Some opera stars really can "crossover" into superb renditions of "Pop" music.(Well,most of them,anyway). Here are some examples featuring:

Thomas Hampson,Bryn Terfel, Kip Wilborn, Dorothy Kirsten, Rise Stevens, Sumi Jo, Maureen Forrester, Dorothy Bishop, Thomas Quasthoff, Rene Fleming, Federica Von Stade, Placido Domingo,Diana Soviero (at 17), Regina Resnik, Renata Tebaldi,Cesare Siepi, and the famous Burnette/Horne/Farrell trio.

                       (72 min.)

A podcast dedicated to the "lost art" of verismo soprano style. Included are arias by:

         Magda Olivero,Virginia Zeani, Maria Farnetti, Rosetta Pampanini,         Pia Tassinari, Claudia Muzio, Maria Zamboni,          Bianca Sciacciati, Hina Spani, Mafalda Favero, Rosanna Carteri,          Licia Albanese, Angela Gheorghiu, Renata Scotto, and Diana           Soviero.   (64 min.)

  I have selected some artists I feel belong in my "controversial" category. I love most of them,but some I never could grasp...that is the way of things in life. One person exits a film and raves;the other one is totally negative. Same with opera, so PLEASE do not send me too much hate mail, because after all, I am a fairly nice guy.    The artists are:        Martha Moedl, Leonie Rysanek, Theresa Stitch-Randall, Boris Christoff, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Conchita Supervia, Lily Pons, Christina Deutekom, Ivan Koslovsky, Giovanni Martinelli, Maria Callas, Renata Scotto, Magda Olivero, and Leyla Gencer.                                 (71 minutes)

Commercial Recordings from the 1920's of some of the marvelous artists who sang in the Wagner Ring. Included are:

Frieda Leider, Lauritz Melchior, Friedrich Schorr, Emil Schipper, Margarete Klose, Florence Austral, Florence Easton, Walter Widdop, Germaine Lubin, Charles Rousseliere, Andre Verdiere, Ludwig Hoffmann, Ludwig Weber, Maria Olzsewska .                               (69 min.)

The redone Fanciulla Poker Scene with the following selections:

1. Arlene Saunders/Gianpiero Mastromei2. Olivia Stapp/Mastromei3.Johanna Meier/Cornelius Opthof4 .Eleanor Steber/Giangiacomo Guelfi5. Marilyn Zschau/John Shaw6. Magda Olivero/Guelfi7. Aprile Millo/Marco Chingari8. Gigliola Frazzoni/Tito Gobbi9. Renata Tebaldi/Guelfi  (RAI)10.Renata Tebaldi/Anselmo Colzani

Link to the Youtube video featuring Irina Rindzuner:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvx5irtKov8

                   (59 min.)

A comparison of three tenors who thrilled us in our opera-going days from 1951-1975.

     DelMonaco  1951-1960     Corelli          1961-1976     Tucker         1951-1975           They sing in Tosca,Fanciulla,Trovatore,Turandot,and Pagliacci

                I saw them a total of about 150 times, and my memories are vivid and clear. I will tell you that audiences were astounded by their brilliant voices, and as much as I like many tenors of today, no one has come along with this "brand" of squillo!!!!!    (70 min.)               

A comparison of arias as sung by our renowned three tenors, Carreras,Domingo, and Pavarotti. We were lucky to have had these fellows among us.

  The operas represented are:     Werther,Luisa Miller, Rigoletto, La Boheme, Tosca.                                    (71 min.)

 The wonderful Margarete Klose is presented in arias and scenes from:

Orfeo,Tristan und Isolde, Alceste, Samson et Delilah, Don Carlo, Gotterdamerung, Il Trovatore, Un Ballo in Maschera, Lohengrin, Elektra, Die Walkure     (64 min.)

An exciting comparison of various singers in the Macbeth Letter Aria from Act One. Included are:

Leonie Rysanek, Birgit Nilsson, Regina Resnik, Christa Ludwig,Leyla Gencer, Shirley Verrett, Maria Callas, Rita Hunter, andif you go to the following link, you can see the CBC video of this scene with Marisa Galvany.    (71 min.)

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Maria+Galvany&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#q=Marisa%20Galvany&hl=en&emb=0

P.S. On the Marisa Galvany page,you will hear some excerpts from the soprano Maria Galvany, whose rapid-fire staccati are legendary, if also rather strange.

 A comparison of various versions (French and English) of the "O Mio Fernando" aria from Donizetti's "La Favorita." Included are:

Giulietta Simionato, Ebe Stignani, Fedora Barbieri, Regina Resnik,Shirley Verrett, Ketty Lapeyerette, Fiorenza Cossotto, Gloria Scalchi, Vesselina Kasarova, and Rise Stevens.                         So, who is your "favorita?"               (68 min.)