You do not have to sing Otello to be a great great tenor.Born Sept.24, 1927, Kraus is a perfect example of "How to sing." This is an adored man!!!!!   Una leyenda!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dear ma used to love Nicolai Gedda's rendition of "Dein ist mein ganzes herz," so at a little party, accompanied by my dear late buddy,Bob Fazio, I decided to try it..with a really inappropriate high A flat at the end.(but look, I am a big HAM!). This is several eons ago, but you know it is still there...but I do not intend to make a comeback.  BE KIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was the very first Met telecast, and Scotto was on the "chubby" side(she didn't like that)..but who cared??? She was treated badly at times, but as we listen to her and what she does with words, coloring the voice,etc...she emerges as one of the very last of the "verismo" sopranos.

Yes, he was a nervous wreck(with that wife!!!!) and could drive us crazy..but NO ONE could thrill more than this man!!!! I saw him 40 times and I will never forget him.Rest in Peace, Franco!!!!!!!

 My latest discovery!! How does he do it??? Really an  amazing talent, and when you have an artist like this, opera companies can revive rare works!!!!!

A DISCOVERY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Michael Spyres has a range from low N to high Z......I will put a few more clips on of this amazing man!!!! They should revive operas just for him!!!!!

 Sometimes a singer comes along who reminds you of the great artists you have heard for so many years. Such an artist is the Polish tenor, Piotr Beczala (pronounced "Bechawa"). I have already played material with Piotr, one of the sweetest guys you could meet, but I wanted to show you something I treasure in the "Nicolai Gedda' tradition. Piotr also loves Gedda, and there are some elements of Gedda, and another tenor Piotr admired, Fritz Wunderlich in his voice, but he is still a totally unique artist.

     I note that at this moment,there are 2454 downloads from Poland, and I am sure he is a celebrity there, as he is throughout the opera world. I hope you enjoy my 2012 favorite singer.

When I told a friend I do not always know what you might enjoy, he told me that since there is so much out there, I am a kind of "curator" as if I decided to show various paintings in a museum. However, you can still send me comments and suggestions to: Placido21@aol.com. Hopefully, the regular podcasts will return soon, but meanwhile, I seem to be able to discover (by racking my brain), what might please you.

Anyone living in a country where they never heard of the great hilarious Anna Russell, I present her phenomenal Ring Analysis...The best line is, "I'm not making this up,you know." She is a LEGEND!!!!

    I bet you thought you would get away without hearing my darling Marisa Galvany in the Bolena. This is 1974 from City Opera, but when we did it she held the last E flat for about an hour.