behind the scenes of baden-baden concert

great documentary, behind the scenes of the spectacular concert in baden-baden, in 2007

there's a part seven, which doesn't have a number...after the title

can't include it here -- here's a link to the video

turns out, the director of this documentary, robert dornhelm, is the person who directed the boheme movie starring netrebko and villazon

what i didn't understand, was what they were reviewing, in the studio -- was it, a post-mortem

some great soave fanciullas

what a great concert that was

what a great voice -- beautiful high note she finishes on

the cover image, below, is not right -- the voices, though,....

what a gorgeous voice elizabeth holleque has

what a concert that must have been

there they are again -- before

he's such a cutie

she gets around,...that mimi -- very popular

he gets around too

a bucharest duo

all we need now, is a bohemian boheme

barcelona boheme

a couple of weeks ago, i saw, in the movie theater, a boheme from barcelona -- great -- a much better production than the previous one i saw at the movies, from vienna, with maps of the city, all over the stage

the liceu's promo is on youtube, at http://youtu.be/VYh8pYqREcI -- i couldn't include it here

they have another trailer -- charming -- with the four leads, inviting people to attend...and introducing themselves and the opera -- in three languages...maybe four -- at http://youtu.be/J53NgS8CL_I

[i just looked on wikipedia, and it appears that ainhoa arteta, the musetta, is basque]

here's el periodico's video -- clips from the opera, the house, and an interview with the mimi, fiorenza cedolins, who was wonderful -- perfect, for the part

here she is, singing si, mi chiamano mimi

vargas seemed a little off, though -- didn't...'turn it on,' till the last act, when he was back in the apartment, with mimi

the colline, carlo colombara, looked so familiar

he might have been the colline in the vienna production, from the previous year, starring anna netrebko and piotr beczala

he was great -- as were the musetta (arteta) and the marcello (christopher maltman) -- his duet with rodolfo was great -- she did an unbelievable trill (if that's what it's called), at the end of quando m'en vo' -- she really 'turned it on' -- the charm -- the sex appeal -- not to mention, the voice -- i wish i had a video...audio...of it

here she is, singing it at the met, in 2008 -- the video goes all the way to the end of the act, into the curtain call, and beyond -- it starts, though, right with her, singing -- we don't get the music...leading up to it

here's another version, which starts with the music lead-up, but cuts off, abruptly, as she finishes her...main portion -- the picture is bad -- the sound is great -- and we've got subtitles

yup -- i just found him -- it was salzburg, though -- not vienna -- colombara is in the green top

the blog around the world with irina has pictures from the barcelona production, with angela gheorghiu and saimir pirgu in the leads -- instead of fiorenza cedolins and vargas, whom i saw

from boheme: quando me'n vo' & rodolfo-marcello duet

i attended opera western reserve's annual show, friday, and the quando me'n vo' scene...is quite a...dramatic scene -- lots...going on -- from all quarters

i'd like to find a longer video, with translations of all the lines

what a cast, though, here -- vargas and gheorghiu -- the musetta is ainhoa arteta

here's another version -- longer -- with pavarotti

also, the rodolfo-marcello duet is beautiful

old friend jason budd was colline

in june, we led jason, on and off the stage, in opera circle's rigoletto -- he was monterone -- nice job with the coat song, tonight

look what love can do...to you: lacrime

leading off, enrico caruso -- what a great lead-off hitter

batting second, beniamino gigli -- look out, though,...he's got a gentle touch -- he can lay one down

batting third, jussi bjorling -- maybe he should be batting cleanup, but...i'm kind of batting them, by age

cleaning up, our female...member -- our token female -- nana mouskouri -- hey, we need a woman, don't we, to clean up

batting fifth, mario lanza -- man, i'd like to have him...on my team -- he was...batting third, but then i saw...gigli...at the other end of the dugout

in fact,...there's lanza again, stealing second -- stealing the scene

next up, fritz wunderlich -- our switch-hitter, swinging...with a german bat

batting seventh, luciano -- he's touchin' all the bases

next up, domingo -- remember, he pronounces his name...plathido (as in throw)

