My Dear Readers

I apologize for my two week absence, but I haven't opened a computer since the Dudamel concert because of two words: midterm week. I haven't touched a computer or anything like that in order to study for these awful awful tests. However, I am back! Midterms are over, I have an opera tonight, and I have missed so much already!
It's crazy how many things I've missed:
The return of Trebs and Villazon,
the cancellation of the OONY season,
and the birthdays of:
Sherrill Milnes
James Morris
Juan Diego Florez
Renato Bruson
Ben Heppner
Marilyn Horne
Katia Ricciarelli
Placido Domingo
Joseph Calleja
Marcello Giordani
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
and today's birthday boy: Philip Glass


In a few words about the Dudamel concert:
Mahler's 5th has changed the way I look at orchestras
Zukerman changed the way I see violins because that Knussen piece was crazy
and
Dudamel has changed the way I look at hair.... forever...
<33333



Happy Listening!!! =) =)

Ah Mes Amis! It's Juan's Birthday!!!!

(Let me take this time to say HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! I usually only say that at this time anyway since it takes a while for the idea to settle into my head. It usually takes me about two weeks before I'm used to righting the new year on my homework, so here's my belated new year wish.)

Juan Diego Florez. Well, we all know who that is, don't we?
Oh you know, the little tenor who broke not just one, but TWO encore traditions in the course of a year.
Did you know it was his birthday? That's what I'm here for.
Let's take a look at some of his famous roles and some of my favorite clips:

Let's start with the obvious: "Ah Mes Amis...Pour mon ame"
"Una Furtiva Lagrima"
"A Te O Cara"
"Ecco ridente in cielo"
"Cessa di piu resistere"
"A leve toi soleil"
"La donna e mobile"
"Sogno soave e casto"
"Pour me rapprocher de Marie" (listen to that Db and tell me that's not one of the most beautiful things ever)
and extensive coverage on his wedding??

Happy Birthday Juan!!!! WE LOVE YOU! (but mainly me =])

Happy Listening!!!! =)

Merry Puccinimas!!!! 150 Years of the Italian Master

(Title lovingly taken from the FaceBook event titled "Puccinimas" which I thought very clever.)

HAPPY 150th BIRTHDAY TO PUCCINI!!!!!
In honor of this GENIUS's birthday, I will present an assortment of my favorite moments in Puccini operas.
One of my favorite things about Puccini is that you can hear a simple chord progression or a rhythm and immediately say "Oh, that is so Puccini!" What would we do without his melodrama?

Che il bel sogno di Doretta from La Rondine
Donna non vidi mai from Manon Lescaut
Act 4 Duet from Manon Lescaut
Ch'ella Mi Creda from La Fanciulla del West
Un Bel Di from Madama Butterfly
The Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly
Si Mi Chiamano Mimi from La Boheme
Che Gelida Manina from La Boheme
O Soave Fanciulla from La Boheme
Act 3 Marcello/Mimi Duet from La Boheme
Sono Andati from La Boheme (One of my favorite moments in the opera is when Mimi tells Rodolfo that she's not beautiful like the dawn, but like the sunset. *sob*)
Vissi D'arte from Tosca
Act I curtain of Tosca
Recondita Armonia from Tosca
E Lecevan Le Stelle from Tosca
O Mio Babbino Caro from Gianni Schicchi (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)
Nulla, Silenzio from Il Tabarro
Final Scene of Suor Angelica
In Questa Reggia from Turandot
Liu's Death from Turandot
Signore Ascolta from Turandot
Act I Finale of Turandot
Act II Ping, Pang, and Pong from Turandot
Nessun Dorma from Turandot (Pavarotti)
Nessun Dorma from Turandot (Lando Bartolini)
Final Scene of Turandot


I hate to wear this story out, but seeing the final scene of Turandot changed my life. Almost four years ago I sat down with my mom to watch The Turandot Project (yes I WILL tell this story every year) and almost had a heart attack when the big crashing "Nessun Dorma" theme came booming out of the stereo system. I never thought anything could sound like that! Sure, I'd heard "Nessun Dorma" but this was insane! It gave meaning to those foreign phrases.
Puccini changed my life. Puccini is life.


Happy Birthday Puccini!!!!! May another 150 years go by just as happily!



