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.)

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

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.)

 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.)

   Maria Callas in the years 1958-1959. First we present a Los Angeles recital under Nicola Rescigno, with arias from La Vestale, La Boheme, Macbeth, Hamlet, Barbiere, and Mefistofele.
    This is followed by some 1958-1959 material, with arias from La Boheme, Tosca, Ernani, Norma, and Mme.Butterfly.

     Have any of you die-hard opera lovers ever experienced the vicarious thrill of being able to identify with someone who at an early age, much like yourselves, loves music so much? Recently, a young boy of 13, Olivier Bergeron, who resides in Montreal, has been reminding me (poor parents) of myself at that tender age. He is a Callas authority, and so I specifically dedicate this podcast to him.
      Let us hope that his life will be as treasurable as ours, loving opera as we do. My problem with him is that his voice has not yet changed, and he must remember he ain't no Manrico (YET!).        (73 min.)

An array of divas who sang the music of Richard Strauss in Vienna. Except for the Rosenkavalier Presentation scene, the selections are from live performances.

The operas are:  Die Frau Ohne Schatten, Capriccio, Daphne, Arabella, Ariadne auf Naxos, and Der Rosenkavalier.

The artists are:

           Sena Jurinac, Irmgard Seefried, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, Lisa della Casa, Anneliese Rothenberger, Christel Goltz, Gundula Janowitz, Elizabeth Schumann, Maria Olszewska, and Leonie Rysanek.                  (72 min.)

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=HNniGHmTrNo&feature=rec-fav-watch-cur_emp-farside_rn

Darling Magda, a miracle, turns 100 on March 25. Recently a friend of mine spent a few hours with her in Milano..She said, "If you can breathe, you can sing!!" She sure BREATHED!!!!!

                                    With love   Charlie

Highlights from Mascagni's much-neglected "L'Amico Fritz" featuring:

Beniamino Gigli, Gianni Raimondi, Ferruccio Tagliavini, Cesare Valletti, Roberto Alagna, Carlo Tagliabue, Rosanna Carteri, Mafalda Favero, Angela Gheorghiu, Rina Gigli, and Mirella Freni   (72 min.)

What more can one say about the legendary soprano Kirsten Flagstad, possessor of one of the greatest natural voices in opera history?
    This podcast features songs and arias from her career, from the early days to her farewell, plus some commercial recordings made later on. I know you will enjoy this marvelous soprano.

    Featured are scenes from Tannhauser, Gotterdamerung, Walkure,
    Parsifal, the World Premiere of the Strauss' Four Last Songs in 1950,  and some miscellaneous material as narrated.   (74 min.)

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

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

A selection of great artists in Verdi material.In order, they include:

Alessandro Bonzi, Aureliano Pertile, Jussi Bjoerling, Giovanni Zenatello,
Tito Schipa, Enrico Caruso, Irene Minghini-Cattaneo, Ebe Stignani,
Elizabeth Retherbeg, Hina Spani, Esther, Mazzoleni, Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, Ezio Pinza, Nazareno De Angelis, Tancredi Pasero,
Alexander Kipnis, Ricardo Stracciari, Beniamino Gigli (w.Pinza and Rethberg.)                   (72 min.)

A new release on the BonGiovanni label of a live performance of Manon Lescaut, from Piacenza, 1974.( highlights ). The sound is pretty good, with some flaws, but I think you will enjoy the wonderful Virginia Zeani and Flaviano Labo in the leading roles. Alberto Rinaldi is the Lescaut and Leonida Bergamonti sings Geronte, conducted by Umberto Cattini.(66 min.)

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

Rosanna Carteri, one of the most emotional divas in my experience, is heard in material from Adriana, Lodoletta,Turandot, Mme.Butterfly (w.Carlo Bergonzi), Suor Angelica, La Traviata, La Boheme (w.Giuseppe Taddei). Bio to follow   (69 min.)

Rosanna Carteri (born December 14, 1930) was an Italian soprano primarily active in the 1950s through the mid-1960s.

Rosanna Carteri was born in Verona and studied with Cusinati and started singing in concert at the age of twelve. She won a RAI singing contest in 1948 which led to her operatic debut at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome as Elsa in Lohengrin in 1949, aged only 19. She made her La Scala debut in 1951. Other debuts were at the Salzburg Festival as Desdemona in Otello in 1952 under the direction of Wilhelm Furtwängler, San Francisco as Mimi in La Bohème in 1954, the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Marguerite in Faust in 1955, the Arena di Verona as Mimi in 1958, Covent Garden as Tosca in 1960, Opéra de Paris in 1961 as Violetta in La Traviata.

Carteri made a few recordings for Cetra early in her career, such as Matilde in Guglielmo Tell, opposite Giuseppe Taddei, La Bohème with Ferruccio Tagliavini and Suor Angelica. She also recorded La Traviata for RCA Victor with Cesare Valletti and Leonard Warren under the direction of Pierre Monteux. She participated in several television productions for RAI such as Le nozze di Figaro, La Traviata, Otello and Falstaff.

