Fedora Barbieri, Born June 4, 1920.
High E Flat
nuttiest) ladies I ever heard..Fedora Barbieri.....She had an ORGAN of
a voice..filled the stage with phemomenal tone..and even though some
of the very top got a bit "under'....the chest voice and the middle
were so amazing..that she was something spectacular to hear.
Those of you old enough to have witnessed her Trovatore Encampment
Scene where she "spits out' the "AH..De h rallentati o barbari..."
will understand the furor she created..in fact she had a big fight
with Warren one night..because we wanted a SOLO bow from her......and
he got all upset....
In her later years I got to "know her"..first by phone..where I
got her repertory in my ear(an octave lower) and then when she came
here to NY to be honored along with Leyla Gencer..shortly before her
passing....she was a regular riot.....she once regaled us in the
dressing room (1976, after a Schicchi/Suor) with that very Trovatore
line,when I reminded her of how she thrilled us.....She was an
"earthy' lady....and not appreciated by Giulietta Simionato..who
reportedly would not want to be in the same CITY with her......
She carried the chest voice way way up....and it was a wild
thrill to hear the last lines of the Aida Judgement scene in chest
voice...especially the last "ANATEMA" before the "su voiiiii." The
1958 Eboli is beyond her...she did not have an easy top for that role,
but she did so many great things, that can be excused.
I am glad I came to know her briefly in her later
years..the memories are vivid..She reminded me of Anna Magnani in the
film "The Rose Tattoo." I wonder if the rumors are true that she made
a remark once about what she wanted to do with the statue of
David...well..you know rumors.....
Brava Fedora...... Charlie
L T
Fedora Barbieri, Born June 4, 1920.
Group: rec.music.opera
Date: Fri, Jun 5, 2009, 9:28am
From: High E Flat <CharlesH...@cs.com>
----------------------------------------------------
I've long ago noticed the Magnani-like quality in Barbieri's style and
persona on film; Hers was a true mezzo-contralto, but encompassed much
of the mezzo-soprano rep in Italian opera.
She was also, as some early photos show, a great beauty in her youth -
and remained an attractive and tremendously charismatic diva in later
years. (Even in the cameo role of 'Giovanna' in the Pav/Wixell Rigoletto
video)
Barbieri's 'Azucena' spoiled me for all others I ever heard, live or
recorded. Still, the less-known Gianna Pederzini's performance was
unforgettable, in the old, abridged b/w film with Sinimberghi,
Mascherini, and Colonella.
-Likewise, Simionato, with Corelli, Price, and Bastianini in '62.
Paul Ferraro
female Italian singers that were so exciting - think of Cerquetti, Mancini,
Minghini-Cattaneo, Barbieri, Stignani, Elmo, Pederzini, Pirazzini & not
Italian, but definitely part of the group, Oralia Dominguez.
Who did I leave out????
DonPaolo
"L T" <tapef...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:16611-4A2...@baytvnwsxa002.msntv.msn.com...
L T
Victoria Vergara?
-Again, allowing for Non-Italian mezzi, I mention Larisa Diadkova, a
terrific Amneris I saw onstage (with Voight and Margison); Stefania
Toczyska, Dolora Z. (of course!!!), and.... if we venture out the the
opera fach, just for a moment: Ethel Merman!! :)))
Best,
LT
------------------------------------------------
Re: Fedora Barbieri, Born June 4, 1920.
Group: rec.music.opera
Date: Sun, Jun 7, 2009, 2:27pm (PDT+7)
From: Paul Ferraro <donp...@verizon.net>
Very good - indeed, the Magnanilike, "hair under the armpits" type of
gutsy female Italian singers that were so exciting - think of Cerquetti,
Mancini, Minghini-Cattaneo, Barbieri, Stignani, Elmo, Pederzini,
Pirazzini & not Italian, but definitely part of the group, Oralia
Dominguez.
Who did I leave out????
DonPaolo
"L T" <tapef...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:16611-4A2...@baytvnwsxa002.msntv.msn.com...
-------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
LT:
Ancona21
Did she have a microphone in her throat?
> I wonder if the rumors are true that she made
> a remark once about what she wanted to do with the statue of
> David...well..you know rumors.....>
Yes. They are frequently false. Only an idiot would repeat that one in
a "happy birthday" post. But of course it isn't a h.b. post at all.
It's a post about The Opera Clown.
A21
Paul Ferraro
Vergara, but sounds familiar vaguely....
DP
"L T" <tapef...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:12225-4A2...@baytvnwsxa001.msntv.msn.com...
L T
surname) in Aida in '79, with Merighi as Radames - great performances,
all 'round;
Vergara's from Chile, - with nothing 'chilly' about her sound,
appearance, and demeanor.
She was Carmen in the '80s City Opera productions, and Maddalena in the
Pav/Wixell/Gruberova Rigo video. Surely other roles, but these are the
ones I saw her in.
Best,
LT
From: Paul Ferraro <donp...@verizon.net>
Viorica Cortez - not Italian, but part of the "fun bunch. Cannot place
Vergara, but sounds familiar vaguely....
DP
"L T" <tapef...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:12225-4A2...@baytvnwsxa001.msntv.msn.com...
Victoria Vergara?
-Again, allowing for Non-Italian mezzi, I mention Larisa Diadkova, a
terrific Amneris I saw onstage (with Voight and Margison); Stefania
Toczyska, Dolora Z. (of course!!!), and.... if we venture out the the
opera fach, just for a moment: Ethel Merman!! :)))
Best,
LT
----------------------------------------------