Sun, 3 May 2009
In loving memory of divas who passed away too early. They are as follows: Meta Seinemeyer (1895-1929) |
Fri, 24 April 2009
Zinka Milanov as Santuzza: Cavalleria exc. 1957 w.Tucker,Valentino,Elias,Votipka (Cleva) Voi lo sapete from 1951
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Fri, 24 April 2009
Cari amici, About 40 long years ago, I attended the first rehearsal of Donizetti's "Anna Bolena," at the home of our illustrious maestro and one of my mentors in life, Armen Boyajian. Marisa Galvany (one of her many phony names) was the Bolena (and I loved looking down her throat to see where those phenomenal E flats came from). Then there was this young dude named Sam Ramey, who opened his mouth and out came some of the greatest sounds we ever heard. Gee... maybe he will make it some day, we all exclaimed! Now, as we celebrate Sam's 25th anniversary at the Met, and a 40 year professional career, singing an incredible range of roles and becoming one of the opera icons of our time, we feel so fortunate that he left Kansas to find an "Oz" of magic all over the opera world. I therefore wish to celebrate with you Sam's Met anniversary, and a fabulous career. I still relish those old tapes of our Bartolo/Basilio and am so fortunate I was able to be in on a tiny part of an illustrious career. I recall Sam once telling us about that skinny chain-smoking guy with the enormous voice by the name of Norman Treigle, and how he admired him. Well, they did so many of the same roles (Mefistofele, Boris,Blitch,Escamillo, The Hoffmann villains,Don Giovanni, Figaro,etc.). Happily, Sam Ramey has been able to follow along in this tradition, with so many great performances of a huge number of roles,a remarkable number of recordings, and engagements in every important opera theatre in the opera world. So..a happy 25th Met anniversary to a dear sweet and brilliantly talented guy and all my best to him and to his lovely wife and son (who also has a high F#...and more!) With my sincerest best wishes Charlie
Excerpts are from Italiana,Lombardi,Rinaldo,Attila, Mefistofele, Comte D'Ory, Semiramide,Susannah, South Pacific. (65 min.) |
Thu, 23 April 2009
Norma Podcast Repeated in error(Who know why??) |
Thu, 23 April 2009
16 tenors sing the great "Una furtiva lagrima" from Donizetti's "L'Elisir D'Amore." They are as follows (in exact order on podcast) Giuseppe Anselmi, Enrico Caruso, John McCormack, Hipolito Lazaro, |
Sun, 19 April 2009
The third podcast dedicated to the great Enrico Caruso, a true vocal "God." No words are ever adequate to describe the emotional charge yours truly derives from this man and what he has meant to the world of opera. I hope you enjoy the podcast. Featured are songs, and arias from Otello,Germania,Samson et Delilah, Mme.Butterfly, Andrea Chenier, Pagliacci, and Martha. |
Sat, 18 April 2009
A comparison of 21 tenors singing the great Werther aria. The order is as follows: |
Sun, 5 April 2009
The two beautiful duets from Richard Strauss' "Arabella." In most cases I have included both act one and act two duets;in a few cases, I have only the act one duet. These are the artists, in order of appearance: Viorica Ursuleac/Margarit Bokor/ Alfred Jerger (the 1933 creators of their roles.) |
Sat, 28 March 2009
The great aria from Giordano's "Andrea Chenier." Riccardo Stracciari, Giuseppe Danise, Paolo Silveri, Heinrich Schlusnus, |
Wed, 25 March 2009
Many selections sung by Clara Butt, a very great artist: 1.Softly and gently (Elgar:The Dream of Gerontius)
Clara Butt was born in Southwick, Sussex. Her father was Henry Albert Butt who was a sea captain and who was born in 1848 in Saint Martin, Jersey, Channel Islands. He married Clara Hook in 1869, who was born in Shoreham, the daughter of Joseph Hook, mariner (1861 and 1871 census, in 1881 in New Shoreham workhouse). In 1880 the family moved to Bristol and Clara was educated at South Bristol High School, where her singing talent was recognised and encouraged. At the request of her headmistress, she was trained by the bass Daniel Rootham and joined the Bristol Festival Chorus, of which he was musical director. In January 1890 she won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music. In her fourth year she spent three months studying in Paris at the expense of Queen Victoria. She also studied in Berlin and Italy. She made her professional début at the Royal Albert Hall in London in Sir Arthur Sullivan’s The Golden Legend on 7 December 1892. Three days later she appeared as Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at the Lyceum Theatre. Bernard Shaw wrote in The World that she ‘far surpassed the utmost expectations that could reasonably be entertained’ (14 December 1892). She returned to Paris and made further studies with Jacques Bouhy (the teacher of Louise Homer and Louise Kirkby Lunn) and later with the soprano