One little tidbit..It may have nothing to do with taping.... Above Armen Boyajian's Manhattan opera apartment and studio, one of the pirates was murdered by his boyfriend.... Gee..maybe they should have put out some live tape of "La Morte di La Pirata" decomposed by Giuseppe Finocchio.

 More later for Regina....8/30/22

The greatest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Wonderful Cast!!!!!

Love you,Paul!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vv978POJRE

    Paul surely sang with

the BEST!!!!!!!

It was 1961. I made my

debut with Paul Plishka

in Forza Marchese,Melitone).

Look who made it???? Paul has

been a great singer, despite \

some severe tragedies in the

family.   Love you,dear Paul!

Nothing terrible about

some modernization,but

this is a joke!!!!

Do we need Grigolo

or Bocelli????? I was

really amazed! Will the

voice change???

I blame the Pandemic for

having me watch more on

Youtube. I am totally

SHOCKED that some

individuals are furious

when they lack any talent.

I also cannot understand

British English!!!!

   I wish someone would

teach a parrot Hojotoho

or Di Quella Pira. Look,I

have a rhino that sings

all of Pelleas.

I am tired of this aria

but it is not too hard

for very talented kids!!

   I am always so sad at the

loss of these wonderful

singers. I write to Marcello's

widow and hope she will

do as best she can. Dmitri

and Marcello were pure GOLD!

   One of the most gorgeous

voices in "Sea Pictures."

Next time they do a Ring,

I will run up on the stage

and do Wotan. Look, I know

some old Met standees who

would be great Rhinemaidens.

(Even some girls also)

I prefer a heavier voice

but these days...there are

no Eva Turners or Birgit

Nilssons. Her husband is

the Calaf. (Yucch!!)

I always say that Tebaldi

was "la mia madre" and

now my dear 95 yr.old

Virginia Zeani has become

so close to me. We speak

often,and she is in a nice

facility in Florida. I feel she

has been one of the all-time

greatest singers.

I wrote to Travis Pratt,

now a tenor, after I saw

this. I expected RAP and

got this..He is a nice guy

and most unusual...

Marcello Giordani left

us too soon. He was a

wonderful tenor and a dear

man.I write often on chat

to his widow. We must

never forget those we have lost.

It is my intention on my

various sites to acquaint

people with "lesser-known"

singers..There are so many

and I know you appreciate them.

E flat!!!!! I love it!!!!

Nice lady and huge voice.

I did not know she had

an E flat!!~

https://www.facebook.com/groups/801295193909819

You might enjoy one of my 12 groups.....

https://www.facebook.com/groups/801295193909819

Dios Mio!!!! Look out,all

you sopranos...I was never

this good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    It is difficult to find

a favorite Caruso selection.

Here is one of my loves!!

The "God of singing"

Enrico Caruso,tragically

died at 48...100 yrs.ago

8/2/21...NO ONE can ever

si

Edita Gruberova had a rather

"eccentric" vocal sound, but

she  was amazing, and people

traveled all over to hear her.

I never saw him, but am told

the voice was exciting.Whenever

we hear thunder, we know he

is singing in heaven!

   The great Mario!!!!!

I was 15 and the first singer

I ever saw live was Mario

in my first opera, Aida.I saw

him 40 times, and the man

was sensational.He had a

"bronze column of sound"

from bottom to top.Loved this

man.He once came out and

said,"Hello,boys" in my poor

little ear!!!!

  I have been so happy to have

sung in various opera groups,

and have enjoyed some fine

artists (like Sam Ramey,Paul

Plishka, and Marisa Galvany)

BUT some people live in a world

of their own..like Sue...who also

does the E flat in the Aida which

I think I have published. She vocalizes

on our NY bridge and therefore

this accounts for many auto crashes.

  Mio Dio!!!!!!!!!