parterre box

104 comments

• Evenhanded says:

  Well.

  Amerjaquino wrote: “I have spent the best part of 20 years trying to find someone as thrilling in the low section of ‘Non piu di Fiori’ as Carol Vaness. Clue: nobody is.”

  Ah yes, but what a fun pursuit! And to tell the truth, while no one is quite as thrilling as Vaness, there are some who come close, and MANY who give great pleasure in the role. A dorky thing I know, but Clemenza is my FAVORITE Mozart opera. Thus, I can relate 100% to your comments. Some of my other faves include Varady (of course) and Baker (I still think she could have squeezed out the d-flat in the trio if she had tried). Martinpelto is near the bottom of the list, as is (much as I hate to say it) Popp, in her very last recording (one she might have thought better of). Della is very very satisfying in the role, IMO. Oh, and Scotto is wobbly-but-fun too!

  on April 6, 2008 at 9:32 PM
• Sanford says:

  I saw Carol Vaness in a concert performance in Washington, D.C. almost 20 years ago, and she was fabulous. And she was, and is, quite stunningly beautiful. I always thought she had great taste in gowns. I also think that she could have played Callas in “Master Class”, in terms of the physical resemblance.

  on April 6, 2008 at 9:54 PM
• Krunoslav says:

  And what about the truly bizarre Maria Casula? That’s not the kind of Vitellia performance we’[ll get from the homogenized album cover divas of today…

  on April 6, 2008 at 11:49 PM
• armerjaquino says:

  That is a strange, strange performance from Casula, isn’t it? Pretty exciting in parts though- and actually, Pendatchanska’s performance with Rene Jacobs is very nearly as bonkers. The results of my ‘survey’ tally almost exactly with Evenhanded’s, although I may not rate Baker quite as highly.

  on April 7, 2008 at 7:12 AM