and batting ninth, josep carreras

wow -- what a lineup -- how'd you like to have those guys...in the bottom of your order

on the bench, we've got some youngins -- all,...from the latin leagues

the king of the high seas...can hit 'em out of the park -- and here,...he sails around the bases...twice -- a rare feat, especially nowadays

rolando's also going around the bases twice -- what's going on here

and look -- one of our regulars, doing double-duty, waving ramon vargas in from third

here's marcelo alvarez, back when he was with an argentinian minor-league team -- no hesitation step...from the kid

good guys...to have on the bench

and we're back to the top of the order

quartet-mania

i just saw the movie 'quartet' again -- even better, second time around -- really moving (like opera -- like...good opera) -- brought tears to my eyes, many times -- although, i've been a bit teary-eyed, of late

so, i'm on another...quartet-high -- and...i'm going to share....

so, get ready...to be deluged...by quartets -- quartets...to the...quadruple power

i can't help it -- there are...so many...incredible renditions

something else...about this -- i know of no other scene...in the history of literature (and not only...musical theater), as beautifully set,...set up,...developed, as exquisitely choreographed...as this -- dramatically speaking -- and, when well acted, well sung, it's...incomparable -- the height of...everything

well, if any one...knows of another scene -- whether by the bard, the blind bard, aristophanes, anybody...that matches this -- comes close -- i'd love to hear about it (see it, read it, imbibe it) -- a few years ago, i was...kicked in the gut...truly wrenched, inside,...by a scene or two (or more) in oedipus -- but,...hard to imagine...a scene...being set -- played out -- with character-development,...characters' motivations, depth of feeling...to match this one

so, here goes -- feast your eyes, your ears...your soul

first -- and you could, just as well, stop right here -- the legendary pairing of pavarotti and dame sutherland -- one for the ages, this performance -- and, of course, one mustn't forget isola jones and leo nucci -- how could one

here, luciano...takes it from the top, in this great film version -- with edita gruberova as gilda, ingvar wixell as rigoletto, victoria vergara as maddelena, and ferruccio furlanetto as sparafucile

here's an exquisitely rendered -- not to mention, elegant -- quartet,...from 'classic' american television -- with cesare valetti, blanche theborn, roberta peters & cesare siepi -- those were the days

another, with dame sutherland -- and nicolai gedda, mildred miller & tito gobbi -- all of whom act beautifully and sing exquisitely -- and versa vice

another great...pavarotti quartet -- with renata scotto, bianca bortoluzzi & kostas paskalis

jussi bjorling, anna roto, roberta peters & robert merrill

one, starring the great mexican tenor ramon vargas, with elina granaca, anna netrebko & ludovic tezier

another, anchored the splendid argentinian...marcelo alvarez -- with judith howarth, denyce graves & bryn terfel

i just came across another tour de force by alvarez -- here, with cecilia bartoli, mariella devia & leo nucci

maria callas -- with giuseppe di stefano, adriana lazzarini & tito gobbi

a recent one, with juan diego florez, christa mayer, diana damrau & zeljko lucic -- with an interesting...dramatic twist

i just came across this collection of superstars -- pavarotti, june anderson, florence quivar & sherrill milnes

finally, a couple...from the record books -- literally -- from the records -- and, even, before...records

caruso, from 1907, with bessie abott, louise homer & antonio scotti

caruso, from 1917, with flora perini, amelita galli-curci, giuseppe de luca -- read about the picture

finally, john mccormack & lucrezia bori, from 1914

in the comments (posted on youtube, under this video), there's a lovely story...about mccormack and caruso...in an elevator -- mccormack greets caruso: 'and how is the world's greatest tenor today?,' to which caruso replies, 'and since when, john, did you become a baritone/'

i could go on and on (and i already have -- and i will,...anon -- i just came across a domingo duke (and others), and i'll look for a better quartet con 'la bellissima' -- but i have to stop, for now) -- you may (go on and on) -- and...share

all of this...led me to wonder, if there's a collection of the quartets -- if it's possible, to make a record -- cd -- of just the quartets -- i did a quick search on amazon -- didn't find anything -- i wonder, of course, if copyrights...would prevent... -- something...to think about