Compilation of choruses from 16 operas as follows:

Nabucco(in photo), I Lombardi, Macbeth (2 versions),
Iris, Mefistofele, War and Peace, Boris Godunov, Prince Igor,
Parsifal, Gotterdamerung, Meistersinger, Fidelio, Les Troyens,
Romeo et Juliette, and Peter Grimes.

                            (74 min.)

   Nostalgia Supreme!   Highlights from the 1974 Callas/Di Stefano tour. The wear and tear on the voices is quite evident, but it is a final memory of the collaboration of two of the world's greatest singers.

                                       (66 minutes)

Well, since the Met has allowed Placido to sing the Adrianas (Armiliato, not Placido,conducting...I mean....he does a lot..but not this time.)
 I do not mind one or two notes transposed..Zinka did it here and there BUT...I hope the Adriana does not emerge as a bore..like his Chenier..where all the brilliance of that great role was abset due to terrible transpositions..
 However, the two arias in acts 1 and 2 go up to around A..The act three "Menchekoff' aria ends on B natural..that must be transposed a tone..I think the 'Morta" in the last act is at least B flat......This would mean that the Adriana music also must be transposed.
   If the man can pull off a gorgeous Maurizio, with a MINIMUM of transpositions..at almost age 70....OK..and wonderful....BUT if turns out to be a "cheating evening' I will be annoyed.
I will be bringing my pitchpipe and the second he lets out a high note, I will blow very hard, and then they will throw me off the balcony.
      This could be a triumph, since he has not been singing this repertory for a long time, but it could also be the kind of evening where one might say, "Well, he is an old guy, and more power to him, but the role demands things he can no longer deliver." The voice in the Emperor was marvelous...but that ain't Cilea.....Time will tell.....

Since Renee Fleming is unveiling her new perfume line at opening
night....(assuming people can jump the hurdles outside the Met and not
rip their furs or lose their fake tiaras.)...the Met is doing some
special things to honor this perfume line:

1. Every patron will be "anointed" with the stuff from a special
sprinkler system located in the chandeliers above.

2.  Fleming herself will come out in an intermission and pick, from a
special lottery (everyone gets a number) the lucky (10) people who
will be treated to a free gallon of the stuff.

3. Gas masks will be available in the lobby for anyone allergic (a
good idea for permanent use..ever sit next to someone doused in
perfume?...Especially that guy last year)

4.  The soap in the lavatories, for this performance only (at a cost
of even more than the new production of the Ring coming up) will be
flavored with the stuff.... HOWEVER, be careful not to inhale it
because the following can happen:

1. You may drop dead (after singing "Poveri fiori.")

2.  You may end up scoopinginto many of your notes.

3. You may start to have delusions that you can sing pop music.

  By the way,it is suggested that if you wish to counteract all of
this stinky stuff, bring a can of RAID (which reminds me of her jazz
album)

   Next season opening night will feature a special new marinara-
flavored perfume as presented by Salvatore Licitra
and the year after (since this is a new trend) Netrebko will feature a
new brand of Vodka-scented deodorant, and people will surely be
russian to use it.)

Highlights from a blazing hot performance of Puccini"s "La Fanciulla del West," from Florence, 1954, conducted by Dimitri Mitropolous and starring Eleanor Steber, Mario del Monaco, and Giangiacomo Guelfi.

                                  (67 min.)

Some of the greatest artists in opera sang Italian opera in German. Although the vocal line does change somewhat, one must make the "sacrifice," since these are marvelous artists, and deserve to be heard.
The artists heard are as follows:

Maria Cebotari(in photo), Gertrude Runger, Viorica Ursuleac, Gertrude Bindernagel, Maria Reining, Martha Moedl, Emmy Leisner, Karen Branzell, Elizabeth Schumann-Heink, Herman Uhde, Alexander Kipnis, Julius Patzak, Lauritz Melchior, Michael Bohnen, Joseph Schwartz,
and Willy Domgraf-Fassbaender.     (72 min.)

20 selections that feature some of the wonderful tenors of German extraction. Included are:

Marcel Wittrisch,(in photo), Richard Tauber,Herbert Ernst Groh,Franz Voelker.
        (These tenors are featured in several selections each.)

