Sat, 31 May 2014
This is the farewell of the great Shirley Verrett, born May 31, 1931. Words cannot express how I adored this great lady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Category:general
-- posted at: 6:19pm EDT
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Sat, 31 May 2014
Omar Suitner leads a glorious cast in this Tannhauser. Featured are Wolfgang Windgassen, Leonie Rysanek,Eberhard Waechter, Martti Talvela, and Barbro Ericson. (74 min.) |
Thu, 29 May 2014
This is an interesting change from the usual Cavalleria. I think you will enjoy this Cav from the Royal Opera in Stockholm in 1963 under Herbert Sandberg. It features a favorite of mine, Barbro Ericson, with Ragnar Ulfung, Erik Sundqvist, Birgit Nordin (Lola), and Margareta Bergstrom (Mmma Lucia.) |
Thu, 29 May 2014
I discovered Olivia as Seymour in Bolena..She later changed to soprano.I adore this lady so much as a friend and what a powerhouse of a singer she was!!!!
Category:general
-- posted at: 6:19pm EDT
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Thu, 29 May 2014
For my dear friend Olivia Stapp on her May 30 birthday. One of the sweetest ladies and a fabulous artist!!!!
Category:general
-- posted at: 6:14pm EDT
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Thu, 29 May 2014
On the occasion of his May 30 (1919) birthday, let us remember one of the most phenomenal singing actors in the history of opera. He was a veritable DYNAMO in a variety of roles. Some physical problems cut his career short, but we had many years of this great man!!!
Category:general
-- posted at: 6:07pm EDT
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Thu, 29 May 2014
A superb performance of Charpentier's Louise from 1999 San Francisco under Jonathan Summers. Featured are Renee Fleming, Jerry Hadley, Samuel Ramey, and Felicity Palmer. Sound is somewhat distant, since the performance was recorded in the theatre, but it is quite listenable. (Look, we have treasures galore in our collections because of those sneaky "pirates." |
Thu, 29 May 2014
Under the direction of conductor Giuseppe Morelli, I present highlights from Tosca, featuring Virginia Zeani, Placido Domingo, and Piero Francia. This must have been transferred to disc, and there are a few small skips. ENJOY!! |
Mon, 26 May 2014
Here is part two of that glorious Rome Don Carlo. PLEASE send me any comments, ideas,etc. to Placido21@aol.com. Remember,we cannot use the comment section of this site because it becomes invaded with ads. |
Mon, 26 May 2014
An all-star Don Carlo from Rome,1968 under Fernando Previtali, with Leyla Gencer, Bruno Prevedi, Fiorenza Cossotto, Nicolai Ghiaurov, and Sesto Bruscantini. (Act 5 version) PART ONE |
Sun, 25 May 2014
I sincerely hope you are enjoying thee compilations. If you have any comments,suggestions,etc. PLEASE let me know at Placido21@aol.com. 1. Marisa Galvany and Enrico di Giuseppe in Attila Duet. (What a D!!) 2. Mattia Battistini Tannhauser " Evening Star" 3. Enrico Caruso "Musica Proibita" (After all these years, I say NO ONE was greater!) 4. Franco Corelli Otello "Esultate!" (He never sang the role, sadly.) 5. David Daniels Rinaldo "Venti turbini." (Wedding coming soon!) 6. Giuseppe Di Stefano "Un furtiva lagrima" 7. Eileen Farrell "Pace" from Forza del Destino ERROR: It is CLAUDIA Novikova. 8. Gottlob Frick Seraglio aria (GREATEST "black" voice.) 9. Marcello Giordani "L'anima stanca" from Adriana (Last season he said to me, "I know Piotr is your favorite tenor..That is OK.I love him too!") 10.Apollo Granforte "Il Balen" from Trovatore (worthy of his NAME!) 11. Alexander Kipnis "O Isis und Osiris" (Zauberflote) 12.Margarete Klose "Delilah aria" (In Deutsch) (One of my favorite artists.) 13.Renato Bruson/Katia Ricciarelli Luisa Miller Duet 14. John Mc Cormack "Il mio tesoro" (the all-time greatest!) 15.Aprile Millo "Poveri fiori" (Adriana) 16.Claudia Muzio "O del mio amato ben." (Makes me CRAZY!) 17.Maria Nemeth "In questa reggia" (Turandot) 18.Gallina Novikova The most HILARIOUS"Drunk aria" from La Perichole. 19.Tancredi Pasero "Vi ravisso" (Sonnambula) 20.Aureliano Pertile "Di quella pira." 21. Herman Prey Tote Stadt aria (Unbelievably gorgeous!) 22.Maria Reining/Hans Hotter Arabella Duet |
Sun, 25 May 2014
The love of the phrase, the feeling she had!!! Bless Beverly on her birthday!
