This unfortunate lady, related to the Del Monaco family, had consumed too many tranquilizers prior to this performance. I know it is funny, but so tragic. They really should have halted the proceedings, because this is so sad, even in the hilarity it produced all over Youtube.

  Just listen to Schipa saying,"Suzel,buon di" and you know what elegance of style means. The Favero/Schipa Fritz duet is an example of a style long gone from our opera scene;they are too busy giving us a "show," and I am sorry..I say this always, but I would like to know if there is ONE TEACHER who understands this brand of artistry.(Probably Soviero does.)

  In the temporary absence of my podcasts, I can analyze some material the way I do on my podcasts. Here is a perfect example of how Maria Callas, despite vocal imperfections (although this is in her prime), could thrill us to no end by her knowldge of Italian style and remarkable phrasing. This is an example of what she was as a great artist. I always marvel at what she does with
"small moments" in the opera repertory;as much as I love Anna Netrebko, her new Verdi album is lacking in this kind of detailed approach to phrasing.

Our Facebook diva-friend, Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs in the Stefan Herheim Salome..Yes, he is "strange" but it seems to work. I am still conflicted about different productions these days because they are,on some level, entertaining, and even clever...but at the same time i often wonder if we are going too far!!!

  In case you might not know that now they are putting on a tremendous number of COMPLETE operas on Youtube. Go to Google and click on "Complete Operas." Here is one of them:

  Someone as delusional as I am decided to do a "Summertime Mix" and please do not let small children and any animals in the room when you play this, because we do not want to cause emotional disaster!!

 I have already posted this Puritani duet as sung by Ed Rosen and myself years ago. We should have called it "The Pirates sing Puritani" or the "Pirate cantano" I Puritani."  As usual,Ed hams it up on the final A flat, but on a good day in my shower I can do it. We did have a lot of fun doing this at the Belle Epoque restaurant, and no one lost their meal.

"Perle Nere" or "Black pearls' is the term often used for opera disasters. My feeling here is that singers are human (really??) and we expect so much of them.We do not realize that what they do is a "miracle" and with a few exceptions, what you will hear is just an example of how hard it is to get out there on a regular basis and perform. There are a few selections perhaps that are "accidents"(like the Carmen who overdosed on pills).

   Let's give them a break!!  I say this,remembering I once had to laugh at myself for cracking like mad as Monterone, when I just started singing and did not have the proper technique. I remember saying that if I was in the audience I would have laughed at this guy!!!

I discovered this beautiful Tchaikowsky opera when I was Marisa Galvany's doctor in a production we did many years ago. I will see Onegin soon with Mme.Netrebko and Piotr Beczala and a later one with the happy return of Rolando Villazon. Here they are in the beautiful duet and i know you will enjoy it.

I hope you are enjoying these videos while I await the return of my "Computer Doctor."

This 1920 Africaine aria drives me NUTS!!!!! Caruso died a year later. What a fabulous sound he makes..Note the combination of lyric and dramatic tone..and those "vowel sounds" in every part of the range, and when he goes above the passaggio, it makes me thrill every time!!!!