The famous tenor,Jon Vickers, turns 85 on Oct.29. Here are some scenes from Walkure,Parsifal, and Peter Grimes, plus a little "bonus" to celebrate his great career  (60 min.)

Scenes from Elektra featuring the remarkable Birgit Nilsson. We begin with her very first Elektra on May 14, 1965 under Berislav Klobucar, from Stockholm. In the cast are Berit Lindholm and Barbro Ericson.  This is followed by a performance from 1966 under Thomas Schippers with Leonie Rysanek, and finally the last opera she ever did-also Elektra, from1982 in Frankfurt,under Ralf Weikert.  (73 min.)

   Let us celebrate the career of a "miracle" in the world of opera.

A compilation of material as sung by the superb French tenor, Alain Vanzo  (announced)     (60 min.)

Katharine Goeldner sang her first Met Jayne Seymour in Anna Bolena last Friday. This is a magnificent voice and a consummate musician and artist. If you go to Youtube, you will hear a Waltraute scene to DIE FOR!!!

 I finally saw a show where everyone was superb,and you know what a crab-apple I am!!    Charlie

 GO to the Youtube page of soprano Angela Meade!! Her first Anna Bolena on Friday was stunning....The voice is big and rich, with an easy top...but the astounding thing for this Milanov lover was that she has pppppianissimi from HEAVEN!!!  She received HUGE ovations, and I say that she will be our newest diva star!!!     

 Hey Charlie...Tell us what you think!

The 75 year old Carlo Bergonzi returns to New York in 1999. This recital is one that exemplifies his incredible artistry, his joy in the phrasing of songs and arias,and in total, he has remained one of the icons in opera history.  (68 min.)

Happy birthday to my darling Virginia Zeani,one of the greatest divas in opera history. (No fooling.). In this tribute we present arias from Mefistofele, Turandot, Adriana Lecouvreur,Traviata, Lucia, Don Carlo, Maria di Rohan, Thais, Zelmira, La Boheme, and the Elisir duet with Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, her beloved husband.   (72 min.)

   Camilla Williams, now 92, was my first Butterfly when I was about 16. Virginia Zeani's birthday is Oct.21,(tribute coming later) and she told me they were friends from Bloomington,Indiana, where they both taught. Williams had called her on her birthday, and I was so happy to remember her.I called her and told her I would do a little podcast for her. What a sweetheart;so sad that prejudice did not allow her and other Afro-American artists to appear at the Met for so long. I know you will enjoy this and go to Youtube for some of her material.   (14 min.)

A wonderful Traviata from 1990 under Rico Saccani featuring Diana Soviero, the dear late Jerry Hadley, and Brian Schexnayder..(72 min.)

Diana and I go back 35 years.Remember,I do not love her because I know her. Many of us love singers onstage FIRST, and in some cases we get to know them (and are even MORE critical.)

An abridged Ernani from Florence, 1957, under Dimitri Mitropolous. The exciting cast includes Mario Del Monaco,Anita Cerquetti, Ettore Bastianini, and Boris Christoff.   (70 min.)