I’ve loved her since the 80s, when a Penguin Guide review sent me chasing her Karajan Aida on cassette from England to Australia. It arrived, I pressed play, and that was it: a lifelong admiration born in a single mezzo phrase.
Impossible to choose—Trovatore blazes, Ballo intrigues, Don Carlos astonishes. But Aida, beneath all the spectacle, is pure tenderness: an opera about hearts whispering in the shadow of history.
I adore this album. The Verdi Oberto cabaletta caps on a ringing top D (sounding like Sutherland)—one of those “how is this a mezzo?” moments.
Completely agree. His Bohème with Freni and Karajan is still the one I reach for—glorious, human, radiant. And that Lucia with Sutherland? Vocal gold.
Ah, the folly of youth—spending one’s meagre fortune on cassettes while others squandered theirs on romance. But what is love compared to a well-sung high C?
Brava! I adore all these recordings - and some more👏
Are they unimpressed 🤣
Karajan with Freni and Pavarotti
This kind of dive into historical recordings is exactly what makes Bluesky such a great place for opera lovers! I’d love to see more posts like this! Your insights and the archival details add so much value. Grazie mille!
Parole che rispecchiano l’arte e l’anima di Zeffirelli: passione, generosità e rispetto per il talento. Un maestro che ha reso il mondo più bello con la sua visione.
I love all four renditions, but Giulietta Simionato wins my heart every time. Her voice has that perfect balance of drama and elegance – truly a mesmerising Ulrica! Thank you for sharing these incredible gems.
@parterrebox.bsky.social Thanks for your splendid insights on Don Carlo(s). The 1977 Abbado recording is an exquisite revelation! I would be delighted if you also graced Bluesky with your commentary—your voice deserves a grand stage. #Verdi #Opera #DonCarlos
parterre.com/2017/12/07/d...
Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu! After a few years away, I’ve returned to the practice, and the journey feels expansive once more. So great to see you here, Jessica—sending love and light!
Too perfect to be real, or just AI playing with our sense of wonder?
A choice both maddening and magnificent—silence, the final luxury.
Each king wears his crown differently, but Martti wields the sceptre with the grandest authority.
It was the kind of evening where reality dissolved into sequins & regret, and I’m not sure I’ve quite recovered. Sondheim’s genius, performed at this level, is both a gift & a wound.
Have you seen Follies live? Did you feel the urge to drape yourself in velvet and lament lost youth over a martini?
If you love Sondheim, classic musicals, or just world-class theatre—do NOT miss this. Six performances only, and it deserves to be seen far beyond Melbourne. #Follies #VictorianOpera #Sondheim #TheatreMagic
Drenched in operatic sublimity, Heidi’s One More Kiss is an unforgettable vocal blend of long-admired soprano Merlyn Quaife and Nina Korbe as her young counterpart in a tenderly realised highlight.
@reviewmusical.bsky.social
And let’s talk about Broadway Baby—83-year-old Geraldene Morrow brought the house down with the kind of show-stopping pizzazz that reminds you exactly why we go to the theatre.
@broadwayworld.bsky.social
Losing My Mind was devastating, Who’s That Woman? an electrifying showstopper, and I’m Still Here was pure theatre magic. @westendmusicals.bsky.social
Marina Prior’s Phyllis was a revelation, Antoinette Halloran’s Sally broke my heart, and the legendary Rhonda Burchmore, Geraldene Morrow, and Anne Wood had the audience in the palm of their hands. @thesondheimhub.bsky.social
✨ Follies at the Palais, Melbourne, was everything I could have dreamed of and more! ✨
A lavish, devastating, and utterly glorious production—Victorian Opera has pulled off something extraordinary. The cast? Flawless. The staging? Sumptuous. The orchestra? Perfection.
@artsreviewau.bsky.social
If you love Sondheim, classic musicals, or just world-class theatre—do NOT miss this. Six performances only, and it deserves to be seen far beyond Melbourne.
#Follies #VictorianOpera #Sondheim #TheatreMagic
Drenched in operatic sublimity, Heidi’s One More Kiss is an unforgettable vocal blend of long-admired soprano Merlyn Quaife and Nina Korbe as her young counterpart in a tenderly realised highlight.
And let’s talk about Broadway Baby—83-year-old Geraldene Morrow brought the house down with the kind of show-stopping pizzazz that reminds you exactly why we go to the theatre.
Losing My Mind was devastating, Who’s That Woman? an electrifying showstopper, and I’m Still Here was pure theatre magic.
@westendmusicals.bsky.social
Marina Prior’s Phyllis was a revelation, Antoinette Halloran’s Sally broke my heart, and the legendary Rhonda Burchmore, Geraldene Morrow, and Anne Wood had the audience in the palm of their hands.
@thesondheimhub.bsky.social