I remember a delightful Joffrey Ballet that used the Overture to SEMIRAMIDE titled Confetti. I brought a colleague from Rome to this Met revival of SEMIRAMIDE that fell flat. The recent televised revival was not much better. Sutherland and Horne have not been equalled in these roles and may never be. Helas; but CONFETTI was a delight with Rossini's overture.
Callas or Sutherland: Delicious both. Sutherland was singing into her 60's at least. I did Anna Bolena with her in Houston, and she was amazing - down to earth and funny as well as stunning. Her costumes were so heavy that she had to sit the second she got offstage. And she made great funny faces as she turned upstage to make grand exits upstage. One great gal. Callas? La divina all the way, even if she didn't have the range Sutherland had (Top F, for God's sake!) I'm fortunate to have lived to hear them.
One thing that is consistently reinforced for me as I read your entries is that the plots of opera are way more demented than the modern Netflix writer could ever dream up. And yet somehow when you channel the drama (melodrama?) into song, it becomes glorious. A good life lesson for this singer.
Wow what a pick me up that was - feel invigorated - beautiful singing
I remember a delightful Joffrey Ballet that used the Overture to SEMIRAMIDE titled Confetti. I brought a colleague from Rome to this Met revival of SEMIRAMIDE that fell flat. The recent televised revival was not much better. Sutherland and Horne have not been equalled in these roles and may never be. Helas; but CONFETTI was a delight with Rossini's overture.
Callas or Sutherland: Delicious both. Sutherland was singing into her 60's at least. I did Anna Bolena with her in Houston, and she was amazing - down to earth and funny as well as stunning. Her costumes were so heavy that she had to sit the second she got offstage. And she made great funny faces as she turned upstage to make grand exits upstage. One great gal. Callas? La divina all the way, even if she didn't have the range Sutherland had (Top F, for God's sake!) I'm fortunate to have lived to hear them.
One thing that is consistently reinforced for me as I read your entries is that the plots of opera are way more demented than the modern Netflix writer could ever dream up. And yet somehow when you channel the drama (melodrama?) into song, it becomes glorious. A good life lesson for this singer.