  In addition, I added one selection as sung by Peter Anders, Rudolf Lustig, and Rudolf Schock.

               (73 min.)

http://video.google.com/videosearch?gbv=2&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=Melitone%20Handelmania&sa=N&tab=iv#

In 1998, shortly after dear ma passed away, I decided to "re-debut" in opera after a long hiatis.This was my first performance and I thought it was pretty decent, given the fact that I am cursed by having listened to so many singers, that I am super-duper critical of myself.

       Let me know what you think, and do not hesitate to be cruel, because I welcome honest criticism. I promise that if you say anything negative, I will not delete the comment..well, except for some of our infamous "invaders' who would hate me even if I sounded like Pinza!

  A tribute to the phenomenal Rosa Ponselle, one of the greatest singers in opera history. Included are some commercial selections, but mostly live selections from 1951-1954. Enjoy!!!! 

(73 min.)

 Scenes from one of the greatest performances of La Forza del Destino (1952) with a stellar cast including Zinka Milanov,Richard Tucker, Leonard Warren, and Jerome Hines. I know you will be thrilled by these great artists, as I was so many times in my misspent youth

                                 (73 minutes)

  One of the most exciting scenes in opera is the opening of act
  three of Otello, featuring the confrontation between Otello and
   Desdemona. This podcast presents nine performances of the
    scene, all from live performances. The couples are:

M.Price/Domingo             DeLos Angeles/Del Monaco
Albanese/Vinay                 Milanov/McCracken
Rethberg/Martinelli            Millo/Atlantov
Tebaldi/Vickers                 Crespin/Del Monaco
                       Steber/Vinay  
                         

                             (74 minutes)

Commercial and live recordings featuring the very great soprano,Lotte Lehmann (1885-1976). I have always felt that if I had to choose one soprano of the past to have heard (in my time machine), it would be this amazing lady.
                        I hope you enjoy the selections.    

                                       (72 minutes)   

  You know that it is two months since the brilliant tenor Joseph Calleja "recognized little me" at the Met and told me that BIG FIB that I was more famous than he is(He actually meant INfamous...well,Joyce di Donato said that in fun).
    Most seriously, this one experience has stayed with me, because we love these wonderful artists on stage but when we often get to see them personally,there can be this warmth and kindness, something Tebaldi used to bring forth to us impressionable teens in the 50's and 60's.
      I always give total credit to my mentor and friend, James Jorden (La Cieca of Parterre Box) for showing me how to do these podcasts, because they have brought so much enrichment to others, as others brought to me when I started to get uinto opera. In addition, your enthusiasm and kind comments have made this all worthwhile and I thank you miost sincerely.
        Fabuloso tenore Calleja, if you read this, I want to take you out next season after a show. We can talk about other great tenors (I saw many)....Lovingly  Charlie

Many selections from opera and operetta featuring the great Danish tenor, Helge Roswaenge (1897-1972). I know you will enjoy this podcast and will realize what a fabulous career this man had.

                              (72 minutes)

   I have come to the conclusion that Roumanian-born Virginia Zeani has emerged, in my opinion, as one of the greatest divas in opera history. I hope you enjoy the selections on this podcast. The works represented are:

Forza del Destino,Maria di Rohan, I Puritani, Tosca,
La Boheme, Turandot, La Traviata, La Rondine,
The Consul, Elisir D'Amore, Vespri Siciliani,Mefistofele,
and The Merry Widow.
            
       I sincerely hope you will enjoy listening to one of the
great artists in opera history, and a very dear friend as well.

                            (72 minutes)  

     Highlights from two analyses of the great Wagner Ring of the  Nibelung.The first is by Speight Jenkins, using scenes from the 1953 Bayreuth Ring, and the second is by Deryck Cook, with material taken from the London Ring Set under Solti.

     Finally, the legendary Ring Analysis as performed by the hilarious Anna Russell. ("She's not making this up, you know!"

                                 (68 min.)
 

