Mon, 29 June 2009  I present highlights from the English National Opera Ring of the Nibelung under Reginald Goodall. The singing is superb, but I really cannot understand the English translation. Perhaps you are better than I at deciphering what they are saying, especially with the ladies' voices. Rita Hunter - Brunnhilde Comments[2] |
Sun, 28 June 2009  This podcast features scenes from Wagner's "Lohengrin" in languages other than German. The selections are as follows: Arias by Nelly Melba, Fernando de Lucia, Tancredi Pasero, Francisco Vinas (in photo.) (In Italian) Comments[0] |
Sun, 28 June 2009  From volume 4 of the wonderful series, "The record of Singing," I present some marvelous singers from what is known as the "German School." They include: Ludwig Weber, Gottlob Frick, Erich Kunz, Paul Schoeffler, Hans Hotter, Julius Patzak, Anton Dermota, Rudolf Schock,Irmgard Sefried,Elizabeth Schumann, Maria Stader, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Erika Koth, Elizabeth Grummer, Maria reinging (in photo), Inge Borgkh, Sena Jurinac, Gre Brouwenstijn, and Leonie Rysanek. (75 min.) Comments[0] |
Fri, 26 June 2009  The legendary couple in material from film, live and commercial recordings. Mme.Eggerth is heard in "Mi chiamano Mimi," songs from Lehar's "Zarewitsch," "Die ganze Welt" (Lehar), and from a 1992 Vienna concert in 1992, at age 80, "Das Lied ist aus."(Stolz.). Comments[1] |
Wed, 24 June 2009  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 Category: general -- posted at: 11:27 PM Comments[1] |
Wed, 24 June 2009  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. Comments[1] |
Tue, 23 June 2009  Highlights from a riveting performance of Wagner's Der Fliegende Hollander" from a Bayreuth 1959 performance under Wolfgang Sawallisch. Comments[1] |
Tue, 16 June 2009  The podcast features songs and arias as sung by Dominic Cossa, one of the finest baritones the opera world has known. His career spanned over 30 years and he appeared in many opera theatres, including the Met,San Francisco Opera, City Opera,etc. The selections are: Bella siccome un angelo (Don Pasquale)
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Mon, 15 June 2009  An exciting compilation of various interpretations of the finale of the Traviata Gambling Scene (Act 3 or Act 2 scene 2 in various productions.) The casts are as follows: Renata Scotto, Carlo Bergonzi,Mario Zanasi (1970) Comments[0] |
Mon, 15 June 2009  Two great Borises: Ezio Pinza (In Italian) (1939), and Alexander Kipnis (In Russian), (1943). The Pinza scenes also feature Alessio de Paolis,Kerstin Thorborg, and Leonard Warren. (67 min.) Comments[0] |
Sun, 14 June 2009  In keeping with my promise to select certain live opera performances and present highlights, I chose a marvelous Bayreuth 1954 Lohengrin. It is conducted by Eugen Jochum and features the following cast: Lohengrin Wolfgang Windgassen I trust you will enjoy this podcast, and I will always select certain works to highlight for you. (72 min.) Comments[2] |
Sun, 14 June 2009  Those of you who have tuned in to my podcasts already know what love and admiration I have for Diana Soviero, whom I consider one of the greatest exponents of the "Verismo" style of singing, a style that reminds us of the era of Claudia Muzio, Mafalda Favero, Virginia Zeani.
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Sat, 13 June 2009  Highlights from an extraordinary performance of Rossini's "Semiramide." Featured are two of the greatest exponents of Bel Canto singing, Marilyn Horne and Montserrat Caballe. Featured also are Samuel Ramey and Francisco Araiza, conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos (Aix-en-Provence, 1980) (72 min.) Comments[0] |
Sat, 13 June 2009  The first real live opera star I met, at age 16, was dear Rise Stevens, who celebrated her 96th birthday on June 11. We had so many lovely afternoons at her home since we had a club for her, and she was always a dear gracious person. Comments[0] |
Fri, 5 June 2009  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!!!! Category: general -- posted at: 9:25 PM Comments[1] |
Fri, 5 June 2009  Here is a compilation of arias and duets from Donizetti operas as sung by many great artists of the early 20th century. The selections are: Maria di Rudenz: Linda di Chamounix: Lucrezia Borgia: Carlo Albani "Di pescatore ignobile" La Favorita:
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Tue, 2 June 2009  One of the most hilarious singers ever to record (some nerve!!). Sylvia Sawyer recorded mezzo roles in Ballo, Aida, and Trovatore on Capitol records in the 1950's. The rest of the cast of the Aida and Trovatore was respectable, and included Stella Roman, Gino Sarri, and Antonio Mancaserra. Comments[2] |
Tue, 2 June 2009  Highlights from one of the greatest performances of opera. This is the Maria Callas debut at Covent Garden as Norma in 1952. The great Ebe Stignani is the Adalgisa, Mirto Picchi is Pollione, Giacomo Vaghi is Oroveso, and a newcomer by the name of Joan Sutherland is the Clotilde. Vittorio Gui is the conductor. Comments[1] |
Mon, 1 June 2009  Highlights from a magnificent performance of Tristan und Isolde from Florence, May 21,1957.It is conducted by the very famous Arthur Rodzinski and features: Birgit Nilsson Isolde Comments[0] |
Sun, 31 May 2009  Hi all, From time to time, I glance at the stats and just feel so rewarded at your responses and interest in these podcasts. I guess it is the "teacher in me" that makes me feel so glad that I am spreading the word as to what is out there..the great artists of past and present who make our lives so treasurable by virtue of their remarkable talent. Love Charlie Category: general -- posted at: 12:10 PM Comments[2] |
Sun, 31 May 2009  One can hardly find adequate words to describe the intensity and the committment that the great Leonie Rysanek offered to her audiences. Here are some scenes from Richard Strauss operas that show her to her very best: Salome, Ariadne, Elektra, Aegyptische Helena, Die Frau Ohne Schatten I know these excerpts will thrill you as much as they thrilled countless audiences for so many years. (71 min.) Comments[2] |
Sat, 30 May 2009  A most exciting compilation that features some thrilling baritone top notes. Included are: Piero Cappuccilli,Gino Bechi, Giangiacomo Guelfi, Cornell MacNeil (in photo), Sherrill Milnes, and Leonard Warren. (75 min.) Comments[1] |
Wed, 27 May 2009  On November 16, 1959, the legendary Jussi Bjoerling made his return to the Met after a few years absence. The opera was Cavalleria Rusticana, and it starred Giulietta Simionato as a great Santuzza. (50 min.) Comments[2] |
Wed, 27 May 2009  To quote Dante (with one alteration): "Lasciate ogni speranza voi che ascoltate!"
