Despite some of the extra-hype, how could we deny the incredible voice of Luciano Pavarotti, born Oct.12, 1935...We lost him all too soon.

       When he sang, "Nessun dorma."   Bless his memory!

A Queen of Spades performance in Italian from Florence in 1952.The conductor is Arthur Rodzinsky and the cast includes David Poleri, Sena Jurinac, Ettore Bastianini, and Gianna Pederzini. (67 min.)

   A special birthday tribute (Oct.10) to the great soprano Leyla Gencer. Included are scenes from Anna Bolena, Saffo (Pacini), and Roberto Devereux. I have always considered her one of the most interesting and versatile artists.  (67 min.)  (Photo is from 1972 when I was young.)

   A brief scene from Act Three of Parsifal (with Placido Domingo), sung by the great basso Rene Pape. I thought you might like to hear a sample of his superb new Wagner CD.

Highlights from a brilliant 1954 Scala Lucia under Herbert Von Karajan. The incredible Maria Callas is in great voice, and Giuseppe Di Stefano, Rolando Panerai, and Giuseppe Modesti complete the cast  (72 min.)

Highlights from the exciting Cetra Soria Aida, recorded in the studio in 1951.The conductor is Vittorio Gui, and the cast features Caterina Mancini, Giulietta Simionato, Mario Filippeschi,Rolando Panerai, and Giulio Neri   (71 min.)

Highlights from a fine performance of Don Pasquale from 1940 under Gennaro Papi. The cast includes Salvatore Baccaloni,Bidu Sayao, Nino Martini, and Frank Valentino  (73 min.)

Highlights from a fine performance of Eugene Onegin under Valery Gergiev from 2007. The cast includes Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Renee Fleming, Ramon Vargas Sergei Aleksashkin, and Elena Zaremba (68 min.)

20 tenors sing the beautiful Tosca aria, "Recondita Armonia." In order,they are:

Giacomo Aragall, Carlo Bergonzi, Jose Carreras, Renato Cioni, Franco Corelli, Jose Cura, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Placido Domingo, Giuseppe Gismondo, Hans Hopf, Luciano Pavarotti, Neil Shicoff, Richard Tucker, Eugenio Fernandi, Ferruccio Tagliavini, Mario Filippeschi, Franco Tagliavini, Giuseppe Giacomini, Helge Roswaenge, and David Poleri. (60 min.)

Almost all are from live performances.

PLEASE NOTE: Those of you who have "Apple TV" can hear all these podcasts in excellent sound, and of course Apple TV allows you to watch Youtube on your TV as well. If you are not acquainted with it, you might investigate.

Not to neglect the excellent Virginia Gordoni and Attilio D'Orazi but Franco Corelli, despite his being provincial,self-indulgent,unmusical,hammy, and some other words that I cannot express in mixed company, he is WILD!! The Parma 1967 audience goes ballistic, making him sing "Core'ngrato" as an encore. The conductor is Giuseppe Morelli (Not Muti?????).  Get your stopwatches out!  (71 minutes)