Zaza,Germania,Adriana,Butterfly

 Verstovsky(3), glinka, moniuszko,smetana

Serse,Rodelinda,Bertarido

Aida,Faust,Trovatore,Juive,Carmen,  Folk Song      ADORED MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Figaro,Lucia,Favorita,Nabucco,traviata,Trovatore

 Like high notes???????????????????

Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini (L'ape musicale)

F0rza (w.Masini-love him), Traviata,Faust, Gioconda

Rigoletto,Macbeth,Wm.Tell

Mia sposa sara, Se, Vizione Veniziana, Occhi di Fata, Rondine al nido, E canta il grillo, Mattinata

 Puritani Mefist,Traviata,Ernani

????????????????????????????????????????????????

Traviata, Tosca, Tu che non Chiagne,Passione

Great top, passionate, but sometimes her Verdi sounded like Berg.

A fun lady..Rest in Peace

 HINT One of them made us hysterical.

1. Callas Suicidio

2. Barbieri Trovatore act 3 scene

3.Baum  Norma aria (at least had a "c")

4.Schlusnus    Hamlet Drinking song

5. Bumbry   Turandot aria

6. L.Price Cleopatra aria

   I guess no one will go to the Justin Bieber recital where he lip-synchs Bach Cantatas sung by DFD.

Italian Songs  Acc.John Wustman.  Bellini,Verdi,Denza,Donizetti,Donaudy, Tirindelli, Rossini, Mascagni, Tosti,Buzzi-Peccia, De Curtis.

Plus aria from Edgar....and DI QUELLA PIRA....Your flame will never die!!!!

Please understand the emotion I bring to this rather unusual podcast.My heart is broken,and I never realized how much we adored him...until his passing. Rest his soul!!

Crying too much..more later

Tchaikowsky Competition Winners of the past!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jane Marsh, Simon Estes, Elena Obratsova, Evgenyi Nesterenko, Peter Dvorsky, Dolora Zajick,Nina Rautio

 I  found some flaws in my earlier podcast so here it is again.BOY!They said she was LOUD!

Aida W.Uzunov    Trovatore w. Nikolov

Semiramide, Macbeth (FAST!!)Don Carlo,Carmen,Trovatore,Ballo,Euryanthe,Elektra (w.Varnay)

PRIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  137 tickets to next Justin Bieber Concert

Stuttgart 1938  (Leonardt) Reining, Manowarda, F.Kraus   2 tracks flawed  plus Manowarda aria

GREAT!  Martinelli,Greco,Tibbett,Valentino,De Paolis   (Calusio)     No Overture

1.Rosenk.Trio  Stevens,Gueden,Della Casa   (At my first in 1956 I needed a towel)

2. Finale Act 2 St.of Bleeker St.  RIVETING!!

3. Attila Aria    Gilda Cruz-Romo

4."Marcella"    Titi Schipa

5. Tannh.Rome Narr. Peter Seiffert

6. Vissi D'arte  Meta Seinemeyer  (died at 33

7. Boccanegra Sc. Nucci/Siepi  (How to sing Verdi!!)

8.Adriana Aria   Simionato  (would not sing on same planet as Barbieri)

9.Leo Slezak    Queen of Sheba( with pppppppppp)

10.Signore Ascolta    Diana Soviero

11.Steber     Mignon aria

12.Adieu Forets (Jean D'Arc) Rise Stevens

13. If you can't guess it is Tebaldi in Louise, I will be FURIOUS!!

14.Panis Angelicus    Jacques Urlus

15.Alain Vanzo    Pearl Fishers aria

16. MY fav.basso of the olden days  Ludwig Weber as Gurnemanz

 In memory----- I knew her 55 years.     Here are TWO Reginas

Benvenuto Franci   Trovatore,Ballo,Forza,Aida, Otello,Africaine, Gioconda

Font size needs to be corrected

Art and Politics.......The man had a wonderful voice...BUT was a member of the Nazi party..What to do?  He was not alone..Many voices we love were "controversial" to say the least.What a dilemma!

Tannhauser,Tristan,Meistersinger,The Ring (w.Melchior)

Magda Sorel's marvelous scene from Menotti's The Consul."

1.Beverly O'ReganThiele

2.Virginia Zeani (In Italian-from Spoleto.)

3.Eileen Farrell   (One of my all-time favorite recordings.)

Amy Shuard CBE (19 July 1924 – 18 April 1975) was an English operatic soprano renowned in such dramatic roles as Elektra, Turandot and Brünnhilde. She created both title roles in Janáček's Káťa Kabanová and Jenůfa in their respective British premieres. She has been described as "the best English dramatic soprano since Eva Turner" (her teacher). ^[1]

Biography

Amy Shuard was born in London. After studying at the Trinity College of Music, she had lessons from Eva Turner. In 1948 the Worshipful Company of Musicians awarded her a prize and she toured South Africa as the organization's representative.^[2] She returned there in 1949 to make her operatic debut, in Johannesburg, in the title role of Verdi's Aida; during that season she also sang Giulietta in The Tales of Hoffmann and Venus in Tannhäuser. ^[3][2]

She sang at Sadlers Wells from 1949 to 1953, before undertaking more study in Milan^[2] with Rosetta Pampanini, and then at Covent Garden from 1954 until her death. She also sang at Bayreuth, La Scala, Vienna, Buenos Aires and San Francisco.^[3]

