That says “guts” to us veteran mezzos…

Gueberova is truly spectacular as Zerbinetta in the Solti/Price version, more so than her contribution in the Philips- Jessye Norman version. The Ryansek/Jurinac vesion…a few flat notes here & there. The one thing I find worrying, with the Kempe version is Janowitz…that tubular sound she tends to make. King on the other hand is fine there, as Bacchus.
Ah! though, since it is such a magic opera, I am glad to have so many versions to listen to.

Now, now Mrs John Claggart we know you will simmer down. Maybe Manou and Betsy Ann might become ‘parterre buddies’ of yours yet.Stranger things have happened. Each one of us, must humbly admit ‘We all have been involved contributed in catfights’ here that we also possibly helped to start. Leading then to the troubles we cause La Cieca: making her giving all of us, a smack from time to time.

I wonder if you have the portrait of Manrou on the rusty garbage can lid drawn cunningly to resemble our own Betsy-Ann, where Manrou’s shark’s mouth like labia majora features so prominently (Betsy Ann while having Manrou on her head as platter is reaching up to hold the seaweed curtains back). They need to sustain one another, rather touching actually.

But I think the Levine Ariadne to which you are referring is best for the recording of the orchestra, especially piano and harmonium blend. You mean you don’t worship Kempe? How about Herbie with sublime Seefried and Evil Incarnate’s best operatic performance? You don’t love the Salzburg opening night with the greatest Jurinac and then Ludwig’s only Ariadne (sharp, then flat, and then running out of steam fast but TONS of fun)? How about one of the greatest Lisa’s performances? There’s even the Leonie RCA, with the greatest Jurinac — it’s tremendous fun and frankly I have heard far worse than Becky Peterson and Jacob Pincus Perelmuth!!! And of course there’s the DVD from Aix with the sublime Troyanos (orchestra gives her a standing ovation at the end of the prologue) and the greatest Regine? Or the great Chicago pirate with Jochum conducting (tremendous R Strauss conductor not many of the operas documented with him), the sublime Seefried, Crespin even better than at Aix and the delicious Reri Grist (and you can hear all their voices bounce out into the huge house, Crespin’s immense easy volume for once in evidence)?

Oh, Harry have you kept Besty Ann’s first attacks on me? With her preposterous malapropisms and idiotic vocabulary, amongst the most sheerly stupid posts in Parterre history, no doubt fed her by Manrou? I think I have them around, maybe I’ll repost them.

Evviva Tebaldi.

I feel for the fellow mentioned that covered it at the MET, under horrendous conditions. It is a ‘bitch’ of a role with some god -almighty traps. Those moments, where the temor gets one crack (no pun!) to position the note, and
there is no second chances. There is one of those notes ’sounding’ in my head as I write. Used to it some often, I have been known to even play the complete opera at breakfast time – my favorite , the version with Garry Lakes, Tomawa-Sintow and Baltsa.

Similiarity: Mothers of tiny tots impressed with little daughter’s ‘progress at ballet school, Ballet teacher putting the dear things up on point, prematurely -doing damage as a result..

But then, who today dances, who sings? NOBODIES.