you’re an old smoothie
Plácido Domingo will sing the role of Maurizio in Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur at the Metropolitan Opera for six performances in February 2009, replacing Marcelo Ãlvarez, who, as we heard before, is jumping into the title role in the Met’s new production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore.
As the press release from the Met notes, “With these performances of Adriana Lecouvreur, Domingo returns to the role of his Met debut, forty years ago on September 28, 1968. Since then, Domingo has only sung the role of Maurizio once at the Met, in 1983.”
And, wouldn’t you know it, there’s YouTube documentation of that performance. Not only does Domingo sing “L’anima ho stanca,” he even kvells a bit with Beverly Sills, the Renée Fleming of her day.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/mijdI0dIfyM" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
As a mere Brit, my experience of Beverly Sills has been comparatively limited, but didn’t her mass appeal lie in more her personality, wit and pzazz than in her voice?
Renee’s appeal surely lies almost exclusively in her voice — undeniably beautiful, even if her use of it is highly debatable? With the best will in the world, she doesn’t fill a space or a screen with charisma, pretty, pleasant and intelligent though she may be.
With the possible exception of Domingo, no opera star today has the mainstream recognition that Sills commanded during her time. Renee’s Marschallin will never adorn the cover of TIME. However, on a smaller scale, Renee is a bit like the Sills of today. She probably can lay claim to the title of The American Soprano more than any other singer. And with all the backstage TV interviews and hosting that she does, she’s picked up of Sills’ mantle. Also, with her perfume and her endorsements, she probably comes closest to the level of mainstream recognition than Sills enjoyed.
In a related press release:
“Mr. Domingo have joined forces with Coty in creating a new scent called Longevity for Men.”
has joined
is this the same Mercedes Bass who in an interview said she adores the Zeffirelli productions and wanted Gelb do to a Z Marathon? Even he refused her that. The same Mercedes Bass who said she would skip Peter Grimes? This woman has money but no musical or artistic taste whatsoever.
But do people LOVE Renee the way they seem to have loved Bubbles? I think she is more the acceptable and accessible face of high culture.
LONGEVITY FOR MEN… thinking now of its nifty packaging and my, WHAT SORT OF BAUBLE would accompany the cologne?
SUPPORT BACTERIA… IT’S THE ONLY CULTURE SOME PEOPLE HAVE!!!
High C’s, do you have the hots for Placido?
It’s true that Mercedes Bass’ musical tastes are conservative, but that’s true of most of the patrons of the Met. But since she and her husband are the chief benefactors of today’s Met, she wields considerable clout. It’s not called the Mercedes T. Bass Grand Tier for nothing.