Thu, 29 July 2010
May I pause and give credit for these podcasts to my buddy,James Jorden, of Parterre Box fame. He taught me how to podcast,videocast, and remain a legend in my own mind. If you wish to order any of the albums on the podcast page, click the selection(s) and James gets a commission from Amazon.That is at least something we can do to thank him for his special efforts..and great talent! Il tuo caro amico, Charlie |
Thu, 8 July 2010
My dear friend just came back from Czechoslavakia where he coached and conducted Boheme act 3......but there was a slight mishap in the show... Instead of SNOW falling at the end of the act...BUBBLES came down....and they were still coming down in the fourth act....Poor Bohemians...they could slip all over!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They should have used Corn Flakes..They are not slippery.
OI VEY...To run an opera house.... Charlie "Bubbles' Handelman
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Mon, 5 July 2010
My all-time favorite basso passed away today.Cesare Siepi was the possessor of a luscious,velvety voice and on stage he was sensational.I saw him countless times and am so saddened at his passing. Here is a brief article about his many successes.: His international reputation was established in 1950, when Sir Rudolf Bing brought him to the Metropolitan Opera in New York to open the 1950 season as King Philip II in Don Carlos. He was to remain principal bass at the Met until 1974, adding roles such as Boris Godunov (in English) and Gurnemanz in Parsifal (in German), and singing all the major roles of the bass repertoire. His also gave his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 1950, and appeared there regularly until the mid 1970s. In 1953 Siepi debuted at the Salzburg Festival with a legendary production of Don Giovanni conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler, staged by Herbert Graf, and designed by Clemens Holzmeister. He made an immediate impact in the title role of Don Giovanni which became perhaps his best known role, as it had been for the most famous Italian bass of the generation before, Ezio Pinza. This performance has been released on CD, and a 1954 mounting of this production was filmed in color and released in 1955. Siepi was a frequent guest at the Vienna State Opera. In 43 performances he sang Don Giovanni, more often than any other singer in modern times except for Eberhard Waechter. In 1967 Siepi was Don Giovanni in a controversially received production staged by Otto Schenk and designed by Luciano Damiani that showed Mozart's masterpiece in the light of the commedia dell'arte, emphasizing the comic and ironic elements of this opera (conductor Josef Krips strongly opposed this production's concept). In Vienna he also sang Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Colline (La bohème), Fiesco (Simon Boccanegra), Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro), Padre Guardian (La forza del destino 1974 in a new production conducted by Riccardo Muti), Gurnemanz (Parsifal), Mephisto (Faust), Filippo II (Don Carlos), and Ramphis (Aïda). His final performance at the Vienna State Opera was in Norma (Oroveso) in 1994. He was a particularly fine recital artist, especially in Community Concerts under Columbia Artist Management, and a sensitive interpreter of German Lieder. He married Met ballerina Luellen Sibley and they have two children. Siepi enjoyed a long career, and performed regularly until the 1980s, including lead roles in the ill-fated Broadway musicals Bravo Giovanni and Carmelina. In addition to his studio recordings, there are also many live recordings of performances of his major roles. According to the Italian Wikipedia, Siepi's formal farewell to the operatic stage occurred at the Teatro Carani in Sassuolo on 21 April 1989. Indeed, Capon's List shows live recordings made as late as 1988. Siepi's last studio recording was as the old King Archibaldo in RCA's 1976 taping of Montemezzi's L'amore dei tre re, with Anna Moffo and Plácido Domingo in the cast. Rest in Peace, my beloved Cesare. P.S. For my podcast on Siepi,see archives of May 3, 2006
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Sat, 3 July 2010
A Met benefit concert in 1951, featuring some of the artists who were singing at that time.They include: Lucine Amara,Lily Pons, Dorothy Kirsten, Regina Resnik, Gladys Swarthout, Roberta Peters, Bidu Sayao, Rise Stevens, Giuseppe Valdengo, Brian Sullivan, Salvatore Baccaloni, with guest appearance by Jimmy Durante (tenor??baritone?? basso??) |
Wed, 30 June 2010
The beloved Renata Tebaldi makes her final stage appearance at a recital in La Scala on May 23, 1976. No one could be as beloved as this great lady, and my life was made so much richer knowing her on and off stage. Bless her memory forever! (60 min.) |
Sun, 27 June 2010
I just watched the Weimar Ring, and mezzo Nadine Weissmann, the Erda and the Waltraute, possesses a superb,rich,luscious voice. I urge you to watch her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr8EeExG_fY I know I can pick them!!!!!!!!!!