Etelka Gerster in Berlin. Camille Saint-Saëns wanted her to study Dalila, but due to laws then extant forbidding the representation of biblical subjects on the British stage, nothing came of it. Soon she had acquired an excellent reputation, aided by her physical presence - she was 6 feet 2 inches tall. She made many gramophone recordings, often accompanied by the (uncredited) pianist Miss Lillian Bryant. She was primarily a concert singer and only ever appeared in two opera productions, both of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, in 1892 and 1920. Edward Elgar composed his Sea Pictures for contralto and orchestra with Clara Butt in mind as the soloist, and she sang at the first performance at the Norwich Festival on 5 October 1899, with the composer conducting. In 1900 she married the baritone Kennerly Rumford, and thenceforth often appeared with him in concerts. The couple eventually had three children two sons and a daughter. Besides singing in many important festivals and concerts, she was honoured with royal commands from Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, and King George V. She made tours to Australia, Japan, Canada, the United States and to many European cities. During the First World War she organised and sang in many concerts for service charities, and for this she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 1920 civilian war honours. That year she sang four performances of Gluck's Orphee at Covent Garden under the baton of Sir Thomas Beecham. According to The Times she 'played fast and loose with the time and spoilt the phrasing' and it appears not to have been a success. Butt's three sisters were also singers. One of them, Ethel Hook, became a famous artist in her own right and made some superb solo recordings. In later life Clara Butt was dogged by tragedies. Her elder son died of meningitis while still at school, and the younger committed suicide. During the 1920s she became seriously ill of cancer of the spine, but her faith gave her the strength to continue working. She made many of her later records seated in a wheelchair. She died in 1936 at the age of 63 at her home in North Stoke, Oxfordshire, as a result of an accident she suffered in 1931. Sir Thomas Beecham once said, jokingly, that "on a clear day, you could have heard her across the English Channel". Not all serious musicians admired her booming contralto, which can be mistaken for a man's voice on some recordings, or her rather 'populist' approach to her art.
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Sun, 22 March 2009
The third volume of great artists in the act two scene from Puccini's Tosca. The artists are: Zinka Milanov(in photo),Giangiacomo Guelfi,Franco Corelli (73 minutes)
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Sun, 22 March 2009
Part Two of the great Scarpia/Tosca scene compilation. The artists are: |
Sun, 22 March 2009
The first of three exciting podcasts that feature the dramatic scene between Tosca and Scarpia in Act two, followed by the "Vittoria." |
Sat, 21 March 2009
Volume Two of the Manon Lescaut Act Two duet compilation: Maria Zamboni/Francesco Merli (Photo: Daniela Dessi and Fabio Armiliato) (63 min.) |
Sat, 21 March 2009
Part one of a compilation of the duet from Manon Lescaut Act Two. The pairs are as follows: Renata Tebaldi.Mario Del Monaco |
Fri, 13 March 2009
A series of recordings that were discovered at the St.Petersburg State Museum in Russia. The Russian artists,in order of presentation on the podcast are: Tenors: Boris Slovstov, Yvgenyi Vitting, Lev Klement'yev, Baritones:Nikolai Shevelyov, Oscar Kamionsky, Maximian Maksakov The International artists are: |
Mon, 9 March 2009
The second volume of "Casta Diva," featuring: Beverly Sills, Gina Cigna, Montserrat Caballe, Joan Sutherland, (74 min.) |
Sun, 8 March 2009
A collection of ensembles from 14 Verdi operas. Some of the world's most famous artists are included.The operas,in this order are: Nabucco, Giovanna D'Arco, Attila, Ernani, Ballo in Maschera, (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, |
Fri, 6 March 2009
I have waited far too long to present a podcast that features one of the great artists of all time, Carlo Bergonzi. There is so much material, but at least this is a good start. Included are arias and songs from his earlier days, up to his singing at age 67, and when I saw a New York recital at around age 77, there was still plenty of voice! Werther, Luisa Miller, Le Roi D'Ys, Forza Del Destino (original version), Elisir D'amore, L'Arlesiana, Martha, Mefistofele, the Verdi Requiem, and several songs. (73 min.) |
Mon, 2 March 2009
A compilation of scenes from Giuseppe Verdi's "I Lombardi"(1843) |
Mon, 2 March 2009
Ten versions of the great "Liebestod" from Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde." Astrid Varnay,Helen Traubel, Lotte Lehmann, Nanny Larsen-Todsen,