Happy Listening!!! =)

I Endorse Bellini

Instead of pressuring you all to vote and telling who to vote for this Election Day 2008 (and you should vote, of course) I will instead give you some peace to meditate on the magnitude of the decision you are making for our country. For us younguns who can't vote yet your decisions are extremely important and will affect the rest of our lives.
So hear is some Bellini (in celebration of his birthday, which was yesterday) to ease your mind.
A compilation of one of his most peaceful and beautiful pieces: "A te o cara" from I Puritani.

Alfredo Kraus and Mirella Freni
Luciano Pavarotti and Joan Sutherland
Juan Diego Florez
Lawrence Brownlee and Norah Amsellem
Franco Corelli and Himself
Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
Giuseppe di Stefano and Maria Callas



Now go vote! =)


Happy Listening!!! =)

And You Thought I Forgot...

You know, Columbus Day weekend and all that...


The Two Geniuses of Italian Opera:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LEjLGf-dbo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A3zetSuYRg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0_UG2UnM7o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1zmUbthbr8


Happy Birthday Pavarotti!!!! (10.12)
Happy Birthday Verdi!!!!!! (10.10)



Happy Listening!!!!

September Birthdays

In the fuss of Opening Night I neglected to mention some very prominent birthdays from last month (my goodness, October already?).

Cornell Macneil on 9/24. One of the greatest (and my favorite!) Verdi baritones. That's not even mentioning his off the charts Scarpia. He happens to be my favorite Scarpia also. Just because he was the first Scarpia I heard/saw (with Behrens and Domingo on VHS) doesn't mean I'm biased! Of course not! His act I curtain sets me off on a rant every time.

Alfredo Kraus on 9/24. Acclaimed as one of the great tenors of out times, Alfredo Kraus always guarantees a perfectly sung performance. Truth be told, I never had much exposure to Alfredo Kraus, but as I'm looking at his youtube clips now I'm realizing that he truly is a legend.

George Gershwin on 9/26. Gershwin and the livin' is easy. A legend in his own, and every, right. You can not say enough about this American genius! I can't even speak, I'm so amazed by him. Could we ask for anything more?

Richard Bonynge on 9/29. I can't have Bonynge clips without having Sutherland clips. They're a pair! The great operatic love couple! He's also a legendary conductor, in case you didn't know. Mr. Sutherland? Au contraire! Mr. Bonynge if you please.




Happy Listening!!!! =)

So As Not To Confuse The Allens...

Since I have become SO bad at remembering to post on people's birthdays I sincerely apologize to all my readers and the singers who have their amazingness neglected. I'm very very sorry.

Yesterday was the birthday of one of my (I only say that because I have a "top two" for each vocal category) favorite baritones of all time, Sir Thomas Allen. This brilliant British baritone first "won my heart", so to speak, when I saw him on youtube singing the role of the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro. That caused me to buy the Solti recording and needless to say hilarity ensued. He has since then become one of my favorite Don Giovanni's, Onegin's, Count's, and, well, Count Danilo Danilowitsch's ever. He's just fabulous! A beautiful singer and an amazingly convincing actor.

I would also like the take this opportunity to touch lightly on the subject of Woody Allen's Gianni Schicci. For clarity's sake we will call Thomas Allen "Sir Thomas" and Woody Allen "Mr. Allen."
I was perfectly alright even a little excited that Woody Allen was going to direct an opera, especially a short comic opera like Schicci. However, I am not okay with any director, no matter how famous or cinematic, changing the ending of an opera. I'm not mad exactly, just a little irked. Sure, maybe it's funny, but that kind of defeats the whole comedy of Schicci just getting away with everything. I hear the rest of the opera was a riot, though, but maybe those were just my sources? I wish Mr. Allen good luck on his other operatic endeavors, should he choose to pursue any. I have no doubt that Sir Thomas was an utterly enchanting Gianni Schicci. With his comic timing there's no question that he owned the part of the great schemer.
I just want to make a point that I don't care if you are Steven Spielberg! You don't have Scarpia whisk Tosca off her feet at the last minute or Carmen and Don Jose get married! It's not right. Respect the opera. Respect the composer.


Happy Listening!!!! =)

A Tribute to Antonin Dvorak and Karita Mattila...

...Both of whom have a birthday this week. Karita Mattila's birthday was on Sunday, and Dvorak's is today. I thought this would be an appropriate tribute...







