A friend who frequents these pages recently turned me on to a Donizetti cantata that I had never heard of: his setting of the speech of Dante‘s Conte Ugolino.
Leyla Gencer cussing out Shirley Verrett’s Elisabetta so convincingly the audience spontaneously breaks out in applause and bravas.
In 1972, when I was 12 years old, my mother took me to the Salzburg Festival.
One of my favorite scenes from Donizetti is the Act I finale from Anna Bolena.
La Favorita is my favorita. Whether it’s Favorita or Favorite, I love them both.
Fiorenza Cossotto in her prime had few equals, particularly in the Italian repertoire
Donizetti wrote so much great music, it’s hard to single out a favorite opera, or even a preferred aria!
After her Mimìs in the springtime Bohème, she will perhaps be less under the radar here.
Ida Miccolis (1920-2005), Brazilian soprano, never or rarely sang outside Brazil.
One of the great Rossini sopranos of the 1980s and sadly under-recorded in that rep.
Reading Dorothy Kirsten‘s autobiography twice last year made me revisit her work anew.
I discovered this magical soprano when I was a teenager, and came across a mixed program RCA Victor LP recital.
Maria Caniglia sings with unabashed commitment and honesty. She sings as if the music was born with her.
All disciples of the box are reminded one final time to furnish operatic discussion material for the next quarter of The Talk of the Town
Aga Mikolaj (born Agnieszka Beata Mikolajczyk) sang Strauss and Mozart with a gorgeous, shimmering tone.
Not exactly obscure, but she has such elegance and poise
Karolina Bengtsson is just at the beginning – we are going to hear from her, I am quite sure…
Never saw her in anything, only on You Tube videos and in a few recordings.
For me, Renée Doria epitomizes the best of French style – pointed diction, a slightly lemon-y timbre that cuts through any cloying sentimentality…..love her!
… as Minnie in La fanciulla del west
She demonstrated impressive artistry in repertoire that ranged from Spanish music to Mozart and Verdi. I only saw her twice at the Met in Mozart but they were both memorable performances.
A drama/trauma-tic soprano in the model of Gencer and Olivero, Martile Rowland sang a brilliant Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux (a last minute replacement for Zampieri, another controversial pick) at a concert, did half a Puritani at the Met, and sang the other “Gencer” roles such as Paolina in I Martiri, the title roles in Caterina Cornaro and Linda di Chamounix, and then retired to teach in the midwest somewhere(?).
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
