villazon antics

i watched that great netrebko-villazon boheme movie again -- then watched a few behind-the-scenes videos, including this one, of villazon's antics

gotta love this guy -- he's so cute -- gotta get me one of those rubber noses too

kristine opolais: let's play two

what a tour de force, by kristine opolais

she sang butterfly, friday night -- her first time, singing the role at the met -- she would say,...i lived it

then unwound, had a late dinner -- goes to bed, around five

seven-thirty, the phone rings -- peter gelb's on the phone -- anita hartig's sick -- can you sing mimi, in five hours

what are you talking about -- impossible

five minutes later, she...has second thoughts -- why not

they go through the whirlwind of costumes, makeup, hair, steps, staging, all that -- bob's your uncle -- she makes her met debut as mimi

first time that's ever happened -- in met history -- 131 years -- two met debuts, in 24 hours -- more like...15 hours

she was incredible -- what a rich...and husky voice -- full...deep

great acting, too

[april 14: i just came across this detailed analysis of the show]

there was a beautiful shot of rodolfo (grigolo) and mimi (opolais), from below -- he's on the ground; she's on the upper level -- act three, just inside the paris gate -- i didn't get my camera out, to capture it -- it's just before they come together,...here

she,...and her duet with rodolfo, in that scene,...were spine-tingling

she must have had a good sleep, last night

[april 10: saw it again, this evening -- even more powerful, the second time -- maybe, because of what i've learned, since -- or...the effects of it, sinking in -- well, i thought it was one...for the ages -- she is...something else -- i'll be following her -- during the intermissions, i listened to her, on my phone, as butterfly, live from the met -- from the movie screen, i got this picture, from act three]

then, in this great interview, she says she's going to sing both soprano roles...in boito's mefistofele -- this girl...likes to play -- and...that's not enough

Often when I finish an opera I always say that I would like to sing more.

she's got some interesting takes...on magda,...tosca,...and mimi -- she likes to shake things up -- desdemona too -- and carmen

her husband says...she is...tosca

she's also going to be manon lescaut, with jonas kaufmann -- covent garden, in july -- that one...should be special -- super-special -- he's a teacher and mentor, for her -- idol, too -- will be broadcast in movie theaters

this 2008 butterfly, in covent garden, was conducted by her husband, andris nelsons

looking for a mimi clip, there's a boheme, with villazon -- wow -- i've gotta see that one

the last scene

part of 'addio, senza rancor'

soave fanciulla

here's an 'addio,'...that was added, today -- so, maybe, it's from yesterday

she's got a 'quando m'en vo' -- in concert

all right -- that's enough

now i've gotta figure out,...where i saw her, before

reading on in the interview, i think i might have seen a video of her, singing, with her husband, conducting -- he's the incoming music director of the boston symphony -- they'll open next season, together

netrebko-villazon boheme film

i just finished this film version of boheme -- beautiful -- fantastic -- how come nobody told me about it

the leads...are in full voice -- and splendid acting -- perfectly shot...set

they do add a sex scene...in act one -- not explicit -- i also miss the...pum-pum,...the last two notes of act three

the volume, here, is low

seems better, in the below version -- although the subtitles get in the way...of the movie -- the full...movie effect

look at gheorghiu & kaufmann, in action

too bad...it gets cut off, at the end

i think he and villazon are the two top tenors, today

what the heck -- here,...with her 'ex' -- before he was...'ex'

she's a powerhouse

i forgot florez

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

new bbc documentary 'the genius of verdi'

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