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Mon, 25 May 2009  Highlights from a glorious performance of Verdi's "Don Carlo" from Salzburg, 1960. The excellent cast features: Sena Jurinac, Regina Resnik, Eugenio Fernandi, Ettore Bastianini, and Boris Christoff, and is conducted by Nello Santi. (72 min.) Comments[2] |
Sun, 24 May 2009  Volume Two of the Siegfried Finale Compilation.Included are: Comments[0] |
Sun, 24 May 2009  Part One of two podcasts devoted to the great finale of Wagner's "Siegfried." Featured here are: Anne Evans and Siegfried Jerusalem (in photo) (Barenboim)
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Sat, 23 May 2009  The third volume of selections as sung by the wonderful Marisa Galvany. I sincerely hope you will enjoy them as much as you have on previous podcasts. The selections are from: Turandot, Medea in Corinto (photo with Charlie), Cavalleria Rusticana, Marin Faliero, Il Trovatore. (70 min.) Comments[1] |
Sat, 23 May 2009  By extremely popular request: Nabucco, Salome, Ballo in Maschera, Medea (72 min.) Reminder: Volume One is in the archives on 12/28/07 Comments[1] |
Fri, 22 May 2009  A tribute podcast to the very first singers I heard in my youth. The great tenor,Aureliano Pertile, was featured on the 1929-1930 Aida and Trovatore sets (on 78 r.p.m. discs). ( 67 min.) Comments[1] |
Thu, 21 May 2009  An exciting comparison of versions of the last scene of Bizet's "Carmen." Grace Bumbry/Jon Vickers Comments[0] |
Thu, 21 May 2009  Live selections from the amazing career of Lucine Amara, whose voice to this day, remains as youthful and bright as when her professional career began, over 60 years ago. Selections are from: Tosca,Tote Stadt, Oberon, Suor Angelica, Tales of Hoffman, Eugene Onegin, Aida,Turandot, Pagliacci, and Cavalleria Rusticana. (71 min.) Comments[1] |
Wed, 20 May 2009 
A tribute to Marilyn Horne, one of the greatest artists of our time (and any time!). The selections are from: Pagliacci,Wozzeck, The Damnation of Faust, Die Walkure, Semiramide, Capuletti ed I Montecchi, Rinaldo, Partenope, Semele, Rosenkavalier, and other selections. (72 min.) Comments[1] |
Tue, 12 May 2009  I cannot apologize for feeling extremely "jaded" when I listen to this remarkable performance of my favorite opera. I saw this cast and the memories are still vivid. The cast includes: Zinka Milanov Conducted by Fausto Cleva (68 min.)
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Tue, 12 May 2009  Highlights from a truly magnificent performance of Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" from a 1952 Bayreuth performance under Herbert Von Karajan. Martha Moedl- Isolde (72 minutes)
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Mon, 11 May 2009  A tribute to four German tenors, famous for their work in operetta. Sadly, three of them met an early tragic death. They are: Peter Anders (1908-1954) Also, the great Richard Tauber (1891-1948) (68 minutes) Comments[2] |
Thu, 7 May 2009  Two wonderful mezzos with names that often get confused: Elena Nicolai (Bulgarian mezzo with a HUGE voice!) Elena Nikolaidi (Greek mezzo with a luscious voice.) I hope you enjoy this podcast, especially if you are as big a mezzo fan as am I. (71 min.) My best Charlie (Note:In my narration, the Macbeth aria comes AFTER the Don Fatale.) Comments[0] |
Thu, 7 May 2009  Highlights from one of the greatest (in my humble opinion) Met broadcasts. This Simon Boccanegra features a stellar cast of: Lawrence Tibbett,Elizabeth Rethberg, Giovanni Martinelli, Ezio Pinza, and, in his debut season, Leonard Warren, conducted by Ettore Panizza. As I indicated, please feel free to request any specific performances and I will surely comply with your wishes.
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Sun, 3 May 2009  Highlights from a Met Carmen of March 28,1936 featuring Rosa Ponselle, Rene Maison, Ezio Pinza and Hilda Burke Comments[2] |
Sun, 3 May 2009  In loving memory of divas who passed away too early. They are as follows: Meta Seinemeyer (1895-1929) Comments[3] |
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.) Comments[0] |
Thu, 23 April 2009  Norma Podcast Repeated in error(Who know why??) Comments[3] |
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, Comments[2] |
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. Comments[0] |
Sat, 18 April 2009  A comparison of 21 tenors singing the great Werther aria. The order is as follows: Comments[1] |
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.) Comments[1] |
Sat, 28 March 2009  The great aria from Giordano's "Andrea Chenier." Riccardo Stracciari, Giuseppe Danise, Paolo Silveri, Heinrich Schlusnus, Comments[2] |
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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