handelmania's Podcast

The great Gigli w.Elizabeth Barbato in Forza. He was 61. I saw his 1955 farewell. Had he lived to 80, he would still have had it!!!!!

  Diana Soviero's Met debut with Alfredo Kraus in Romeo et Juliette.The "Poison aria" is superb.(Also on YouTube). I know her since 1977.Still feel she is as great as any soprano in my experience.

Carteri and Taddei in act 3 are so moving!! Ferruccio Tagliavini is Rodolfo.

Close to Ruffo!!  I thought Warren had a big voice.MacNeilwas awesome!!!!!!!

  My buddy,Marisa Galvany (one of many fake names) as Medea.

Bing gave her one!     Idiot!   Wonderful lady!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZwSAHyGoo8

Hard to find right words for the glorious Victoria's voice!!!!! Here is "Dove sono?"

Joseph Calleja wants people to  call him "Joe." That is the kind of guy he is. When he met me, he said I was more famous than he is.   TRUE?????????????????

If you are not feeling well, do NOT listen to Sirach von Bodengraven! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!   I am finding old audio stuff for you. Are you thrilled??????

Great fun guy, Brian Hymel, in French arias. He is such a wonderful person, and has a beautiful family. BUY IT! I get no commission on the full CD.

Callas, Corelli, Nicolai from Trieste.Note Corelli attack before Callas D!!!!!!!!!    Nothing like this today!!!

Here are early recordings of my dear friend Diana Soviero.Friends since 1977. I hope you like them.

She did it ALL!!!! Not a long career, but 1949-1955 in my view was awesome!

Saffo aria sung by one of my favorite singers, Eugenia Burzio. OLD STYLE!!!!!!  

  I was waiting once at the Met stage   door after a Macbeth. Out comes this big guy who looked at me and asked, "Are you Charlie Handelman?" I said "Yes." He gave me a big hug and  said,"You are more famous than me!"  What a fun guy!!!!!!!!!!  Joe and I have discussed a kind of "old-fashioned vibrato," which to  me is  "affectionate."

VERY few opera singers can sing popular music. Farrell did it pretty well and many male singers do it well, but the DIVAS have trouble. I guess the breaks in the voice make it more difficult...but Dorothy Kirsten mastered the crossover, compared to the ludicrous Fleming or L.Price.

Corelli had more vibrato young (DelMonaco called him a "goat) but these commercial discs still tel us of the man's greatness. I saw him 40 times.Yes,he could be a pain...but generally speaking,he raised the roof!!!!!!!!!! I have friends who knew him well,and they tell me how sweet he was and so concerned about his artistry.

When she showed up, Caballe was one of the greatest singers of the century!  Her birthplace was Barcelona, as we  at this tragic time send our deepest feelings for their people.

HUGEST voice from a baritone. Great man...In Ernani, the audience sometimes started to yell at the G  before the A flat, so stupendous the sound!

  An Oddity!!!!!!  Beverly as Aida!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great cast!! (well,almost!)   Milanov,Baebieri,Siepi,Warren. They had to Baum, but that's life!!!!! DelMonaco did other shows, but this is what did occur at times.  

Norman Treigle left us too soon, but his accomplishments were legendary. I saw him in almost everything he did at City Opera...Unforgettable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   First time we heard them live. Corelli holds the all'armi forever and the ovation for her after the "D'amor" went on and on and on.

Not always an easy voice to take..but a MONUMENTAL MAN!!!!  My friend became close with this great icon..In person the voice must have ben a sensation....a bit "white" in color...but nevertheless a great man.   He told my friend, "Del Monaco sings like a truck driver but McCracken is the TRUCK!!!!

  For next season,Susi Sommers replaces Peretyatko. Audience must wear earplugs. Even Larry Brownlee does not have a high T over L.

When dumb Met audiences laugh at some titles during act one Tosca (You know "Make her eyes black") I get mad.In Chicago once, Eva Marton was furious at the "Give her black eyes" title. Well, I am a big crab. I feel like Jon Vickers in a Dallas Tristan (Dristan??) where he told the audience to "shut up."    Hey, I am putting lots of stuff here..and even some old podcasts, which I am sure you forgot about!!!!!

