Happy Birthday to the Magnificent Piotr!!!!!

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

Category:general -- posted at: 2:39am EDT

Magda Olivero in Amsterdam 1962

The amazing Magda Olivero in an Amsterdam concert, 1962. She sings arias from Manon Lescaut,Mefistofele, Tosca, Iris, Adriana Lecouvreur, and Risurrezione.    (32 min.)

Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNniGHmTrNo

 

Direct download: 2009-12-27-00-04-02.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:57am EDT

The Beverly Sills Premiere Roberto Devereux

This is the New York City Opera performance of Roberto Devereux of  October 24,1970. It marked the "second career" of Beverly Sills, as she began to essay the Donizetti Queen roles with tremendous success. The tenor is some young fellow named Domingo, and the baritone is Louis Quilico.

   NOTE: The double attack on the high D natural at the end of "Vivi,ingrato." In the theatre we held our collective breaths at this amazing sound!   (70 min.)

P.S. Amazon does sell the Devereux video from Wolftrap, but it costs about $90.00.

Direct download: 2009-12-26-17-53-18.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:29pm EDT

Renata Tebaldi as Tosca, 1955, 1958

    Highlights from a glorious 1955 Covent Garden Tosca with Renata Tebaldi in fabulous voice (I saw about 5 of them at the Met in that period and I never recuperated). I forgot how gorgeous Ferruccio Tagliavini's voice was and of course the great Scarpia of Tito Gobbi is legendary. The conductor is Francesco Molinari-Pradelli.

 This is followed by some act two scenes from Brussels, 1958 w.Ettore Bastianini and Giuseppe Di Stefano.(HEY! The "Vittoria is GREAT!!")

                            (73 minutes of joy!)

  P.S. Why do those Englishmen/ladies not applaud the tenor arias?   Corelli would have screamed at them!

Direct download: 2009-12-22-23-47-26.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:20am EDT

A Truly Glorious Adriana Lecouvreur

 This live Adriana Lecouvreur from 1977, San Francisco might be one of the greatest performances of the opera, along with the 1959 Olivero,Corelli,Simionato,Bastianini cast.

    Here we have Renata Scotto,Giacomo Aragall,Giuseppe Taddei, and Elena Obratsova conducted by Gianandrea Gavazzeni.   (72 min.)
     

    I bet you do not even miss my voice!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Direct download: 2009-12-20-00-29-52.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:03am EDT

An exciting Trovatore!!!

Dear friends,

           Until the audio portion of my podcasts is fixed and when I am again able to narrate podcasts, I am presenting operas that really need no detailed explanation by me, since they speak for themselves in their power and excitement to thrill you all.
              This 1962 La Scala Trovatore under Gianandrea Gavazzeni features a great cast:
   Antonietta Stella, Franco Corelli, Fiorenza Cossotto, Ettore Bastianini,
    Ivo Vinco.

              Again I say to you.."They don't make 'em that way anymore!!!!"              Happy Holidays

                                           The silent Charlie

Direct download: 2009-12-19-13-29-02.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:55pm EDT

The GLORIOUS 1961 Turandot

   For whatever reason, my narration did not come out here, but what more can be said about this sensational Turandot..just listen!!!!! I was there and it was something that we will never forget.  Nilsson, Corelli, Moffo, Giaiotti,Guarrera, conducted by Leopold Stokowski.

     We held our breath at the end of the "In questa reggia!!!" NOTHING like that today, and glad to remember the great days of Moffo, who had too short a career. I know you will love this..now, I have to figure out why my voice did not record...After all,I have been a pretty good boy this year!   Love Charlie     (70 min.)

BTW, there is some silly dude who HATES poor Maria Callas and who writes dumb comments..naturally deleted by me..I think Santa will be putting some Callas recordings in his stocking (GGGG).

Direct download: 2009-12-18-20-50-12.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:26pm EDT

A Truly Beautiful La Boheme

This 1951 Boheme is one of the finest performances of the great work you will ever hear. It features the following cast:

Mimi        Bidu  Sayao
Rodolfo    Giuseppe Di Stefano
Marcello   Giusppe Valdendo
Colline      Cesare Siepi
Schaunard   George Cehanovsky
Musetta       Lois Hunt
 
       Fausto Cleva   Conductor      (73 min.)

 

Direct download: 2009-12-14-20-03-09.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:39pm EDT

Opera Oddities Vol.3

The third edition of opera oddities. Included are clips that are exciting, silly, unusual, even hilarious!   (68 min.)

I wish to send you to the site where my friend Donald Collup, who is up to volume 8 of his fabulous collection (How does he get all this stuff??),provides the complete volumes.  

http://www.collup.com/dczcdz/party.html

      Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Charlie

Direct download: 2009-12-14-15-53-51.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:26pm EDT

Tosca From Covent Garden 1957

A magnificent Tosca from 1957 Covent Garden with Zinka Milanov,Franco Corelli, and Giangiacomo Guelfi conducted by Alexander Gibson.   You will love this one!!!    (55 min.)

Direct download: 2009-12-09-15-39-44.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:07pm EDT

Cristina Deutekom as Norma

 Dutch soprano Cristina Deutekom in a superb performance of Norma from San Francisco, 1975, conducted by Carlo Felice Cillario.

   Tatiana Troyanos    Adalgisa
   Robleto Merolla       Pollione
   Clifford Grant          Oroveso

                                  (69 min.)

Direct download: 2009-12-08-22-40-09.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:10pm EDT

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