Comments on: Manon, let go! http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/ where opera is king and you, the readers, are queens Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:32:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DJEDUSHKA http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/comment-page-2/#comment-700 DJEDUSHKA Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:14:10 +0000 http://parterre.com/?p=38#comment-700 era una salame???? my faulty Italian could certainly lead me to think in non-operatic terms. era una salame????

my faulty Italian could certainly lead me to think in non-operatic terms.

]]> By: laciecafan http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/comment-page-1/#comment-662 laciecafan Thu, 07 Feb 2008 03:47:44 +0000 http://parterre.com/?p=38#comment-662 I've discussed tenors with Mme. Licia. Of those with whom she performed, she told me, Björling was her favorite. She had some interesting things to say about the others, as well as some comments on one currently-very-popular tenor whose singing she imitated to make her point!! If I'm not mistaken, Mme. Licia's tenor-partners go back as far as Gigli. I’ve discussed tenors with Mme. Licia. Of those with whom she performed, she told me, Björling was her favorite.

She had some interesting things to say about the others, as well as some comments on one currently-very-popular tenor whose singing she imitated to make her point!!

If I’m not mistaken, Mme. Licia’s tenor-partners go back as far as Gigli.

]]> By: mercadante http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/comment-page-1/#comment-626 mercadante Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:49:48 +0000 http://parterre.com/?p=38#comment-626 Listening to the 1955 broadcast tape with both Albanese and Bjoerling seems to contradict Coward's assertion. Both seem extremely apt and well matched for their roles, are obviously performing with and not against each other, and are totally in their roles. Albanese was one of the great Manon Lescaut's, in my opinion. Not so much vocally, it was a bit dry and weaker on the bottom than the top, but in style, commitmnet and imagination. And Bjoerling seems to catch fire opposite her. Both int he studio and on this live broadcast. Listening to the 1955 broadcast tape with both Albanese and Bjoerling seems to contradict Coward’s assertion. Both seem extremely apt and well matched for their roles, are obviously performing with and not against each other, and are totally in their roles. Albanese was one of the great Manon Lescaut’s, in my opinion. Not so much vocally, it was a bit dry and weaker on the bottom than the top, but in style, commitmnet and imagination. And Bjoerling seems to catch fire opposite her. Both int he studio and on this live broadcast.

]]> By: DirkVA http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/comment-page-1/#comment-582 DirkVA Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:35:27 +0000 http://parterre.com/?p=38#comment-582 nonesense = nonsense nonesense = nonsense

]]> By: DirkVA http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/comment-page-1/#comment-580 DirkVA Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:34:14 +0000 http://parterre.com/?p=38#comment-580 "And Mary Martin was known for many things but “belting” certainly wasn’t one of them. One wonders about the state of Mr. Coward’s hearing at that point." Then one wonders nonesense. The quote our Doyenne gave was written on April 15, 1956. Noël Coward and Mary Martin had, on October 22, 1955, made television history with a 90-minute live broadcast of a two-person show, complete with new songs by Coward, on the CBS television network. That formidable recent production, plus considerable (largely unhappy) stage and personal experience with Martin, had fully informed Coward of the upstaging tricks and other devices of Mary Martin. “And Mary Martin was known for many things but “belting” certainly wasn’t one of them. One wonders about the state of Mr. Coward’s hearing at that point.”

Then one wonders nonesense. The quote our Doyenne gave was written on April 15, 1956. Noël Coward and Mary Martin had, on October 22, 1955, made television history with a 90-minute live broadcast of a two-person show, complete with new songs by Coward, on the CBS television network. That formidable recent production, plus considerable (largely unhappy) stage and personal experience with Martin, had fully informed Coward of the upstaging tricks and other devices of Mary Martin.

]]> By: DirkVA http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/comment-page-1/#comment-579 DirkVA Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:25:54 +0000 http://parterre.com/?p=38#comment-579 One of the peerless letter-writers of the age is being censured above for a colloquialism used in a letter to an intimate friend? (Such turns of phrase were often used by him in parody of someone both he and his correspondent knew.) As for Coward's musicianship, see http://rogerevans.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/if-musical-erudition-were-all/ One of the peerless letter-writers of the age is being censured above for a colloquialism used in a letter to an intimate friend? (Such turns of phrase were often used by him in parody of someone both he and his correspondent knew.)

As for Coward’s musicianship, see

http://rogerevans.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/if-musical-erudition-were-all/

]]> By: Mark http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/comment-page-1/#comment-446 Mark Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:46:14 +0000 http://parterre.com/?p=38#comment-446 Did Coward really write that badly? And Mary Martin was known for many things but "belting" certainly wasn't one of them. One wonders about the state of Mr. Coward's hearing at that point. And that funny line was better heard when Billy Wilder wrote it for "Ball of Fire." Did Coward really write that badly? And Mary Martin was known for many things but “belting” certainly wasn’t one of them. One wonders about the state of Mr. Coward’s hearing at that point.

And that funny line was better heard when Billy Wilder wrote it for “Ball of Fire.”

]]> By: Reggiani http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/comment-page-1/#comment-418 Reggiani Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:26:15 +0000 http://parterre.com/?p=38#comment-418 Noel certainly does get his point across. Loved it. Noel certainly does get his point across. Loved it.

]]> By: michael farris http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/comment-page-1/#comment-414 michael farris Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:50:32 +0000 http://parterre.com/?p=38#comment-414 Ah, rather like my late aunt who thought saying things like "I doed it" was clever. Ah, rather like my late aunt who thought saying things like “I doed it” was clever.

]]> By: rosa moline http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/comment-page-1/#comment-409 rosa moline Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:05:35 +0000 http://parterre.com/?p=38#comment-409 "on account of she didn't ought to have" - an affectation, sort of verbal slumming, considered droll back in the day. Check out the correspondence of the Mitford sisters, rife with baby talk, affectation of speech of the lowah clahsses, etc. “on account of she didn’t ought to have” – an affectation, sort of verbal slumming, considered droll back in the day. Check out the correspondence of the Mitford sisters, rife with baby talk, affectation of speech of the lowah clahsses, etc.

]]> By: michael farris http://parterre.com/2008/02/05/manon-let-go/comment-page-1/#comment-397 michael farris Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:22:14 +0000 http://parterre.com/?p=38#comment-397 "didn’t ought" ?????? “didn’t ought” ??????

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