Her notable roles included the title roles in Káťa Kabanová (in the 1951 United Kingdom premiere), Jenůfa (in the 1956 UK premiere), Carmen, Tosca, Turandot, Elektra, Madama Butterfly and Aida; as well as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana, Eboli in Don Carlos, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, Magda Sorel in The Consul, Lady Macbeth (in the first production of Verdi's Macbeth at Covent Garden), and Kostelnička Buryjovka in Jenůfa in 1972 and 1974.^[3][1]

The latter part of the career saw her essay Wagnerian roles, and she was the first English soprano to sing Brünnhilde at Covent Garden. She also sang Isolde at Geneva, as well as Sieglinde and Kundry.

San Francisco was the only place she appeared on stage in the United States, firstly as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre in October 1963, then in 1966 as Elektra, 1968 as Turandot, and finally as Brünnhilde in Götterdämmerung in 1969.^[2]

Amy Shuard was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). She died in 1975, aged 50.

Aida,Tosca,Turandot,Boheme,Schicchi,Chenier,Cavalleria,Onegin

This superb baritone sings arias from Glucks's Iphigenie Auf Tauris,Favorita,Nachtlager in Granada (Kreutzer), Merry Wives (w.Kim Borg)n Tannhauser,Faust,Konigskinder (Humperdinck).

Another of the great sopranos:

Norma, Gioconda, Lescaut Ninna Nanna (Leoncavallo),Ballo, Vespri,Africaine, Trovatore,Forza, Aidam "Tu solo"

Georg Hann (January 30, 1897 - December 9, 1950) was an Austrian operatic bass-baritone, particularly associated with the comic (singspiel) German repertory.

Born in Vienna, he studied at the Music Academy there with Theodor Lierhammer. He joined the Munich State Opera in 1927, and remained with this theatre until his death. He also appeared regularly at the Vienna State Opera and theSalzburg Festival, quickly establishing himself as a leading buffo interpreter, notably in roles such as Leporello, Falstaff,Kecal, Ochs, La Roche (role he created in 1942), etc.

He made guest appearances at the Berlin State Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels, the Paris Opéra, the Royal Opera Housein London, La Scala in Milan.

He did not limit himself to comic roles but also sang Sarastro, Pizzaro, Gunther, Amfortas, Daland and tackled a few Italian roles as well notably Wurm, Alfio, Tonio, as well as Mefistophele in Gounod's Faust.

Hann died in Munich aged only 53.

Arias from:Zar und Zimmermann(Lorzing),Barber of Bagdad(Cornelius) w. Lorenz Fehenberger, Nabuco,Falstaff,Gypsy Baron,  Bettelstudent (Millocker), and two songs by Loewe

 Saffo(Pacini),Norma,Trovatore,Ballo,Otello,Mefistofele,Gioconda, Cavalleria,Tosca and four songs by Grieg,Simonetti, Tosti,Denza and Bach/ Gounod Ave Maria.

 Tomorrow I call Magda Olivero (104 years old) and tell her to sing this repertory..Well, maybe only a little..BET SHE COULD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

1. Ivan Koslovsky               Lohengrin aria (in Russian)

2. Selma Kurz                      Seraglio   "Ach ich liebte"

3.Lotte Lehmann                 Walkure Sieglinde aria

4. Jose Luccioni                    Werther Ara

5. Roberta Peters/Cornell MacNeil      Rigoletto act three duet

6. Lois Marshall                       Seraglio aria  (same as Kurz)

7. Dorothy Maynor                 Zauberflote aria

8. Lauritz Melchior                Tannhauser Rome Narrative

9. Aprile Millo                         Trovatore act four aria

10. Claudia Muzio                 "Ninna Nanna"

11.Gustave Neidlinger           Das Rheingold Curse

12. Anna Netrebko                 Rusalka aria

13. Olive Middleton                Trovatore Miserere (not for purists)

14.Magda Olivero                    Fedora Finale

15.Rosetta Pampanini           Iris aria

16. Alfredo Piccaver               Meistersinger act three aria

17. Vassilka Petrova              Trovatore (I think!)

18.Bruno Prevedi                   Butterfly Addio

19.Lina Bruna Rasa/Afro Poli   Cav Duet

20. Regina Resnik     (as soprano)   Voi lo sapete

21.Katya Ricciarelli           Zaira aria

(After Petrova is Podles Cenerentola aria/..aorry!)

(After no.17,i think I made an omission.)

For my darling friend Marisa Galvany ( one of her 56 names).NO ONE sings like you....and remember, I had the pleasure of looking down your tonsils on the high notes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Bless you!!!!!

With the usual annoying Met cuts in those days,here is a Lohengrin. Leinsdorf in 1940 with Melchior,Rethberg,Thorborg, List,Huehn

I saw her so many times and she was a superb artist, with a rich tone. Here are arias from Don Carlo,Gioconda,Tristan und Isolde, Das Rheingold, Walkure, Gotterdamerung, Samson and Delilah (with that famous long hair that got caught in Del Monaco's boot.) Also included in the Mahler Cycle,"Lied eined fahrenden Gesellen.)

