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So enjoy watching and hearing the Three Tenors, magnificent presence - magical

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Someone, somewhere is using his or her technological wizardry to mix and match some of the great opera stars of the past with those of the present, along the lines of Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole's tech-engineered duet "Unforgettable" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhpmxjRXneY). I wonder who subscribers would match up?

Revisiting Juan Diego Flórez singing “Cucurrucucú Paloma” was sweet. How surprising to discover Eileen Farrell's gifts as a jazz singer. I especially loved Renée Fleming's performance of "No One's Gonna Love You", originally by "Band of Horses". The rock album "Dark Hope" (2010) was certainly not on my bingo card for Fleming. Versatility is her middle name, but I wonder if she has done irreversible harm to her instrument. What do the critics say about the opera crossover phenomenon? Regardless of their opinions, this was a fun side trip!

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I remember that Unforgettable - so good! My gut is that Renée was able to sing that album while still keeping in mind her technique and keeping her voice . I know some don't lover her style but I really love her as a musician. Like I said in the post, I think she view herself as a musician first and opera singer second. Oh boy, the opera critics - well, I think you know how I feel about them by this point. I included that quote from Bartoli because I really believe that drawing people in to the music by doing what you do well, with passion and intention is best. I truly believe Renee loves to sing some of these other things and I have appreciated that she has worked hard to respect the style of different genres. It's the opera singers that sing styles that they just have no business singing, don't love, and don't respect - that's my struggle. Nothing worse than an opera singer singing jazz like they are singing an aria! I have so much more to say on this - more later!

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I am glad for those moments when your expertise, experience and insider knowledge  coincide with my appreciation for a particular artist. Much of what I've listened to here has been new. Despite my limited music instruction, and passion for many different kinds of music, I hope I am better able to distinguish music that's exceptionally good and music that begs the question. Whether in the fine arts or the performing arts, there's always  tension among "I don't know anything about art (music, dance), but I know what I like," vs. "There are criteria and standards for evaluating whether a work of art is good or bad," vs. "Says who and compared to what?" Cecilia Bartoli and Renée Fleming are at the top of my list of contemporary opera heroes. I'm willing to follow them wherever you or they might lead. I also look forward to going deeper into this area, just for the fun of it:  "It's the opera singers that sing styles that they just have no business singing, don't love, and don't respect - that's my struggle. Nothing worse than an opera singer singing jazz like they are singing an aria!"😂 Meanwhile, I am so glad to end this month with the beautiful finale trio from Richard Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier". Who can go toe-to-toe with Frederica Von Stade, Kathleen Battle and Renée Fleming? As usual, I'll let you know what I think and feel later this week. ✍💐

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