parterre box

51 comments

• Gianni B says:

  Calleja is so Nasal it is nearly impossible for me to take him seriously. Too bad I like everything else.

  on July 1, 2009 at 11:57 AM
• Clita del Toro says:

  Speaking of Flemings, Renee is not the only Fleming to portray Die Marschallin. Here’s a picture of another Fleming as the Princess:

  http://www.suspense-movies.com/stars/rhonda-fleming/Rhonda2.jpg

  on July 1, 2009 at 12:12 PM
• thisizjoey says:

  whoah, i don’t remember calleja sounding like that at all. has his tone darkened?

  ugh, i’m tired of fleming as violetta. she’s coming off too matriarchal.

  on July 1, 2009 at 12:18 PM
• ellerveira says:

  I think both sound perfectly okay, very good in fact. So her voice isn’t molten gold like Ponselle. So what? Whose is? His voice is very pleasing indeed. And Kanawa? I never was able to tell what particular note she was singing. Everything was muddy and smeary but of course very “creamy.”

  on July 1, 2009 at 12:19 PM
• javier says:

  #6 The queens on this blog can’t even agree that this guy is good looking, so I don’t expect any kind of fair commentary on the video. Just more of the same…

  I don’t know his name but I like what I see and hear. This is great.

  on July 1, 2009 at 12:24 PM
• Krunoslav says:

  8 “Go back to the earliest recordings, those from what everybody always praises as the “golden age” (one of many ages that seem to be golden as long as they aren’t today), and LISTEN to Fernando de Lucia, Lotte Lehmann and many, many others. The liberties taken with note values, phrasing, and other aspects of performing the music are staggering”

  You’re right, Will, but the main difference to me is that de Lucia, Kozlovsky, Battistini, Lotte Lehmann, Schipa and other such “non-com’e scritto” artists are (by and large) *extremely* expressive in what they do with the music and words — not something I find true of our Rolex megastar and her Sarah Vaughan imitations.

  on July 1, 2009 at 12:57 PM
• tinney says:

  I don’t understand why everyone is ranting so about the brinidisi. It’s pretty dang good. Her voice has changed a little in color over the years but it’s still a beautiful voice. She looks beautiful. I also like Calleja. I think sometimes we are way too critical on this site.

  on July 1, 2009 at 1:38 PM
• leboyfriend says:

  apropos almost nothing at all I should report that a friend of mine at Washington National Opera has just uncovered a press clipping referring to “world renowned ass-baritone (name redacted here)”. Just thought you would want to know.

  on July 1, 2009 at 1:44 PM
• Mrs. Lulu Pickle says:

  Dear La Cieca,

  Just curious … Why are so many of your commenters so obnoxious?

  on July 1, 2009 at 1:50 PM
• operaman50 says:

  The straight-toned, downward portamentos on “nasce e MUORE” (1:43), and “l’ignora” (2:27) are enough to eliminate this performance from being considered one of ANY musical merit whatsoever!

  on July 1, 2009 at 1:56 PM