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"Donde Lieta UscĂŹ", performed by Mirella Freni and Maria Callas, were such tasty holiday treatsđ§. Add Montserrat CaballĂŠ to these two and you have my current favorite opera singers - my 3Ms.
I loved the different interpretations of âQuando mâen voâ (Musetta's Waltzâ). I listen for how each singer puts her stamp on an aria, although I'm not sure I can describe the differences. I found the soprano voices of Anna Netrebko and Anna Moffo to be pleasing and sweet.
I have only listened to a three full operas based on Opera Daily selections, but I found it striking that there's a nice balance between powerful roles and beautiful voices for both male and female singers in "La Bohème. I could be wrong, but classic opera composers often seemed to choose women to be their protagonists and their muses. Of course, we are fascinating creatures, aren't we?
Seriously, though, the men's performances in the La Scala production are so full-bodied, beginning and ending with the late Luciano Pavarotti's, that I was just as attuned to them as to MimĂ and Musetta. Through Rodolfo, Marcello, Schaunard and those in minor roles, Puccini made feelings so authentic. The male opera singers spoke to me. Love, hope, jealousy, vulnerability, desperation, despair - it's all there. If I ever get to attend a live production of "La Bohème", I will discreetly look around to see if men are crying their eyeballs out, too.đ
A huge bonus of the Carlos Kleiber production was being able to see, for the first time, the interior of the world-famous "La Scala. It's so elegant, beautiful and interesting. How I wish I could attend a performance there, and show my appreciation like the audience. But alas, as they say,"If wishes were horses, we all could ride."đ
"Donde Lieta UscĂŹ", performed by Mirella Freni and Maria Callas, were such tasty holiday treatsđ§. Add Montserrat CaballĂŠ to these two and you have my current favorite opera singers - my 3Ms.
I loved the different interpretations of âQuando mâen voâ (Musetta's Waltzâ). I listen for how each singer puts her stamp on an aria, although I'm not sure I can describe the differences. I found the soprano voices of Anna Netrebko and Anna Moffo to be pleasing and sweet.
I have only listened to a three full operas based on Opera Daily selections, but I found it striking that there's a nice balance between powerful roles and beautiful voices for both male and female singers in "La Bohème. I could be wrong, but classic opera composers often seemed to choose women to be their protagonists and their muses. Of course, we are fascinating creatures, aren't we?
Seriously, though, the men's performances in the La Scala production are so full-bodied, beginning and ending with the late Luciano Pavarotti's, that I was just as attuned to them as to MimĂ and Musetta. Through Rodolfo, Marcello, Schaunard and those in minor roles, Puccini made feelings so authentic. The male opera singers spoke to me. Love, hope, jealousy, vulnerability, desperation, despair - it's all there. If I ever get to attend a live production of "La Bohème", I will discreetly look around to see if men are crying their eyeballs out, too.đ
A huge bonus of the Carlos Kleiber production was being able to see, for the first time, the interior of the world-famous "La Scala. It's so elegant, beautiful and interesting. How I wish I could attend a performance there, and show my appreciation like the audience. But alas, as they say,"If wishes were horses, we all could ride."đ