Stars of the 21st Century!
I have often been accused of a kind of "dinosaur attitude" in
that I favor the singers of past eras and constantly moan and groan over what
might be lacking in today's artists; however, most of my qualms deal with
what I perceive as something of a lack of the more intense and dramatic
sopranos, tenors, and baritones in the Italian wing. This may be true, but I
do not have the slightest doubt in warming to many of our greatest
contemportary artists, and my collection and the draining of my pocketbook (I
go to the opera quite regularly!) will attest to my great admiration for many
of our contemporary singers. Now and in coming weeks I present to you a
potpourri of selections featuring some of today's truly marvelous artists.
 For
a slight change-of-pace we now listen to the
delightful Welsh baritone, Bryn Terfel, singing "Something
Wonderful" from The King and I. How many opera stars have been
successful in what we call "crossover" material, and Mr.Terfel
sings with great warmth and beauty.
 In
a similar vein, the superb lyric mezzo-soprano, Susan Graham performs the
"Vagabonde" from the operetta Viviane. Internet opera lovers
not only know this magnificent and beautiful artist from her great triumphs
on stage, but she is a regular member of one of our internet forums, just to
show how totally open and natural she is with us mortals. (In other words,
she never "sneaks around!")
 Despite some negative press, the
Alagna family, comprised of Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu,
have made so many beautiful recordings as well as having enjoyed great
success on stage, and this duet from Verdi's Vespri
Siciliani reveals the kind of "old school" singing that makes
them such a sought-after couple in our present opera world.
 When
the Polish mezzo Ewa Podlés opened her mouth at last year's Tully Hall
recital, my jaw dropped all the way down to the floor, despite having
collected all of her recordings. This is one of the greatest natural voices
in my memory. Here she sings
the difficult "Or la tromba" from Handel's Rinaldo, and when
you hear this, perhaps you can question, as I do, why she is not at the Met
these days.
 I
always delight in teasing the "Thomas Hampson Groupies, "
but seriously, this man is the possessor of one of the most beautiful lyric
baritone voices in memory, and his ravishing singing of the Tote Stadt aria, "Mein
Sehnen," should send you to seventh heaven.
 My knowledge of,
and personal conversations with soprano Aprile Millo, have told me
that she is what we call "old school," and her having worked with
the likes of Renata Tebaldi and Magda Olivero will bear this out. I place her
in the forefront of the singers who recall the brand of singing I experienced
in my early opera-going days. The Luisa Miller aria, "Tu
puniscimi, o signore" bears witness to her golden-age vocalism.
 Recently, the young
tenor Juan Diego Florez has won international acclaim with his truly
amazing vocalism, coupled with a most engaging stage presence. I was pleased
to hear him in the Barbiere and he was a joy to see and hear. Listen
to his rendition from the aria "Vieni, fra
queste braccia" from Rossini's La Gazza ladra".(No, it isn't
Puritani).
 I first met Samuel
Ramey in the early days of his career, and was pleased to appear in
several operas with him. Well, at least he made it, and has become one
of opera's true icons, and we hear him in the great aria, "Mentre
gonfiarsi l'anima" from Verdi's Attila, a role for which he has been
internationally acclaimed.
 In recent years,
there has been a revival of many of the works of Handel and other composers
of the Baroque Era; this is in part due to the revival of a vocal category
known as the countertenor. The most successful of these artists has been the
marvelous David Daniels, whose vocalism, nothing short of miraculous,
has earned him worldwide acclaim. He sings the aria "Venti,
turbini" from Rinaldo.
 The soprano Christine
Goerke has been thrilling audiences in recent years with her unique and
what I term "classical" voice, an instrument of great richness and
power. The predictions of so many opera aficionados that she would become one
of the world's greatest singers are now being fullfilled, as here she sings
Fiordiligi's fiendish aria, "Come
scoglio."
Photos | Zinka Milanov | Virgina Zeani | Regina Resnik | Mad! | Live Opera | Welcome
|
|
