Comments on: happier days

By: kashania

kashania — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:38:17 +0000

Gotta love youtube. Here’s a clip from the much-talked-about Carnegie recital (Bizet’s “Habanera”) that was presumably an encore. Yes, the voice is not what it once was but she has maintained a lot of the colour and still seems able to pump out the power in the mid-upper register. Based on some reports (like Charlie Handleman on OPera-L), I was expecting a disaster and this isn’t all that bad for a 62-year-old diva.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QQ2k3UpHwQ&feature=related

By: judycadanna

judycadanna — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:00:40 +0000

No matter how odd the bedsheets she’s wearing, or that she can open her mouth so wide that her head tilts back like a Pez dispenser– she’s a goddess.

Her ‘O herstes Wunder’ is superhuman; divine rapture

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vb_g8GXrZPc&feature=related

By: Ms. Creant

Ms. Creant — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:37:23 +0000

ruxton, i think you are referring to a different concert.

By: Puzzled Again

Puzzled Again — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:22:10 +0000

She’s terrific here.

Here German diction is superb.

Or is it French?

By: Regina delle fate

Regina delle fate — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:25:38 +0000

lol Grimgerde and La Cieca! I was way to fat to be an exquisite young man, but La Norman’s helpers in London all seemed to be more than casually acquainted with Dorothy, as far as one could make out. In those days, too, she wore better frocks for her concerts.

By: ruxton

ruxton — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:46:09 +0000

Lucky Pierre- you could well be right. I never saw the full (composite as in “other artists) concert but a heavily abridged one where she sang Rusalka’s Moon aria (what else from Rusalka). Also on the tape was Giarrhrov (sp) doing “la Cataluna” ? (sp) and a personal fav – Freni doing “Tatiana’s letter scene- and if I remember correctly, a slightly stretched Scotto doing “Ebben” from la Wally.

I suppose its well possible even likely that la Popp wore the same dress twice anyhow- she probably wanted to get her money’s worth out of it, and wouldn’t have given a thought that somewhere in the world years later, there would be a group of “too observant ol queens” adding up the dots.

To avoid the same thing happening to me I’m going to continue to wear “rave black” with red accessories.

By: La Cieca

La Cieca — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:40:04 +0000

“were you on one of those exquisite young men?” Rather a personal question, don’t you think?

By: Grimgerde

Grimgerde — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:27:17 +0000

Whoops! Typo episode. I meant “were” not “where”.

By: Grimgerde

Grimgerde — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:25:46 +0000

Regina, where you on one of those exquisite young men? I think I have met you, and you know one of my ex partners.

By: Regina delle fate

Regina delle fate — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:12:52 +0000

lol @ dear old Meneghini – was he gay?

By: Regina delle fate

Regina delle fate — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:10:47 +0000

Jessye was considered for Donna Anna in the Colin Davis recording of Don Giovanni but in the end they took Martina Arroyo whose coloratura isn’t legendary either. But you hear glimpses of the young Jessye in this clip, and you can almost hear that she studied with Elisabeth GrÃ¼mmer in Berlin. The only Mozart operas she sang, I think, were La finta giardiniera in the German version on record, and a live concert of Idomeneo, in which she sang Idamante with Davis in Italy. In the early days when she lived in a tiny mews apartment in London, waited on hand and foot by exquisite young men, she was a delightful person too.

By: harry

harry — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:37:00 +0000

As one who designs a few select fashion creations for some friends, what can one say? A display of perfect singing technique. A perfect musical performance from Ms Jessye: but being sung in such an appaling dress (‘casual throw-over’). The designer, I feel sure was not gay, but some ‘kinko’ dressmaker having a far out hallucigenic op-art trip. It looks like a gigantic tatty floating fabric- poster, flaaping in the breeze. Any wonder why fashion cat walk shows are ususally attention getting freak shows? When one can remembers Jessye, coming out on a recital stage in some instances, in beauifully flattering black traffeta : one is gobsmacked at the clip, displayed here. Then again I have seen her present in what appeared like a lurid colored big flowered ‘Mu-Mu’.suitable for Bloody Mary of South Pacific fame.
We still love you Jessye!

I am smiling,at rhe moment – imaging ‘commandant’ Schwarzkopf if she appeared wearing the same ‘poster cover’, when she screwed up Schubert and Mozart with her consistent constipated ‘banshee’ technique.

By: leontyneschiava

leontyneschiava — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:58:27 +0000

Joan of Arc if I recall correctly

By: kashania

kashania — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:33:26 +0000

Lucky Pierre: I don’t recall her singing Berlioz and the Immolation. She did sing from the bif monologue from Cappriccio and Dido’s Lament.

By: Lucky Pierre

Lucky Pierre — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:28:48 +0000

well, i remember watching that concert, i think she also sang arianna (haydn?), barber’s cleopatra, and … now i can’t remember what else she sang. something to do with “women of legend and history.” did she sing berlioz (troyens)? immolation scene?

what’s with the gay fashion stereotype? i’d flunk that test for sure. ok, maybe not. i’ve seen some of these dresses and even i would be horrified. i think i remember one of susan dunn’s rare appearances (tucker gala?), and she was hideous.