Sad how intolerance kept Afro-Americans out of the Met until Marian Anderson in Ballo 1955.I was there! I spoke to Camilla Williams, a friend of Virginia Zeani,shortly before she passed away. She was my first Butterfly at City Opera. A great voice and a lovely lady!

I saw 5 of them in 1954!!!!!! Trouble with top notes but she did lose the C in the 50's....However for me the greatest singer in my life..saw her 88 times...well 88 and a half,as she fainted during a Verdi Requiem.   She sounded so bad that night the "faint" might have been faked! The tenor was Gino Penno..loudest top I ever heard, but did not last long. Blanche Thebom was Adalgisa and Cesare Siepi was Oroveso. IN MIA MAN in last act is an example of her greatness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great Caterina Mancini and Rolando Panerai in duet from La Battaglia di Legnano.She thrilled me since age 17 on Cetra recordings..I have a letter from her.

    My dear buddy Diana Soviero in Romeo et Juliette.  The GREATEST

  Mrs.Fischer-Dieskau (Who??) sure can sing Nabucco!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Semiramide aria as sung by the superb Elena Nikolaidi.   I will be doing some shorter audio clips, plus videos until I can do longer podcasts.  Enjoy!!!

  She retired rather early. One of the most touching singers in my experience.

I miss him at the Met!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Great guy! Some people do not like the squillo,as he tells me..Tough!!!!!    I Lombardi aria

My old buddy...Sam Ramey. I asked him if Sam Jr. sang Mefistofele...Probably RAP!!!!!!

Joseph Calleja met me for the first time once. Said,"Are you Charlie??You are more famous than I am"......big hug...I always remind him of this.

Until I get things worked out again,here are some old clips:The first is my dear Piotr Beczala Prince Igor Aria. Nicest guy in captivity!!!!!! (He actually reads my posts on Facebook)

Jennifer Zarchy's HERO>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

My darling Virginia Met 1967 debut..My favorite part of the opera. Not easy for her at 91.....She is my "family." Bad knees...never wore knee pads (died 365 times plus rehearsals) since she felt knee pads placed her "out of character."

While I am working on the glitches, will post some earlier files.Here is the fabulous Hans Hotter in a section of Siegfried Act 3

After last season....she could wipe them out if she was 90......   1982 Frankfurt.   MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ran into him before Boheme Sat. No one as sweet and lovable....plus that great voice..His idols are Gedda and Wunderlich..FIGURES!!!!!

I saw him in his farewell tour..a GOD!!!!!

Sounded MIKED live...amazing resonance!!!

Hans Hotter.....Forgot who Erda is..Oh well..She is no help anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Repeats of some old stuff for new people and oldies who forgot!!!!!!   Tebaldi,Tucker..(Scarpia is dead)   Placido21@aol.com    Can I do this?   She would not DARE scream at me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She was my second mommy!!!!

On Jan.21, 1956, my 20th birthday, this Carmen w.Rise Stevens,Giuseppe Di Stefano,Robert Merrill,Lucine Amara cond.by Max Rudolf was to precede a surprise birthday party for me on the next day. However (listen to end of act 3),you hear Rise say "put my arm down,"(1:46:24) which dear Pippo broke, and the Rise Stevens music club meeting,scheduled for the next day...to get me out of the house while my friends assembled,was cancelled! PANIC!!!!   My ma convinced me to go see Rise when she came from the hospital, and happily I was able to arrive home and shockingly had the biggest surprise imaginable!   I was so surprised, but there was one person who was too busy to show up..her name was Renata Tebaldi! I would have fainted!   Well,despite Pippo, it turned out well, but it was a close call.

Live Radio broadcasts sponsored by Martini & Rossi. Di Stefano  Iris  "Apri la tua finestra" Carosio       Sonnambula    "Ah non credea" Callas          Seraglio aria (In Ital.) Gigli             Werther aria  (In Ital.) Simionato     Tancredi   "Di tanti palpiti" G.Raimondi   Luisa Miller    "Quando le sere al placido" Callas            La Vestale     "Tu che invoco" Olivero           La Wally       "Ebben,ne andro"   DelMonaco       Walkure Act one scene Cossotto       Samson et Delilah  act 1 aria Bergonzi/Carteri    Butterfly Duet

