From the Nimbus "Prima Voce" series: 16 great baritones of the past:

Lucien Fugere, Victor Maurel, Mattia Battistini, Mario Ancona, Riccardo Stracciari, Giuseppe de Luca, Titta Ruffo, Pasquale Amato, Joseph Schwarz, Heinrich Schlusnus, Carlo Galeffi, John Charles Thomas, Lawrence Tibbett, Gerhard Husch, and Igor Gorin. (72 min.)

A truly magnificent performance (highlights) from a Vienna 1960 performance of "La Forza del Destino" under Dimitri Mitropolous, and starring Antonietta Stella, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Ettore Bastianini,Walter Kreppel, and Giulietta Simionato. This surely is luxurious casting and i know you will enjoy it.  (71 min.)

 So very sorry to report the sudden death of tenor Vincenzo La Scola, age 53. He had a sudden heart attack while in Istanbul,Turkey. They leave us too soon...but they leave a beautiful legacy. Rest in Peace.

  How I remember the sad day 45 years ago, when the gold curtain slowly fell as the old Met Opera House rang down the curtain for the last time..We all joined hands and tearfully sang "Auld Lang Syne." Little did i realize that NOTHING would ever be the same for me..even though the place was so antiquated and so many of the seats were cramped and mostly partial view. 

              It was my "home-away from-home as a teen opera lover and a "way-of-life" for us, as we froze outside on the standee line...but it was worth every moment of it. I often dream I am back there standing inside but sadly when I awake, I realize it is gone forever..except for my affectionate memories and my old tapes.

                                With affectionate, but sad memories.   Charlie

Highlights from a 1942 Bayreuth Flying Dutchman under Richard Kraus. Featured are Joel Berglund, Maria Muller, Franz Voelker, and Ludwig Hofmann. (72 min.)

Lord!!!! What a sensation he was, although sometimes you wanted to beat him up (like his nutty wife Loretta), but the man had one of the greatest voices EVER.Go to Youtube and sample some material:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Franco+Corelli&aq=f

Bless his memory on his birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!