Happy birthday to the famous Montserrat,who holds the record for the longest high note in Met history!!!!!!!!!!!!.   Apr.12, 1933.

  Angela Meade, Michael Fabiano,Kevin Short in the Lombardi Trio from Apr.8.

This is a revelation for us in NYC.We have not been treated to this kind of singing for quite a while.   (Ever since i saw Tamagno's first Otello.)

     Michael is Fabianolous!!!!!!

A NDR (German Radio) performance of highlights from a 1952 Das Rheingold under Wilhelm Schuchter. Some of the great artists of that era are heard,especially those "black voices."

Ferdinand Frantz  (Wotan)    Gottlob Frick  (Fasolt)    Josef Greindl (Fafner)

Gustav Neidlinger (Alberich)  Wolfgang Windgassen  (Loge)  Paul Kuen (Mime)

Res Fischer (Fricka and Erda)   Josef Metternich (Donner)       (72 min.)

This will give you some idea of why the audience last night went ballistic at Michael's "La mia letizia." Still, you MUST hear him live to derive the total picture..but you can get some idea here.

      Pardon me as i do some unusual gushing in regard to last evening's OONY 's " I Lombardi" under Eve Queler. In the olden days, we had no Youtube and all the exposure to voices before we heard them live, and as i recall hearing voices like Antonietta Stella, Daniele Barioni, etc. the revelation was something i will never forget.
        I had only heard Micgael Fabiano live as cassio, plus some Youtube selections, but you know you MUST be there to enjoy a voice properly, and when Michael Fabiano concluded the "La mia letizia infondere,"the first live aria I ever heard from him (Cassio does not tell too much), the audience gave him one of the most prolonged and LOUDEST ovations since I attended Lillian Nordica's first performance.
           Mr.Fabiano has a positively glorious lirico-spinto voice of such glamor that you bask in every tone, something akin to early Carreras, and Fabiano's voice fills the hall with the kind of ravishing tone that makes you almost feel he has some kind of electronic device in his throat. In every vocal situation, not just when his voice goes into the passaggio, you hear true glory, and when he stood in a side box to sing the "ghost of Oronte," it was totally captivating, as the voice rang out throught the theatre. Michael is only 28, and he better not listen to me, because I already have him singing everything in the tenor repertory;however, I do hope as Alfred in Fledermaus next season, they allow at least five arias in the prison scene.
So you see, the Avery Fisher audience, offering him huge ovations, knew exactly what he is about, and on Franco's birthday, another star was born in New York.
          Angela Meade is an immensly talented singer, another star of the documenatary, "The Audition," and shge has an unusual way of sailing into these high high pianissimi, where you think the tone is soft, and gets even softer,up to high C;I believe she can probably do the same thing above a C, and for a dramatic soprano, this is most unusual. The fortes are brilliant and ride over the ensembles, and I look forward to her Norma next season.
         Where has Kevin Short been all my life? What a gorgeous,rich basso voice!! He said he has not been at the Met in many years...their big loss. In the trio (a quartet,if you count the solo violinist, he emitted such beautiful tones, and he surely belongs way up there with the finest bassos in my experience.
          Making his OONY debut was tenor  Noah Baetge, possessive of a voice of great brilliance, and thrilling us with a very long-held high C in act three. It was nice to see  Brandon Cedel, recent winner of the Met auditions (I picked him immediately) in the role of Pirro. He definitely is headed for a big career. The superb New York Choral Society added a tremendous thrill to the evening, and I really had not paid enough attention to this, Verdi's fourth opera, which should be perfomred more often.
            I want MORE of this in my life!!!!   As ever  Charlie

For April 8, I present a tribute to Franco Corelli, Born 1921. He was one of the greatest tenors in opera history.  (Selections are announced.)  (71 min.)

MIO DIO!!!!  I saw Franco's Romeo but do not know if he did what he does here..Mamma mia!! And he  worried about anything?????? I just went ballistic!! (Muti would kill him!!!!!)

A 1958 Naples Mme.Butterfly under Angelo Questa, starring Renata Tebaldi,Giani Raimondi, Giuseppe Valdengo, and Anna Di Stasio.(72 min.). Please be aware that although the sound is superb, the prompter is rather loud.

  I attended the first Turandot in 1961 and let me tell you,it was one of the greatest things in my memory. Stokowski stopped after the "Nessun dorma," because he knew we would go nuts, and then re-started the music.

    Even without Loretta, Franco might have still been a difficult guy, but he was adored by so many, and no one..NO ONE has taken his place in this repertory!!!!!!!

My favorite Corelli moment..The high C on the "e" vowel in the Poliuto aria....Drives me nuts!!! We miss you,Franco!!!!!!!