From Florence, 1978, under George Pretre, here is the great Alfredo Kraus as Werhter, with Lucia Valentini-Terrani, Rolando Panerai, and Anastasia Tomaszewska Schepis (how long does it take her to sign an autograph?)

Please note my disc was flawed so act two finale is not on the podcast.

So it is not is Russian. I saw it in English (with George London, as in this cast) .This 1955 Vienna version under Berislav Klobucar is a GREAT show. Leonie Rysanek, Anton Dermota, and the blackest basso voice, Gottlob Frick, complete  this wonderful cast. With this kind of singing, I'll take it in hip-hop!!

From 1946 Geneva, under Nino Sanzogno, I bring you a true rarity; We never think of Mario Del Monaco,one of the greatest dramatic (and I do mean DRAMATIC!) in Ballo in Maschera. Well,here he is , with a cast featuring Giulietta Simionato, Carla Castellani, Piero Basini, Marisa Morel (Oscar). I am glad he could scale down that enormous voice for this music.

We loved that lady!!!!! Here Leyla Gencer (She told us it is pronounced "GENGER" ( Hard first G and second G like "ginger.) Here she sings all Mozart:Seraglio,Don Giovanni,Nozze di Figaro, and Idomeneo. What could she not do??????

June 11, 1864    Richard Strauss born!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

June 11, 1913       Rise Stevens born!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  The Gods were good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew Rise and we had our Rise club meetings at her home every year.

  She loved Lotte Lehmann....and imagine that they sang in Rosenkavalier together!

       My tears flow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Giuseppe di Stefano, affectionately known as "Pippo" had one of the most glorious tenor voices in opera history. Sadly, he made some poor choices, and the career did not last as long as it should have,but what a voice! Just that high C diminuendo in theFaust aria tells you he could do. Here are some arias as sung (mostly live) by this fabulous tenor.

Turandot,Tosca,Ballo,Faust,Mignon, Aida, Forza (with Bastianini),Boheme

Here is the end of the Verrett Macbeth. I had forgotten to add two tracks.

SO SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shirley Verrett, one of my all-time favorite singers, in a Scala 1975 performance of Macbeth under Claudio Abbado. The magnificent Piero Cappuccilli, Franco Tagliavini, and (not to be oudone), Nicolai Ghiaurov complete the cast.

Arias  by Gian Giacomo Guelfi from Nabuco, Macbeth,Luisa Miller, Jerusalem,Wally, Zaza, Fanciulla, Andrea Chenier, and I even found the clip of the Amonasro scene where the conductor lets the audience goes insane, and  never stops so the poor diva can be heard!!!!

Giangiacomo Guelfi (21 December 1924 – 8 February 2012)^[1] was an operatic baritone, particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini.^[2]

Born in Rome, Guelfi studied law before turning to vocal studies in Florence with baritone Titta Ruffo. He made his stage debut in Spoleto, as Rigoletto in 1950. He made his debut in 1952 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, also appearing in Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples, Palermo, Catania, and becoming a regular guest at the Arena di Verona. Outside Italy he appeared in Berlin, Lisbon, London, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Cairo. He made his American debut in 1954 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and at the Metropolitan Opera of New York in 1970.^[2] He took part in the creation of contemporary works including Lazzaro in Pizzetti's La figlia di Jorio, Naples, 1954. He was mostly known for his Verdi portrayals in operas such as Nabucco, I due Foscari, Attila, Macbeth, Il trovatore, I vespri siciliani, La forza del destino, and Aida. He also appeared in verismo operas such as Cavalleria rusticana, Andrea Chénier, Tosca, and La fanciulla del West.

Guelfi had a large, powerful voice and yet was able to perform more classical works such as Guglielmo Tell, Lucia di Lammermoor, La favorite, L'Africaine, and Spontini's Agnes von Hohenstaufen.

He sang the role of Rance in La fanciulla del West in a recording with Renata Tebaldi, conducted by Arturo Basile, and was in the 1961 Tokyo's performances of Tosca, also with Tebaldi, on DVD.

He died on 8 February 2012 in Bolzano, after a week's hospitalization.^[1]

I mentioned in my narration my love for that glorious voice of Daniele Barioni. That is not exactly fair to the marvelous Dorothy Kirsten in the title role, but sometimes you just have special memories of a particular singer. In this 1960 New Orleans performance under Renato Cellini we also hear a fine baritone, Richard Torigi (why was he never at the Met?) and Suzuki is Rosalind Nadell.

I tried to narrate a bit of information about the way singers approach the passaggio (or "change in registers). Please feel free to e-mail me at Placido 21@aol.com if you think I don't know what I'm talking about!.

Martinelli, Corelli, Carreras, Bjoerling,Gigli, Di Stefano, Baum Del Monaco 1952, Del Monaco 1961. Roswaenge, Svanholm.  (The Vinay clip did not come out.)

Passaggio is a term used in classical singing to describe the pitch ranges in which vocal registration events occur. Beneath passaggio is the chest voice where any singer can produce a powerful sound, and above it lies the head voice, where a powerful and resonant sound is accessible, but usually only through training. The historic Italian school of singing describes a primo passaggio and a secondo passaggio connected through a zona di passaggio in both the male and female voice. A major goal of classical voice training in classical styles is to maintain an even timbre throughout the passaggio. Through proper training, it is possible to produce a resonant and powerful sound.

