To all you single-types out there, here's my Valentine's Day mantra: "Sempre libera!" It's Italian for always free (and I'm not talking about my low price) and it's Violetta's famous Act I cabaletta from La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi. I haven't counted, but I suspect I have more recordings of this aria than any other. (Any other aria, I mean, not any other gay man.)
June Anderson: live concert with Alfredo Kraus at the Paris Opera -- he sings Alfredo's lines onstage so they are disconcertingly loud. Plus he was 400 years old at the time. Above a Bb she doesn't wobble, but that's because it's a straight-tone.
Montserrat Caballe: One of my favorites, even if she didn't have an Eb. The Db's -- the first stunningly floated, the second exhilaratingly full -- and the perfect pacing make up for not cutting the second verse of "Ah! fors'e lui."
Maria Callas: Live in Lisbon, grainy sound, but true Callas. The Eb can only be described as "determined."
Ileana Cotrubas: A hair light for my taste, but it's not like I could do any better. Always extra credit for an Eb.
Renee Fleming: It's a pretty good high C.
Mirella Freni: She sang the CRAP out of the rest of the role, give her a break.
Monika Krause: You can actually hear her cords shredding.
Nellie Melba: Self-indulgent.
Anna Moffo (La Bellissima recital disc): Brilliant.
Anna Moffo (complete RCA recording): Not so libera.
Jennifer Rouse: Live in concert with the Zurich Opera; breathtakingly fast, but she nails it and tops it off with a flawless, spinning Eb. The crowd goes wild.
Renata Scotto, first recording (DG): Pretty much perfection.
Beverly Sills: technically perfect, yet oddly (for her) lacks the necessary sense of abandon. Deliberate.
Cheryl Studer: Not as funny as her "Una voce poco fa."
Joan Sutherland: Thuppralubbera.
Kiri te Kanawa: You didn't think she could do it!
Carol Vaness: I blame the conductor.
Virginia Zeani: The ideal voice for this role; recording was made past her prime so the coloratura is a bit muddy, but her diction and colors are phenomenal.
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7 comments:
Um... I don't know any the named individuals, but I do enjoy Verdi.
um... sometimes I hate blogger. This is one time.
Yes, I had this problem once myself. It's all good. But honey, you don't know ANY of the named individuals? Not Callas or Sutherland or Fleming? You need more gay friends.
Honey? haha; that's funny.
Nope, sorry. I just read the list over agian, and nothing. Maybe if I'd see their faces.
Maybe I do need a couple gay friends...
Oooh.. "Sempre Libera" is a good name for me boat :-)
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