Laureate
Lovely, legendary, litigious Dame Kiri te Kanawa is among the distinguished divas and dudes of the lyric stage to be honored at the 2011 edition of The F. Paul Driscoll Awards for Outstanding Achivement in the Field of Excellence. Also tapped: maestro Riccardo Muti, soprano Patricia Racette, bass-baritone Bryn Terfel and tenor Jonas Kaufmann. The gala dinner (sometimes known as the Opera News Awards) on April 17 promises to be (as always) one of the season’s premier meet-and-greets. [AP]
The F. Paul Discoll Awards for Redundant Achievement in the Field of Redundancy
Best Simpsons joke I’ve read in a long time.
Second Simpsons reference in as many days, between this and the comic book cover from a week ago and I’m developing a mild pop culture crush on our gracious doyenne.
I’m betting that Muti will never show up. The press release contains Louise T. Guinther’s play on words in her nice tribute to Jonas Kaufmann: “…his suppleness of voice and body, combined with innate musicality and smoldering good looks, make him the model of the 21st-century opera star.”
Muti is conducting Otello at Carnegie Hall on 15 April (two days before), so he’s going to be in the vicinity. Presumably that was the reason for scheduling the event (which I believe has previously been held in the fall) for April (when Terfel and Kaufmann will be rehearsing Walkure, etc.).
Gracious me, at first glance I took that photo for one of Herself, La Cieca.
The F. Paul Driscoll Awards for Outstanding Achivement in the Field of Excellence
I think I just wet myself a little.
In fact, I do believe that looks like La Cieca issuing a royal command to her birthday party this week.
Either that or she is knighting Sir Jummy Jonas.
Dame Kiri Krytonite is probably getting the grand prize: ‘The Knickers Award’….since she has become such a expert. Remember her legal tussle to drop a contract because women had the tendency to throw their knickers at the intended male pop star, she was scheduled to perform with? Now she is possibly busy, designing a new ‘pole -dancing’ kickers range for her own niece’ interests; to throw back at the male patrons in lap dancing bars, instead.
That convoluted Title “……. For Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence” just like pole dancers(come to think of it)also, has its pretentious head up its arse as well, anyway…
That photo of Dame Krytonite looks like a promo still for the big Technicolor musical remake of Bride of Frankenstein with Kiri taking over Elsa Lancaster’s part.
And wasn’t she just named to a list of Top Ten Divas for one of the music magazines?
And this was on Gramaphone’s website…
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/pl%C3%A1cido-domingo-to-sing-rigoletto
Interestingly, Gramophone got at least one fact wrong. It says he’s returning to celebrate his 40th Anniversary in opera. Um, according to wikipedia, he started singing in the late 50s, and made his debut in a leading role in 1961.
Brits.
Excuse me, that’s *fucking* Brits, thank you ery much!
Kashania, the last time I used the F word, people got hung up on the rudeness. From now on, I’m trying to leave my “fucking” at home.
A wise of rule of thumb, in general.
Funny, I have used the F word from time to time, even recently in the post about James Levine’s schedule this fall, and no one seems to mind at all…..
I believe it is the 40 years Anniversary since his debut at the Royal Opera House (as Cavaradossi, I believe).
That makes more sense. Also, I guess this and other Met-centric sites have their counterparts in other countries/communities. (Opera is only opera if it happened in ________ ; fill in the blank for your chosen site)
Typically lazy Gramophone fact checking or rather not. It’s the 40th anniversary of his Covent Garden debut – 1971.
They need Quita Chavez back, eh, Regina? Bloody marvellous.