Watching this gorgeous DVD of Tchaikowsky's "Iolantha" today and discovering yet another marvelous artist. Look,there are so many out there. Ekaterina Scherbachenko has a rich,luscious voice and I hope you enjoy the Onegin sample here.

  Boy,are we LUCKY that the great George Gershwin's estate included the provision that ONLY Afro-Americans could appear in "Porgy and Bess."  One thing I will say, is that Gershwin might have liked Mari Lynn's wonderful jazzy interpolation, but I guess it is just as well, because Catfish Row would never be the same with Mari......You know, I love to listen to Mari, because it makes me feel so normal..YEAH!!!!

BUY the new Tchaikowsky Iolantha on DVD (paired with Stravinsky's "Persephone.") This is a great performance from Madrid with Ekaterina Scherbachenko and this wonderful Pavel Cernoch, seen here with my great love,Kristine Opolais.  This was a glorious afternoon for me,seeing the Iolantha!!!!

 A beautiful compilation of famous artists of the past singing Puccini material. Arias and scenes are from Tosca,Boheme,Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Mme.Butterfly, and Manon Lescaut. All selections are announced.  (69 min.)

 A collection of music as composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The contents are as follow:

1. Der Ring Des Polykrates aria   Gundula Janowitz

2. Violantha Duet with Hans Hopf and Hildegard Hillebrecht

3. Die Tote Stadt  Act One scene including Marietta's aria  Ilona Steingruber and Anton Dermota

  and 4. the baritone aria from act 2 "Mein sehnen,mein Wehnen"   Alfred Poell

5. Das Wunder Der Heliane   "Ich ging zu ihm"   Steingruber  (also check out Lotte Lehmann's rendition on Youtube, which is one of my all-time favorite recordings.)

6. Die Kathrin   Scene w. Steingruber

7-11  songs as follows:  "Ich bin ein Liedersanger"   Janowitz and Rudolf Christ.

" Soldaten Marsch und Gebet"  Steingruber

"Szene in Nachtlokal"   Rose Schweiger and Anton Dermota

"Arie des Malignac"   Alfred Poell

"Wanderlied"  Anton Dermota

       The Austrian State radio Orchestra from Vienna, 1949   (59 min.)