OH!!!Calisto Bieito loves to stage

those Verdi operas in a "traditional"

manner...  E pazzo!!!!!

Luciano must have had a great

time with Isola Jones. They

always had to make doors wider

so she could enter. I once told

Soviero to wear metal panties,

knowing what he enjoyed!!!

Someone did not like some

post I made on Facebook and

they blocked me two days.So you

are getting more videos! Good 

for you. Maybe I said Peretyatko

is better than Callas?????

  Nice to see stars have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  What a nice guy...Stefan Kocan…but

Met does not appreciate him...

Such a wonderful artist and friend.

  La Scala audience is very MEAN!!!!!

Placido might try this in 2098...Michael is amazing!

  Great voice..I do not know if she sings 

anymore..The enormous weight might have

been a problem..but love the voice.

  Stella and Bergonzi in great scene.

 I am too lazy to redo the Tebaldi

comments;much is cut off;in the

future I will be more careful.

Note she runs on the B flat and it is

the closest to what I heard live..Ten

Jet planes!!!!!

    LUV IT....but note Heddle Nash does it in falsetto. Hard note after an entire aria...Best for me is the GEDDA ATTACK. My poor friend had to make a series of LP's for Eddie Smith, the first pirate of 101 of the entire aria..His poor wife almost wanted a divorce!!!!!

Love this...but nothing compares with Corelli in Parma...which is really almost "funny" like the Caballe Don Carlo ending.

  I am sure that many of you have met, and in some cases, became friendly with opera stars. In my case, it is the great Renata Tebaldi with whom I had a closer-than-usual relationship. It was on every birthday that we spoke, and since my mother had met her once, she always said, "Carlos,com'e la mamma??"She called me "Carlos" rather than "Carlo" since her English was limited and my Italian was limited...so I used my Spanish. NO ONE in my life,except my ma, meant more to me...Now it is Virginia Zeani, in that same kind of feeling, whom I will forever treasure...and as compared to Zinka, whom you could NEVER call by her first name, Tebaldi was only "Renata" to us. Bless her forever!!!!

We always had guessing games so why don't you give out prizes for those who can guess the most of these singers???

I love this guy.....why is he not here at the Met????

Well, they have no taste!!!!!   Please note I am doing only many videos, but a big variety.

Please send me comments to Placido21@aol.com. We were both born Jan.21, except I am a real baritone.(ooops, am I mean???)

I will never ever forget the golden sound at "Beviamo ai novissimi legaaaaaaami"...this is like a Di Stefano or Gigli sound..I loved him, and she  was one of the greatest..Just turned 90!!!!!

  One of the FIVE tenors I saw and adored (Tucker,Bergonzi,Corelli,Del Monaco) were the others.The man had the most gorgeous middle voice I ever heard. He did push but the basic sound was absolutely ravishing..especially in the first act of Butterfly, "O Kami O Kami....BEVIAMO AI NOVISSIMI LEGAAAAAMI." I will not ever forget him!!!!! I will post the Butterfly.

  Mentally deranged Bonisolli stays on the high C and then when people applaud and others try to interrupt, he says that Puccini wrote a pause there. The man was a PIG and I hate him!!!!!!!

Beverly's D at the end of the "Vivi,ingrato" ranks as one of my greatest thrills!!!!!! Live, you held your breath!!!!

  Our 1970 Bolena with Galvany holding the D 5 hrs.and a new guy named Sam Ramey. I was Rochefort. I am the only person who could look down her throat while she sang high D and E flat!!!! Who would know Sam would become one of the all-time greats.

  What a thrill to remember my meeting Sam in 1970 and then singing with him in Bolena,Barbiere, and Hoffmann. Great guy!!!!!!

  I met Sam at our first Bolena rehearsal in 1970. He has been one of the great singers of our time. Love to him!!!

  We love Javier...not just the high notes, but the incredible musicality. He is a special guy!!!!

  I once told Ricky Di Giuseppe how I loved his high E flat in Coq d'or..He replied, "HIGH E natural!!" So now Michael shows off his fabulous top!!!!!!

