Kathleen Battle's reputation
Katherine Moran
her tantrums and mean-spirited ways. What exactly is up with Kathleen
and how do people in the trade feel about her as a person?
--
The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves ;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Terrymelin
>and how do people in the trade feel about her as a person?
Check Deja-News. We've gone over this one again and again. Basic conclusion:
she's a spoiled bitch with not a decent voice left.
Terry Ellsworth
Mark D. Lew
terry...@aol.com (Terrymelin) wrote:
> Check Deja-News. We've gone over this one again and again. Basic conclusion:
> she's a spoiled bitch with not a decent voice left.
Many people reached a similar conclusion but stated it more kindly.
mdl
beatrice_...@hotmail.com
Thank you Mark for your style, grace, and elegance.
Beatrice Rochester,
Supporter of Emma Albani
Mark D. Lew
<katheri...@my-deja.com> wrote:
> She has no voice left? Really? Assuming you're right, around what age
> do opera singers lose their voice? Why? Are there certain kinds of
> operas that are especially harsh on the vocal chords?
Well, yes, but only indirectly. There are certain kinds of singing that
are especially harsh on the vocal cords, and certain operas are more likely
than others to tempt a singer into poor habits.
mdl
Mike Richter
Katherine Moran wrote:
> around what age
> do opera singers lose their voice? Why? Are there certain kinds of
> operas that are especially harsh on the vocal chords?
Between 25 and 90. In general, those wjp lose their voices have faulty
technique for the material they sing.
Nicolai Gedda gave a concert in December of 1998 at age 73 of which I
posted excerpts at my WWW site. (The full concert should be available on
CD-R from Opera Classics shortly.) Some correspondents felt he sounded
better then than 30 years before. I disagree: he sounded the same. He
had some periods of production problems, but they were brief and he
returned to his classic production and the rep for which his voice was
suited. Much the same has been true for Leontyne Price except that she
no longer performs on the opera stage, where Gedda is still stealing the
show on occasion (in his 70's) in appropriate (brief) roles.
The singer who is content with his/her capabilities and reaches
interpretively instead of vocally can sing professionally to a great
age. Listen this week to the Melchior 'Esultate' at my WWW site for an
instance. On the other hand, a singer who insists on tackling
inappropriate material or who never establishes a sound technique may
burn out in a year or two.
Of course, there are other reasons for being unwilling or unable to
sing. But losing one's voice is associated with technique in every
instance I know.
Mike
mric...@cpl.net
http://mrichter.simplenet.com
CD-R http://resource.simplenet.com
Katherine Moran
> >and how do people in the trade feel about her as a person?
>
conclusion:
> she's a spoiled bitch with not a decent voice left.
>
>
She has no voice left? Really? Assuming you're right, around what age
do opera singers lose their voice? Why? Are there certain kinds of
operas that are especially harsh on the vocal chords?
--
The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves ;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
Kagami101
>interpretively instead of vocally can sing professionally to a great
>age.
Amen. Except for those freaks of nature that you run into from time to that
could drink battery acid and STILL sound good. @_@
Todd
Skip
andre35
A.
Skip
Eleanor Kett
When, in the early 50's, the director of the Rio Opera gave her the sack
and replaced her with Tebaldi in Tosca (following Callas' disastrous
performance), she through a heavy object at him and, had she been a better
marksman (sorry, markswoman) she would have killed him.
At least Battle is a great singer. Callas was a great TEMPER, which, I
guess, was why she turned so many people on despite the fact that her
voice usually sounded like a locomotive.
Actually the worst I've heard of Battle is that she's a spoiled diva.
She's not dangerous.
Cheers,
Ellie
Katherine Moran wrote:
> Battle is a terrific singer, but I've heard some horror stories about
> her tantrums and mean-spirited ways. What exactly is up with Kathleen
> and how do people in the trade feel about her as a person?
