I hav been remiss about mentioning some
of the birthdays of very great artists,so,in outline form, here are
some comments on recent ones:
July 6 Dorothy Kirsten (1910??). I got to love and respect her, and
when she passed away,we discovered she was a whole NINE years older,
and that was even more amazing,because the voice was in pristine shape
late in her career.
July 10 Sergei Lemeshev. (1902) What a tenor!!!! I include him in
the gallery of great Russian
tenors:Smirnov,Sobinoff,Ershov,Nelepp,Koslovsky. If you have not heard
his Werther aria,you are missing something superb.
July 10 Ljuba Welitsch (1913) What a lady!!! One of the true
personalities...Nutty lady..her insane Met Musetta is legendary,but
seriously, her salome set the all-time standard and i love her singing
of Operetta favorites. A sensuous voice,one of the very greatest divas
ever.
July 11: Josephine Veasey (1930) One of the under-appreciated
mezzos, along with Linda Finnie,Barbro Ericson,Anna Reynolds...I love
Veasey in the Troyens and other recordings,and she has had a fine
career,but just not a "household word."
Ludmila Dvorakova (1923.Imagine a Lohengrin Act two with her as ortrud
and leonie as Elsa!! They burned up the Met stage.
Herman Prey (1929).One of the most beautiful baritone voices ever.Just
play his Tote Stadt aria and MELT away!!!
Ebe Stignani (1903).My all-time favorite mezzo. You know she was to
have been the Norma rather than the Adalgisa,on the Cigna Cetra
recording,and she did record the Casta Diva and cabaletta. She was
often called the "Italian Flagstad." By the way,does anyone know why
she always made a strange "eh" vowel (i.e. "Trayma" for "Trema" or
"Lay" for "Lei.") Who cares!!!!
Nicolai Gedda (1925) 80 on Monday.A true GOD among tenors,and the
voice is still there,judging by recent live recitals. This man will go
down in the operatic lore as one of the most intellectual artists. A
fabulous linguist, and if you do not look at the faces he makes, you
sit back and revel in his greatness.
July 12 Kirsten Flagstad (1895). What more can anyone say about
this legendary artist? It has all been told, and along with
Caruso,Ponselle,etc.,she belongas in a total class by herself.
July 13 Carlo Bergonzi (1924) I think some of us took the great
man for granted in his earlier Met days,but now we look back and
realize that he has been an icon in the world of opera, and I believe
he should rank up there with the greatest tenors who ever lived.
Well, I more than caught up!!!! My best
Charlie
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