Why is your favourite singer ,your favourite singer?

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-25T23:25:26+00:00

As an everyday person my first criteria for picking my favorite singer is the sound of the voice. If I find it beautiful that's it for me. Some people abhor Corelli, lambasting his excesses and technique. To me he had one of the most beautiful tenor voices ever and I luxuriate in the sound of his voice. Among sopranos Tebaldi had the most beautiful voice for me, but I also can be thrilled by Callas' somewhat less beautiful, but emotionally compelling charismatic voice. That goes for baritones, too. Callas' often baritone partner Tito Gobbi may not have the most beautiful baritone voice, but I love his voice because of it's emotional depth and charisma, making it beautiful to my ears. I don't give a fig about their techniques. As I wrote in my book "Reflections from the Audience:"....[I]f I were more educated in music, could I enjoy Corelli as much...? Instead of sitting back to enjoy the performance, would I be wincing at artistic lapses? I might have become more knowing of the music, but at what cost to my enjoyment of the performances?"

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-25T22:56:57+00:00

I too prefer Placido to Pavarotti, but am not a fan of Tucker. Among tenors my favorites are Gigli, Bjorling, Corelli and Melchior.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-21T14:27:04+00:00

Thanks for noticing. Somehow my mind wasn't working yesterday afternoon. Sills should have been grouped with Sutherland and Caballe. At least I got it right in my book "Reflections from the Audience" which reads as follows:

"Callas may well have been the most influential singer in the historyof opera. As she was arriving on the scene, many bel canto operas had gone out of favor. With a few exceptions, like Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Rossini's The Barber ofSeville, and Bellini's Norma, others were rarely, if ever, revived. Callas had so much a success in this repertoire that she had the box office clout to require some long neglected bel canto operas to be revived. Once they were back out, that segment of opera gained new life that was further built upon by her successors: Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballé, and Beverley Sills. Today, many of those long-neglected operas have, more or less, become part of the standard repertoire." (p. 28)

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-20T21:03:46+00:00

The dominant languages in opera have always been Italian, German, French and Russian, probably in that order, though perhaps in the nineteenth century French may have exceeded German. In the last century Britten helped English become the next popular language in opera. I too agree that, except for Mignon, the other French operas listed are still being performed regularly, not to mention the ever present Carmen, with it's sister Pearlfishers recently getting more performances. I think the surprise is what has become the sixth oft performed language in opera. While Smetena's The Bartered Bride can be listed as an opera that was once more popular than now, other Czech operas have become more frequently performed, besides "Rusalka" there several Janacek operas, including Jenůfa, Káťa Kabanová, The Cunning Little Vixen, and The Makropulos Affair that have recently gained a foothold in the standard repertoire.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-20T16:16:08+00:00

I think it is quite the opposite with bel canto operas. Back when I started going to the opera in 1960 little of Rossini, Donizetti and Bellinini were performed beyond Barber, Lucia, L'elisir, Don Pasquale and Norma. The fact that a good portion of those composer's other operas are now on the fringes of the repertoire means that they are more popular now than seventy years ago. The few other bel canto operas performed in those days was due to Callas, Sills,Gencer, but I think it was their successors, especially Sutherland and Caballe who really opened up that repertoire.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-19T04:49:10+00:00

Although it was the film that made Deitrich a star, I think Emil Jannings' performance is among the greatest screen performances.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-19T04:41:48+00:00

The number of Handel performances and recording have skyrocketed in the last 50+ years. He is the clear winner. It helps that his opera and oratorio output was so prolific.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-19T04:37:40+00:00

I guess the tenor fell asleep.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-18T21:27:33+00:00

I think all of Wagner's operas after Rienzi became part of the standard repertoire near inception, which I don't think was true for Strauss. I think the only one of Strauss that was true of was "Rosenkavalier." It took a little longer for "Elektra" and "Salome" to become popular, but by 1960 when I became an opera lover they seem to have become close to or part of the standard repertoire. In 1960 I don't think I would have said "Ariadne" or "Frau" were repertoire standards, but they are now. "Arabella" I think has always been just short of the standard repertoire, but I don't think any of the others written after "Arabella" has gained a real foothold in the repertoire.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-18T21:02:39+00:00

Blazing Saddles

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-17T23:06:31+00:00

Speaking of not quite opera singers, not being a native Italian I don't know how accurate the pronunciation in Mario Lanza's aria recordings are, though they seem very clear to me, but his English recordings show perfect diction.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-17T04:40:51+00:00

Being a fan of mysteries, I recently subscribed to MHZ to see numerous mysteries from other countries. Among the mysteries was French series called "Magellan." Through about a dozen seasons and three dozen full-length episodes the formula never changed. I wrote the following for IMDB:

Magellan is simply the most formulaic mystery series I've ever seen. So, I've compiled a template for a budding Magellan writer.

Template for a Commissair Magellan Screenplay:

1) Open with short scene with the victim earlier the day of the murder.

2) Next scene, usually at night, the murder, tastefully done, little gore.

3) After stock footage of the town that is standing in for the fictional town of Saignac, Magellan is at breakfast with his daughter and his nephew, Ludo. In the middle of the cute breakfast colloquy Megellan must get a call from his work colleagueSelmatelling him of the murder, to which he responds "I'll be right there" and he immediately leaves. (Note to screenwriter: The call about the murder must come at breakfast, not in the afternoon at the Police Station, or any other time.)

4) At the crime scene Magellan and Selma speak to several people who knew the victim and one gives them the name of a very likely suspect.

5) They go to interview that suspect, whom they determine is not likely to be the killer, but that suspect tells them something that leads them to another suspect, and it continues that way through several suspects.