Category:general
-- posted at: 9:52am EDT
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Sun, 25 May 2014
Born May 25, 1929..who dreamed what she would become????? Bless her!!!!
Category:general
-- posted at: 9:49am EDT
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Sat, 24 May 2014
1. Elizabeth Schwarzkopf sings Hugo Wolf (1962) Acc. Felix de Nobel Morgentau, Das Voeglein, Mausfallen-Spruchlein, Wer rief dich denn, Nun las uns Frieden schliesen, Die Zigeunerin 2. Theresa Berganza Spanish Songs (1962) Acc. Felix Lavilla: Granados: La Maja Dolorosa (numero uno), El tra la la y el punteado, La Maja Dolorosa,(numero tres), El Majo Discreto Rodrigo: Copillas de Belen Halffter: Ay, que linda hermosa DIOS MIO!!!!!!!!!!!! |
Sat, 24 May 2014
A variety of material from Holland Festivals that I think you will enjoy: 1.Giulietta Simionato Cenerentola Finale (1954) 2. Maria Callas "Ernani Involami" (1959) 3. Luciano Pavarotti Tebaldo's aria from "I Capuetti ed i Montecchi" (Bellini)(1966) 4.Alessandra Marc Empress Dream Scene from "Die Frau Ohne Schatten" (1990) 5. Gallina Vishnevskaya in Recital (1975) Acc. Tamas Vasary Tchaikovsky: "Do not believe, my friend."and "At the ball." Moussorgsky: "Where art thou,little star" Stravinsky: Parasha's aria from the opera "Mavra" 6. Elly Ameling Sings Mozart (1969): Das Lied der Trennung, Als Luise, Abendemfindung, An Chloe |
Fri, 23 May 2014
How can ONE WORD (PAOLO!!!) or phrase summarize the greatness of an artist...Jan.21, 1939 (I was 3 that day)..the greatest Met broadcast ever in my mind....Lawrence Tibbett and Leonard Warren are so riveting..NO ONE does this today!!!!!!!! DRIVES ME CRAZY EVERY TIME!!!!!!!!
Category:general
-- posted at: 4:18pm EDT
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Sun, 18 May 2014
More fun (I hope) for you: 1.Licia Albanese Pagliacci Aria 2.Zeani/Borso Piccolo Marat Duet (They made them do the finale again!) 3.Vassilka Petrova Trovatore Aria (send children and small animals out of the room) 4.Schwartzkopf/Jurinac/Della Casa (Sophie) Rosenkavalier trio (Della Casa did all three roles) 5. Mado Robin Lucia Mad Scene (with High K# above R) 6. Eleanor Ross "Pace" 7. Bidu Sayao Manon Adieu (You do not have to sound like Nilsson to be a sensation) 8. Renata Scotto Adriana Phedre Declamation in Act 3 9.Irmgard Seefried Ariadne Composer's Aria 10.Cesare Siepi Salvador Rosa Aria 11. Simionato/Di Stefano Favorita Duet 12.Pinza/Martinelli Simone duet (Jan.21,1939,my third birthday) (I never forgave mom and dad for not taking me!) 13.Giuseppe Taddei Schicchi Aria 14.Diana Soviero Zaza aria (Leoncavallo) 15.Joan Sutherland Alcina Aria 16.Giuseppe Taccani Guglielmo Ratcliff aria (Mascagni) 17-18. Richard Tucker Chenier aria/ Juive Cabaletta 19. Taddei Fanciulla aria 20. Antonietta Stella Vespri Bolero 21.Franz Voelker Walkure act one scene (one of my 5 fav.tenors of the past) 22.Leonard Warren Faust aria 23.Ludwig Weber Boris Monolog. (one of my 5 fav.bassos of the past) 24.Ljuba Welitsch Gypsy Baron aria 25. Zinka Milanov's Last "Pace" from Newark,NJ Concert in 1966 (I CRY!) |
Sat, 17 May 2014
Lohengrin Scenes in French with Ninon Vallin, Marcel Journet, Martial Singher and Marjorie Lawrence, Marjorie Lawrence and Yvonne Brothier (Ortrud), Cesare Vezzani and Mireille Berthon. This is followed by scene from Act One Walkure With Cesare Vezzani, Germaine Lubin, and in the final section Lubin and Rene Verdiere. |
Wed, 14 May 2014
From the period 1919-1928 in Germany, there was an enormous revival of Verdi operas, and here are some selections: 1.Forza del Destino with Meta Seinemer* and Ivar Andresen. 2.Vespri Siciliani with Heinrich Schlusnus and Helge Roswaenge. 3. Simone Boccanegra with Alexander Kipnis and Schlusnus 4. Don Carlo with Wilhelm Strienz and Seinemeyer* 5. Macbeth with Andresen. * Sadly,Meta Seinemeyer, one of the great sopranos, passed away at age 33. She would have been even a greater artist, but her career was tragically cut short by Leukemia. |
Tue, 13 May 2014
