financial recession grips worldwide economy
A member of the cher public reports that a note in the program for tonight’s concert performance of the Der Rosenkavalier in Paris reads:
“Renee Fleming wears a dress by John Galliano created specially for the Gala Opening of the Metropolitan Opera on September 22, 2008.”
Regina delle Fate
Ludmila Andreevena was a favourite stand in with Sadler’s Wells too, and I remember a fine Senta at the Coliseum. A good strong house soprano.
A Canadian web site gives her DOB as 1952. Errrrr?
Which dress? The beaded one? The bright red one? Or that frumpy multi-colored frock that made her look like a pinata?
Milla Andrew – oh my god she sang the witch in the first opera I ever saw – the COC Hansel and Gretal at the Royal Alexandra in Toronto. I forget the year but I was six and I’m now…. my it was a long time ago.!
Okay I must figured out it was 1957 when I saw Milla Andrew as the Witch – so the Candian Encyclopedia of Music must be wrong – she couldn’t have been born in 1952 unless she developed real early.
Lovely to hear everybody speak of Ludmilla. I go to her house every couple of weeks to get hauled over the coals. I had no idea she’d done stuff like Senta and Abigaille – one hears most about her in connection with Opera Rara stuff, so I’d always assumed her voice was light-ish. Very interesting! I agree 1952 seems an unlikely birth year. Probably some time in the 1930s.
Crikey! Ludmilla??? Heard her as Abigaille and Turandot – twice each. Lovely lady but I was very young and don’t have kind memories of her singing.
I go to her house every couple of weeks to get hauled over the coals.
The curious thing is that this is literally true.
I think Ludmilla’s DOB is more likely 1942 – she was already a hefty soprano in the early 1970s. Grimgerde – thank you for reminding me. Didn’t she replace Linda Esther Gray as Turandot on the first night of Scottish Opera’s godawful Tony Palmer production (Turandot as the tragedy of Doria Manfredi aka Liu at the hands of the nasty Elvira Puccini, aka La principessa). It was a sturdy, slightly screechy voice, but she sang most of the biggies. Before my time, I’m sure she did Aida with the Welsh and I’ve a vague memory of her singing Mila’s mother in a performance of Janacek’s Osud, but I may have imagined that. Wasn’t that Sapho recording one of the BBC’s inhouse recordings – like the early Verdi versions now available on Opera Rara? Ludmilla used to crop up on several of those studio recordings.
Yep, Regina, she did replace Linda Esther Gray as Turandot, on stilts if I recall correctly, it was as you state, a godawful production. She also sang the role wth a local amateur company in Newcastle Upon Tyne – four nights in succession. Sorry, but it was torture.
Milla΄s opera rara pirates are indeed great. I΄m especially fond of her maria de rudenz and her leonora to the rosmonda of yvonne kenny.