George Gershwin allowed only Afro-Americans in Porgy and Bess. That is a shame, because, from the GRAVE, next season at the Met, the new Porgy will be presented. Well, Mari actually sings this as if she were in the grave. Bless her. She tries so hard.

One of my all-time favorite commercial recordings!!!!!

Here is Virginia in the Console aria.She remains of the greatest singers in my life, and a dear friend.

She created this role, and following this are two more versions of the aria.

Piccolo Marat with Borso and my sister,Virginia..and a loud prompter. They have no verismo sopranos today to do this.     Beautiful work!!!

  Of all the tenors I never saw live, here is one of them,along with Caruso,Thill,Anselmi, and Masini,

  Saw him on Paris visit in 1976..Gorgeous voice..never came to Met.....Beautiful voice!!!!!

  Happy Birthday Nelly...still can sing!!!!    3/31/52......

OLD SCHOOL!!!!! Lovely, darling singer and one of the greats (not that the Met cares).I had to study three hours to learn to spell her name.

In Newark, New Jersey at 23:11 :Loris,ove sei" I thought I was going to collapse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't "call" you today...but you "call" me forever.

  I just cannot believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Zinka may be my favorite singer, but maybe Magda in another way, has to be someone I treasure more!!!

  Her caretaker said she could sing around the house at 100!!!!!!  God bless her.

  Piangero per sempre!!!!!!!!!!!!

  She was once told, "Do not quit your day job." The basic quality is not like a Tebaldi but her singing emerges as the most gorgeous in its emotion and love for music. She is for me, a miracle!!!

Magda....the miracle of opera. Oh, by the way, the Tosca selection is MY TAPE, and the ovation was cut...it lasted forever!!!!

I cannot call you as I did on every birthday, but you will always be enshrined in my heart as the MIRACLE of opera.

One of the rare singers who reminds us of what we do not have anymore.....

Ivan Koslovsky   3/24/1900   Slightly nuts!

When I told Dolora (3/24/52) she is a throwback to the great past, she had me do a master class for her students.I played good old stuff. When I asked her what it was like to sing the glorious Amneris, she said, "I just want to get the notes out!!"   Amazing woman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Truly superb tenor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Melchior had a birthday this week. This guy is a sensation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  My adored Martha Moedl. Flawed in some ways but one of the most exciting singers ever. Olivia Stapp saw a "voiceless Isolde" in Europe once and audience went crazy...Unforgettable lady.

Rudy Park and my friend Aprile! This is what we do not hear today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   Mamma Mia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DISCOVERY!!!!!!  Rudy Park!!!

 I saw Mario and Franco each 40 times...this guy is OLD SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw a fabulous one and she had bronchitis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did not know of this.....for Diana's Mar.19 birthday and my buddy Sam...…….

Since the days of Favero,Muzio,Zeani,Olivero,Scotto...we have had NO ONE like what Diana does..NO ONE!!!!!!

Not only does Diana Soviero and my mother have Mar.19 birthdays, but tenor Alberto Cupido celebrates. What a coincidence!!!!

Soviero sat on my couch and I said, "I have a Violetta you might like." She said, "Oh..she might study with me." I then played Mari Lynn and Diana almost fell on the floor. I love the word "Muttatta.

Mar.19...My darling Diana Soviero, one of the greatest singers, and MY MOTHER, one of the greatest mothers celebrate birthdays!!!!!

  Could be, and top was great but NOT BAUM EVERY NIGHT!!! His wife came out of the stage door after he was boooed and said, "I am Il Trovatore, not Milanov." She screamed. "You're all a bunch of faggots!!!"   Gee, she must have been in the standing room.

He is now coaching Tamagno,Martinelli, and Al Jolson.

  WE HATED HIM!!!! Well, if Tucker or Mario were not there, he was reliable. Ugly voice.....I had to see him with Zinka Lord knows how much. Yes,he was reliable, but in those days, the rosters were small as compared to today, and singers stayed at the Met a lot. He is good in Lohengrin scene w.Traubel..more Germanic..Had fabulous high C...that is all!!!!