A compilation of 13 baritones who sang Wagner, among other material.
The baritones represented sing arias from Tannhauser,Lohengrin,
 Meistersinger,Walkure, Siegfried, Gotterdamerung, Flying Dutchman,
 and Parsifal. Artists included are:

George London, Bryn Terfel, Friedrich Schorr,Ferdinand Frantz,
Herman Uhde, Hans Herman Nissen, Jose Van Dam, Michael Bohnen,
Rudolf Bockelmann, Heinrich Schlusnus, Paul Schoeffler, Joel
Berglund, and Emil Schipper.

                                      (70 minutes)

 A tribute to the great Jussi Bjoerling (1911-1960) with arias and
  songs from his extensive repertory. (Announced.)

                                 (73 minutes)

  This is the first of the Jussi Bjoerling tribute podcasts. We present highlights from the remarkable 1947 Romeo et Juliette with Bidu Sayao as the Juliette.
    I have always considered this one of the all-time greatest examples of Bjoerling's art. (Get your stop-watch ready for the high C at the end of the ensemble.)  

(28 min.)

        In tribute to the late marvelous Leyla Gencer, I present
   highlights from the three Donizetti "Queen" operas, Anna
   Bolena, Maria Stuarda, and Roberto Devereux.
        The great diva has left us in body, but her spirit and
   her legacy will remain forever for those of us who have
   treasured her remarkable contribution to the vocal art. May
   she rest in peace.

                                      (72 minutes)

A birthday tribute to two of the greatest sopranos who ever
 graced opera stages:

 Birgit Nilsson, born May 27, 1918

Zinka Milanov, born May 17, 1906

               The Nilsson photo is separate,as you see, and the Milanov
           photo is very early, from Croatia.

        Our lives would be far less enriched without these two great ladies.

                                           (78 minutes)

   I was so entranced by the recent singing in the Seraglio of soprano Diana Damrau that I thought I would present a few samples of her wonderful "Arie di Bravura," available on the Virgin Classics label.
Included are arias by Righini,Salieri, and Mozart (Announced). I hope you enjoy these samples, and if you like the idea of my presenting samples of various albums (if I have them),let me know..That includes complete operas, recitals,etc.

Go to YOUTUBE and type her name..and you will see ASTOUNDING performances!!!!!!

 Scenes from each Puccini opera,in chronoligical order,
 plus some orchestral material and some songs. Featured are:

Placido Domingo,Aureliano Pertile, Roberto Alagna,
Thomas Hampson, Tommi Hakala, Giuseppe Taddei,
Anselmo Colzani, Renata Tebaldi, Angela Gheorghiu,
Virginia Zeani, Margarita Sheridan, Licia Albanese,
Joan Sutherland, Anita Cerquetti, Angela Maria Blasi,
Diana Soviero.

                                        (69 minutes)

Highlights from this magnificent work (Charlie's second favorite opera).

We feature Birgit Nilsson, Leonie Rysanek,Regina Resnik,
Olivia Stapp,Martha Moedl, Inge Borkh, Gwyneth Jones,
Margarete Klose, Johanna Meier, Ute Vinzing, Herman Uhde.

                               (71 minutes)

   A selection of unusual material for you to GUESS! I hope you have fun with this venture into some of the oddities in the opera world.

                                   (65 minutes)

NOT FOR PURISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

           Lowlights from the Die Walkure performance at the
     legendary La Puma Opera Company, circa 1965. The
          great Olive Middleton stars as Sieglinde and the inevitable
     bass-baritone Mario Leone is the Wotan.

REMEMBER!  I WARNED YOU!!!!

 (33 glorious minutes)

      Some of you may have heard this clip, but it is so bizarre I
  felt COMPELLED to upload it as a single podcast clip. I was
  seated in the New York State Theatre at the debut of soprano
  Ashley Putnam as Violetta, when, as you will hear, just before
  tenor Henry Price was about to sing his act two aria, some insane
  lady (as we later learned) let out a bloodcurdling Elektra geschrei 
  and ran out of the theatre. 
        The man next to me exclaimed, "Oh my Goddd!" as you
   will hear. To this day, we never learned what motivated this
   nutcase...but at least we have a "treasured memory" that will
   endure forever.
         I used to play this clip for my schoolkids and they demanded
  I play it over and over..some of them would even run up to
  the CD player to hear the scream loud in their little ears.
         So..you thought opera people (beside me,of course)
  were NORMAL?????