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-- posted at: 7:20pm EDT
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Fri, 18 June 2010
Highlights from an exciting performance of Verdi's "Attila," featuring Sam Ramey, Linda Strummer, William Stone, and VerianoLuchetti from Venice, 1987 under Gabriele Ferro. (72 min.)
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Mon, 7 June 2010
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-- posted at: 8:03pm EDT
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Mon, 15 March 2010
You like divas??????????????? http://www.irinarindzuner.com/video.aspx
So go here and sample the art of the marvelous Irina Rindzuner, and also I placed clips on my site: http://www.youtube.com/mrfriendofopera What a great lady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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-- posted at: 11:32am EDT
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Sun, 14 March 2010
The opera world mourns the passing of the superb Philip Langridge, pictured here in his last role, the witch in Hansel and Gretel. Here is some biographical material:
Philip Gordon Langridge CBE (16 December 1939 – 5 March 2010)[1] was an English tenor,[2] considered to be among the foremost exponents of English opera and oratorio.[3][4] Langridge was born in Hawkhurst, Kent, educated at Maidstone Grammar School and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London.[5] He started his career as an orchestral violinist, which exposed him to a greater variety of music than professional singers ordinarily experience.
Langridge was admired for his fine technique coupled with keen dramatic instincts. His repertoire was broad, ranging from the operas of Claudio Monteverdi and Mozart to more modern works by Ravel, Stravinsky, Janáček and Schoenberg. At the end of his life, he was adding some Wagner roles, including Loge from Das Rheingold. Langridge was also a fine concert singer and regularly performed the sacred music of Bach and Handel. He also won great acclaim for his assumption of the title role in Elgar's oratorio, The Dream of Gerontius. For all his versatility, he was at his most distinguished performing the works of Benjamin Britten.[6] Much of Britten's vocal music was written specifically for his artistic and life partner, tenor Sir Peter Pears. Many regarded Langridge as Pears' true successor because they shared similar vocal qualities and brought uncommon immediacy to the music they performed. He recorded many of his famous roles, including Peter Grimes and the Prologue / Quint in The Turn of the Screw, as well as all the orchestral song cycles for tenor voice. Langridge's association with Harrison Birtwistle began in 1986 when he created the role of Orpheus in his opera The Mask of Orpheus. He also sang The Lawyer in the world premiere recording of Punch and Judy (1989) and created the roles of Kong in The Second Mrs Kong (Glyndebourne, 1994) and Hiereus in The Minotaur (Royal Opera House, 2008).[7] Birtwistle composed Vanitas (based on a poem by David Harsent) especially for Langridge's 70th birthday concert at London's Wigmore Hall in November 2009.[6] Langridge was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to music in 1994. He was married to Irish mezzo-soprano Ann Murray until his death from bowel cancer. Langridge is survived by their son Jonathan Philip (born 1986, Greenwich, London),[8] and his three adult children from his previous marriage: Anita, Jennifer,[9] and opera director Stephen. [10] [)
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-- posted at: 1:52pm EDT
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Mon, 11 January 2010
Hi all, Just a reminder that I have been putting up a great number of magnificent videos from my collection and from Youtube links (see under favorites) on my video site. I know you will appreciate them. http://www.youtube.com/mrfriendofopera My best Charlie
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-- posted at: 12:36am EDT
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Wed, 30 December 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A WONDERFUL TENOR AND THE SWEETEST GUY YOU COULD MEET! (Except for me, of course) Piotr Beczała (born December 28, 1966 in Czechowice-Dziedzice) is a Polish operatic tenor. Piotr Beczała was born in southern Poland and initially trained in Katowice. His first engagements were with the Landestheatre in Linz, after which he became a regular member of Zurich Opera. Between 2004-2006, Beczala made several major international house debuts. In April 2004, he made his debut at London's Royal Opera House as the Italian Tenor in Der Rosenkavalier, later returning in October of that year in the title role of Faust, then in June 2005 as the Duke in Rigoletto, and in September 2006, again in Faust. In November 2004, he made his San Francisco Opera and US debut as Lensky in Eugene Onegin. Beczała's La Scala debut came in January 2006 as the Duke in Rigoletto, the role in which he also made Metropolitan Opera debut on December 19, 2006. In 2007 he was awarded the Munich Opera Festival Prize which acknowledges outstanding accomplishments by departments and members of the Bavarian State Opera as well as members of the Festival performance casts for his performances in in Rigoletto, Der Rosenkavalier and Werther.[1] Beczała appears as Alfredo Germont in the Farao Classics recording of La traviata which has been nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award.[2] The cd is a live recording from the Bavarian State Opera's March 2006 production with Anja Harteros as Violetta, Paolo Gavanelli as Giorgio Germont, and Zubin Mehta conducting. [edit] References