How gorgeous is that music? How gorgeous is she?
Happy Birthday!!!!! =)


Happy Listening!!! =)

Ballet Boot Camp

Today, after my end of the year performance at my dance school (wish us luck!) I'll be off to "ballet boot camp" (it's not actually called that, it's just what I've dubbed it) for four weeks. They're allowing us to bring our computers, which was very exciting for me, but I'm not sure how often I will be posting. I will post as often as possible, but we'll see what happens.

I've already forgotten one person's birthday. On Friday it was Jacques Offenbach's birthday. By far my favorite aria of his is the Doll Song from Les Contes d'Hoffmann. (PS. check out that high A flat on Dessay's clip!!)

I'll leave you with a clip I found a while ago and posted about, but I can't get it out of my head. Please enjoy!!!!
I will post as soon as I am able!!!!!

Until then,
Happy Listening!! =)

Salut, Gounod Chaste et Pure...

Gounod's birthday was actually yesterday, but in my regents frenzy I neglected to do a tribute post.

The man who brought us Faust, Romeo et Juliette, and that fabulous no-not-the-one-that-everyone-knows "Ave Maria" celebrated his 190th birthday yesterday.
I find it interesting that Richard Wagner refused to listen to Faust. I never really understood why, because that music is just so beautiful. "Salut, demeure chaste et pure" with the high C just makes me sigh every time. And how about that baritone aria! That's not too shabby either!!! Note to world: In every good opera there's a great baritone.
Romeo et Juliette which was at the Met this season is a beautifully tragic opera, but it's only to be expected (it's Romeo and Juliet!!). My favorite aria has to be Juliette's Waltz "Je veux vivre." I find it quite amazing. Some of my other favorite's are the tenor aria just before the balcony scene and Stephano's "Que fais-tu, blanche tourterelle?"

Well, thank you Gounod for all the beautiful music and enjoyment you have given us.

Happy Birthday!! =)


Happy Listening!! =)

From Empress to Countess, Egypt to Don Juan: My Favorite German Composer, Strauss!!!!!

Today is the birthday of the all-powerful Richard Strauss. I celebrated by watching Der Rosenkavalier (with Kiri te Kanawa, Anne Howells, and Barbara Bonney) and it reminded me of how much I absolutely adore the final trio. From the moment the Marschallin says "I promised myself that I would bear this calmly" (loose translation, I don't speak German) I had tears coming down my cheeks. It's heart wrenching!
Oh and how about that "Presentation of the Rose"???? Talk about some of the most beautiful music written in the stratosphere of the soprano/mezzo soprano range! It's tough to sing along to, let me tell you... But, oh, is it beautiful!!!!
"Di Rigori Armato" is also a gorrrrgeous tenor aria from the first act of Rosenkavalier. I love it most, of course, when the great Pavarotti sings it. =)

Another marvelous Strauss opera is Capriccio. A "one act wonder" that some people steer away from because, seemingly, it has no plot. Indeed, it has a plot and a very profound one! Music or words, which is more important? The best part of it is.... you never really find out. =) Tricky, tricky, Strauss!!!! Undoubtedly the most miraculous part of this opera is the final scene.

Some other Strauss wonders are Die Agyptische Helena, Don Juan, The Four Last Songs, and so many other things you must discover for yourself. Strauss is a force of nature!

Happy Birthday, Richard Strauss!!!

Happy Listening!! =)

Flicka!!!!!!!!! (with some "Tristan" notes)

First off: Happy first day of June! One step closer to summer!

Second: Happy Birthday, Frederica von Stade, an original member of my "Coolest Mezzo's Ever" list.
Flicka (her loving nickname) is one of the most adorable Cherubinos, Octavians, Hansels, (to get out of the pants roles) Angelinas, Rosinas, Rusalkas (?), or mezzos ever! I look up to her so much and she's just a delightful singer! She's funny, gorgeous, and has a voice like gold. Did I mention that she's gorgeous? I love her! She's a fabulous actress also, and she's adorable!


Third: How many saw the Tristan und Isolde on PBS?? *searches crowd for hands*
Cool! Well, I watched it too! Although you all know that Wagner is not my fach, I really enjoyed the telecast! Deborah Voigt is the best, she was just amazing. The tenor was really great as well, considering the "last minute" circumstances of the performance. I have no complaints about any of the singers...
But what was with the split screen?!?!?!?!?! I didn't get it. The screen got smaller and I sometimes couldn't see what was happening! I won't go on about it...
Susan Graham was a delightful host, although I found her a little stiff (nerves?). She was very cute, even when Jimmy Levine was stroking her neck ("vocal cords"). That got a little weird. But he's a genius (they're both geniuses), what can you do?
Amazing telecast!!!!!! Go Debbie Voigt!