From a concert performance from NYC 1974 under Eve Queler, we hear Montserrat Caballe,Placido Domingo, Justino Diaz, and Franco Bordoni in Verdi's "I Vespri Siciliani."

(Note the way Caballe sings "Arrigo, ah parla a un core" in act four as an example of truly amazing singing.)

Under Eugen Jochum, I bring you a Tristan und Isolde from Bayreuth, 1953 featuring Astrid Varnay, Ramon Vinay, Gustav Neidlinger, Ira Milaniuk, and my favorite basso of that era, Ludwig Weber.

(I know you missed my mellifluous voice before the podcast, but it was too noisy in my hall. Sorry!)

Scenes from two performances of Turandot:

New Orleans, 1966 under Knud Andersson featuring Birgit Nilsson and Giuseppe Gismondo.

Rome, 1987 under Daniel Oren featuring Diana Soviero and Corneliu Murgu.

 I hope I am not inundating you too much with all these compilations, but I do think they are fun.

1. Fedora Barbieri                       Trovatore   "Stride la vampa."

2. Daniele Barioni                         La Rondine aria (with nice interpolation at end.)

3. Lina Bruna Rasa                       Cavalleria Rusticana   "Voi lo sapete" ( Insane chest!)

4. Grace Bumbry                           Don Carlo     "Oh don fatale."

5. Maria Callas                               La Gioconda     "Suicidio"

6. Enrico Caruso                            "Vesti la giubba"

7. Regine Crespin/Carlo Bergonzi        Ballo in Maschera Duet

8. Gilda Cruz-Romo                         Attila Cabaletta

9. Giuseppe de Luca                        Tanhauser Evening Star   (in Italiano.)

10.Bernardo de Muro                      Isabeau (Mascagni) aria

11.Ghena Dimitrova                         "Vissi d'arte"

12.Placido Domingo                         Tanhauser Rome Narrative

13.Nicolai Gedda/Fernando Corena       Elisir Duet

14.Mario Filippeschi                          "Messun Dorma"   (LOUD!)

15.Elina Garanca                                Cosi Fan Tutte"   Dorabella aria

16.Leyla Gencer                                  Adriana Lecouvreur Act 3 Phedre Narration

17.Marcello Giordani                           Huguenots aria

18.Thomas Hampson/Sam Ramey     Duet from Verdi's "Un Giorno di Regno"

19.Susan Graham                                   Komponist aria from Ariadne

20.Hei-Kyung Hong                                "Che bel sogno di Doretta" (Rondine)

21.Marilyn Horne                                     Cabaletta from Meyerbeer's "Le Prophete"

22.Kiri Te Kanawa                                     "Summertime"

Macbeth from La Scala 1952 under  Victor de Sabata. Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Gino Penno, and Italo Tajo are featured.   (73 min.)

This is the farewell of the great Shirley Verrett, born May 31, 1931. Words cannot express how I adored this great lady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Omar Suitner leads a glorious cast in this Tannhauser. Featured are Wolfgang Windgassen, Leonie Rysanek,Eberhard Waechter, Martti Talvela, and Barbro Ericson.  (74 min.)

  This is an interesting change from the usual Cavalleria. I think you will enjoy this Cav from  the Royal Opera in Stockholm in 1963 under Herbert Sandberg. It features a favorite of mine, Barbro Ericson, with Ragnar Ulfung, Erik Sundqvist, Birgit Nordin (Lola), and Margareta Bergstrom (Mmma Lucia.)

  I discovered Olivia as Seymour in Bolena..She later changed to soprano.I adore this lady so much as a friend and what a powerhouse of a singer she was!!!!

 For my dear friend Olivia Stapp on her May 30 birthday. One of the sweetest ladies and a fabulous artist!!!!

On the occasion of his May 30 (1919) birthday, let us remember one of the most phenomenal singing actors in the history of opera. He was a veritable DYNAMO in a variety of roles. Some physical problems cut his career short, but we had many years of this great man!!!

A superb performance of Charpentier's Louise from 1999 San Francisco under Jonathan Summers. Featured are Renee Fleming, Jerry Hadley, Samuel Ramey, and Felicity Palmer. Sound is somewhat distant, since the performance was recorded in the theatre, but it is quite listenable. (Look, we have treasures galore in our collections because of those sneaky "pirates."

 Under the direction of conductor Giuseppe Morelli, I present highlights from Tosca, featuring Virginia Zeani, Placido Domingo, and Piero Francia. This must have been transferred to disc, and there are a few small skips.  ENJOY!!

  Here is part two of that glorious Rome Don Carlo.

PLEASE send me any comments, ideas,etc. to Placido21@aol.com. Remember,we cannot use the comment section of this site because it becomes invaded with ads.

An all-star Don Carlo from Rome,1968 under Fernando Previtali, with Leyla Gencer, Bruno Prevedi, Fiorenza Cossotto, Nicolai Ghiaurov, and Sesto Bruscantini. (Act 5 version)    PART ONE

I sincerely hope you are enjoying thee compilations. If you have any comments,suggestions,etc. PLEASE let me know at Placido21@aol.com.

