Remember that lovable film about Verdi's "Casa di riposo" for old singers, some of whom can still sing? Sarah Scuderi was the STAR of the film, and she was born on Dec.11, 1906. What a loving tribute to singers of the past who might not have the finances to live a luxurious retiremen t. This is so gorgeous!!!!

The marvelous Sondra Radvanovsky is singing the Met Ballo today; she possess one of the most brilliant voices I ever heard, but you MUST hear her live, because she has a kind of resonance in the house that sounds like a "mike is in her throat." I once told her some tones were "Isolde tones." Here is a clip rom her Chicago Ballo.

 The late Shirley Verrett, one of my all-time favorite artists, appears as Carmen in this Rome 1967 performance under Georges Pretre. The superb Australian tenor, Albert Lance, is the Don Jose, with Robert Massard as Escamillo.  (70 min.)

Highlights from a 1975 Barcelona Tosca under Giuseppe Morelli, with Virginia Zeani, Placido Domingo, and Piero Francia. Why don't more people realize how great she is?? Well,you've heard this before.  (70 min.)k

  DIOS MIO!!!!!!  My friends (including Virginia Zeani) heard Boheme in Florida last night and went NUTS over this guy!!!  This is a fabulous voice and i hope we hear much more of him.. BRAVISSIMO!!!!

    My favorite part of my favorite opera!! I had mentioned that a few years ago Dolora Zajick asked me to give a "Handelmanian" class for her young students; she has a project with young singers, trying to bring back the kind of singing so missing today. Note how she sings the end of this scene with incredible abandon. I will see her as Amneris in two weeks. Note she takes the high B that usually only Aida takes toward the end. She has FUN!!!!

  Not just Cavalleria Rusticana!! Mascagni wrote such gorgeous music...This scene from his Piccolo Marat is just amazing. Virginia Zeani, Umberto Borso, and a loud prompter perform. The audience actually made them repeat this whole duet!!!!!

  Just enjoy these marvelous scenes from an opera written by Giuseppe Verdi, who made his fame at the premiere. However, not all performances are up to his standards. If you are a basso, I suggest you do not attempt to learn Zaccaria with this recording.  (16 wonderful minutes.)

 The sensational Kirsten Flagstad is heard in the World Premiere of Strauss' Four Last Songs from 1950 under Wilhelm Furtwaengler  in London.She is then heard in three Strauss songs: Befreit, Allerseelen, and Caecilie, from San Francisco in 1950 under Merolla.

She is joined by Set Svanholm in Wagner Scenes from The Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin, Tristan und Isolde, and Die Meistersinger, from 1949 also under Gaetano Merolla.   (70 min.)

 Carreras was born on Dec.5, 1946. In his prime it was a glorious voice, one of the greatest in opera;yes,he did push the voice into heavier roles and even before the illness he was having problems, but for a time he was a true sensation, and he came thrugh a serious illness with great dignity and amazing courage.