P.S.Guess whose birthday is also Dec.28???? Francesco Tamagno!!!!!!!!!! I told Piotr to stay away from Otello for at least one week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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-- posted at: 2:39am EDT
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Thu, 26 November 2009
JUST APPEARED!!!!!!!!!!! A live 1978 "Sola,Perduta" from Manon Lescaut, featuring my beloved Virginia Zeani!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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-- posted at: 4:48am EDT
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Thu, 12 November 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKChjB7-aAc&NR=1
.....because they want only "pretty singing' and Muti hates high notes.....Charlie
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-- posted at: 6:04pm EDT
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Sat, 24 October 2009
Hi all, Just a reminder that I am uploading and also taking clips from Youtube .so many wonderful video clips.If you click on "Favorites" you will be presented with a wide variety of material, in addition to what is there that I personally uploaded. Have fun!!!
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-- posted at: 5:50pm EDT
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Sun, 6 September 2009
Dear friends, Since lately I have added to my various sites, I thought I would summarize the links: http://www.youtube.com/mrfriendofopera (the newest site for great videos I upload from my own collection and also favorites from Youtube) http://handelmania.libsyn.com My podcast site http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vissidarte My site for discussion but mostly for a huge number of audiofiles from my collection. Handelmania on Google. Google no longer allows uploading, but if you type in "Handelmania" on Google, there are the remaining 80 plus videos for you to watch. What was life like before computers?????? Charlie
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-- posted at: 8:12pm EDT
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Sat, 15 August 2009
Joseph Calleja, one of the finest tenors in the world of opera, and a great dude!!!!! PICTURES ARE NOT PODCASTS UNLESS YOU SEE THE USUAL BUTTON AT LEFT!!!!!
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-- posted at: 10:43pm EDT
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Sat, 15 August 2009
Piotr Beczala, My dear friend Maria, the greatest Placido fan in the world (except for Marta), and yours truly.
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-- posted at: 10:32pm EDT
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Sat, 15 August 2009
We are all hoping that dear Rolando Villazon returns to us soon. He is one of the most affectionate dudes I have ever met, and he is slightly more hyper than even me.
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-- posted at: 6:41pm EDT
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Sat, 15 August 2009
Irina Rindzuner and Elinor Ross with Charlie after a Puccini concert in 2008. (Unfortunately the role is no longer in my extensive repertory.)
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-- posted at: 6:34pm EDT
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Fri, 10 July 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjvjU4QmVK0
Go to the above link to watch and listen to Stephen Costello, one of opera's finest young artists, as Romeo. Stephen will be the recipient of this year's Richard Tucker award, and will be singing in the Tucker Gala in November. Those of us who have followed his career,including his Met Edgardo, will attest to the fact that he is one of the brightest lights on the opera scene. ENJOY!!!!! Charlie
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-- posted at: 11:00am EDT
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Thu, 9 July 2009
These photos are too big to place here...Go to this site and you will get a feeling for what I saw in the old Met...especially those gorgeous Zinka photos from her last performances......Nothing will replace these treasured memories... http://images.google.com/images?sa=4&imgc=&imgsz=&q=color+opera+source%3Alife
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-- posted at: 1:53am EDT
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Mon, 6 July 2009
From a poster on RMO: Sorry to report that Ms DiDonato slipped over on the raked stage last Elsewhere in the cast, JDF turned in another stunning display of It was a fantastic evening - really funny and the musical standards were THEY ARE AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So many singers are up there sick or injured, and we never know...That is the miracle of these great artists and what they do for us!!!! GO HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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-- posted at: 10:20pm EDT
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Wed, 24 June 2009
MAMMA MIA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Virginia just told me this was released!!! I am so thrilled they added the great Zeani to their fabulous library of great artists. Go to Amazon.com..Only 14.99....TRUST ME! You will love it!! Charlie
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-- posted at: 11:27pm EDT
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Wed, 24 June 2009
Composer Italo Montemezzi himself conducts this brilliant performance of his rarely-heard "L'Amore dei Tre Re." The legendary Ezio Pinza sings Archibaldo, and we hear Grace Moore as Fiora, Richard Bonelli as Manfredo, and Charles Kullman as Avito. |
Fri, 5 June 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qQqsyPPRhM Can you imagine that at 99 Magda Olivero can still sing?? This is a brief scene from Francesca da Rimini. I am so touched..... Cent'anni,Magda!!!!
