“She defines ‘extra.’ She pushes herself to her limits, and then goes a step further, usually in purple mink. She embodies an excess that lies at the molten core of opera, and which spills into the images she unloads online.” — Our Own Joel Rozen in the New York Times.
“The Valerie Masterson of our generation!”
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Soprano Mirella Freni is under investigation by the Bologna District Attorney’s office of Bologna for money laundering and exportation of money abroad in connection with the BER bank. The artist from Modena, 76, will be heard by the magistrates in the next few days to clarify her position, now that the DA Antonella Scandellari has sent her a notice of the closing of the investigations. The singer has so far denied any wrongdoing. (Thanks to Our Own Ercole Farnese for the tip!) [Corriere della Sera]
Our Own Sanford graces the stage of Amore Opera tomorrow night as Dr. Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro, and you can get $10 off ticket prices using the discount code “opening10”. He further treads the boards on the October 22, 24 and 30.
Incredible, but true, I Puritani had not been performed in Great Britain since 1887 when Glyndebourne decided to stage it in 1960 with the main intention to showcase Joan Sutherland, who had been catapulted to international superstardom one year earlier in the legendary Lucia di Lammermoor at Covent Garden. Furthermore, Vittorio Gui, who had already been introducing the Glyndebourne audiences to Rossini, was eager to add more belcanto works to the repertoire of that opera company. This effort is now documented on the CD just released on the Glyndebourne Enterprise label.
And now, cher public, let’s put today’s singers, the Contemporary Divas, under the microscope. How do they stack up?
Our own JJ (not pictured) revisits A Little Night Music, and who should be inhabiting that chateau extravagantly overstaffed but Elaine Stritch? [Capital New York]
Cher Public