Carteri also participated in the creation of some contemporary works such as Ifegenia by Ildebrando Pizzetti in 1950, Proserpine e le straniero by Juan Jose Castro in 1952, Calzare d'argento again by Pizzetti in 1961 and Il mercante di Venizia by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco also in 1961.

Rosanna Carteri decided to retire from singing in the mid-1960s while still only in her thirties to devote herself to her family.

   I have selected commercial recordings of Verdi material as sung by my all-time favorite diva, Zinka Milanov. Since Nimbus has just put out two Milanov albums (one pictured), I thought I would celebrate the recordings made on RCA by Mme.Milanov. Featured are highlights from Aida, Trovatore, Forza, Ballo, and Otello. I have chosen scenes from the Nimbus album and from other commercial recordings...but again I tell you, you HAD TO BE THERE!               (69 min.)

You will LOVE this one!   Sixteen divas singing cabalettas..Lots of trills,thrills, high notes,etc...Have fun!!!!!!

Lili Pons, Mado Robin, Beverly Sills, Katya Ricciarelli, Gilda Cruz-Romo, Federica von Stade, Shirley Verrett, Antonietta Stella, Maria Chiara, Magda Olivero, Zinka Milanov, Leontyne Price, Joan Sutherland, Monserrat Caballe, Christina Deutekom, and Virginia Zeani.

                  ( 68 min.of carrying-on)

Volume 2 of exciting divas, including:

Maria Spacagna, Maria Dragoni, Linda Vajna, Anna de Cavalieri, Margherita Roberti, Maria Chiara, Emma Renzi, Gigliola Frazzoni,Nora de Rosa, Tiziana Fabbricini, Elena Suliotis (in photo), Clara Petrella,
Anita Cerquetti, Rosanna Carteri, and Caterina Mancini.  (68 min.)

The first of two podcasts that celebrate the careers of some of the divas who perhaps did not receive as much recognition as I believe they deserved. Remember, if you are not an avid collector, you do not necessarily have access to the (mostly live) performances they gave.
Therefore, enjoy listening to them:

Angeles Gulin, Lucia Aliberti, Luisa Maragliano, Josella Ligi, Mariana Niculescu, Rita Orlandi, Cesy Broggini, Ilva Ligabue, Gina Cigna (in photo), Maria Vitale, Margherita Grandi, Virginia Gordoni, Milena Dal Piva, and Maddalena Bonifaccio. (71 min.)

Vol.2 of the "Pace,pace" sopranos. Here we listen to the voices of:

Maria Caniglia, Maria Nistor Slatinaru, Carla Martinis, Aprile Millo, Antonietta Stella, Leyla Gencer, AND two of the greatest "party tape divas" (Proceed at your own risk), Olive Middleton and Vassilka Petrova.

   The podcast concludes with three versions a sung by my all-time favorite singer, Zinka Milanov (1952, 1953, 1956).  (70 min.)

NO PEEKING!!!!!    (If you wish to use this podcast as a quiz for yourself and/or others. This is volume one of the "Pace,pace" podcast with 11 sopranos and I hope you enjoy it.Here they are:

Eileen Farrell, Elizabeth Barbato, Stella Roman, Raina Kabaiwanska, Gre Browenstijn, Monserrat Caballe, Elinor Ross, Maria Callas, Leontyne Price, Adriana Guerrini, and Renata Tebaldi.   (71 min.)

                   More to come!!!!!!!!!!!

A thrilling compilation of tenors who had the reputation of being able to knock  your socks off with brilliant top notes. I know you will enjoy them, as long as you do not expect The Dichterliebe.

Mario Gilion, Eduardo Garbin, Antonio Paoli, Giovanni Zenatello, John O'Sullivan (pictured), Leon Escalais, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, Bernardo De Muro, Galliano Masini, Mario Filippeschi, Gino Penno, Mario del Monaco, and Franco Corelli     (73 min.)

You will be thrilled by this superb HOTTT Mexico City 1952 Rigoletto under Umberto Mugnai, and featuring Maria Callas in one of her rare appearances as Gilda. Also starring are Giuseppe Di Stefano and Piero Campolonghi.   (70 min.)

By popular request (ME), here are some more wonderful excerpts featuring the beloved Virginia Zeani.I hope you enjoy the scenes from:

Piccolo Marat (w.Giuseppe Gismondo), Elisir d'amore (with Nicola Rossi-Lemeni),Mefistofele, La Boheme, La Rondine, Forza del Destino, Il Console, Tosca, and La Sonnambula, plus a brief interview.  (72 min.)

Highlights from Charpentier's "Louise." Featured are the following artists:

Georges Thill and Ninon Vallin (commercial recording) of act one opening.

Grace Moore and Raoul Jobin and Beverly Sills and John Alexander in act three scenes.

Grace Moore, Ezio Pinza, and Doris Doe In act four material.
Renee Fleming and Sam Ramey in the final scene.   (69 min.)