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pollCallas vs. Tebaldi: You decide!
by x_juicyfruit
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Nov 14 2011 - 6:47pm
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x_juicyfruit La Opera May 1, 2008 12:11 PM A fabulous outfit for the opera. :)
Princesskitty22 Great Opera Recordings Apr 28, 2008 4:55 PM Choosing a recording of an Opera to buy is very difficult. Unlike popular music or even Broadway, there could be hundreds of recordings of the same Opera. I've figured out a fairly full proff way of figuring out which are best. Step one: Go to Amazon. That was easy, right? Step two: Search for the Opera/composer in question Step three: Look at the star rating. For most things, this doesn't actually work. Reviews on Amazon are tricky things. Many people only think to review when something goes wrong. For popular music, you might have people who hate a singer for no reason or love them because they're "hot" and that skews things a bit. However, I've noticed that Opera reviewers are primarily pretty harsh and extremely picky, so if there's a "five star" Opera recording, you know it's pretty darn great. Step four: Look for names. While not foolproof, Opera stars usually only become stars because of talent, so a well-known name is usually a plus. Step five: Give a listen. If there's a "preview" button, press it. Tastes vary wildly and there are some Operas which have several "five star" recordings. OR you could just look at this list, as I have done all the work for you. :-P I have quite a few already, but I'll continue to update it as I find more great recordings.
x_juicyfruit In the Spotlight: Renee Fleming Apr 28, 2008 8:03 AM Renée Fleming (b. February 14, 1959), is an American soprano who sings principally opera and lieder. Fleming possesses a flexible, full lyric soprano voice that's supported by a formidable and solid technique complete with ease and ringing freedom at the extreme top of its range. That top range allows Fleming to ascend to the E-flat above the soprano high C and beyond, however she rarely sings these notes in performances. Although lyrical in nature, Fleming's voice has a substantial amount of solidity and power which allows her to sing a variety of roles ranging from that of the bel canto, lyric and lighter spinto repertoires. Fleming is one of the world's leading classical sopranos and she performs in opera houses and concert halls worldwide. Fleming was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Rochester, New York. Both her parents are voice teachers. She also has a brother and sister who both study music. Fleming's first major break came in 1988 when she sang the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro at the Houston Grand Opera. In 1989, she made debuts with the New York City Opera and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. In 1991, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut. In 1997, Fleming sang her first Manon at the Opéra Bastille to glowing reviews. As a youngster, Fleming enjoyed popular music and admired the talent of Joni Mitchell among others. In addition to the standard operatic repertoire, she performs new music, Broadway show tunes, and other popular genres. Fleming has originated the roles of Rosina, Mme de Tourvel, and Blanche DuBois in, respectively, the world premières of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles with the Metropolitan Opera, Conrad Susa's The Dangerous Liaisons with the San Francisco Opera, and André Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire, also in San Francisco. She studied music education at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam. While at SUNY-Potsdam, she took up singing with a jazz trio in an off-campus bar called Alger's. The jazz saxophonist Illinois Jacquet invited her on tour with his big band, but she chose instead to continue with graduate studies at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music and Juilliard. Fleming has released a number of popular music recordings on the Polygram and Decca labels. She also appears on the soundtrack of the 2003 film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in which she sings in Sindarin. She is singing when Arwen sees a vision of her child, when Gollum first holds the ring, when the eagles carry Frodo and Sam off Mt. Doom, and when Arwen is revealed at Aragorn's coronation. Renee Fleming also recorded "O Soave Fanciulla"; a duet with Michael Bolton. Fleming also has a notable sense of humor. She appeared on the children's show "Sesame Street" where she sang a very lively rendition of "Caro nome" from Rigoletto, replacing the traditional words with some intended to help children learn to count forwards to and backwards from five. She has also appeared several times on Garrison Keillor's popular public radio program A Prairie Home Companion. Fleming speaks fluent German and French along with limited Italian. Fleming appeared as a "Special Guest Vocalist" on Joe Jackson's 1994 album Night Music on the song "Lullaby". ** ** ** Renee Fleming singing Vissi D'arte, Vissi D'amore by Puccini : Source