>
Mark D. Lew
wrote:
> Actually the worst I've heard of Battle is that she's a spoiled diva.
> She's not dangerous.
Danger is not the problem. I don't think anyone is worried that Ms Battle
is going to pull a gun on them.
When opera companies stopped hiring Miss Battle it was not out of fear, nor
out of spite; it was a practical business decision. Miss Battle was simply
too difficult to work with. She was often disruptive at rehearsal,
sometimes didn't keep to the schedule, and many other artists refused to
work with her.
mdl
Skip
Eleanor Kett wrote:
> Nothing can compete with the horror stories I've heard of Maria Callas.
> When, in the early 50's, the director of the Rio Opera gave her the sack
> and replaced her with Tebaldi in Tosca (following Callas' disastrous
> performance), she through a heavy object at him and, had she been a better
> marksman (sorry, markswoman) she would have killed him.
> At least Battle is a great singer. Callas was a great TEMPER, which, I
> guess, was why she turned so many people on despite the fact that her
> voice usually sounded like a locomotive.
> Actually the worst I've heard of Battle is that she's a spoiled diva.
> She's not dangerous.
>
Holli Niesner
with.. and it only makes sense. Of course, I am only starting out, and if
you start out with a bad attitude, you'll never get anywhere.. but I'd like
to think.. that if I ever make it, I will still be nice to work with... and
people will not think of me as a "spoiled diva." .. which brings up a
question... are there any famous sopranos that are known for being nice? :)
-Holli
Mark D. Lew <mark...@earthlink.newt> wrote in message
news:markdlew-ya0240800...@news.earthlink.net...
> In article <37B7197E...@internet-zahav.net>, ke...@internet-zahav.net
> wrote:
>
> > Actually the worst I've heard of Battle is that she's a spoiled diva.
> > She's not dangerous.
>
Skip
Kiri TeKanawa
Birgit Nilsson
Beverly Sills
Monseratt Caballe
Holli Niesner
so much! :)
-Holli
MNockin <mno...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19990815215907...@ng-cg1.aol.com...
> Sopranos and mezzos known for being nice. : two delightful ladies who are
very
> halpful on the net are Christine Goerke and Susan Graham.
> The all time backstage, as well as on stage, charmer was Leonie Rysanek. .
Not
> far behind is Frederica von Stade.
> there are plenty more of them, too, and in the next generation, there will
be
> Holli!
> Maria
Brady McElligott
Others may disagree, but I found Sills and Price to be women of style, beauty,
and wonderful manners. They both made you feel as if they would like to spend
all evening just chatting with you. (Also, they were both exemplary guest
artists at my university in the eighties...they gave grief to absolutely no
one, and were gracious and kind--unlike some of the other, more "temperamental"
guest artists that came to perform.)
Brady McElligott --Edgewood, NM
arr...@aol.com (<--please reply to this one)
(ve...@unm.edu) (and not to this one--for stuffy university use only)
"Is it music, or just on purpose?" -N. Rimsky-Korsakov
MNockin
Umbramafe
are just too many good (and notice I say good)
voices out there for music directors and conductors, or the public for that
matter, to put up with "spoiled brats." And yes there were (and I'm sure there
are) many sopranos who were nice in the sense that they could take criticism,
direction, and cared about their coworkers and public. Several of the famous
who come to mind are Renata Tebaldi, Victoria de los Angeles, Marilyn Horne,
Beverly Sills, and the lovely and much missed, Lucia Popp.
They are proved that it doesn't hurt to be "nice" even if you do have a supreme
talent.
Skip
Skip
Holli Niesner wrote:
> awwww! You're so nice! :) That just made my day.. err.. evening :) Thank you
> so much! :)
>
> -Holli
>
> MNockin <mno...@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:19990815215907...@ng-cg1.aol.com...
Ivrys88
>At least Battle is a great singer. Callas was a great TEMPER [snip]
Many people would say precisely the reverse.
