thomas hampson's art song project

thomas hampson, who was iago,...in the 'otello' i saw at the met, a year ago

and whom i saw sing american songs in akron, a little while before that

that's him, showing how to...'shake your sillies out'

actually, it was a technique...to get ready to sing -- straightening yourself up, i think -- maybe, grounding yourself -- creating...that straight...pipe

well,...he has a web-site (for his hampsong foundation), which is connected to the library of congress, and serves as a warehouse for songs from around the world, and, he said, it puts the songs in the context of their society and time

i just found out, he has a radio show, too -- of american songs

more importantly, though, he...begged me...to take a picture with him -- i succumbed

bjorling & de los angeles, in love -- in puccini love

maybe the best boheme...on record

then, from act 3

their butterfly...together

bartoli: qui la voce

wilhelmenia fernandez

i watched the movie 'diva,' last night -- for the first time in decades -- it became an instant cult-classic, when it came out, in '81, '82

the movie brought wilhelmenia wiggins fernandez to the attention of the world, with her great rendition of 'ebben? ne andro lontana' -- at the start of the movie

here are two more great performances

a very slow take...on 'patria mia' -- in luxor

a 'vissi d'arte'...that just floors you

she was musetta, in a 'boheme' with kiri te kanawa and placido domingo

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

gheorghiu & sutherland: vissi d'arte

another great vissi d'arte

and another

rex harrison's voice

another great voice

this clip is preceded, immediately, by harrison...laughing...an identical laugh..., at the ball, when he hears that count zoltan karpathy, 'that harry hound from budapest -- never have i ever known a ruder pest,' has uncovered eliza as a...frrrawwwd -- that she...was...booorrrn...hun'gay'rian -- and of royal blood, to boot

the thing about harrison -- as they say about ginger rogers -- that she did everything fred astaire did, but, backwards, and in high heels -- is that he...'sang'...in speak-voice -- didn't sing, but...spoke...the song

audrey hepburn, on the other hand, didn't sing...at all -- well,...i'm sure she did, in the shower, but...not...in the movies -- except, i think, 'moon river,' in 'breakfast at tiffany's'

here, now, is another example...of harrison's 'singing'

after the movie, ben mankiewicz, t.c.m.'s host, said that hepburn had a fine singing voice, but didn't possess the range...required