Ite sul colle, o parterriani
La Cieca (pictured) can hardly muster a messa di voce after the overwhelming torrent of entries in the “You Can Ring My Bel Canto” competition, but after hours of careful consideration and hobnobbing with my fellow doyennes, I have finally come do a decision as to who should be considered a prima inter pares.
Best in show, and winner of the tickets to the July 16 Caramoor performance of Norma, is CerquettiFarrell for her three-pronged, four-diva analysis supported by well-selected clips.
Runners-up (and it should be remembered that this group placed only marginally ahead of more than a dozen superb entries) are the following:
Congratulations to all!
Sanford, aw shut up!
Miss Ethel Whitehead
Or,
“I hope you don’t bruise easily, but I am not enjoying this.”
Miss Lynn Markham
A grand honour, indeed. But as I’ve written to cara Cieca, my feet are firmly planted, alas, in the Mediterranean and visiting the States now is widely out of the question. So I gladly pass the prize to the second winner in succession and remain happily honoured to the tips of my nails. As Sally Field once said “you love me, you love me, you love me”.
Great choice. CerquettiFarrel’s post was wonderful. I was surprised how some people didn’t seem to have read the instructions as they just posted their favorite clips from youtube without any explanation.
What is neat about this “contest” and the “Here’s How It’s Done” is how much we all want to share what we think is exemplary. Some will only act with the impetus of a prize; to others the prize and the rules are totally irrelevant.
Some of us just can’t find the words to describe what we’re hearing (good and bad sometimes). That’s why I am in awe of CerquettiFarrell, and all the near-winners too.
When I think I have something to say, my fear and awe of the knowledge of the posters and readers on this site keeps me re-writing over and over again, until, usually, I just give up. But not today.
Congrats CerquettiFarrell. I, too, have learned lots from your posts.
Off topic, but Liceau is apparently once again pushing the boundaries of gratuitous nudity in opera. But if there’s any opera where gratuitous would be appropriate, I think les mamelles de Tiresias is the one. Poulenc would have been happy.
That’s 2 competitions in a row where I’ve been in the runner up group! CerquettiFarrell is a very worthy winner, I enjoyed his or her examples a great deal.
As BAB says, it’s the pleasure of sharing what you think is really great that is so fun about these competitions, doesn’t really matter whether there is a prize or not.