In my experience, Fedora Barbieri had one of the very greatest voices, like an "organ" as it poured from her. We met in her later years, and she was a fun lady. Here are scenes from: Carmen,Falstaff (with Gobbi), Ballo, Samson et Delilah, Adriana Lecouvreur, Andrea Chenier, Gioconda, Trovatore (live 1951 with Warren and my beloved Kurt Baum),and songs "Nel cor piu non mi sento" and " Chi vuol la zingarella graziosa." |
Tue, 13 May 2014
What could be more appropriate than having an actual loving couple, Stephen Costello and his wife Ailyn Perez, two of the sweetest people on the planet, make a recording of "Love Duets." Here are two selections from the beautiful album, the "L'Amico Fritz Cherry Duet" and "One hand, one heart," from West Side Story. I have followed their careers from their inception, and I am so happy they are becoming so important in the world of opera. ENJOY!!!! |
Mon, 12 May 2014
Three selections from the brilliant Mexican tenor, Javier Camarena. From his album "Recitales" he sings "Musica Proibita," Granada," and "Estrellita." His Don Ramiro at the Met this season caused a sensation, and the audience demanded an encore, totally rare at the Met. |
Sun, 11 May 2014
I hope you are enjoying these compilations as much (MORE!) as I do making them: 1. Giacomo (Jaime) Aragall Adriana aria, act one 2. Daniele Barioni rings the Turandot Gong.(What breath control!) 3. Callas/Barbieri Gioconda duet (They burn up the place!) 4. Gilda Dalla Rizza "Addio del passato" 5. Leyla Gencer "D'amor sull'ali rosee". (Note: A friend had a fight over this aria with someone whose house he visited. He got so mad that the host liked Callas better, he said, "Get out!" My friend said, "But I LIVE here!" The Gencer nutcase then said, "So what..GET OUT!!") Do you now see how normal Charlie is??? 6. Mario del Monaco "Ah la paterna mano" (Macbeth) 7. Mirella Freni "Tu che di gel." (Turandot) 8. Nicolai Gedda/Renato Bruson/Christine Eda-Pierre Pearl Fishers Trio (They sometimes do another version, but this version is incredible!!!) 9.Gertrude Grob-Prandl "Hojotoho" 10.Kirsten/Merrill Thais Finale (One of the most glorious recordings ever made) 11.Rene Kollo Tannhauser Rome Narrative 12.Raina Kabaiwanska "La Mamma Morta" (Chenier) 13.Pavel Lisitsian Prologo (In Russian) A voice of pure gold! 14.Magda Olivero Mefistofele aria (breaks your heart.) 15.Aprile Millo "Danny Boy" 16.Michele Molese's legendary telling critic Harold Schoenberg, who had written about his "pinched high C" in Ballo, that the note was for him. Galvany almost flipped out! 17.Julius Patzak Seraglio aria |
Sun, 11 May 2014
A fine Rosenkavalier under Georg Szell, featuring Maria Reining, Hilde Gueden, Jarmila Novotna, Jaro Prohaska, and Georg Hann (Faninal.) |
Sun, 11 May 2014
I DID NOT KNOW THIS EXISTED!!! I called Elizabeth for Mothers' Day and we were talking about Street Scene...and on YOUTUBE is this glorious example of singing and emotional involvement. Magnificent!!!!!!
Category:general
-- posted at: 1:34pm EDT
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Sun, 11 May 2014
Mommy! It's your day!! Can't you be nice just ONCE????? Love and Happy Mothers' Day from Charlie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Category:general
-- posted at: 12:30am EDT
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Sun, 11 May 2014
Did I ever post this added aria from Cenerentola?? City Opera did this with the great Gianna Rolandi,and it was a SMASH!!! The Met is doing the opera now,but without this...I feel if they added it, Diana Damrau would be the best candidate.Agreed?????
Category:general
-- posted at: 12:25am EDT
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Thu, 1 May 2014
I was so thrilled with baritone Michael Volle in Arabella that I decided to purchase an import of his material. I think you will like it. He sings Schubert's Erlkonig,The Evening Star from Tannhauser, Ford's Monologue from Falstaff, and from The Merry Widow, "Da geh ich zu Maxim." Enjoy!!! |