One of the most gorgeous voices EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

   Still a great sound..and did the opera live. I'll take it 

any day.

I saw one of his few Manricos. This is

dubbed but still you get the idea.

  I am staying with videos.The audio stuff is

a problem.  OK????   Charlie

 Mario did guest Lescaut a year before "official" Met debut.

You hear what he was...not s Gerard Souzay!!!!

  We went nuts over this great man!!!!!!!

Hey, Mario.I was there in 1958 when you

RAN out of the tent on "Trahison." You KNEW 

it was a broadcast so you sang to the mikes!

The two of them looked better than Victor Mature

and Hedy Lamar.

   First singer I ever saw (1951)…..first of 40 times.

I recall "white teeth" coming toward me in Aida,

my first opera ever.  He was a GOD!!!!!!!!

Huge voice from bottom to top.A "bronze column of

sound"..Unforgettable man!  Came out stage door

once and said, "Hello,boys" in my poor ear. I

never recovered!!!!!

   I hate "dubbed" but what greatness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our new hero!!!! Camarena is now "King of the bises."

He is something extraordinary in our opera world.

Sorry Zinka and Renata,....Antonietta Stella

1956 Met debut still remains my great

favorite.Big,luscious voice..ADORE!!

  I had only heard Caruso do this aria

and suddenly here is my beloved

favorite singer, Piotr Beczala, doing

it. This guy thrills me more than

his idol,Nicolai Gedda. Before he

did his first Lohengrin,I did give

him the CD set of Gedda's only one.

Very few singers today remind me of

my "Golden Age" from my youth.

But WHY did he decide to RUIN one

of the greatest voices of the century??

He started to "open" the top too

low...Perche?He was  GOD when

in his prime!!!!

I was there when Licia (at 57) kissed the

Met stage after her aria. She was born 7/22/09.

Died at 105. I walked with tiny Licia at a

Soviero affair..Like walking with history.

Sweetest thing anyone could

say to me. Alagna said, "I can

see in your eyes how you love

music!"    

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Asian lands produce greatness. The

Loge especially...but all of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This type of emotion is UNKNOWN today

for the most part...…………………...

  Come on, Enrico...why didn't you

  want to sing with him??? This is

  UNREAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Along with the Rosenkavalier trio,

this for me is the most SUBLIME

opera scene...just the way Jones

WALKS at 7:00 makes me cry a river!

  This wonderful man died onstage 

at only 51.(I saw Warren die on stage

at 49). I can see,from 1957, how Martha

Moedl sank into his arms in Walkure.

Wonderful Wozzeck(excellent English.)

Warem voice and great artist.

  Makes me CRAZY!!!!!!   NO ONE comes

   close..note the "I" vowel"

King of the BIS....Not BEAST,like someone

I will not mention...……….

  Emerging as a PHENOMENON!!!!!!!

   Absolutamente INCREIBLE!!!!!!

RARE today!!!!! Such emotion and love!!

Should be more famous!!!!!

  When I "discovered" Diana in 1977,

 I felt she was reminiscent of the

Tebaldi days. We have been close friends

ever since, and my frustration is that

she should be way up there as to

"famous" divas...but that's life. She 

and Alberto Cupido are superb

here. I hope you enjoy them.

  Diana is a renowned teacher, and the voice 

is still there!  So happy to have known her.

One of the greats.Not everyone

can beat alcoholism and sustain

a fabulous career!!! Adored!!!!

BREATHTAKING BELOVED!!!!!!!!!

  Getting to chat with this great new guy..Hope he makes it....

Great young guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Back to the Met at 72!!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw a recital at 77....realized

Pavarottti "phoned it in."

  7/13/24...Carlo Bergonzi.Did we

  take him for granted? a GOD!!!!!!!

I forgot there is more...…………...

Ebe Stignani  7/11/03 was to have 

been the Norma on Cetra. I adore her!!!!

For me, GREATEST EVER!!!!!!

Superb Australian tenor w.French citizenship.

Never came to Met..a shame!!!!!

(IN)famous Gran Scena opera co.

Ira Siff,Met broadcast commentator in the

great Tosca scene. I like especially when

she (he?? It??) finds the Salvocondotto

and the Yiddish "E Avanti a Lui" cracks me

up.  Ira is a great coach and he KNOWS 

opera traditions, so Ira (Vera) is perfect

as one of the hosts on Met broadcasts.

When he went up..you DIED!!!!!!

PURE JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  UNREAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7/12/1895 Kirsten Flagstad...LEGEND!!!

My friends tell me in person it was pure STEREO!!!!!!

This is the world premiere of the songs.

7/11/25  The GOD of tenors.

I saw his Met debut(Faust).The man

was a legend for all to hear!!!!

  Last note is closest to LIVE Tebaldi.

You DIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Michael Spyres...Placido should

study with him. (I am so mean!)

  Sticking to videos now.Maybe I

  Can do audios eventually..but needs special repair.

After mom died in 1997,I returned to my

"career." I cannot read music but I do

not think this is too bad.

  Caballe NY debut,replacing Horne.

Became a SENSATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hilarious Gianna Rolandi rendition

of usually cut Cenerentola aria.

Audience falls on floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  ENJOY!  Camarena is great!!!!!

and they wonder why I complain today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How many divas did pop like this?????

Fleming is a joke (Under the rainbow)

7/6/10 Kirsten was about 7

yrs.OLDER when she retired. She

did POP better than any diva!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They finally got rid of that

HORRRRRID Met Traviata.Here is a

rehearsal of the new one.

Grazie a Dio…..

Just discovered her.....I have to find that

Dramamine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  I just sent this to Muzio at

http:// cielo.com. She will look

her up (way up) because she always admired

singers with great breath control.

3/13/77  How I discovered the

new Tebaldi!!!!! Diana Soviero has

been my friend all this time...and

she received my tape of her Mimi

on Mar.19..he and my ma's birthdays!

Two great divas in my life.

BUT  with Pav I told her to wear

metal underwear!!!!!!!!!

Amazing Mado Robin with high

Z sharp above R!!!!!!!!!!!!