Like her or not, Callas' effect on operatic and vocal art is not to be
questioned. I seriously doubt Kathleen Battle has left an indelible mark on
either field, and I will agree with you that her displays of temperament are
hardly historic either. Her worst offense is not that she's spoiled, it's that
she is a trivial singer.
Skip
Ivrys88
>are there any famous sopranos that are known for being nice? :)
The summer I was studying at Tanglewood my singer friends were charmed by
Mirella Freni.
Skip
Brady McElligott
and the direction made her look (act?) good, too.
Some of my singers, looking at her telecast of Zerlina, say "Is that really
Kathleen Battle? I had always heard she was awful!"
Which probably shows why the Met hired her in the first place, but history
shows why they fired her, too.
And who knows, maybe she was an early "example" to fire, and maybe other
singers acted worse than she did and shaped up.
At any rate, she is a great example to temperamental students of what "could"
happen to singers with "excessive temperament" these days.
Skip
Mark D. Lew
(MNockin) wrote:
> The all time backstage, as well as on stage, charmer was Leonie Rysanek.
. Not
> far behind is Frederica von Stade.
I've never had the privilege of meeting Ms Rysanek, but as far as I'm
concerned Flicka is the model of the perfect diva. On the one hand she is
as friendly and personable as you could ever hope for anyone to be, and yet
at the same time she conveys such supreme grace and dignity that you can't
help being in awe of her greatness. This remarkable combination is without
even the slightest hint of arrogance or pretense. She is truly a diva in
the best sense of the word. Somehow she seems to be a superior person, but
in a way which makes others around her seem not inferior but,
paradoxically, equally uplifted.
mdl
Neil Fisher
Carol Vaness is meant to be extremely professional and amiable; Felicity
Lott is a delightful person who I liked tremendously when I met her.
In article <rrerco...@corp.supernews.com>, Holli Niesner
<blonden...@hotmail.com> writes
>I've always been told that you should be as pleasant as possible to work
>with.. and it only makes sense. Of course, I am only starting out, and if
>you start out with a bad attitude, you'll never get anywhere.. but I'd like
>to think.. that if I ever make it, I will still be nice to work with... and
>people will not think of me as a "spoiled diva." .. which brings up a
>question... are there any famous sopranos that are known for being nice? :)
>
>-Holli
>
>
--
Neil
andre35
oddly frightening.
Have we not homogenized our lives enough, can't we leave just a little room for
differences? These may be of style, or attitude and temperment.
And that is why I am hard put to differentiate between singers today, at least
those not of the very first order. Given your "warning," Corelli wouldn't have
had a career.
People, even musicians, tend to be people. A little slack won't hurt.
As you can see, regimentation makes me nervous.
Oh well........no pasaran
andre35
andre35
"Conform to the norm or your ass is gone." Only a matter of degree. Granted, opera
is the ultimate group effort, the paradox is; its the apex of "Star" adulation
also. Line drawing leads to tighter boundries and "conforming."
Best
Andre
Brady McElligott wrote:
> >Somehow, I find your reaction to Battle, and the implied threat to "be good,"
> >oddly frightening.
>
> I must admit I can't follow your line of reasoning at all, given what I said,
> which was "the direction made her look good", with the implication that the
> direction also made her appear to be a good actress, as well. There was no
> implied threat at all, in any fashion:
>
> >Brady McElligott wrote:
> >
> >> Some of her videos, since they were so well miked, make her sound
> >fantastic,
> >> and the direction made her look (act?) good, too.
>
> See? The point of my posting is that the videos show her as being more than
> just adequate, but being actually good at what she does, in spite of the bad
> reputation she has:
>
> >> Some of my singers, looking at her telecast of Zerlina, say "Is that really
> >> Kathleen Battle? I had always heard she was awful!"