1. Marisa Galvany and Enrico di Giuseppe in Attila Duet. (What a D!!)

2. Mattia Battistini                        Tannhauser  " Evening Star"

3. Enrico Caruso                             "Musica Proibita"  (After all these years, I say NO ONE was greater!)

4. Franco Corelli                             Otello  "Esultate!" (He never sang the role, sadly.)

5. David Daniels                               Rinaldo   "Venti turbini." (Wedding coming soon!)

6. Giuseppe Di Stefano                   "Un furtiva lagrima"

7. Eileen Farrell                                "Pace" from Forza del Destino

ERROR: It is CLAUDIA Novikova.

8. Gottlob Frick                                 Seraglio aria  (GREATEST "black" voice.)

9. Marcello Giordani                         "L'anima stanca" from Adriana

  (Last season he said to me, "I know Piotr is your favorite tenor..That is OK.I love him too!")

10.Apollo Granforte                             "Il Balen" from Trovatore  (worthy of his NAME!)

11. Alexander Kipnis                            "O Isis und Osiris" (Zauberflote)

12.Margarete Klose                              "Delilah aria" (In Deutsch) (One of my favorite artists.)

13.Renato Bruson/Katia Ricciarelli      Luisa Miller Duet

14. John Mc Cormack                             "Il mio tesoro" (the all-time greatest!)

15.Aprile Millo                                          "Poveri fiori"  (Adriana)

16.Claudia Muzio                                      "O del mio amato ben."  (Makes me CRAZY!)

17.Maria Nemeth                                      "In questa reggia" (Turandot)

18.Gallina Novikova                                 The most HILARIOUS"Drunk aria" from  La Perichole.

19.Tancredi Pasero                                   "Vi ravisso" (Sonnambula)

20.Aureliano Pertile                                  "Di quella pira."

21. Herman Prey                                        Tote Stadt aria  (Unbelievably gorgeous!)

22.Maria Reining/Hans Hotter                 Arabella Duet

The love of the phrase, the feeling she had!!! Bless Beverly on her birthday!

Born May 25, 1929..who dreamed what she would become????? Bless her!!!!

1. Elizabeth Schwarzkopf sings Hugo Wolf (1962)  Acc. Felix de Nobel

 Morgentau, Das Voeglein, Mausfallen-Spruchlein, Wer rief dich denn,

 Nun las uns Frieden schliesen, Die Zigeunerin

2. Theresa Berganza Spanish Songs  (1962)  Acc. Felix Lavilla:

       Granados: La Maja Dolorosa (numero uno), El tra la la y el punteado,

           La Maja Dolorosa,(numero tres), El Majo Discreto

        Rodrigo:   Copillas de Belen

        Halffter:   Ay, que linda hermosa

                                   DIOS MIO!!!!!!!!!!!!

A variety of material from Holland Festivals that I think you will enjoy:

1.Giulietta Simionato                    Cenerentola Finale  (1954)

2. Maria Callas                               "Ernani Involami"   (1959)

3. Luciano Pavarotti             Tebaldo's aria from "I Capuetti ed i Montecchi" (Bellini)(1966)

4.Alessandra Marc                  Empress Dream Scene from "Die Frau Ohne Schatten"  (1990)

5. Gallina Vishnevskaya in Recital (1975)  Acc. Tamas Vasary

        Tchaikovsky: "Do not believe, my friend."and "At the ball."

        Moussorgsky:  "Where art thou,little star"

        Stravinsky:        Parasha's aria from the opera "Mavra"

6.  Elly Ameling Sings Mozart  (1969):

     Das Lied der Trennung, Als Luise, Abendemfindung, An Chloe

How can ONE WORD  (PAOLO!!!) or phrase summarize the greatness of an artist...Jan.21, 1939 (I was 3 that day)..the greatest Met broadcast ever in my mind....Lawrence Tibbett and Leonard Warren are so riveting..NO ONE does this today!!!!!!!!

DRIVES ME CRAZY EVERY TIME!!!!!!!!

More fun (I hope) for you:

1.Licia Albanese                      Pagliacci Aria

2.Zeani/Borso                         Piccolo Marat Duet  (They made them do the finale again!)

3.Vassilka Petrova                  Trovatore Aria  (send children and small animals out of the room)

4.Schwartzkopf/Jurinac/Della Casa (Sophie)   Rosenkavalier trio  (Della Casa did all three roles)

5. Mado Robin                            Lucia Mad Scene   (with High K# above R)

6. Eleanor Ross                          "Pace"

7. Bidu Sayao                    Manon Adieu  (You do not have to sound like Nilsson to be  a sensation)

8. Renata Scotto                        Adriana Phedre Declamation in Act 3

9.Irmgard Seefried                    Ariadne Composer's Aria 

10.Cesare Siepi                           Salvador Rosa Aria

11. Simionato/Di Stefano          Favorita Duet

12.Pinza/Martinelli                      Simone duet (Jan.21,1939,my third birthday)

                                    (I never forgave mom and dad for not taking me!)

