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Any opera fans here?

Yes. Also, some operetta. I can do a few of the "patter" songs from Gilbert and Sullivan.

hotspur wrote: ↑Wed Mar 30, 2022 11:54 am Any opera fans here?

I am, to a decent extent. I guess I come by it naturally, having been a "treble" in my childhood Church choir. Sadly, I lost that ability many years ago.

What kind of opera? I'm mostly Italian and German (Wagner)... some G & S as well.

BTW, if you're also a fan of America's Got Talent, then you'd know of this young lady who participated in the 2019 season, became a finalist, and finished 9th overall. Her name is Emanne Beasha and she lives in North Port. She actually won Jay Leno's "Golden Buzzer" in her judge cut round.

Her AGT Audition:



Her Judge Cut run (which earned Jay Leno's Golden buzzer):



Her Qtr Finals:





You get the idea. It was really rough for her because the AGT voting public just wasn't into opera, I think. Furthermore, I think they were much more sympathetic to the eventual winner, Kodi Lee, who is on the autistic spectrum. Talented, yes, but i think that's why they voted more for him.

Still, It got Emanne a recording contract with Decca records, so we'll see more of her, hopefully.

Thanks for the replies. RedinFL, Gilbert and Sullivan I remember having rammed down our throats at the very proper English grammar school I attended back in the 1950s, the kind of place where the teachers looked like vampires in their flowing black robes. Fortunately, I managed to get expelled by the time I was 14 years old, so no great harm was done. And FfNJGTFO, I agree that Emanne Beasha has a beautiful voice, but she might have fared better on her first attempt if she hadn't chosen to sing a tenor aria (Nessun Dorma from Turandot). Personally, I prefer any of Jussi Bjoerling's recordings of it, but then I prefer most of his recordings to everything else out there.

No, the real reason for starting this thread was to see if anyone has latched on to a wonderful young soprano from the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. I was flicking through the Youtube streaming thing a couple of weeks ago and came across a singer whose name was totally unfamiliar to me: Nadine Sierra. Anyone else here familiar with her? Not only does she have the voice of an angel but she has the looks as well, coupled with a face and acting style as expressive as her voice. If you're into opera -- even if only slightly -- check her out. Makes me almost forget Victoria de Los Angeles.

I wonder how great Björling would sound with more modern recording capabilities than those of the 1950s. I never got to hear him live, only Turandot was with Pavarotti.

REDinFL wrote: ↑Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:03 pm I wonder how great Björling would sound with more modern recording capabilities than those of the 1950s. I never got to hear him live, only Turandot was with Pavarotti.

Bjoerling's recordings from the 1950s stand up pretty well, especially when played over a decent system. If you haven't done so already, check out his La Boheme (53/54 or so) with Robert Merrill, Victoria de Los Angeles, and Thomas Beecham conducting. I never had the opportunity to see him live, either. He died in 1960, when I was 17, and back then I thought the sun shone out of Frank Sinatra's larynx. And you weren't cheated when you saw Pavarotti in Turandot. Also one of the voices of the century, right up there with Caruso and Gigli (my mother's favorite). But do check out Nadine Sierra, especially her rendition of Caro Nome from Rigoletto. Without a doubt, the sexiest Gilda of all time.

cats in heat

hotspur wrote: ↑Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:29 pm

REDinFL wrote: ↑Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:03 pm I wonder how great Björling would sound with more modern recording capabilities than those of the 1950s. I never got to hear him live, only Turandot was with Pavarotti.

Bjoerling's recordings from the 1950s stand up pretty well, especially when played over a decent system. If you haven't done so already, check out his La Boheme (53/54 or so) with Robert Merrill, Victoria de Los Angeles, and Thomas Beecham conducting. I never had the opportunity to see him live, either. He died in 1960, when I was 17, and back then I thought the sun shone out of Frank Sinatra's larynx. And you weren't cheated when you saw Pavarotti in Turandot. Also one of the voices of the century, right up there with Caruso and Gigli (my mother's favorite). But do check out Nadine Sierra, especially her rendition of Caro Nome from Rigoletto. Without a doubt, the sexiest Gilda of all time.

When one mentions Caruso and "Rigoletto", can't leave out Amelita Galli Curci. Beyond opera, there is the "Bel Canto" era, which sadly is gone forever. The Philistines have taken over, and are trying to grind further.

hotspur wrote: ↑Wed Mar 30, 2022 4:38 pm And FfNJGTFO, I agree that Emanne Beasha has a beautiful voice, but she might have fared better on her first attempt if she hadn't chosen to sing a tenor aria (Nessun Dorma from Turandot).

I think she did fantastic on her audition. She got four "yes's" (I imagine the judges had already used all their golden buzzers by the time she got there) so they had to wait for "Judge cuts" where the guest judge (in this case Jay Leno) gave her his. As for selecting "Nessun Dorma," I think they did that because it would be one of the very few arias that the modern day "AGT voting audience" would recognize, given the popularity of Pavaroti's cover. and hitting that one "Vincera" high note probably sealed it for her. Otherwise, most had no idea what the other arias were. Even the judging panel had not heard of them. And that's part of what I think led to her downfall in the semi-finals (needed Simon to cast the deciding judge vote to save her) but got only 9th place in the finals. The "AGT" voting audience simply wasn't in to opera. Furthermore, they had other acts which which they could identify more closely (Detroit Youth Choir, etc. etc.) And of course, Kodi Lee being who he was, he was assured the victory. I often wonder if they should have a "Para" AGT championship just like the Para Olympics for people with special needs. The playing field might be slightly more level, then.

Anyway, I'll check out this new artist from Miami.