Oberon's Grove

Virgil Thomson ~ Stabat Mater

Soprano Rachel Farrar sings Virgil Thomson's Stabat Mater in a performance given at Saint Bartholomew's Church in New York City in 2010.

Watch and listen here.

Zylis-Gara & Carreras: CHENIER ~ Final Duet

Teresa Zylis-Gara and Jose Carreras sing the final duet from Giordano's ANDREA CHENIER from a performance at Bonn in 1985. Listen here.

Marilyn Horne as Mimi

Marilyn Horne (above) and Richard Torigi sing the duet of Mimi and Marcello from Act III of Puccini's LA BOHEME, conducted by Janos Ferencsik. The performance dates from September 1963. Listen here.

In 1966, Richard Torigi was my first Iago in Verdi's OTELLO in a performance given at Syracuse, New York. Read about it here.

Four Tenors

Robert Dean Smith sings the Prize Song from Wagner's DIE MEISTERSINGER from a performance given at Barcelona in 2009.

Watch and listen here.

The Canadian tenor Richard Verreau sings "Ombra mai fu" from Handel's SERSE. Listen here.

In 1963, I was at Mr. Verreau's debut at the Old Met, as Faust. Read about it here.

Angelo Mori sings the Improviso from Giordano's ANDREA CHENIER from a live performance given at Genoa in 1968. Listen here. 

Dalmacio González sings "Dalla sua pace" from Mozart's DON GIOVANNI; the performance took place in Madrid in 1989.

Watch and listen here.

Ulrik Cold as Gurnemanz

Danish basso Ulrik Cold sings Gurnemanz's monolog from Act I of Wagner's PARSIFAL:

Ulrik Cold - Titurel der fromme Held ~ PARSIFAL

In Memory Of Raphaël...

Julia Varady sings the Libera me from the Verdi REQUIEM at a 1988 BBC Proms concert conducted by Sir John Pritchard. The chorus is made up of the BBCSO Chorus, the London Philharmonic Choir, and the Bach Choir. 

Watch and listen here.

Mary Costa as Violetta

American soprano Mary Costa sings Violetta in an English-language adaptation of Verdi's LA TRAVIATA shown on British television in 1964. John Wakefield is Alfredo and Thomas Hemsley sings Germont. The conductor is Bryan Balkwill.

Watch and listen here.

Mary Costa gained worldwide fame performing the voice of Aurora in the 1959 classic Disney film SLEEPING BEAUTY, but the beauteous blonde soprano had an estimable career as an opera star as well.

A native of Knoxville, Ms. Costa's family moved to Los Angeles while she was in her teens. She sang solos at church and later with her sorority. In 1958, having already recorded the Disney soundtrack, she won glowing reviews for a concert she gave at the Hollywood Bowl. This led to an invitation to sing the role of  Mařenka in Smetana's BARTERED BRIDE, produced by the renowned German director Carl Ebert, for the Los Angeles Opera Guild. Ebert then requested that she appear at the Glyndebourne Festival.

Also in 1959, Mary Costa sang Cunegonde in the British premiere of Bernstein's CANDIDE. She appeared at Covent Garden and at the Bolshoi as Violetta in TRAVIATA.

In 1963, at the invitation of Jacqueline Kennedy, Ms. Costa sang the Libera me from the Verdi REQUIEM at a televised memorial concert for John F Kennedy. Watch her performance here. In 1971, she sang in the opening performance of the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Mary Costa made her Met debut in TRAVIATA in 1964 and went on to sing Manon, Marguerite in FAUST, Rosalinda in FLEDERMAUS, Verdi's Alice Ford, and Musetta with the Company.  In 1968, she appeared at The Met in the title-role of Samuel Barber's VANESSA. 

In 1972, Ms. Costa starred in the feature film THE GREAT WALTZ. After retiring from the stage and screen, became active as a motivational speaker at schools and colleges across the country, and campaigned for child abuse prevention. In 2003, she was appointed by President George W. Bush to the National Council on the Arts.

Matos & O'Neill ~ WALKURE scene

Elisabete Matos and Simon O'Neill in a scene from Act I of DIE WALKURE from a concert given at A Coruña, Spain, in 2010.

Watch and listen here.

My First PARSIFAL

Above: Thomas Stewart as Amfortas

On April 20th, 1974, I saw Wagner's PARSIFAL for the first time ever. I had heard the opera on two Met broadcasts, and parts of it on recordings, but experiencing it in the theater felt somewhat daunting. My diary entry is surprisingly brief, considering how important this opera eventually became for me:

"At the Met for a matinee of PARSIFAL, my first time seeing this opera.The production is fine. William Steinberg's conducting was very good for the outer acts, but his Act II lacked excitement. Janis Martin as Kundry was great in Act I, but in Act II her highest notes lacked thrust; the more lyrical passages were very well sung. Jess Thomas was uneven, often sounding quite tired. He did have some good stretches, and his portrayal was intelligent and well-acted. 

The best portrayals came from the bassos and the baritones. John Macurdy sang very well as Gurnemanz, his voice darkish and strong. It is a very long role, and at times I wish he had been more expressive; he has not sung this role many times as yet, and he will likely find more nuances in the part as time goes by. Thomas Stewart as Amfortas was excellent; his Act III was magnificently done...BRAVO! Morley Meredith was superb as Klingsor, and James Morris impressive as Titurel. The Grail scenes were both very good."

Looking back, Janis Martin - who had begun her Met career in small mezzo-soprano roles - did indeed give some very impressive performances as a soprano as time went on. She was my first Marie in WOZZECK (she had earlier sung Margret) and Sieglinde, and in 1989 she was an exciting Dyer's Wife in FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN.

John Macurdy's Gurnemanz did develop into something truly special - as I thought it would. It was one of his best roles.

~ Oberon

Oralia Dominguez ~ Alto Rhapsody

Mexican mezzo-soprano sings Johannes Brahms' Alto Rhapsody with the Männerchor des Wiener Singvvereins and the Wiener Symphoniker, conducted by Paul Kletzki. The recording dates from November 12, 1954.

Listen here.