Happy Birthday, Flicka!

Happy Listening!

Birthday Week!

Guess whose been lazy this week? Me!!!!!!! Finals coming up (not fun) so I decided to just do all of this week's birthdays in one post.

5/26- Theresa Stratas. Such an amazing artist. Two of my favorite operas on video have her in them: La Traviata with Placido Domingo and La Boheme, of course, with Jose Carreras. She's such a fantastic actress, too. Just look at those videos! Proof of her extraordinary talents!
5/27- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Besides being one of the best lieder singers ever, DFD is one of my favorite Conte Almavivas ever! His voice is so smooth and creamy and just delicious!
5/29- Erich Korngold. Some of the most beautiful arias I have ever heard. Marietta's Lied from Die Tote Stadt has become sort of an anthem for me. I always turn to it, happy or sad, angry or caring I always love listening to it. It either makes me cry or makes me smile until my cheeks hurt. Let's not forget two of his other GLORIOUS ARIAS that I simply CAN'T GET OVER. I love this composer.
5/30- George London. Enough said. So amazing.
5/31- Shirley Verrett. I love this woman. She is amazing.



And now I'm off to watch Tristan und Isolde on PBS.

Happy Birthday to our birthday singers!


Happy Listening!! =)

Sillsiana: Happy Birthday, Bubbles.

I've tried over and over in vain to explain to people the unbreakable bond between an opera lover and opera singers. After Beverly Sills died, I was depressed and could not listen to anyone else. I couldn't talk about anything else for weeks! They were so mad at me... "YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HER!" was what they kept saying. Of course I didn't know her! My heart would have stopped if I had gone anywhere near her! Anyway, as soon as they said that I would shake my finger and try to explain to them the mutual affection and the chains that link together a listener and a singer. It's so hard to explain once you try. It's like, you do know the singer, but you don't. You feel this connection that is so powerful because they have given you so much! They have given their miraculous gift to us all and we share in the emotional experience that is opera. It's so incredible! Of course, who understands that but those who experience it? I was that way with Beverly Sills, and I suppose I still am. There will always be a bond between us two, not to mention all of her other dedicated fans!




















We're gathered here today to remember the birthday of the immortal and utterly fantabulous Beverly Sills. Although this brilliant lady has left this world, her work will never be forgotten. We pay homage to her today, on the day of her birth. I have compiled for you some of her best performances and some of her funniest moments (in opera or otherwise). We love you, Bubbles.

The mad scene from Lucia di Lammermoor
The final scene from Roberto Devereux
"Pigoletto" from the Muppet Show
"Follie...Sempre Libera" from La Traviata
"Una voce poco fa" from Il Barbiere di Siviglia
"The Thunder of Battle" from The Daughter of the Regiment
"Sillsiana" at Hunter College. This gets my laughing (crying?) every time!!
"O luce di quest'anima" from Linda di Chamounix
"Je marche sur tous les chemins" from Manon
"Adieu, notre petite table" from Manon
Zerbinetta's aria from Ariadne auf Naxos
"Chacun le sait" from La Fille du Regiment
"Je suis Titania" from Mignon
"Da tempeste" from Guilio Cesare
The Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute
In an opera parody with Danny Kaye. "I come from a very classy part of Brooklyn."
The Willow Song from The Ballad of Baby Doe

and finally...
Beverly Sill's Final Performance. It never fails to bring on the waterworks. I always end up crying like a baby. It's pretty pathetic, but listen to her. Just listen to her! Listen to that marvelous voice! It's like an angel. She's simply an angel...



Happy Birthday, dear Bubbles!!



Happy Listening, from a very sentimental CaroNome... =)

Wagner: Opera's Biggest Cult

Let's face it: Opera is a cult. Not the crazy, torch-bearing kind, but a cult all the same. Within this cult is a series of smaller cults. Indisputably the biggest opera cult is the Wagner cult.
And while Wagner is not really my "thing" (and yes, I've tried it. It was fantastic, don't get me wrong. Again, just not my thing) I understand Wagner's cult and completely respect him as a composer and musical genius.
Here's a small (youtube) tribute to Wagner on his birthday:

