Terrible tragedy to lose

two great artists whom I

knew.I write to Giordani's

widow and always remember

dear Marcello and Hvorostovsky's

kisses on my cheeks.

   Wonderful traditional

Met Lucia..ORRRRRORE!!!

One does not have to sound

like Birgit Nilsson to be a

great star. Regina Resnik's

teacher was Giuseppe Danise,

married to Sayao.One night,at

a Resnik Gioconda,Sayao spent

the whole intermission with us.

A DELIGHT!!!!

At a tragic time, let us

bless the people who are

suffering in Ukrainia.

Some of you may be

acquainted with the

insane delusional people

on X-factor or American

Idol auditions. I watch more

Youtube because of the COVID.

I feel so NORMAL!!!!!

I am told that Norwegian

soprano Lise Davidsen is

 new special star.

I have posted so much

over the years,I may do

some repeats..Well,who

remembers???

Happy Mothers' Day!

I am glad my mommy did

not throw me into the

fire.

My darling friend,Diana Soviero

turned 80 Mar.19..like her Romeo,

Alberto Cupido...and my favorite

diva....my mother..Bless her!!!!

  No more singers..let us just

SHOCK the public!!!!

  BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will post more..Have

been busy....

  For me...the most

wonderful lady!!!!!

I knew Tebaldi...and I

guess I am blessed..but

I never met Magda...still

the lady was for me...special

Only 96...and I know

she sang like this

over 100!!!!!!!!

GIUSTO CIELO!!!!

The greatest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBU1HmANoHw

  I know  Magda's caretaker,

and he said she sang around

the house after 100!.She was

a miracle in the lives of

hose who appreciate great

emotion in opera/

When she uttered the words

"Loris,ove sei" when I saw

her...it was as if the entire

theatre SHOOK!!!  Not a

"Tebaldi voice" but like

Zeani,Muzio,Soviero,Favero,

she was all heart and soul!!!!

All one must do is to listen

to MY TAPE of the Olivero

Met 4/3/75 debut...at 65.

NO ONE like her. I used to

call her on birthdays...and

I consider her totally one of

the greatest singers EVER!!!!!

Many theatres are

playing this!!! I am

so sorry for the

people and wish

these courageous

people my LOVE!!

Not since my Tebaldi Met

Aida,has anyone been as

LOUD as the great Dolora!

Brava and happy birthday@@

There is just so much music

in life..I really had not seen

Diana's great Butterfly.I  have

to find the cast. I did send

flowers and champagne for

the 80th birthday Mar.19.I

still consider the greatest since

Tebaldi, who did once kiss her.

I have never booed..even Baum.

Look..the Met hired him. Last

week a guy yelled at Brenda

Rae during the Zerbinetta

aria.."You have no technique."

They threw him out...but we

know of the loggionisti at

Scala and other people doing

things LIVE..I was too shy and

never yelled at Zinka that her

kicking her train and dust in

act two Tosca made me cough!!

VAT????  You BUM!!!!

When Dolora had me do a mini

Handelman master class for

her students,knowing I knew

the "good stuff," I said to her,

"It must be some great thrill

to sing the Judgement Scene!!"

Answer:"I just want to get the

notes out!!!!"

I made one Facebook post that

was rejected and so I am forced

HAPPILY to drive you crazy

much more,until they let me

post..GREAT FOR YOU!!!!

Martha Moedl had 3/22 birthday

and Alfred Poell was 3/18. I can

still SEE Moedl in 1957 in Walkure.

Had some flaws...but for me a

great MIRACLE!!!!!!!

Who sings like this anymore????

On March 19, my darling

friend Diana Soviero turns

80..One of the greatest in

my life..When I called her

Tebaldi TWO..she said that

Renata once kissed her..Figures.

The 3/13/77 Mimi was a sensation

and we are friends forever..and

my mother, the other diva in my

life shares Mar.19!!!!

Just play the end of act 2

of this.I saw it in 1966.The

cast was sensational,but

at act 2 end,Ludwig was

stupendous!!!Bless her!

Ask me what was the

greatest perf.of my life.

It was 1966 Met Frau.where

Ludwig was a phenomenon!!!

Meester Baum, vy vas it

necessary to make Meester

Handelman to see you so

much..vell, it vas because

it vas with me...too much.

Sorry you suffered so much!

We just lost one of the

greatest singers I ever

heard..It was 1956, and I still

remember that great voice

in her Met Aida debut.I

adored her so much!!!!!

May we all hope and

pray for the great

people of the Ukraine.

Many countries are

singing their anthem

and feeling great

sympathy for these

courageous people.