>
> See? And then I gave her the benefit of the doubt, suggesting that the Met saw
> those qualities and hired her:
>
> >> Which probably shows why the Met hired her in the first place
>
> See? And then I pointed out that what happened later was why the Met fired
> her:
>
> >but history
> >> shows why they fired her, too.
>
> See? And then I gave an opinion that she might have been fired as a test case,
> and that it might have inspired other singers to act a little more graciously
> and NOT get fired:
>
> > And who knows, maybe she was an early "example" to fire, and maybe other
> >> singers acted worse than she did and shaped up.
> >> At any rate, she is a great example to temperamental students of what
> >"could"
> >> happen to singers with "excessive temperament" these days.
>
> See? I don't really like to be accused of flaming a singer when I did no such
> thing. I show the videos to my students, don't I? As an opera singer, I don't
> like to flame other opera singers. Singing is a tenuous enough business as it
> is.
>
> It's ok, I have certainly misunderstood my own share of postings.
andre35
suggestion that perhaps all the ramifications are not apparent to you, and by
extension, your students.
Andy
andre35
Battle. I am railing against regimentation and homogenization only. Sorry
A.
John Yohalem
It's usually the second-raters who do -- they're insecure.
The others are professional.
Oh, and I heard Battle do some LOVELY things (the Shepherd in Tannhauser,
Semele, Pamina, Sophie) and some rather dreadful and mediocre things
(Susanna), and no one is responsible for wrecking her stage career but
Kathleen Battle.
John Yohalem
ench...@herodotus.com
"Opera depends on the happy fiction that feeling can be sustained over
impossibly long stretches of time." -- Joseph Kerman
andre35
of the music.
What more can either of us say?
Andre
Brady McElligott wrote:
> >"Inspired other singers to act a little more graciously" is only a step away
> >from
> >"Conform to the norm or your ass is gone." Only a matter of degree. Granted,
> >opera
> >is the ultimate group effort, the paradox is; its the apex of "Star"
> >adulation
> >also. Line drawing leads to tighter boundries and "conforming."
> >Best
> >Andre
>
> Andre, have you ever had to work with a performer that is a real jerk, let
> alone sing with one? Either yes or no, I rest my case.
Brady McElligott
Brady McElligott
>from
>"Conform to the norm or your ass is gone." Only a matter of degree. Granted,
>opera
>is the ultimate group effort, the paradox is; its the apex of "Star"
>adulation
>also. Line drawing leads to tighter boundries and "conforming."
>Best
>Andre
Andre, have you ever had to work with a performer that is a real jerk, let
alone sing with one? Either yes or no, I rest my case.
Stephen Goldberg
I think that's entirely fair and justifiable. Those of you in the seats (God bless you all!) who have never worked upstage of the proscenium probably cannot understand this, I suppose, but I hope some of you do.
Stephen Goldberg
andre35 wrote:
"Inspired other singers to act a little more graciously" is only a step away from
"Conform to the norm or your ass is gone." Only a matter of degree. Granted, opera
is the ultimate group effort, the paradox is; its the apex of "Star" adulation
also. Line drawing leads to tighter boundries and "conforming."
Best
Andre
Brady McElligott wrote:
> >Somehow, I find your reaction to Battle, and the implied threat to "be good,"
> >oddly frightening.
>
> I must admit I can't follow your line of reasoning at all, given what I said,
> which was "the direction made her look good", with the implication that the
> direction also made her appear to be a good actress, as well. There was no
> implied threat at all, in any fashion:
>
> >Brady McElligott wrote:
> >
> >> Some of her videos, since they were so well miked, make her sound
> >fantastic,
> >> and the direction made her look (act?) good, too.
>
> See? The point of my posting is that the videos show her as being more than
> just adequate, but being actually good at what she does, in spite of the bad
> reputation she has:
>
> >> Some of my singers, looking at her telecast of Zerlina, say "Is that really
> >> Kathleen Battle? I had always heard she was awful!"