Born in Jessup, Pennsylvania, Cossa studied with Anthony Marlowe in Detroit, Michigan, Robert Weede in Concord, California, and Armen Boyajian in New York City. He made his debut at the New York City Opera as Morales in 1961, and a week later sang Sharpless with the company. He won the American Opera Auditions in 1964 and was sent to Italy for debuts at the Teatro Nuovo in Milan and Teatro della Pergola in Florence.[2] He made his debut at the San Francisco Opera in 1967 as Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles. His Metropolitan Opera debut took place on January 30, 1970 as Silvio in Pagliacci. Other roles there were Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Lescaut in Manon Lescaut, Marcello in La bohème, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliette, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Valentin in Faust, Yeletsky in Pique Dame, Germont in La traviata, and Albert in Werther. In 1976 he created the role of David Murphy in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Hero with the Opera Company of Philadelphia.[3] Cossa's left a few notable recordings of his best roles such as Belcore in L'elisir d'amore opposite Dame Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti, Achillas in Handel's Giulio Cesare opposite Norman Treigle and Beverly Sills, Nevers in Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots, again opposite Sutherland, Martina Arroyo and Huguette Tourangeau, and the baritone solo part in Roger Sessions' When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd. He can also be heard on the Classical Record Library's A Celebration of Schumann and Schubert with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has sung as soloist with the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Israel Philharmonic, and the National Symphony. He was chosen by Licia Albanese to be the recipient of the Puccini Foundation's Bacccarat Award in 2004, and in 1993 was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Great American Singers at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. Cossa taught at the Manhattan School of Music and in 1988 he accepted a position as Professor of Music at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he became chair of Voice/Opera.   Also, a SWEET GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

His North American debut was as Alvise in Ponchielli's La Gioconda at the second season opening of Hammerstein's Manhattan Opera House. It was the night of "Golden Age" stars, also featuring American debuts of Giovanni Zenatello as Enzo and Jeanne Gerville-Réache as La Cieca, while Lillian Nordica sang the tile role, Mario Ancona was Barnaba and Eleanora de Cisnero was Laura. A year later, Metropolitan Opera engaged Didur as Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust at the inauguration of the new Brooklyn Academy of Music to be followed two days later by his Ramfis in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. On this all-star opening night of the 1908 season, Arturo Toscanini was in the pit and the rest of the cast included Emmy Destinn in her Met debut as Aida, Enrico Caruso (Radames), Louise Homer (Amneris) and Antonio Scotti (Amonasro). He remained with the company for a quarter of a century and became one of its principal bass singers, counting 933 performances in 55 roles.[9] It was at the Met in 1913 that he appeared in the title role of Boris Godunov in the American premiere of Mussorgsky's opera.[10][11][12] Didur created the roles in three operas by Giacomo Puccini at the Met, La fanciulla del West and the Il tabarro and Gianni Schicchi of the Il Trittico trilogy. He also appeared at the world premiere of Humperdinck's Die Königskinder. His other important "firsts" at the Met include the US premieres of Mozart's Così fan tutte, Smetana's The Bartered Bride, Borodin's Prince Igor (singing both Prince Galitzky and Khan Konchak), and Montemezzi's L'amore dei tre re. He also sang under the baton of Gustav Mahler in Mozart's Le nozze de Figaro, Smetana's The Bartered Bride and the Met premiere of Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades. Didur's last appearance at the Met was in the role of Coppélius in Les Contes d'Hoffmann on 11 February 1932.[9] His voice had been on the wane for some time and he returned to live in Europe.[13

  I was 18.(She was 48). My first introduction to the artist who would become my all-time favorite singer was during the 1953-54 season. I knew enough to realize she did have problems with high C, so I did not include all of the performance. With Blanche Thebom,Cesare Siepi, and  the LOUDEST tenor on record, Gino Penno,who did not last too long, Zinka emitted some of the greatest sounds I have ever heard.   Note the opening of "In mia man," where you hear the rich mixed low tones, brilliant top,total involvement with the music, great nobility, and to my ears, a legendary performance.   I saw her 88 times, and can "play her repertory in my ears."     She was not a cuddly Tebaldi, but I accepted it. She was a tough lady, until her butcher threw her out for smelling the chickens!   (VAT??? Don't you know who I am???)    I TOLD you more great stuff is coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!