parterre box

44 comments

• 21
  ruxton says:

  April 23, 2008 at 8:50 AM

  … he was at his cutest in that movie. He really looked good. Perhaps it was the lighting and the make up but it sure worked.
• 22
  Frau Wilhelmenia Getchurassen-Gier says:

  April 23, 2008 at 10:20 AM

  From an aesthetic viewpoint, ziss is vulgarity in its most egregious form. Makink karier based upon merits of one stentorian note iss formink travesty of opera und theatre. Giff me Bergonzi, Tucker or Domingo (even mitt zair lower notes) or giff me death.
• 23
  Trey Zbirry says:

  April 23, 2008 at 10:43 AM

  “Actually, I came to think that he was simply very insecure, and his antics were to cover up,” says In SF. An insecure opera singer … an insecure TENOR? Surely not.
• 24
  Il Conte di Drewski says:

  April 23, 2008 at 10:47 AM

  Actually, I believe Bonisolli performed up until 2000, though not frequently. I remember hearing a story about a ring he used to wear. When questioned about it, he said that inside contained the antidote for the poison that Pavarotti and Aragall wanted to give him. What a colorful character Alagna has many of his zany antics, but none of the voice to back it up.
• 25
  Stella Barbare says:

  April 23, 2008 at 11:53 AM

  who’s the conductor and where is this from?

  i heard a story — don’t know for sure if it’s true or not — that he reduced poor dimitrova to tears in their rehearsals for fanciulla — he kept fondling and feeling her up. she was a very proper lady, from what i heard, so she didn’t know how to react to it.
• 26
  harry says:

  April 23, 2008 at 12:52 PM

  Stella Barbare, regarding Dimitrova being a ‘very proper lady’, well ‘haughty and stuck up’ is more like it. In one instance, a friend backstage at one production, politely just wished to engage in slight but friendly acknowlegement . Ms Dimitrova tried the ‘me no speaka the english’ caper. A complete fallacy: to which the unfearing friend then gave her a full ticking off for bad manners.
• 27
  DirtyErda says:

  April 23, 2008 at 1:28 PM

  Well Frank you’ll keep doing it until you get it right. What fun he enjoys himself so much how can you not have a big smile on your face when he is done. I’m sure Verdi had a big smile on his face as well. Good THEATRE but Opera, no.
• 28
  In SF says:

  April 23, 2008 at 2:26 PM

  I realize that many singers are insecure, but I hve to wonder if insecurity as a performer excuses rude and unprofessional behavior towards colleagues. Even if you are a tenor with money notes.
• 29
  David Utterback says:

  April 23, 2008 at 3:38 PM

  Franco Corelli was another high strung tenor. Maybe not on such a regular basis (I’m guessing) as Bonisolli. Gerard Souzay told me that he was in Salzburg during the Trovatores with Corelli, Price and Karajan. He was returning to the hotel around 2:00 in the morning (I didn’t ask why he was out so late) and Corelli was wandering the lobby and halls of the hotel. Evidently Corelli was so keyed up about being able to give the level of performance expected of him that he couldn’t sleep.

  On the other hand Gilda Cruz-Romo told me that he could not have been more gracious to her backstage/onstage before, during and after performances of Forza. She never mentioned Mr. Bonisolli (who is in the Forza from Vienna with her on Myto).

  Strangely enough I was listening to the Berlin Fanciulla with Dimitrova/Bonisolli over the weekend. They made a great pair onstage if not off.
• 30
  Ms. Creant says:

  April 23, 2008 at 3:39 PM

  harry, your anecdote tells us nothing about the lady. we don’t know what the context or circumstances of that incident are, or even if it’s true.