13.Giuseppe Taddei                     Schicchi Aria

14.Diana Soviero                          Zaza aria (Leoncavallo)

15.Joan Sutherland                       Alcina Aria

16.Giuseppe Taccani                     Guglielmo Ratcliff aria (Mascagni)

17-18.   Richard Tucker                   Chenier aria/ Juive Cabaletta

19. Taddei                                          Fanciulla aria

20. Antonietta Stella                        Vespri Bolero

21.Franz Voelker                               Walkure act one scene  (one of my 5 fav.tenors of the past)

22.Leonard Warren                            Faust aria

23.Ludwig Weber                               Boris Monolog. (one of my 5 fav.bassos of the past)

24.Ljuba Welitsch                               Gypsy Baron aria

25. Zinka Milanov's Last "Pace" from Newark,NJ Concert in 1966 (I CRY!)

Lohengrin Scenes in French with Ninon Vallin, Marcel Journet, Martial Singher and Marjorie Lawrence, Marjorie Lawrence and Yvonne Brothier (Ortrud), Cesare Vezzani and Mireille Berthon.

This is followed by scene from Act One Walkure With Cesare Vezzani, Germaine Lubin, and in the final section Lubin and Rene Verdiere.

From the period 1919-1928 in Germany, there was an enormous revival of Verdi operas, and here are some selections:

1.Forza del Destino        with Meta Seinemer* and Ivar Andresen.

2.Vespri Siciliani             with Heinrich Schlusnus and Helge Roswaenge.

3. Simone Boccanegra  with Alexander Kipnis and Schlusnus

4. Don Carlo                     with Wilhelm Strienz and Seinemeyer*

5. Macbeth                       with Andresen.

   * Sadly,Meta Seinemeyer, one of the great sopranos, passed away at age 33. She would have been even a greater artist, but her career was tragically cut short by Leukemia.

In my experience, Fedora Barbieri had one of the very greatest voices, like an "organ" as it poured from her. We met in her later years, and she was  a fun lady. Here are scenes from:

Carmen,Falstaff (with Gobbi), Ballo, Samson et Delilah, Adriana Lecouvreur, Andrea Chenier, Gioconda, Trovatore (live 1951 with Warren and my beloved Kurt Baum),and songs "Nel cor piu non mi sento" and " Chi vuol la zingarella graziosa."

 What could be more appropriate than having an actual loving couple, Stephen Costello and his wife Ailyn Perez, two of the sweetest people on the planet, make a recording of "Love Duets."

 Here are two selections from the beautiful album, the "L'Amico Fritz Cherry Duet" and "One hand, one heart," from West Side Story. I have followed their careers from their inception, and I am so happy they are becoming so important in the world of opera.  ENJOY!!!!

Three selections from the brilliant Mexican tenor, Javier Camarena. From his album "Recitales" he sings "Musica Proibita," Granada," and "Estrellita."

  His Don Ramiro at the Met this season caused a sensation, and the audience demanded an encore, totally rare at the Met.

 I hope you are enjoying these compilations as much (MORE!) as I do making them:

1. Giacomo (Jaime) Aragall          Adriana aria, act one

2. Daniele Barioni rings the Turandot Gong.(What breath control!)

3. Callas/Barbieri        Gioconda duet  (They burn up the place!)

4. Gilda Dalla Rizza      "Addio del passato"

5. Leyla Gencer    "D'amor sull'ali rosee".  (Note: A friend had a fight over this aria with someone whose house he visited. He got so mad that the host liked Callas better, he said, "Get out!" My friend said, "But I LIVE here!" The Gencer nutcase then said, "So what..GET OUT!!") Do you now see how normal Charlie is???

6. Mario del Monaco   "Ah la paterna mano"  (Macbeth)

7. Mirella Freni             "Tu che di gel." (Turandot)

8. Nicolai Gedda/Renato Bruson/Christine Eda-Pierre   Pearl Fishers Trio  (They sometimes do another version, but this version is incredible!!!)

9.Gertrude Grob-Prandl   "Hojotoho"

10.Kirsten/Merrill           Thais Finale (One of the most glorious recordings ever made)

11.Rene Kollo                    Tannhauser Rome Narrative

12.Raina Kabaiwanska      "La Mamma Morta" (Chenier)

13.Pavel Lisitsian               Prologo (In Russian)   A voice of pure gold!

14.Magda Olivero                Mefistofele aria (breaks your heart.)

15.Aprile Millo                       "Danny Boy"

16.Michele Molese's legendary telling  critic Harold Schoenberg, who had written about his "pinched high C" in Ballo, that the note was for him. Galvany almost flipped out!

17.Julius Patzak                   Seraglio aria

 A fine Rosenkavalier under Georg Szell, featuring Maria Reining, Hilde Gueden, Jarmila Novotna, Jaro Prohaska, and Georg Hann (Faninal.)

I DID NOT KNOW THIS EXISTED!!!  I called Elizabeth for Mothers' Day and we were talking about Street Scene...and on YOUTUBE is this glorious example of singing and emotional involvement. Magnificent!!!!!!

Mommy!   It's your day!! Can't you be nice just ONCE?????

     Love and Happy Mothers' Day from Charlie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did I ever post this added aria from Cenerentola?? City Opera did this with the great Gianna Rolandi,and it was a SMASH!!! The Met is doing the opera now,but without this...I feel if they added it, Diana Damrau would be the best candidate.Agreed?????

 I was so thrilled with baritone Michael Volle in Arabella that I decided to purchase an import of his material. I think you will like it. He sings Schubert's Erlkonig,The Evening Star from Tannhauser, Ford's Monologue from Falstaff, and from The Merry Widow, "Da geh ich zu Maxim." Enjoy!!!