Princesskitty22 New MET: Live in HD season announced Apr 27, 2008 9:38 PM After going to two of these, I can highly recommend attending. It's an Opera without the intimitading expirience of the Opera house and it's the perfect way to introduce yourself to Opera. The MET has decided to expand it's Live in HD series next year, upping the count from 8 performances to 11. It makes sense that they would do this, since they've had almost a million people view the simulcasts since they started them in 2006. The shows and dates for next year's simulcasts are: North America Only! Monday, September 22, 2008 OPENING NIGHT GALA (6:30 p.m. EDT / 5:30 p.m. CDT / tape delayed to 8:00 p.m. MDT / 7:00 p.m. PDT) – Opening Night Gala starring Renée Fleming in fully staged performances of scenes from three different operas: Verdi’s La Traviata (Act II), Massenet’s Manon (Act III), and the final scene from Richard Strauss’s Capriccio. Tenor Ramón Vargas and baritones Thomas Hampson and Dwayne Croft co-star. Met Music Director James Levine and Marco Armiliato conduct. Saturday, October 11, 2008 SALOME (1:00 p.m. EDT / 12:00 p.m. CDT / 11:00 a.m. MDT / 10:00 a.m. PDT/ 17:00 p.m. UTC / 18:00 p.m. BST / 19:00 CEST) – Soprano Karita Mattila reprises her acclaimed interpretation of the title character of Strauss’s Salome, with baritone Juha Uusitalo as Jochanaan. Mikko Franck conducts. Saturday, November 8, 2008 DOCTOR ATOMIC (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC / 19:00 p.m. CET) – Penny Woolcock directs the Metropolitan Opera premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic, starring Gerald Finley as Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer and Sasha Cooke as his wife, Kitty, with Eric Owens and Richard Paul Fink. Alan Gilbert conducts. NEW PRODUCTION Saturday, November 22, 2008 LA DAMNATION DE FAUST (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC; 19:00 p.m. CET) – Robert Lepage directs Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust, starring Marcello Giordani in the title role, with Susan Graham as Marguerite and John Relyea as Méphistophélès. James Levine conducts. (A new production reconceived in collaboration with Ex Machina for the Met, based on a co-production of the Saito Kinen Festival and Opéra National de Paris.) NEW PRODUCTION Saturday, December 20, 2008 THAÏS (12:00 p.m. EST / 11:00 a.m. CST / 10:00 a.m. MST / 9:00 a.m. PST/ 17:00 p.m. UTC; 18:00 p.m. CET) – Renée Fleming stars in the title role of Massenet’s Thaïs, with Thomas Hampson as the monk Athanaël in John Cox’s production, which originated at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Jesús López-Cobos conducts. NEW PRODUCTION Saturday, January 10, 2009 LA RONDINE (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC; 19:00 p.m. CET) – Nicolas Joël directs Puccini’s La Rondine, starring Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna in a production originally mounted by the Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Marco Armiliato conducts. (Co-production with the Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.) NEW PRODUCTION Saturday, January 24, 2009 ORFEO ED EURIDICE (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC; 19:00 p.m. CET) – Stephanie Blythe and Danielle de Niese star in Mark Morris’s production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. James Levine conducts. Saturday, February 7, 2009 LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC; 19:00 p.m. CET) – Dynamic opera duo Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón star in Mary Zimmerman’s acclaimed production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Marco Armiliato conducts. Saturday, March 7, 2009 MADAMA BUTTERFLY (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC; 19:00 p.m. CET) – Cristina Gallardo-Domâs sings the title role of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in Anthony Minghella’s stunning production. Marcello Giordani stars as Pinkerton. Patrick Summers conducts. Saturday, March 21, 2009 LA SONNAMBULA (1:00 p.m. EDT / 12:00 p.m. CDT / 11:00 a.m. MDT / 10:00 a.m. PDT/ 17:00 p.m. UTC; 18:00 p.m. CET) – Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Flórez star in Mary Zimmerman’s new production of Bellini’s La Sonnambula, conducted by Evelino Pidò. NEW PRODUCTION Saturday, May 9, 2009 LA CENERENTOLA (1:00 p.m. EDT / 12:00 p.m. CDT / 11:00 a.m. MDT / 10:00 a.m. PDT/ 17:00 p.m. UTC; 18:00 BST; 19:00 p.m. CEST) – Elīna Garanča stars in Rossini’s bel canto Cinderella story, La Cenerentola. Lawrence Brownlee stars as her Prince Charming, Don Ramiro. Maurizio Benini conducts. The tickets haven't gone on sale, yet, but I'll let you know when they do. :) Source
Princesskitty22 2008 Metropolitan Opera Production: La Fille du Regiment Apr 27, 2008 7:38 PM Wow. Wow, wow. Wow, wow, wow. Wow. If you can't see this production, buy the DVD . Believe me, it won't matter if you haven't seen or heard the Opera before; you won't be disappointed. This production, starring French Soprano Natalie Dessay and Peruvian Tenor Juan Diego Florez is simply breathtaking. When I heard all the talk of "Vocal Fireworks" on the MET website, I thought it was just a buzzword, but it really is the only way to describe the performances of these two spectacular singers. Not only does Florez conquer the notorious first act aria (know as "The Mount Everest for Tenors") he handles the rest of the Opera with skill and beauty, proving that he's more than just a few high notes. Dessay is just incredible; even after several surgeries for vocal nodes, she still has a range that can put most to shame. Who can sing an E lying down or being held up in the air sideways? As for the show itself, it's tons of fun. It has great music, but it's also very funny. It's heartwarming and light. It's a delight to watch, especially this production, as all of the performers were right on with their acting and comic timing. The staging was playful and interesting. I'm definately going to buy the DVD, because this is a show that is much better watched. Though, if you can only hear the voices, you're not at a loss. They're incredible.

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In the Spotlight: Renee Fleming In the Spotlight: Renee Fleming
New MET: Live in HD season announced
2008 Metropolitan Opera Production: La Fille du Regiment 2008 Metropolitan Opera Production: La Fille du Regiment

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