On the great Eva Turner's

birthday...3/10/1892,here

are some great ladies in

Tosca.I saw Milanov,Callas,

Olivero,Tebaldi,Crespin,

Dessi,Radvanovsky,Galvany,

Roberti,Meier,Rigal,Nilsson,

Kirsten, and the GREAT

Olive Middleton...and a few

more

The next time I see my friend

Sondra Radvanovsky,I will

ask her how she could get

involved in this TRAVESTY!

It is even worse than the

Bieito Toilet bowl Ballo.

Are you tired of my all-time

favorite singer? I saw Zinka

88 times, and despite Baum,

it was in my opera life,the

greatest time...standing and

freezing!!!!  Bless her!!!

Sweetest,nicest lady.

Nelly is so special and

in the class of Zeani,

Olivero,Favero,Soviero.Also,

Romanians are helping the

Ukrainian refugees.

  On March 19th, my darling

friend Diana Soviero will be

80...and her Romeo,Alberto

Cupido will have his birthday.

When I met Diana at a great

Boheme in 1977, and sent her

the tape...she called me to

thank me on MARCH 19..

My MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY!

Two great divas in my life!!!

Remembering the famous

Mark Reizen,Ukranian basso.

May we all praise the most

courageous people of Ukrania

in a time of their suffering!

   Of all the singers I have

seen live..Tucker remains

the greatest tenor for me.

I write to his sons often and

am happy to have thrilled to

his great voice.

I BET most of you guys

(girls??) have sung this.

I tried!!!! The greatest in

my life...and only B flat

was GINO PENNO!!!

I once taped 31 of them

LIVE...and then I did no.

31...I think I used an

umbrella for a sword.

   Our hearts go out to the

people of the Ukraine!!!

Bless them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO ONE can tell me that Caruso

was not the GOD of singing. My

teacher,Jerry Lo Monaco,told me

That his teacher,Mr.Stanley,said

we only get 1/3!!!!!!!   If he had

lived,imagine  LIVE stuff!!!!

I met Diana Soviero on 3/13/77

and to this day I still say

she is Tebaldi TWO! She turns

80 on Mar.19 (my mother's

birthday!!)...Still has a  voice

and renowned teacher.

  My life has been so treasurable

knowing her!!!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/467019241766609

https://www.facebook.com/groups/467019241766609

Many years ago, a student in

my Spanish class said that

his aunt sang opera.(BIG DEAL?)

It turned out to be a wonderful

singer and later a friend.I miss

her...wonderful lady!!!!

One of my many many groups

deals with singers not really

that well-known.Want the URL?

I will send it...Placido21@aol.com

  I am in touch with Magda's

caretaker..He says she sang

around the house after 100.

She made it to 104, and I feel

she was one of the all-time

opera miracles!!! I called her

every birthday to hear that

"Verismo Italian."

My dear friends,

Those computer glitches

had plagued me, but I

think things are better. You have

been so loyal over the years

(over 2 million hits) and I wish

to keep going. The Pandemic

is to blame for my creating

many facebook groups.Also,

you may get in touch by going to

https://facebook.com/handelmani/

If you wish to chat,I can tell you the

URLS of some of the groups.

Stay Safe..and MASKED!!!!

  Charlie

Computer glitches delayed

me in celebrating the 100th

birthday (2/1/22) of my darling

friend and LEGENDARY  artist.

Little did we know.at her Met debut

on 1/31/55..that when we met her,

it was he BIRTHDAY. I called Italy

on Feb.1...Words fail me....My second

madre...Mom met her and she always

said, "Com'e la madre?" The last high

note in the Butterfly addio once caused

a friend to accidentally hit me in the

ribs in standing room..I almost fell!

She broke the roof of the MET! I

could go on forever..my beloved

Renata....adored forever!!!!!

Bravo,Marcello!!!!!

You had a great D!!!~

As with almost every great

singer, you HAD TO BE THERE

LIVE....and Marcello was just

an amazing artist. I saw him in

Francesca,Edgar,Boheme,

Butterfly,Adriana,Tosca,

Pirata, Fanciulla (Zeani came)

and a master class.

Non posso scordare il

mio caro amico.

On this day, 1/25..I remember

with great affection, my dear

late friend, 1963..Marcello was

more than a great singer...with

that kind of "squillo" that was

so absent recently...he was  such a

kind man, and today I think of

him so fondly.   Con mio amore.

    Carlo.....

  For anyone who has been

living on another planet,I

present my birthday present to

myself(and Placido). You HAD

TO BE THERE!!!! 

Feliz Cumpleanos!!!

Usted y yo celebramos

el 21 de enero. Can you

spare a few dollars???

On Jan.21, we celebrate the

birthdays of two of the most

famous stars of opera. One is

a true baritone, y muy pobre.

El otro es un poco rico, y piensa

que es baritono.. But Placido is

a great artist, and we may go

sin mascaras a la fuente en

Lincoln Centro y vamos a nadar,

cantando en celebracion!!