The Ride of the Valkyries (oh man, stereotype?)
The Liebsetod from Tristan und Isolde performed by Birgit Nilsson
Wotan's final scene in Die Walkure performed by James Morris (probably my favorite part of any Wagner opera)
The prelude from Lohengrin
Siegfried's Funeral March
Act III from Der Meistersinger von Nurnberg featuring James Morris, Karita Mattila, and Ben Heppner. I seriously remember years and years ago sitting in my grandmother's kitchen watching this on PBS. I remember trying to translate the title (rather unsuccessfully), asking my mom why the soprano made funny faces (hee hee. love you, Karita!!), and trying to make sense of it. I watched it all the way until dinner time and was disappointed when after it was already over. Then a few months ago I remembered watching it and said "Oh my gosh, I can name most of the singers in that now just from remembering what they look like. That's scary!" It was fate!


Happy Birthday, Wagner!

Happy Listening!! =)

Ja vas lyublyu: A Tribute to Tchaikovsky on His Birthday

Ja vas lyublyu!
Thank you, Tchaikovsky, for teaching me how to say "I love you" in Russian. It comes in handy when I'm trying to impress people with my linguistic skills. =)

But, more than that, Tchaikovsky has shaped most of my appreciation for music. Since "The Nutcracker" takes up more than half of my time during the months of September, October, November, and December, it's safe to say that Tchaikovsky's music is one of the most important in my life. As a ballet student I've seen (and heard) "Swan Lake" countless times. Not that that's a problem at all, my gosh of course not! My favorite (to dance)... the four little swans.

Let's not forget his amazing operas!!!!
My gateway into the Russian opera world: Eugene Onegin. One of my favorite bookhttp://youtube.com/watch?v=ZhQr7w055-Ys, containing one of my favorite heroines is also an opera (not like you didn't know!) that takes everything to the dramatic extreme! Oh, how glorious.
I will not fail to mention his other operas, Iolanta and The Queen of Spades. Let's linger on The Queen of Spades (Pique Dame) for a moment. That baritone aria, OH THAT BARITONE ARIA. It's like heaven wrapped in chocolate...especially when Mr. Hvorostovsky is singing it!


Oh, that Tchaikovsky. Never fails to amaze.


Happy Listening!!!! =)

BATTLE: The Pope and the President

(I'm sorry, that colon should have been a comma.)

It's not as thrilling as it sounds. It turns out that Kathleen Battle sang for the Pope and the President today at the White House. She sang "The Lord's Prayer." I'm hearing reports that (to put it nicely) she could have sounded better.
The article also says that there was a spontaneous outburst of "Happy Birthday" in honor of the Holy Father's 81st birthday today. Aw! I'm happy to say that I will be seeing the Pope at a youth rally on Saturday! Oh, I'm so excited! =)



Happy Listening!!! =)

The Seige of the Italian Barber in Algiers...etc. etc.

*******CORRECTION!!!!!! OOPS! It turns out Rossini's birthday is 2/29/08 not 2/28/08. It was written that way on the Met calendar probably so they could put it on the calendar every year. Sorry, everyone!

It doesn't hurt that Rossini wrote at least 30 operas so we will not be lacking in material for his birthday tribute.

The Barber...
The Siege...
The Italian Girl...
William Tell...
Semiramide...
Figaro Figaro FIGARO...


The rest of his operas are too obscure to find! Haha! Just kidding. Search for your favorite on youtube it's sure to be there!!!!

Happy Listening!!! =)

Happy Happy Birthday from All of Us to YOU! We Wish You A Happy Birthday So We Can Party Too. HEY!

Because when we're too lazy to sing "Happy Birthday" that's what we say at my school. It's fun to see who can say it the fastest.

We have a couple of birthdays today...


Enrico Caruso is considered by many to be the greatest tenor who ever lived. Possibly, the greatest opera singer who ever lived. He is certainly one of the most famous and listening to his records there is no doubt as to why.
Lotte Lehmann is one soprano I don't know too much about. What I do know is that I constantly hear her name mentioned when there is talk of great sopranos. What I have heard from her thanks to youtube has been wonderful. Happy Birthday!
Mirella Freni is one of my favorite sopranos and one of the first sopranos I ever heard about. (Thank you, Grandpa!) I have a number of recordings and videos of her and I can't get enough. She's just so wonderful.

Happy Birthday to our birthday singers!


Happy Listening!!!! =)

Queen of the High C's

Of course we're talking about Leontyne Price!!!!
Who else delivers a (soprano) high C like that???? ;-)

We all love her and wish her a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! <3333



Happy Listening!!! =)