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

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

 

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??)

   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.)​

  Hi all,
       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!!!!!!!!!!

 On Friday, June 11, Rise Stevens, the first singer I ever met..and the kindest and most lovable human being one could know, turns 97. She brought me and thousands of others to opera.We went to her home every year when the club existed.Bless her forever in my heart!!!​

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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]

[)

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

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

• musicOMH.com - Interview with Piotr Beczala by Dominic McHugh, September 2006.
• Joshua Kosman, 'Soaring Opera hits new heights in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin', San Francisco Chronicle, November 26, 2004.
• George Hall, Review: Faust at the Royal Opera House. The Stage, October 14, 2004.

  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.

 

P.S.Guess whose birthday is also Dec.28????  Francesco Tamagno!!!!!!!!!!  I told Piotr to stay away from Otello for at least one week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JUST APPEARED!!!!!!!!!!!

A live 1978 "Sola,Perduta" from Manon Lescaut, featuring my beloved Virginia Zeani!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnkC6L52PIE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKChjB7-aAc&NR=1

 

 

.....because they want only "pretty singing' and Muti hates high notes.....Charlie

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!!!

http://www.youtube.com/mrfriendofopera#p/f

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!!!!!
(I thought it would be nice to add some photos to the site.Little by little I will delete some and add new ones.)

Piotr Beczala, My dear friend Maria, the greatest Placido fan in the world (except for Marta), and yours truly.

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.

Irina Rindzuner and Elinor Ross with Charlie after a Puccini concert in 2008.

      (Unfortunately the role is no longer in my extensive repertory.)

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

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

From a poster on RMO:

Sorry to report that Ms DiDonato slipped over on the raked stage last
night during Act 1 of Barbiere di Siviglia at Covent Garden and broke
the tibia bone in her leg. It was opening night and the
accident happened during a recitative with Figaro (after "Una voce poco
fa"). She was rushing over to the corner of the stage and just seemed to
fall without any obvious reason, landing in a heap. She
continued to sing the recit, although noticeably much more quietly than
usual and then got up afterwards, carrying on as normal but obviously
with something not right about the way she was walking
Before Act 2 started an announcement was made that she had sprained her
ankle, was in a great deal of pain but would bravely struggle on
nonetheless. She re-appeared on crutches, hobbling around the
stage with the help of her colleagues JDF and Ferruccio Furlanetto.
Ironically, the first line she had to sing in Act 2 was the recit
claiming that she had cramp in her foot - and the entire audience
exploded into laughter, clapping and cheering for almost a minute. Her
singing was flawlessly brilliant throughout and she kept on smiling - a
real trooper. She even negotiated a very difficult scene where
Rosina goes on a furniture-trashing rampage during the temporale
- knocking over a chair, a harpsichord, a music stand and a huge
cupboard. She used her crutch to violently smash one of the
stage lights - it was very funny.

Elsewhere in the cast, JDF turned in another stunning display of
technical virtuosity and his "Cessa di piu resistere" brought the house
down - the applause went on for nearly 5 minutes and everyone was
screaming for an encore that never happened. Alessandro
Corbelli and Furlanetto were also brilliantly funny as Dr Bartolo and
Don Basilio respectively and Pietro Spagnoli was a very respectable
replacement for an indisposed Simon Keenlyside as Figaro

It was a fantastic evening - really funny and the musical standards were
truly extraordinary. When I got home I read on Joyce's blog
that her leg was actually broken and is now in a plaster cast - but she
valiantly intends to go on with the rest of the performances regardless.
Brava!

   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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://parterre.com/2009/07/07/but-cha-are-joyce/

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

 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.
   Why this opera is not performed more is sad, because it is so exciting and I think you will agree that it deserves more recognition.
                                                 (72 min.)

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!!!!

The second volume of "Casta Diva," featuring:

Beverly Sills, Gina Cigna, Montserrat Caballe, Joan Sutherland,
Zinka Milanov, and Maria Callas.

                                    (74 min.)