 Soy un poco loco hoy...

Solamente hoy????

Not bad,Loretta.I do

hope you and Franco

are not having any more

spaghetti fights (with

sauce) in cielo.

It was 1962..First time

I heard this opera. I went

nuts with everyone.

They all sing it..So sick

of it...you must now hear

Sirach von Bodengraven,

from Denmark,where there

<

Happy New Year. Had a

few computer glitches

so hope to post more soon.

Stay Safe!!!! Love Charlie

  To all you wonderful

people..I wish you a

Happy Holiday. If my

dear Renata was here,

she would wish you the

best....a lady whom I loved

so much.   Charlie

We just lost this great

lady..The vocal production

is a bit "eccentric." but

she was amazing in many ways

and sang up to 73.

We tore programs at the

Met after Tebaldi and

Guelfi in Fanciulla. Her

"tre assi e un paio" was

scary!!!!  I adore Barioni.

He is about 91.

In my life...TWO

SINGERS I have never

seen are my loves!!!!

Caruso and Lehmann.

This selection makes me

cwazy!!!

I only saw my fav.singer

88 times. NO ONE ever

thrilled me like Zinka.

"Vell..Novun ees better!!!"

    Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  He DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really Lovable!!!

Discovered a wonderful

Argentinian diva!!!

Enrico and I wish you

all a wonderful Holiday.

Life has been hard these

days and I hope you are

all well. Love, Carlo

Nice to have a new Facebook

Wagnerian friend.

   I came out of retirement...

Was Callas better????????

Maria Callas, 12/2/23
We never knew of the fabulous "Pirates" from 1949-1955,etc. when one day at a party with Maestro Armen Boyajian,Paul Plishka,Franco Gratale,etc... someone had a very poor sounding end of Aida act 2 with CALLAS taking E flat...Che cosa???? We went NUTS!!! I forget if the "second Mexico E flat lady" was there....Marisa Galvany,who did a "Second Callas" (E flats were unheard of in those days in Aida.)
We had heard many of the Angel commercial recordings, but there were no "pirates" to speak of at that time. Now we know her entire output(well,Loretta Corelli did have Fedora....but we never got it.)
However, as much as I knew of Callas, the 1956 Met debut was a disaster...I was shocked! Happily,in 1958 the Lucias and Traviatas were far better...but really the 1949-1955 "skinny" performances were to me a positive sensation....in ALL opera...and she could have done almost every role..imagine "Elektra!!"
Mme.de Hidalgo did not do quite enough, because the tremolo was there...but not bad until the later part of her career, and to me some singing (Poliuto)was almost unlistenable, despite the great artistry.
I love Moedl, Gencer, and other "flawed" sopranos, but when it come to the last note of the Cenerentola aria,I shudder......however, I would be a fool to deny the sensational lady's gift to opera, despite the well-known vocal problems.(and Onassis did not help.)
I always quote J.B. Steane's detailed account of her "Casta Diva" in "The Grand Tradition."...."As if in a trance..." We weigh vocal flaws differently....no question that she could be (for me) a disaster on top later on, but I forgive Moedl..don't I????
What we know is that,despite the controversies,the lady ranks Numero UNO to those who appreciate what she achieved....and on her birthday....so sad to think of her very early end.....we must treasure the great Maria....who loved to run home to watch "I love Lucia..Lucy.before VCR's!!!)
God bless her memory forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maria Callas, 12/2/23 We never knew of the fabulous "Pirates" from 1949-1955,etc. when one day at a party with Maestro Armen Boyajian,Paul Plishka,Franco Gratale,etc... someone had a very poor sounding end of Aida act 2 with CALLAS taking E flat...Che cosa???? We went NUTS!!! I forget if the "second Mexico E flat lady" was there....Marisa Galvany,who did a "Second Callas" (E flats were unheard of in those days in Aida.) We had heard many of the Angel commercial recordings, but there were no "pirates" to speak of at that time. Now we know her entire output(well,Loretta Corelli did have Fedora....but we never got it.) However, as much as I knew of Callas, the 1956 Met debut was a disaster...I was shocked! Happily,in 1958 the Lucias and Traviatas were far better...but really the 1949-1955 "skinny" performances were to me a positive sensation....in ALL opera...and she could have done almost every role..imagine "Elektra!!" Mme.de Hidalgo did not do quite enough, because the tremolo was there...but not bad until the later part of her career, and to me some singing (Poliuto)was almost unlistenable, despite the great artistry. I love Moedl, Gencer, and other "flawed" sopranos, but when it come to the last note of the Cenerentola aria,I shudder......however, I would be a fool to deny the sensational lady's gift to opera, despite the well-known vocal problems.(and Onassis did not help.) I always quote J.B. Steane's detailed account of her "Casta Diva" in "The Grand Tradition."...."As if in a trance..." We weigh vocal flaws differently....no question that she could be (for me) a disaster on top later on, but I forgive Moedl..don't I???? What we know is that,despite the controversies,the lady ranks Numero UNO to those who appreciate what she achieved....and on her birthday....so sad to think of her very early end.....we must treasure the great Maria....who loved to run home to watch "I love Lucia..Lucy.before VCR's!!!) God bless her memory forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so sick of everyone

singing this aria..but at

least someone can sing

it "differently." Gli enigmi

sono tre..Lui e pazzo!!!!