   The first podcast dedicated to the art of the legendary
    Maria Callas. Selections include scenes from:

      Aida, Tosca, Norma, Nabucco, Aroldo, Armida,
      Gianni Schicchi, Abduction from the Seraglio,
       Andrea Chenier, Lucia, Tristan und Isolde, Gioconda,
        Vespri Siciliani, plus the Proch Variations and Callas"
          Farewell to her Julliard Students

(73 min.)

Highlights from a marvelous 1968 performance of Verdi's
"Luisa Miller," featuring Richard Tucker, Montserrat Caballe,
Sherrill Milnes, Giorgio Tozzi, and Ezio Flagello, conducted by
Thomas Schippers.

                            (60 minutes)

A Compilation of famous tenors of the "Golden Eras" in opera:

Pertile,Martinelli, Gigli, Bjoerling, Schipa, Thill, Slezak,
Devries, Bonci, Tauber, Zanelli, Patzak, Sobinov,
Smirnov, Tamagno, Clement.

                            (67 minutes)

 Scenes from Manon, Il Tabarro, Tales of Hoffman, and
 Roberto Devereux featuring Beverly Sills and Placido Domingo.
 

(63 min.)                                        

My tribute to Aprile Millo, one of the finest (and nicest) artists I have
had the pleasure of hearing. I present her in scenes from:

Trovatore, Fanciulla, Rusalka, Andrea Chenier, Luisa Miller,
La Gioconda, Adriana Lecouvreur,Tosca, and I Lombardi.
     Also joining Mme.Millo in these scenes are Dolora Zajick,
     Marcello Giordani, Vladimir Atlantov, Taro Ichihara,and
     Vladimir Chernov.

                                   (67 minutes)

  A memorial tribute to the late Giuseppe Di Stefano ("Pippo") .

       The opera world mourns his passing and we present him in scenes from live performances of:

 La Favorita, Faust, Andrea Chenier, Turandot, Iris, Pearl Fishers, 
Ballo in Maschera (w.Maria Callas), La Boheme,
Tosca, Werther, Manon, Mignon, and two Italian songs.

(72 min.)

A  comparison of Kunst(art) and Stimme (voice) sopranos.
Included are the following divas:

Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi, Joan Sutherland, Martha Moedl,
Kirsten Flagstad, Leonie Rysanek, Nina Stemme, Marilyn Horne,
Conchita Supervia, Elena Suliotis, Maria Caniglia, Zinka Milanov,
Edita Gruberova.

                                       (74 minutes)

Scenes from some of the great Rossini works as presented
on his birthday (Feb.29, born in 1792). Operas include:

Barbiere di Siviglia, Cenerentola, Viaggio a Rheims,
William Tell, L'Italiana in Algeri, Semiramide
L'Assedio di Corinto, and Armida. Featured artists are:

Marilyn Horne, Conchita Supervia, Vesselina Kasarova,
Ewa Podles, Montserrat Caballe, Beverly Sills,
Nicolai Gedda, Marcello Giordani, Fernando di Lucia,
Norman Mittleman, Juan Diego Florez, Maria Callas,
 and Ruggero Raimondi.

                                  (73 minutes)

Scenes from Verdi's Ernani, featuring some of the greatest
singers of the past:

Anita Cerquetti, Leontyne Price, Zinka Milanov, Grace Bumbry,
Leyla Gencer,Caterina Mancini, Gino Penno, Mario del Monaco,
Placido Domingo (past and also present), Flaviano Labo,
Leonard Warren, Mario Sereni, Ettore Bastianini, Leonard Warren,
Cornel MacNeil, Piero Cappuccilli, Lando Bartolini, Cesare Siepi,
Nicolai Ghiaurov.

                                           (76 minutes)

   Songs and Arias as sung by the great Claudia Muzio.
   She passed away at only 47 years of age, but left a
   legacy of true greatness in the opera world.

