parterre box

329 comments

• 321
  MontyNostry says:

  January 4, 2010 at 7:01 PM

  Interesting, I’d never think of Hunt Lieberson and Farrell in the same mental breath, as it were. From what I’ve heard of Farrell, I love the breadth and linearity of her voice. LHL is somehow a more ‘curvy’ singer.
• 322
  chinchilla FUR.Elise says:

  January 4, 2010 at 7:44 PM

  Liebe Jack Jikes, I left a little farewell surprise in the Act Five thread. Enjoy the swiftIAN and the nabokovIAN even if I am rossian and not armenian, but sovok all the same. You and doberdawg the velikyi will always be in meine ganzen herz. dresden for ever, ewige, ewige.
  leb wohl
  chinchi the rossian amrikan
• 323
  CerquettiFarrell says:

  January 4, 2010 at 7:46 PM

  Monty try listening to LHL’s favourite encore piece, Deep River, there’s a very similar approach, not just because of the genre. Also Farrell’s Messiah solos are very reminiscent of Hunt.
  
• 324
  Cassandra says:

  January 4, 2010 at 9:34 PM

  Thank you for so eloquently articulating what I’ve always felt about Sills. She is a difficult artist for me to engage with as a listener; although I understand her accomplishments in certain repertoire (Baby Doe) it doesn’t go much further than that for me.

  I also heartily agree with this statement: “Sills’ fake cozy manner, mock intellectuality and phony bonhomie were appalling;”
• 325
  Often admonished says:

  January 5, 2010 at 1:32 PM

  Decca’s Carmen started out as a Berganza project but she withdrew – Verrett was approached but wanted a huge (Bumbry-size) fee – they’re lucky to have got Troyanos!
• 326
  Camille says:

  January 5, 2010 at 9:15 PM

  Danke, Bill, for this information, I really appreciated hearing about this great singer.
• 327
  Camille says:

  January 5, 2010 at 9:30 PM

  Yes, Mme. CF:
  are you perhaps referring to the phrase in Elena’s “Notte, cupa, atroce” in which she sings “In velutabro di sangue” — where she attacks on a high A and descends two octaves to an A in voce di petto? That is a famous passage — one she was noted for, anyway, and the one my oldtime friend told me of, many many many years later.

  A very great singer that no one much remembers today. We have to be thankful for Naxos! In particular, I like the I Lombardi selections; very difficult and not for the inexpert.
• 328
  ilpenedelmiocor says:

  January 6, 2010 at 4:16 AM

  wow.
  awesome.
  and hot.
• 329
  Camille says:

  January 6, 2010 at 12:07 PM

  Thank you, Count Krunoslav for your reply. I am tardy in reply only because the length of this thread makes it rather unwieldy to find comments.

  I see my mistake now, that is, I read the date from the bottom instead of properly from the top. It did not make sense to me that that Olvis would still be singing in 1973, in any case.

  Yes, Mr. Olvis was, according to family legend, an ardent pursuer of women and broke poor cousin Norma’s heart (cousin Norma being his accompanist as well as wife). Much later on when I was old enough to know of such things, it was added that he chased or was chased by men as well, so TT bait he was, indeed.

  Of his singing I have a very young girlish recollection of him being rather of the McCracken scuola di bel canto — I’m sure you know what that means. I did see him once, as a very young opera neophyte, sing Don Jose to the scintillating Carmen of Margaret Roggero. Even then, I knew, It Was Not Good.

  Most famously, he may be seen and heard in the wonderful (to me) ’40’s film “Deep in my Heart” — saga of composer Romberg which is a marvelous potpourri, including Helen Traubel dancing a two-step with Jose Ferrer, something worth the price alone — in which he sings, in the feyest manner possible, the serenade from The Student Prince. If I recall correctly, he was subbing for Mario Lanza. I believe he went on to Bayreuth, that is, according to some YouTube evidence I’ve found. Years later, I was told by my friend he had been seen around Hollywood. I believe he is to be found on a Leonie Fliegende Hollander as the Steuermann, as well.

  Thanks for taking the time to help me sort it out.