“mi” a name to call herself?
Just texted to La Cieca:
Am at Philharmonic dress. Her Messiaen was luminous. Far the best thing I’ve heard her do.
Which is excellent, brava, you go on like this. But, La Cieca being La Cieca, you know she is going to harp on this little gem:
Known as “the people’s diva,” she continues to grace the world’s greatest opera stages and concert halls, now extending her reach to include other mediums.
Fleming deserves our thanks for doing something other than opera bonbons. But it’s about that gown! Is her stylist the only straight blind man in NYC? The two colors don’t go so well together, and that thing on her shoulder looks feral.
Why does the conductor look like the love child of Rex Reed and Rosie O’Donnell?
oooops….That didn’t come out right. I thought I was going to type “Is her stylist both straight and blind?” Blame it on the cheap champagne.
On the other hand, Rysanekfreak, the color looks stunning on her, and her hair is beautifully groomed, and this is probably the loveliest makeup she’s ever done.
I agree that the shoulder loops are a trifle “Mercedes Bass.”
Since it will not be the first instance of pedantry on the present thread, I note that Bocelli is nothing like real Italian pop, unless you include “Caruso.”
So much of this devolves to bashing Fleming’s temperament or personality, if one thought about it. I’m not a fan, but it becomes more and more transparent.
I’m relieved, Cieca, to hear that her hair is “beautifully groomed this evening.” This morning it looked fresh from the curling papers.
And whoever called Kathy Battle a cunt should be ashamed.
Then I hope you are sending cards to all the members of the SFO Chorus, as they nicknamed her the cunt in the front when she appeared there as Marie in Fille du regiment.
I am not one to use the C-word lightly, but unfortunately, for what we’ve heard about her behavior, the shoe fits…
rapt @54, I definitely think that the popularity effect is not all bad. In a highly scientific survey of my friends, I can account for two who have become opera-goers because they saw Renay on, I don’t know, The View or something, and got interested.
When asked those kinds of questions, I usually go with the ever-handy Meaningless Reply. You know, like “Yes, that is pretty music,” or I use the opening for evangelistic purposes: “Oh, since you like that, let me loan you this CD of Victoria de los Angeles. I think you’ll really like it.” I’m all for recruiting.
wow. I thought Renee sounded great in the NY Phil opening night gala. I was not familiar with the music she chose but I found them to be really interesting.
I don’t say this often, but the entire SF Opera chorus should be ASHAMED. Of course, they were there and experienced the Battle in person. We’re only getting it 2nd and 3rd hand and the c-word is excessive here. IMO
#66 & #69, you didn’t read Vox #60 carefully enough: “Understatement is not a virtue….”
#69, if you think that’s bad, the stage crew at the Met was reported to have referred to Battle as the “U.N.”; this from the article (“Battle Axe”) that appeared in Time magazine when Volpe fired her.
Speaking of old magazine articles, I remember my now deceased father sending me an article about Fleming from the Smithsonian magazine sometime after The Ghosts of Versailles premiered. It documented her rather torturous relationship with her voice and career long before she made it big and became famous, i.e. she had deep, deep insecurities from the get-go. I no longer have the hard copy and have never been able to find an on-line version, but it would be instructive in this context.