>
> See? And then I gave her the benefit of the doubt, suggesting that the Met saw
> those qualities and hired her:
>
> >> Which probably shows why the Met hired her in the first place
>
> See? And then I pointed out that what happened later was why the Met fired
> her:
>
> >but history
> >> shows why they fired her, too.
>
> See? And then I gave an opinion that she might have been fired as a test case,
> and that it might have inspired other singers to act a little more graciously
> and NOT get fired:
>
> > And who knows, maybe she was an early "example" to fire, and maybe other
> >> singers acted worse than she did and shaped up.
> >> At any rate, she is a great example to temperamental students of what
> >"could"
> >> happen to singers with "excessive temperament" these days.
>
> See? I don't really like to be accused of flaming a singer when I did no such
> thing. I show the videos to my students, don't I? As an opera singer, I don't
> like to flame other opera singers. Singing is a tenuous enough business as it
> is.
>
> It's ok, I have certainly misunderstood my own share of postings.
>
Holli Niesner
Stephen Goldberg <step...@indyopera.org> wrote in message news:37B983B7...@indyopera.org...
planet...@uswest.net
andre35 <and...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> As a Guitar player, yes. Often the imbicilities were overlooked in
the interest
> of the music.
> What more can either of us say?
> Andre
I would imagine working with her backstage would be like having a Cate
in the House. I'm against regimentation as well, but there are certain
lines not to be crossed, especially if, in an artistic endeavor,
everyone's minds are more on fending off the craziness of an artist
than on the work itself. Just as some threads here become not about
their headings, but about catering to the disturbed personality of the
thread starter. As a certain Venetian conductor, who made one (I
believe) recording with her, told me well before she was fired from the
Met, "I never work with her again--she is BEETCH."
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
andre35
Ms Battle it seems, is to be used as an example of "see what happens
when you misbehave."
Which of your company would not trade their career for hers? In business,
the arts, all endeavors.....management is management.......malleable is
easier....at what price??
no pasaran
andre35
andre35
Battle, but the stifling of temperment and personality BEFORE it reaches
the Battle level, but retains an individual mark of its own.
Last word..no answers coming...Paraphrase Dickens....Cate was dead to begin
with...HELP!
Andy
Holli Niesner
andre35 <and...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message news:37B9BF1C...@bellsouth.net...
Skip
Mark D. Lew
<blonden...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
> ...
Ohe! ohe! au! au!
Holli, have you switched to one of those awful Microsoft contraptions that
posts "enriched" text? I used to be able to read your posts just fine.
Now they're coming out filled with codes.
Is anyone else having this problem?
Does anyone else who uses Outlook or MimeOLE or whatever it is know if
there's a way to set it to post plain text?
mdl
beatrice_...@my-deja.com
some of the comments that were made about Maria Callas can easily be
said about Kathleen Battle, and vice versa, despite their innate
differences. It's interesting:
"Maria Callas was the most glamorous, most talked about, most
flamboyantly idolized and most spectacularly assailed operatic figure of
our time. Loved or hated in person, praised or scorned in art, no singer
inspired so much discussion, nor exercised comparable power at the box
office."
"In the world of music, Kathleen Battle epitomizes the very qualities
which listeners around the globe strive to put adequately into words:
incandescent vocal gifts, superb dramatic instincts, impeccable musical
tastes and a radiant personality surmounted by a warmth that instantly
translates across the footlights and onto recordings."
Oh well...
Although Battle, like Callas, would always have a problematic staccati,
I would definately rank her alongside Sutherland at times based on her
wonderful trills and accurate running scales. Battle's "Jubal's Lyre" on
her Salzburg Recital recording is one of the most amazing displays of
coloratura training on record. The melismas are stunning...perfect at a
tempi that is much too fast, her breaths are completely silent, her
register breaks are near-invisible, and her final interpolated high
A-natural sounds well-supported and is huge as a result. An untrained
singer could hardly master such a feat during a live concert.