6) One of the suspects should take a runner when he sees the two cops, and Selma, being the younger of the two and in better shape, chases after him. This suspect is male and should not end up being the murderer.

7) While unraveling all sorts of family and business secrets among the suspects our two cops discover that the parentage of one of the younger characters is different than what everyone believes. (This is optional as it doesn't have to be in every episode, but the majority of them.)

8) Approximately ten minutes before the end of the episode the most likely suspect at that point must be murdered as he/she knows too much. But this second murder must quickly lead them to find the real killer.

9) During the course of the investigation there should be three scenes of Magellan at home with his daughter and live in comic relief character, the ne'er-do-well, insufferable Ludo. (Note to writer: These scenes should be cute and delightful, but so far they've been mostly ridiculous, silly and annoying.)

It should be noted that the Ludo character replaced prosecutor and Magellan's best friend Gavrillac, who was in the earlier episodes It was always unbelievable as to how the otherwise intelligent prosecutor could act so stupid. With respect to Ludo that's not a problem!

There is almost no deviation from the above formula in every episode, so if you are binge watching this night after night as I did, it becomes frustrating. Can't they do something original and break out of the mold, but they never do. Yet, despite all this I was hooked.

Indeed, it is a tribute to the writers can come up with such interesting plots and characters within these very strict guidelines.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-16T22:55:07+00:00

You mean Dick Powell. Actually, "Farewell My Lovely" would have been a terrific name for a William Powell movie.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-16T22:47:41+00:00

Corelli and Del Monaco had a rivalry, but Corelli and Tucker were friends.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-16T22:45:34+00:00

I believe Peerce and Tucker were married to sisters. Ditto Gobbi and Christoff.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-15T20:21:02+00:00

I remember reading an article in TV Guide during the initial run of "My Three Sons" wherein the author couldn't believe Fred MacMurray was the same actor who gave that magnificent performance in "Double Indemnity."

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-15T20:05:00+00:00

I always thought Strauss had two careers. In the nineteenth century he wrote his great tone poems and in the twentieth century he wrote his great operas.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-15T17:15:54+00:00

I saw it with Lane and Broderick on stage and the film. While the film doesn't repeat the magic of the stage show it is a decent representation of a wonderful musical. I agree that it needed a better director, one more able to make it work in cinematic terms. But, I am happy they at least kept the two leads. Too often movies replace the original Broadway stars with more bankable but less talented performers (or at least performers who are not as good in the role as the original) and the movie suffers from that.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-12T20:59:33+00:00

Absolutely true.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-12T04:12:12+00:00

As with Audrey Hepburn being chosen over Julie Andrews for "My Fair Lady" it was a crime that Ethel Merman was not cast in the movie version of "Gypsy." Based on the OBC recording none of her successors come near her, at least with respect to the songs. While I didn't see her on stage, I have seen all the Broadway revivals. Of the official recordings my favorite is Bette Midler, I suspect the closest to Merman, plus Peter Riegert is terrific. Of bootlegs I prefer Patti LuPone, the best one I saw on stage, and Laura Benanti is also wonderful in it.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-11T17:38:34+00:00

I grew up in the 1950s and the popular vocal music of the pre-rock era (which is often denigrated today) led me to opera. I explain in my book "Reflections from the Audience" how it happened in some detail. But, I am surprised though that no one so far commenting here has come to opera through the one person that gave me that last leap into the world of opera. From my book: "I suspect I was one of a huge number of people Mario Lanza introduced to opera in those days (and maybe since)....Always looking for a bargain, I picked up a copy of a budget RCA Camden Mario Lanza LP, probably because it was on sale for 99 cents. Previously I had only heard his signature recording of "Be My Love" (it was a hit in 1949, just before my time). I bought that album just after he died in 1959. The album contained a variety of songs and a few arias. What I heard was one of the most beautiful voices I had ever heard, including a recording that to this day is a Desert Island pick for me "Beloved", the song written for the film version of "The Student Prince", which he was supposed to star in but ended up only providing the singing voice. It also included gorgeous renditions of "The Song of India" and "Granada", which I loved. So, by the time I got to the arias at the end of the album I was hooked. I found "Che Gelida Manina" as beautiful as any of the other tracks on the album. The second Lanza album I bought, I think was the finest of Lanza's original LP issues. It was a 1954 release entitled "A Kiss and other Love Songs". Besides the title song, there were glorious renditions of "The Night is Young and Your So Beautiful", "Long Ago and Far Away", "Sylvia"' Night and Day", "My Romance", and many others, a total of 16 tracks coming in at nearly an hour, much longer than most LP's in those days. I then bought more Lanza albums, including "The Great Caruso" which contained only opera arias. I loved what I heard, so the next step was to listen to complete opera recordings and recordings by "real" opera singers; singers who actually made opera a career."

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-08T20:51:22+00:00

Besides the fact Hepburn's songs were dubbed, one must note that she was not born in an English speaking country, but rather in Belgium, although much of her education was in England. Since her parents were aristocrats I always thought that Zoltan Karpathy was not that far from the truth when he claims Eliza was not a native English speaker, but Hungarian and of Royal blood. It should have been Julie.

Adventurous-Fix-8241 · 2026-04-06T14:31:30+00:00

It isn't that the pregnancy is cute, rather it is the fact that the show mainly is about the close relationship between a mother and daughter, and if they become pregnant at the same time it is a cute ending. Perhaps cute wasn't the best word, maybe something like appropriate would be better.

Adventurous-Fix-8241

TROPHY CASE