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,
Romeo et Juliette, Don Giovanni, and Faust.
                                 (73 min.)

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!!!!
    Mario del Monaco had a "bronze column of sound" that in my view was unmatched by any tenor I ever heard. Bottom to middle to top...the man was a phenomenon;he never faked it, gave 1000%, and remains one of the great tenors of my generation.

                               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.)

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

    Hi all,
         I may have mentioned my huge opera cassette/cd/dvd/vhs catalogues previously, but just a reminder that if you wish to peruse my material, over 10,000 items, please feel free to E-mail me at Placido21@aol.com. Please provide full name and mailing address.
           I do not send the cassette catalogue unless you specifically request it, because it is enormous, and the postage costs are quite high;however, if you want it ALL, do not hesitate to request the whole collection.
             In this way, you will better understand why there is no room in my house for even ME!

                                   My best   Charlie

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Handelmania+Videos&ie=utf8&oe=utf8&num=10&hl=en&gl=us#q=Handelmania%20Videos&ie=utf8&oe=utf8&num=10&hl=en&gl=us&start=0

 

Just to remind some new members of my videos on Google (Handelmania)

My best  Charlie

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

      Some of you may have heard this clip, but it is so bizarre I
  felt COMPELLED to upload it as a single podcast clip. I was
  seated in the New York State Theatre at the debut of soprano
  Ashley Putnam as Violetta, when, as you will hear, just before
  tenor Henry Price was about to sing his act two aria, some insane
  lady (as we later learned) let out a bloodcurdling Elektra geschrei 
  and ran out of the theatre. 
        The man next to me exclaimed, "Oh my Goddd!" as you
   will hear. To this day, we never learned what motivated this
   nutcase...but at least we have a "treasured memory" that will
   endure forever.
         I used to play this clip for my schoolkids and they demanded
  I play it over and over..some of them would even run up to
  the CD player to hear the scream loud in their little ears.
         So..you thought opera people (beside me,of course)
  were NORMAL?????

 

 

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

  A compilation of scenes from the great Puccini opera,
  featuring many fine artists. I will not write the names here
  since some of you might wish to use this podcast as a quiz.
                                ( 73 minutes)

Quite a superb new tenor from Turkey. How many tenors
do we know who can take the high E flat in the Lucia duet????

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Bulent+Bezduz&search=Search

 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,
" Obbedisco,signoraaaa."  (Even then I knew the words.).Someone happened to snap our picture. This experience will live in my heart forever as a happy memory of one of the sweetest people I ever knew.  

Finale of Act One of the Menotti opera, featuring Catherine Malfitano, Sandra Walker, and the late Enrico di Giuseppe.

     This is a podcast in which famous opera stars sing
 popular music. Since I have not revealed the names
 of the artists until AFTER the selections, as a kind of
 guessing game, I am not listing them here.
        Have fun !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     

   (Photo: The Very Great Karita Mattila) 

   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.
     She "adopted" us so to speak and as the years passed,I never failed to wish her a happy birthday,until the very last year of her life. You know, I just cannot bring myself to remove her telephone number from my address/phone directory. I think it will stay there as long as I live!
     I hope this little tribute is not too saccharine and/or pretentious, and if you feel it is,just let me know..it is just that I wanted to remember her with all my love and affection.

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.

April 13!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost forgot...40 years ago today,the greatest singer I ever heard live, Zinka Milanov, retired with an Andrea Chenier. She did sing the final Chenier duet with Richard Tucker at the Met Gala closing of the old house on April 16, but Apr.13 was her official retirement date.
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

 A selection of 18 truly marvelous artists who performed at La Scala between 1880 and 1940:

         De Lucia,Sobinov,Bonci,Vinas,
         De Angelis,Pasero,Spani, Masini,
         Anselmi,Boninsegna,  
         Escalais,Zamboni,De Muro,
         Dalla Rizza,De Hidalgo,
         Pampanini,Cobelli,
                Sammarco                    

Download this episode from the April Podcast Archive.