By: trappole

trappole — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:23:30 +0000

To ruxton:

Seriously? Jesus Christmas- she must be color-blind in addition to having no gay friends.

By: Alice Roberts

Alice Roberts — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:28:39 +0000

Before any Diva steps on stage it should be compulsory to go through a gay- once over! Well I second that.

By: ruxton

ruxton — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:25:43 +0000

One thing about La Norman- when she is good she is very very very good. Two wonderful clips indeed- as for the dress- the cut and style is fine…but the print!! Undoubtedly she has some gay friends but on this occasion they must have been smoking something.

I don’t know what it is with these Divas but wow so many of the them show shocking dress sense. I still can’t forget dear Lucia Popp singing like heaven itself in a dress with a big glitterey butterfly on the bodice… surely she had gay friends?

On Sunday last I went to a recital with a young upcoming soprano doing a very good job of some very testing stuff- but the outfit was frighteningly dreadful. The hair was lank and just hung there with a glitter clasp on the back of the head – bright red lipstick with long drop earings, an ornate large necklace as well as a long neck scarf, a fine knit top that displayed and highlighted the rolls beneath all the way down to a glitter and sequined aqua skirt, bare legs and high heels- the overall effect was like a dumpster done up for Christmas.

All through the recital all I could think of was “no gay friends… no gay friends” and remember dear old Mennagini (sp) who knew what he was doing when he took la Divina to the leading coutouriers and said “make her lottsa clothes an make’r look good!!” – so many of them could take a page out of that book!

Before any Diva steps on stage it should be compulsory to go through a gay- once over!

By: Reggiani

Reggiani — Tue, 06 May 2008 04:14:25 +0000

Her Met debut role, Cassandra I think, in Les Troyens (1983) was televised on PBS. She was huge, and the next time I saw her, she was normal size. I remember saying at the time, she saw herself on tv and went on a diet.

By: Cherubino

Cherubino — Tue, 06 May 2008 03:40:48 +0000

Is it lupus she has? OMG — I didn’t know and am heartbroken. My closest friend has it, and if Ms. Norman can muster the strength to sing, I’d be inclined to cut her LOTS of slack. Thanks, La Cieca, for this exquisite reminder of what she was like in her prime.

By: leontyneschiava

leontyneschiava — Tue, 06 May 2008 03:10:55 +0000

This is hypnotic……the Mon Couer that is……… the slow tempo works for me when it can be carried off the way she does it……the acting at the end was intense…..absolute perfection

By: Bob Villa

Bob Villa — Tue, 06 May 2008 03:10:11 +0000

i like the frock. i think i would sing better too knowing wagner had my back.

By: Dyby

Dyby — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:15:28 +0000

Simply exquisite. With all the crappy singing we have today, this is a treat. The dress on the other hand…..

By: kashania

kashania — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:56:52 +0000

Sorry, here’s the link:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=agWNW7St9do&feature=related

By: kashania

kashania — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:56:26 +0000

Jessye is positively demented in this rendition of “Mon couer s’ouvre a ta voix”, especially in the last “Ah reponds…” — grand diva mannerisms and all.

By: MicaÃ«la

MicaÃ«la — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:37:55 +0000

Lucky Pierre–does Zerbietchka’s aria begin Moguchiy princessa or something like that? (j/k and probably not even joking correctly.)

By: NYCOQ

NYCOQ — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:35:19 +0000

Seeing this makes me even sadder about the performacne I saw at Carnegie Hall.

By: Lindoro Almaviva

Lindoro Almaviva — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:31:05 +0000

This version is on my ears one of the est ever. I always lament the fact that she didn’t sing more Mozart once her career took off. I think her voice and her artistry did take perfectly to Mozart.

By: quoth the maven

quoth the maven — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:00:36 +0000

fantastic!

By: Gianni

Gianni — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:51:16 +0000

She was definitely an odd bird vocally. She had the finesse of a Mozartean, the vocal weight of a Wagnerian, the wimsy of a Straussian , yet the heart of a french romantic. Her concert at Carnegie was a fond remembrance of what once was…Lupus is a horribly debilitating disease and considering her weight loss, her battle with Lupus, and her age, I was astonished at what she was able to accomplish. I wish some of the programming had been better planned as her mp – forte singing seemed to be much more pleasant and in tune than her pianissimo singing at this late time.

I wish the MET would use her in more character roles, She would have been delightful in FIlle as the Duchesse, I am sure Klytamnestra would be something she could still muster. Her presence and intensity alone would be worth the ticket price. But alas, Lupus can be dormant and then rear its ugly head with no warning. So her regular performance days would have to be select and only agreed upon when a sustainable remisssion has occured.