  Fun with Christa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    THRILLING STELLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In 1966 Ludwig, ex-husband Berry, King,Rysanek,Dalis, under Boehm gave what I consider the greatest all-around show in my LIFE!!!!!!

  Dyer's wife in Frau probably greatest single performance of a role by a singer in my life!!!!!!

Stella and a tenor I adored, with his gorgeous voice matching hers. She loved to cry a lot!!!!

  I almost forgot about Zinka as Stella opened her mouth as Aida in 1956. GREAT lady!!!!!

Turns 90. Imagine to have Milanov,Tebaldi,Stella on roster in 1956. She and Bergonzi debut I will never forget..and I adored her luscious rich gorgeous voice.

She had her flaws...but NUTS FOR HER.We gave a party in 1972 after Attila..All other divas photos taken down.Kabaiwanska came in New Years Eve.and said, "What is ths, a SHRINE????"

LAST APPEARANCE....SO SAD!!!!

  I love the Mehta/Valencia

RING.... Innovative!!!!!

Ivan Koslovsky  3/11/1900. I love very subtle singers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3/10/1892  Ages ago a friend brought me a 78 of Eva Turner..Who???? I went nuts!!!!! Nilsson might have not been able to cover her!!!!

  When dear Larry Brownlee sang this for his Met audition, the place went nuts....Here is another example of a superb lyric tenor with great range and technique! Bravo to him!!!!!

  I thought Stefan Zucker was the world's highest tenor..OH NO!!!!!!

Jamie Barton, the ghost of Ebe Stignani,and the great mezzos of the past!!!!!

Claudia Novikova  3/9/1895 is a real CHARMER!!!  Special lady!!!

  Our new HERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BIS for the great Javier Camarena!!!!

  Piotr gets a BIS!!!!! Love that guy!

Clara Petrella (and Mario) is really so wild!!!! Wonderful example of the kind of singing we no longer have.They want it "pretty."

We called the great Giorgio Tozzi 

"Signor Legato." Fabulous basso.

Jamie Barton is one of a handful of singers today who is "old school." A truly great voice and lovely lady!!!!

Sam Ramey,who inherited his roles,

told me as a young student how he

saw this skinny guy in a rehearsal, open up this HUGE voice. One of the all-time greatest singing-actors!!!!!

  The great Treigle and Rudel born on a Mar.6. I asked Di Giuseppe about his high e flat..He said, "E natural"  Treigle one of the greatest singers ever. Sam Ramey No.1!!

Love Saioa Hernandez. Of course, the Met is so dumb they probably will not get her!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Margarete Teschemacher 3/3/1903.

Great voice with another favorite singer!

Lucine saved so many shows she became  a "house soprano" which was

often a negative....but a great sound!   Happy Birthday!

(and those xxxxx rated jokes!)

Lucine told me (I was there) how

Monteux had to hold the dream roll

after this trio since we went NUTS!

Bless her!!!   Still has voice!!!!!

Met 1972 Bing Gala. I sat there as

if I had never heard her before and

could not BELIEVE any human

throat could produce those sounds!

  The most glorious singing on this

planet..Note "Eravante possente" and later the pppp on "Oh,ora soave" double

attack.I used to collapse over the

standees rail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marcello and I have discussed  the "old school" and he is an example...I miss him so much!!!!!!

GOD sings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It has been so long and comments cannot be placed here. I really am dying to know how my podcasts are..Could someone or two or more write me at Placido21@aol.com.

I want to please you!!!   Love  Charlie

Looking at coming Met season, I

would prefer Mari!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   Adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darling Virginia, at 93, is at a fine

facility in Florida. My beloved!!!!

The great NY La Puma Opera from the 60's. We got hysterical most of

the time.  That tenor really had a

GREAT passaggio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  I know Stephen  over 10 yrs.Here is this nice guy at the start of his

career!   Glad he made it!!!!!

(in key) and do not try to tell me

there is ANYTHING today like this!

Incredibly famous lady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Massenet re-wrote the opera

for this great man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  She got better and better...Glorious!!!!!

Rise sat at her desk and as if "in a trance"

spoke of Lehmann's Eva...and it ended up

they did Rosenkavalier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!