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-- posted at: 9:25pm EDT
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Mon, 9 March 2009
The second volume of "Casta Diva," featuring: Beverly Sills, Gina Cigna, Montserrat Caballe, Joan Sutherland, (74 min.) |
Sat, 7 March 2009
A tribute to one of the greatest all-time tenors, Alfredo Kraus (1927-1999).The live selections are from the following operas: Lucia,Traviata,Barbiere,Werther, Manon, Rigoletto, La Favorita, |
Sat, 31 January 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xczMXSw2Lqc Do you like the idea of my sending you to some sites to sample some of the great clips tht exist? Let me know,because it is a nice feature, and you get to become jealous of what I saw live!!!! Charlie P.S. He once almost deafened me for life when he came out the stage door and said, "Hello,boys!" Imagine what it was like to rehearse with him (without earplugs.)
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-- posted at: 10:36am EDT
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Sun, 18 January 2009
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Handelmania&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f# A reminder of my video site for those who have not visited it. As ever Charlie
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-- posted at: 2:40am EDT
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Sat, 29 November 2008
Hi all, My best Charlie |
Sun, 9 November 2008
Just to remind some new members of my videos on Google (Handelmania) My best Charlie
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-- posted at: 12:35am EDT
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Mon, 2 June 2008
ONE ZINKA MOMENT?????? You KEEEEDING???? We usually would make the famous "Enzo adorato" B flat in Gioconda our favorite..In fact, do we know of ANY ONE SINGER who was "known for a single note?" As the supreme authority(???) on this forum on the Milanov career, a career I can readily "hear in my head," I will give you the gospel according to me. (This is a follow-up to a thread on Opera-l on "Milanov Moments.") BURROUGHS...Where's the book already???????????????????????? So,my friends, let me give you my impressions of a lady whose career "shaped my opera life." First of all, I agree nthat her recordings usually do not do her total justice, unless you have every Met broadcast. She screams the C's in the Aida and Tosca on RCA, and in the 40's I found too much vibrato in the tone. She had a more secure top then, but despite the problematic C's in the 50's and 60's (they did improve to some extent after she worked with her brother, Bozidar Kunc), the pure voice was something I will treasure forever. As a sixteen year old, I wore out the end of side three of the RCA LP set of the Trovatore because of the phenomenal "D'amor sull'ali rosee";however, the RCA "Orthophonic Sound' technique gave a kind of echo effect that even as a youngster I felt was not giving me a true picture of the voice. My question to the first Milanov nutcases I met on the standee line waiting for a Forza in 1953 was, "How does she sound live as compared to the records?" Within a few minutes of the curtain rise at the Forza, I found the answer! That voice was absolutely glorious, as she started the "Me pellegrina," and by the incredible "Pace," I was in Milanov heaven...and so it goes from there, 85 performances later, I never changed my mind (even despite some screamy Ballos). So now here are 5 of my 1000 Milanov "moments"' in addition to THE moment..the Gioconda B flat ppp: 1. Ernani:Final trio w.Del Monaco and Siepi,where she starts with that "Ferma" as she comes onstage and then sings in the most noble and powerful manner, with rich mixed low notes that are as thrilling as the high notes. 2. The double attack on the pianissimo on "Ora soave' during the Act 2 Chenier duet. 3. Chenier again:The high A flat (or A if the duet is in key) on "abbracciami, aMANTE" as the final duet was sung with fairly good tenors like Tucker,Bergonzi,Tucker, and DelMonaco. 4. The way she always swelled on the B flat "Maledizione' at the end of the "Pace."It was her "trick" of not hitting the note dead on forte, but giving it a swell that knocked you off your seats..I mean stands. 5. The section at the end of act three scene one Gioconda beginning, "O made mia..nel isola fatale,." with that glorious high b flat and then the lush low on "per lui che l'aaaaaama." So you see, I think I have a fairly good idea of why no other singer in my life ever could thrill me like Zinka, and remember, she would agree with me in her utter modesty (!!!) Thanks, Zinka, and i hope they let you kick your train wherever you are...... (See,I once had hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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-- posted at: 9:40pm EDT