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Mon, 23 February 2009
In the 1960's, New York opera lovers who attended the La Puma Opera Company "adopted" the diva Olive Middleton whose prime years (including singing at Covent Garden) were in the 1920's. Olive was around 80, and of course the notes were rather "approximate," but she had great feeling for the music, and the spoken material really sounds like a legitimate singer, even at her advanced age. |
Mon, 23 February 2009
A comparison of famous divas performing the Phedre Recitative and the "Poveri Fiori" from Cilea's "Adriana Lecouvreur." Who is your favorite? Magda Olivero,Renata Tebaldi, Aprile Millo, Diana Soviero, Montserrat Caballe,Mafalda Favero,Renata Scotto,Leyla Gencer(Phedre only), and 70 min.) |
Fri, 20 February 2009
A compilation of various Mimi/Marcello scenes from act three of La Boheme. In the following order, the singers are: Renata Scotto/Frank Guarrera
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Sun, 15 February 2009
The opera world has been enriched by the presence of so many artists of Spanish/Hispanic origin. I hope you enjoy this compilation of material featuring many of the wonderful performers from various Spanish-speaking lands: Victoria de los Angeles, Montserrat Caballe, Conchita Supervia, Maria Barrientos, Hina Spani, Maria Galvany, Mercedes Capsir, Pilar Lorengar, Oralia Dominguez, Ramon Vinay, Miguel Fleta, Placido Domingo, Jose Palet, Hipolito Lazaro, Emile Vendrell, Antonio Cortis, Francisco Vinas, and Jose Mardones. (73 minutos) |
Sun, 8 February 2009
Some opera stars really can "crossover" into superb renditions of "Pop" music.(Well,most of them,anyway). Here are some examples featuring: Thomas Hampson,Bryn Terfel, Kip Wilborn, Dorothy Kirsten, Rise Stevens, Sumi Jo, Maureen Forrester, Dorothy Bishop, Thomas Quasthoff, Rene Fleming, Federica Von Stade, Placido Domingo, (72 min.)
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Fri, 6 February 2009
A podcast dedicated to the "lost art" of verismo soprano style. Included are arias by: Magda Olivero,Virginia Zeani, Maria Farnetti, Rosetta Pampanini,
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Tue, 3 February 2009
I have selected some artists I feel belong in my "controversial" category. I love most of them,but some I never could grasp...that is the way of things in life. One person exits a film and raves;the other one is totally negative. Same with opera, so PLEASE do not send me too much hate mail, because after all, I am a fairly nice guy. |
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.)
Category:general
-- posted at: 10:36am EDT
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Sat, 31 January 2009
Commercial Recordings from the 1920's of some of the marvelous artists who sang in the Wagner Ring. Included are: Frieda Leider, Lauritz Melchior, Friedrich Schorr, Emil Schipper, Margarete Klose, Florence Austral, Florence Easton, Walter Widdop, Germaine Lubin, Charles Rousseliere, Andre Verdiere, Ludwig Hoffmann, Ludwig Weber, Maria Olzsewska . |
Tue, 20 January 2009
The redone Fanciulla Poker Scene with the following selections: 1. Arlene Saunders/Gianpiero Mastromei Link to the Youtube video featuring Irina Rindzuner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvx5irtKov8 (59 min.)
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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
Category:general
-- posted at: 2:40am EDT
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Fri, 16 January 2009
A comparison of three tenors who thrilled us in our opera-going days from 1951-1975. DelMonaco 1951-1960 I saw them a total of about 150 times, and my memories are vivid and clear. I will tell you that audiences were astounded by their brilliant voices, and as much as I like many tenors of today, no one has come along with this "brand" of squillo!!!!! (70 min.) |
Thu, 15 January 2009
A comparison of arias as sung by our renowned three tenors, Carreras,Domingo, and Pavarotti. We were lucky to have had these fellows among us. The operas represented are: |
Thu, 15 January 2009
The wonderful Margarete Klose is presented in arias and scenes from: Orfeo,Tristan und Isolde, Alceste, Samson et Delilah, Don Carlo, Gotterdamerung, Il Trovatore, Un Ballo in Maschera, Lohengrin, Elektra, Die Walkure (64 min.) |
Wed, 14 January 2009
An exciting comparison of various singers in the Macbeth Letter Aria from Act One. Included are: Leonie Rysanek, Birgit Nilsson, Regina Resnik, Christa Ludwig, http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Maria+Galvany&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#q=Marisa%20Galvany&hl=en&emb=0 P.S. On the Marisa Galvany page,you will hear some excerpts from the soprano Maria Galvany, whose rapid-fire staccati are legendary, if also rather strange. |