The other day I said to

Galvany,since her daughter

is not an opera lover, "If

my mommy had an E flat

I would be thrilled." No, it

is not to be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Olivia Stapp told me that

she attended an Isolde in

Germany where Moedl was

just about voiceless;yet, the

audience went wild... I can

understand this..For me,

if she read the Hamburg

Telephone Directory, I would

adore it.

Very few artists have thrilled

me as much as Martha Moedl.

From 1957 Walkure,I will

never forget her!!!!!!

Is he really a counter-tenor,

or perhaps a soprano or mezzo.

I wrote him and told him he

should sing Norma!!!!!

We do not have this kind

of singing today!!!

A darling friend for 55 years.

A GREAT artist, but was a

"controversial" singer, and did

not get proper recognition>I

tell you..audiences went wild!!!

I have put so much material

here.I hope I do not

repeat, but there are those

who have not seen all the

material. Galvany still has a D!

Harry was such fun, and dear

Sam is still so popular, and there

is a group in his honor. I am honored

to have sung with him.

The late amazing Edita

who sang all the way

to 73. A great star!!!

Dear Virginia turned 96 last

month.One of the greats and

a dear friend.."La mia sorella.".

Note: I am catching up

on posting for you!!!!

I spoke to Galvany today.

She still has a D!!! Sam has

been close for years, and

Harry was so much fun.

 Life must go one...we are

all getting ancient!!! Ramey

name left off!!!

I think that now Franco and

Loretta are having another

spaghetti fight (with sauce)

in CIELO!!!   They had to

re-decorate the hotel room.

Quite an amazing singer.

Not really the usual

countertenor...quite

wonderful. I bet Marilyn

Horne loves it.

I know I am a crab,but

I think I know the difference

between this and most of

singers of today!!!!

Not my friend Marisa Galvany.

Maria is really an oddity,but

quite amazing!!!!

DISCOVERY!!!!Not really

a typical countertenor.

Reminds me of how I sang

along with Caterina Mancini

at age 16.They almost called the

police!!!

Not in love with the staccati,

but a fine artist.

Michael is a special guy.He

is one of the throwbacks to

my all-time favorites, and a

very nice guy.

Wonderful high tenors

we adore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Talk about excitement!

We do not have any Leonie's

today..(or Corellis,or Gobbis, or

the kind of excitement we loved.

The most incredibly exciting Leonie

made her farewell, knowing the end

was near. How we adored her!!

I had fallen so did not sit here

and post,but will catch up. I now

have 24 groups on Facebook and

if you wish links, E-mail me at

Placido21@aol.com. Be well in

this difficult time.  Charlie

Here is the birthday boy

telling the Dallas audience

to SHUT UP..I agree;I hate

coughers.The opera was

DRISTAN. Someone needed

VICKS cough drops.

  I hope you enjoy my dear

Virginia, one of opera's

great ladies. She sang over

70 roles, from Lucia to Aida

and Senta and a huge variety

of roles, and she still sings a

few high notes on the phone.

On October 21, we will

celebrate the 96th birthday

of my darling friend, the

wonderful Virginia Zeani.

I never have enough words

to express my love for this

wonderful lady, and one of

the great artists of opera.

How many singers can last

as long as the late great Edita

Gruberova? She did have a rather

"eccentric" vocal technique, but

she achieved greatness, and we

think affectionately of a great

lady who "let it all hang out."

Because I watch more TV,

and have Apple TV with my

Youtube, I have been watching

some real JUNK....sometimes

there is an opera person, but

mostly insane delusional people,

some of whom become FURIOUS

at losing. This is not opera,but I

wanted you to see that some

people (even opera singers) do not

realize they are unbearable.

Nostalgia!!! Bergonzi is 72.

Friends Millo and Plishka

and others I miss.

I call my dear Virginia

to see how she is.She is

95,in a Florida facility.

One of the greats!!!!

Better than a few Met

singers..No names!!!

Love German baritones and

basses. More people should

go to Youtube and/or Google

and discover them.

Loved her in Louise.

Poor thing died of Covid.

One of the fine sopranos.

Catching up on some

birthdays,etc. Will do

more and thanks for

your patience.