Javier Camarena in the dress rehearsal of Cenerentola last week....It caused people to demand an encore and they went totally INSANE!!! We have not experienced anything like this here since I attended Melba's debut!!

From Orange, 1971 under Karl Boehm, the great Tristan pair sing for you:John Vickers and Birgit Nilsson. Also featured are Ruth Hesse as Brangaene and Walter Berry as Kurvenal.

 Do not try this at home....or even in a mental hospital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is that "new" tenor (new to me) Dmitry Korchak in the Valencia Onegin, a very interesting producion. He sounds absolutely magnificent!!!! (Do NOT tell Piotr!)

Just watched the Valencia Onegin Video and discovered a fabulous tenor, Dmitry Korchak. He is absolutely superb!!!!!

We do not get this kind of singing at the Met...but the other night the Met audience in Cenerentola DEMANDED an encore of Mr.Camarena.,They screamed,banged, and yelled, as if Gigli came back!!!!! People said the last high C was worthy of a "Di quella pira" tenor..and he also added some D's in the aria..not sure where. Not scheduled for next season,but future here is VERY bright!!!!!!!!!!!

Let us celebrate the 450th birthday of William Shakespeare by watching Marisa Galvany as a fabulous Lady Macbeth!!!!!

Met audiences were thrilled at the debut of baritone Michael Volle as Mandryka in Arabella this month. He was superb, and rumor has it he will be our next Wotan;however, he is 54 and the Ring will be revived in 5 years at the Met. We hope he can sound as fabulous as he did.

He sings the Schubert "Schwanengesang" cycle.

A selection of recordings by many artists in 1904 (piano acc.)

1. Maria Barrientos                            Lakme Bell Song

2. Giannina Russ/Oreste Luppi       Forza Duet in Monastery Scene

3. Riccardo Stracciari                        Rigoletto  "Deh non parlare al misero."

4. Amelie Talexis                                "Printemps nouveau (Vidal)

5. Ramon Blanchart                           L'Africaine aria

6-7.  Giuseppe Borgatti                     Lonengrin/Meistersinger arias (In Italian)

8. Adamo Didur                                   "Vivea nel tempo antico" (La Vita Brettone by Mugnone)

9. Maria De Macchi                              "Com'e bello" (Lucrezia Borgia)

10. Giovanni Zenatello                        "Cielo e mar" (Gioconda)

11.Eugenia Burzio/Elisa Petri/Zenatello    Ballo Trio

12.Maria de Macchi                                 Poliuto aria

13.Alessandro Bonci                              "Stanotte" (Tess by d'Erlanger)

14-15.Giuseppe Anselmi                       "Che gelida manina" and "Cielo e mar"

16.Emmy Destinn                                    "Aufenthalt' (from Schubert's Schwanengesang)

17.Fernanda Chiesa/Carlo Albani/Luigi Manfrini(bass)           I Lombardi Trio

Another compilation of great stuff for your pleasure:

1. Frieda Hempel                 Zauberflote aria

2. Alexander Kipnis             Death of Boris

3. Dorothy Kirsten                Fanciulla aria

4. Leyla Gencer                     Nozze di Figaro  "Dove sono?"

5. Renata Tebaldi                   "La mamma morta"  (1960 Chenier perf.)

6.Aprile Millo                            "Morro" from Un Ballo in Maschera

7. Martha Moedl                      Isolde act one Narrative

8. Magda Olivero/Giangiacomo Guelfi       Fanciulla Poker Scene

9. Magda Olivero                      Adriana Phedre Declamation

10.Bruno Prevedi                      Macbeth aria

11.Mario Filippeschi                 "Di quella Pira"  (LOUD!)

12.Regina Resnik                        Zaza aria (when she was a soprano.)

13.Paul Robeson                         "It ain't necessarily so."(Porgy and Bess)

14.Cesare Siepi                           "Wunderbar"

15.Dimitri Smirnov                      "Una furtiva lagrima"

16. Olivia Stapp                            "Vissi d'arte"

17.Eleanor Steber                          Idomeneo aria

18.Antonietta Stella                       Butterfly act 2  "Che tua madre."

19.Ebe Stignani                                La Favorita aria and cabaletta

20. Zinka Milanov                             Cavalleria "Innegiamo." (an Easter gift.)

It was the evening of March 4, 1960. Leonard Warren,born Apr.21, 1911, said his final words in Forza.."E salvo..o gioja.." and died before our eyes on stage. He sounded as great as always and we treasure his memory...but the sadness and shock of that night will never be forgotten.He was a fabulous singer..still my all-time favorite baritone..Rest in Peace!

  I have spoken previously about how I "discovered"  Ta'u when we did Rigoletto and I was so shocked he had NEVER sung a role before. Since that time,he has been doing extremely well,and recently did a Pollione;here is the aria from a concert, and I find it superb. (easy high C included.)

   Divas better treat him with respect, because this ex-football player still knows how to TACKLE!

The great man sings material that we do not usually hear, since he is renowned as probably the greatest Wagnerian tenor EVER. This material is from 1946-7 and is mostly superb, with the exception of the Italian arias,which I feel do not represent the man's greatness.