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Sun, 6 April 2008
Some of you may have heard this clip, but it is so bizarre I
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Fri, 14 March 2008
I am too ancient to remember exactly what most singers sounded like to my virgin ears when I first heard them live. Remember, we had very few recordings..no "pirates" and were extremely limited, so when a fabulous voice was heard for the very first time, in some cases there was an indelible impression. For me, the totally "unknown' voices were those of Antonietta Stella (Aida), Daniele Barioni (Tosca), Diana Soviero (Boheme). Also, although we had heard only a few early Tebaldi recordings, and NO ONE was prepared for what that voice sounded like live. More recently, I was captivated by soprano Irina Rindzuner (in photo) as Santuzza in the City Opera Cavalleria. As she began the "Innegiamo" my ears perked up and i said to myself.."Mamma mia!!!" (Go to her Fanciullas at Da Capo in April.). Can you recall your first impression of some of the great voices and give us some details? Also, can you recall the exact opposite (i.e. a voice you adored on recordings and in person with which you were much less impressed (Jan Peerce for me.) Best Charlie |
Mon, 4 February 2008
A compilation of scenes from the great Puccini opera, |
Sat, 13 October 2007
Quite a superb new tenor from Turkey. How many tenors http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Bulent+Bezduz&search=Search |
Sat, 13 October 2007
Who is that lady with Charlie??????????????? It is like this: At a party in 1955, she grabbed my hand and said, "Dammi il braccio mio piccino"(Boheme quote with a gender change). I then said, |
Tue, 21 August 2007
I had a problem with my 80 Videos on HANDELMANIA (Google) but they are
up there now...... so go to: http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=handelmania&num=50&so=0&start=50 and all is well...ENJOY!!! Charlie |
Sat, 13 May 2006
Finale of Act One of the Menotti opera, featuring Catherine Malfitano, Sandra Walker, and the late Enrico di Giuseppe.
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-- posted at: 4:58pm EDT
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Thu, 4 May 2006
This is a podcast in which famous opera stars sing (Photo: The Very Great Karita Mattila) |
Thu, 20 April 2006
I just wanted to stop a moment and think of someone who was the darling of all of us in the olden days at the Met. We were teens just turning on to opera, and Renata Tebaldi made our lives so very joyous; those of us who remember her on and off stage will never forget her. Her performances were truly "events." She remained every night and signed every single program,even in freezing weather. P.S. This 1955 photo was taken at one of our huge affairs for her. She said to me, "Dammi il braccio,mio piccinO," and I responded, "Obbedisco,signorA," and happily someone snapped the photo.
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-- posted at: 1:10am EDT
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Thu, 13 April 2006
On that occasion,the 87th time I saw her live,the voice was as clear and fresh as it was when I first saw her. Yes,the tears came,not only among us, but she could barely speak,and when I listen to her emotional (and very short) farewell speech,those memories return. On May 17th,we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of her birth,and the book should be out that month also. As much as I thrilled to her singing so often,she really contributed to my not having a great average in college,but I would do it the same way if I had the time machine running. When you are a teenage opera lover and someone "bigger-than-life' comes along..you never forget...and she was the one who helped to bring me so much joy for so long. God Bless You, my Zeeeenka...I bet today you are singing your "Pace" just as well as ever (with Rosa looking on with envy!!!!!!) With greatest affection, Charlie
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-- posted at: 3:36pm EDT
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Tue, 11 April 2006
A selection of 18 truly marvelous artists who performed at La Scala between 1880 and 1940: De Lucia,Sobinov,Bonci,Vinas, Download this episode from the April Podcast Archive. |