                                 (78 minutes)

Selections from Aida, Trovatore, Ernani, Nabucco, and
La Battaglia di Legnano featuring the wonderful soprano
Caterina Mancini, whose Cetra recordings introduced me to
the brand of exciting singing usually absent these days. She
is joined in duets by Paolo Silveri, Rolando Panerai,
Giuseppe Taddei, and Carlo Tagliabue

                                   (44 minutes)

So, when does the next swan leave????? (You all know the story!)

Here are scenes from this great opera featuring some great artists:

Leonie Rysanek, Birgit Nilsson, Elizabeth Rethberg, Astrid Varnay,
Lauritz Melchior, Helen Traubel, Marjorie Lawrence,Ninon Vallin,
Wolfgang Windgassen, Rita Gorr, Emmanuel List, Leonard Warren,
Elizabeth Grummer, Eleanor Steber, Nicolai Gedda, Barbro Ericson,
Lotte Lehmann.

                                        (66 minutes)

Highlights from Puccini operas featuring many great artists:

Rosa Ponselle, Claudia Muzio, Virginia Zeani, Licia Albanese,
Margherita Sheridan, Edith Mason, Nelly Melba, Lucrecia Bori,
Magda Olivero, Montserrat Caballe, Mattia Battistini,Titta Ruffo,
Beniamino Gigli, Enrico Caruso, Aureliano Pertile,Tito Schipa,
John McCormack.

                                   (73 minutes)

 Selections from live performances conducted by Leopold Stokowski.
 Featured are Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, and George London.
 In addition to the concert material, we present scenes from the
 legendary 1961 Turandot, featuring Nilsson and Corelli in shining form!

                                    (73 minutes)

  A compilation of scenes from the great Puccini opera,
  featuring many fine artists. I will not write the names here
  since some of you might wish to use this podcast as a quiz.
                                ( 73 minutes)

  By popular request (Ruben!!), here are highlights from
  Cecilia, a truly beautiful, and seldom-heard work. It
  features Renata Scotto as both the Angel and Cecilia, Harry
  Theyard as Valerian, and George Fourie as Almachis. It
  is conducted by Angelo Campori.

                                   (66 minutes)

Famous tenors of past and present whose last names happen
to begin with the letter "V." Included are:

Ramon Vinay, Cesar Vezzani, Albert Vaguet, Alessandro Valente,
Franz Voelker, Rene Verdiere, Francisco Vignas, Miguel Villabella,
Ramon Vargas, and (in photo), Rolando Villazon.

                                  (66 minutes)

IN RESPONSE TO THE COMMENTS THAT I LEFT OUT THE WONDERFUL VALLETTI,VICKERS,AND OTHERS, WHAT I HAD DONE WAS JUST GO TO A SHELF THAT HAD THOSE RECITALS. NO CRUELTY INTENDED!!!!!

Excerpts from the great career of tenor Nicolai Gedda. These
are all live and the operas represented are:

Boheme,Tosca,Tales of Hoffmann,Vespri Siciliani,
I Puritani,The Pearl Fishers, Faust, La Sonnambula
Don Giovanni, Le Roi d'ys,La Traviata,Mignon,
Yolanta.                     (72 minutes)

 An exciting compilation of scenes from Leoncavallo's
 "I Pagliacci," featuring:

  Richard Tucker, Mario del Monaco, Franco Corelli,
  Helge Roswaenge, Jussi Bjoerling, Carlo Bergonzi,
  Licia Albanese, Diana Soviero, Marilyn Horne,
  Hilde Scheppan, Victoria de los Angeles, Robert Merrill,
  Leonard Warren, Ettore Bastianini, Frank Guarrera,
Giovanni Martinelli(in photo)  Manuel Lanza, and
Teresa Stratas

(66 min.)

Great Singers of the "Germanic" School. Included are:

Frieda Leider (in photo), Margarita Perras, Alexander Kipnis,
Lotte Lehmann, Tiana Lemnitz, Friedrich Schorr, Maria Ivogun,
Johanna Gadski, Franz Voelker, Marcel Wittrisch,Wilhelm Hesch,
Maria Olzewska, Lauritz Melchior, Maria Cebotari,Richard Tauber,
Gerhard Huesch, Elizabeth Schumann

                                     (78 minutes)