Dein ist meine ganzes Herz, I det frie (children's song from Denmark), Agnus Dei (Bizet), Easy to Love, Silent Night, Cantique de Noel,The Rosary, Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod), The Kiss in your Eyes (Der Opernball), Spring came back to Vienna, Kaiserwalzer (J.Strauss), Torna a Surriento, The Song is You, Summer Moon, Mattinata, Who is Sylvia, O Promise Me, I love you truly, All mein gedanken,arias from Tosca and Pagliacci.

Piotr Beczala introduced me last year to the son of Jan Kiepura and the great Martha Eggerth, and he proceeded to call "mom." We lost her this year at about 101. What a great lady she was, and here she is about 90,with the charm she exuded all her life. Apr.17, 1912 was her birthday!!!!

I know the wonderful tenor was born on April 17, 1940...but I wanted to give you Leonie again..and the great scream,even in concert! I celebrate his career, but let's face it, there is NO ONE like Leonie these days!!!!!!

 What a tremendous thrill it is when I discover a new voice! I had seen Michael Corvino at City Opera years ago, but now I see this magnificent rendition of the "Mamma,mamma" from "The Most Happy Fella" I am sure you will enjoy his beautiful singing, and his deep emotional involvement.

In response to dear Mr.Jan Rouwen's request, I am making this double podcast of material as rquested:

1. Tenor Gotthelf Pistor in scenes from Siegfried, Parsifal, and Tiefland.

2. A comparison of the Tannhauser "Rome Narrative" as sung by:

Lauritz Melchior, Ramon Vinay, Rene Kollo (these three live) and Peter Seiffert and Placido Domingo (these two from commercial recordings.)

   Come on,folks, follow Mr.Rouwen's lead and send me more ideas (Placido21@aol.com)

 For dear Aprile Millo,born Apr.14 (Aprile in Aprile),1958. Aprile has been one of the sweetest,nicest people I ever met..and of course she sings here  in what we call the "old style."   Love always  from Charlie.

 People tell me they adore this "lesser-known" soprano's rendition of Butterfly's entrance. What do you think????

Rita Hunter sings arias from Aida,Macbeth, Forza, Gioconda,Tosca, Fidelio, Idomeneo,Cavalleria, Schicchi (in English),  and "My Hero" (from the Chocolate Soldier), and " Tosti's "Goodbye."

Rita Hunter CBE (15 August 1933 – 29 April 2001) was a British operatic dramatic soprano.

Rita Hunter was born in Wallasey, Merseyside and lived in Limekiln Lane. During her childhood, her parents, both fans ofmusic-hall, would take Rita to many of the final tours of the last music-hall artists.^[1] She studied singing in Liverpool with Edwin Francis and later in London with Redvers Llewellyn and Clive Carey. She joined the Sadler's Wells Opera Company in 1957, and sang in the chorus with them for two years before touring with the Carl Rosa Opera Company. She then obtained a grant from the Countess of Munster Trust, which made it possible for her to study for a year with Dame Eva Turner. After this she went back to the Company as a principal, where her roles included Senta in The Flying Dutchman, Musetta in La bohème, Odabella in Attila, Fata Morgana in The Love for Three Oranges, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Amelia in A Masked Ball, Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana, Elizabeth in Don Carlos and Leonora in Il trovatore.

Rita Hunter will be remembered as one of the major Wagnerian sopranos of the later 20th century, especially for her performances as all three of the Brünnhildes in the Ring cycle, conducted by Reginald Goodall at the English National Opera.^[2] In this production she was partnered by Alberto Remedios (who had studied singing at the same time as Hunter inLiverpool with Edwin Francis) as Siegfried, and Norman Bailey as Wotan. The recordings based on this production, with the same artists, are regarded as amongst the finest available, even though they are sung, in accordance with ENO practice, in English.

In an interview in 1979 Hunter expressed her dissatisfaction with having to sing the same part in both English and the original languages. "I find it very difficult learning a role in different languages. The phrasing is different - one has to take breath in a different place." She also recalled having to know "Santuzza in three different English translations as well as in Italian". She found Italian easier to learn and memorize than German.^[1]

In the Glen Byam Shaw Ring production, the quality of Hunter's singing and interpretation enabled audiences to set aside her outsize stature (which conformed to all prejudices about Wagnerian sopranos), and few have matched her conviction as Brünnhilde. She made her debut at the New York Metropolitan Opera on December 19, 1972, in Die Walküre, with great success (conductor Erich Leinsdorf and Dame Gwyneth Jones as Sieglinde). She performed the GötterdämmerungBrünnhilde at Covent Garden, and also sang the part of Senta there at short notice. Hunter's later Metropolitan Opera performances of Die Walküre in 1975 featured Birgit Nilsson as Sieglinde and were conducted by Sixten Ehrling.

She also performed in Wagner and other operas in Munich, Seattle, New Orleans, San Francisco, and with the Welsh National Opera. In a memorable San Francisco season, she played the roles of Norma and Sieglinde in the same week.

Among conductors with whom she worked whom she found sympathetic to the singer, she cited Carlo Felice Cillario andRichard Bonynge.^[1]

In 1980 she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

In 1981 she moved to Sydney and joined the Australian Opera. In 1986 she published her memoirs, Wait till the sun shines, Nellie. She died in Sydney in 2001, aged 67.