Aafje Heynes started her musical life early, singing at her father's harmonium from the age of four. She auditioned for teacher Jo Immink with an arrangement of the "Pilgrims' Chorus"...
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Two of the greatest dramatic sopranos of the twentieth century were born in Sweden a century ago, within a few weeks of each other. The first to arrive was Astrid...
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Suzanne Danco was a light lyric soprano who could also sing in the mezzo range. The words most often associated with her are impeccable and intelligent. The traits remarked on...
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Francis Poulenc, (born Jan. 7, 1899, Paris, France—died Jan. 30, 1963, Paris), composer who made an important contribution to French music in the decades after World War I and whose...
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If one is going to know something about opera in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, one must know something about Franco Corelli. Corelli was born in Ancona. Ancona is a...
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It has been too long since I have devoted a posting to Callas. Therefore, here is a posting devoted to Callas. I think that she was one of the greatest...
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I was thinking about what to write today, and I decided to write about two of my favorite French singers - Irma Kolassi and Ninon Vallin. Vallin sang earlier in...
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One of the most interesting aspects of Hotter's singing is its emphasis on legato. This is the connecting of one note to the next to make a musical phase. In...
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Bastianini had a tragic life. At one point, he was the most renowned baritone in the opera world. And just a few years later, he suffered and died from cancer...
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I am letting you hear the Libeslieder Walzer (both opus numbers) at your leisure. For me to have posted a translation of every song would have been madness (on my...
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