“Then I hope you are sending cards to all the members of the SFO Chorus, as they nicknamed her the cunt in the front ”

Welll, NO…not ALL pf them used that disgusting term…I lived with a chorus -member in SF, at the time..who often came home in tears , due to some occurence that happened with Ms Battle (whom we still loved, Artistically, nonetheless..)..and while he might have used some strong negative language concerning her unprofessional behavior in the House..never resorted to THAT particular filthy phrase…

Not just Europeans. There came to be an altar to her at OPERA NEWS, as well. Those who did not offer incense at it were marginalized — or got kill-fees.

I’m laughing so hard, I hurt in places I was unaware I had.

How many young singers have we heard of, that had so called ‘classes’ ( get it!) with that sado- masochistic bitch, yet come away thoroughly scarred by the experience? A obsessive rat-tat-tat ( bar by bar) aging German who didn’t realise she was her own clown from a era of similar brutality. She complained she was maintaining standards ‘of what the composers would have wanted’, when in fact it was all about her own misguided self image.
The only thing worse, was seeing all those European musical journalists write the most fawning, sickening- sweet material about her….while she lived.This Walter Legge monstrous confection: Europe’s ugly Betty with a most nasty past, sanitized and changed into the performing fairy story of ‘Kraut Swan’. Made with grooming to look like ‘Lovely Marlena D.’ Before then retiring, to become that ruthless bitch suffering musical steroid rage, whilst inflicting deconstruction pain in her Mistress Frankenstein classes. What a charming ‘dame’!!!

Maybe I didn’t care to. I was quoting information that has circulated for years. What’s the problem?

I should have said “I have heard from some singers with recording contracts and PR agencies this that and the other thing” !

I suppose int he case of singers like Fleming and Gheorghiu, their PR is so stomach turning that one would prefer to think they have no control over it!

The idea that anyone would OK the writing that they “grace the stage” anywhere is not a flattering one

The comments about the repertoire I think were meant for someone else. I thought the program sounded interesting.

Re: Fleming, in Matheopoulos’ second book of interviews with sopranos and mezzos, the author refers to Renee’s “discouraging” masterclass experience with Schwarzkopf (in 1986?) that left her self-esteem in tatters. She took at least a year to feel confident enough to do well in auditions and, yes, a therapist was visited (at the recommendation of her voice teacher).

#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.

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.

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…

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 agree that the shoulder loops are a trifle “Mercedes Bass.”

Why does the conductor look like the love child of Rex Reed and Rosie O’Donnell?

And whoever called Kathy Battle a cunt should be ashamed. Understatement is not a virtue…

I’m constantly amazed at the things people “know” here. After years in three international classical record companies, I can tell you that you are just making that up. Every case is different. A big star — or someone with powerful managment — can demand and get total control over every aspect of the package, and it becomes a matter of legal contract.

“The only thing on the program worth listening to is the Berlioz and you can probably get a better performance of that on a CD. Messiaen is a pseudo-modern composer for those who can’t bear the real thing but need to feel that they are ‘up to date.’”

There are times when one can feel nothing but pity for the unfeeling and invincibly ignorant.

And the Magnus LIndberg premiere is totally worth the price of admission in itself.

Sad, really, to think what some people are missing.

What EXACTLY IS a”psuedo- modern” Composer?

One might not care for Messiaen’s music…but it was pretty cutting edge (this piece in particular, for 1937….)…