Another Battle recording that too many people seem to forget is her
Zerbinetta with Levine. Although I prefer larger high notes at many of
the musical climaxes during the duet with the Composer in Act I, Battle
certainly sounds charmed by the Composer and truly moved by these newer,
deeper emotions that she (Zerbinetta) is experiencing...starry-eyed
almost. Now the virtuoso aria is the place during which Battle justifies
her casting in this role...she sings here as if her life depends on it.
She swoops and swoons like no one else can. Her turns and melismas are
excellently maneuvered and she actually manages some good staccati. Her
trills can also be revered, and she seems to have no trouble controlling
her dynamics also. But the high E-natural here is her best E-natural in
alt on record. It is not sour, pinched, or small...it is glorious and
graceful. The only real problem with this recording is a pinched, di
Stefano-like high D-natural in the recitative just before the cadenza.
Some would have you believe that she is too cute here...she is not at
all. Battle can be playful, but at points like "Ist es nicht schmerzlich
suB" she can be seductive and sweet, on "Als waren sie die Statue auf
ihrer eignen Gruft" she darkens her timbre and even uses a bit of chest
for dramatic effect, she sounds agitated on "Prinzessin, horen Sie mich
an," all-knowing on "Wir alle - ach, wir alle," then she actually and
intelligently internalizes "Wer ist die Frau, die es nicht durchgelitten
hatte?" to make us a little more aware that she (Zerbinetta) is a real
person that has experienced real pain. I could of course go on and on,
but my point is that Battle was not just some small-voiced little girl
with money and a career that she did not deserve...she looked into her
roles to the best of her ability and she did a much better job in this
particular role than many, excuse me, *most* that I have seen and heard.
This Zerbinetta is just more serious than many...she knows what she
wants and it's exciting.
Before her vocal decline Battle was capable of so much. It was later
that her performances become homogenized and her vocal deficiencies
became distracting because she had to focus so much more on controlling
her voice rather than developing the character that she was
playing. Which other performer can that statement describe? (Now please
do not get me wrong...I am not comparing Battle and Callas artistically,
I am just making a few speculations that I find interesting.)
Battle was an amazing opera and oratorio singer, as well as an excellent
singer of French and German art songs. The public has forgotten how
quickly her recitals and operatic performances sold out worldwide. Her
Japanese recitals with the Met Orchestra and her many Carnegie Hall
recitals sold out months before the events actually took place. I have
speculated in earlier posts on the reasons for her actions and I do not
care to do it again. If you want to hear the opinion of someone that has
actually met her you can simply look it up at:
People say she is nothing...she will easily be forgotten. It has been 4
or 5 years since she was dismissed from the Met by Mr. Volpe, and it has
been just as long since she has performed on the operatic stage. Her
operatic career has been over...she has retired from the stage and only
occasionally performs in recitals. She also never discusses her choices
during the rare interviews that she gives. However, she is still
discussed, loved, and hated...attacked just as strongly now as she was
when she did perform on the stage. Which other performer can that
statement describe? They are both misunderstood creatures blasted and
loved for their voices and their dramatic instincts. So many said that
Callas would also be a fad...they also said she was going to ruin the
art of voice and opera because of her unorthodox voice with its many
problems. Which other performer can that statement describe?...these
are just a few thoughts I have been pondering for a while on the curse
and legend of the operatic diva.
Beatrice Rochester
Tristan848
performances of the role and great performances of the work!!! Jay
Skip
Battle is lucky to have performed on the same stage as Sutherland, but rank her along side? Please I really think not.
Accurate running scales? Did you ever hear her live? More like a flutter all over the scale........that is if you can hear
her......her breaths are completely silent? now I know you have never heard her live, A-Natural is huge, huge to what, a
flea?
She may be all those things in a recording studio, but live, well change your batteries in your hearing aids.........
beatrice_...@my-deja.com wrote:
> Kathleen Battle is (was) perhaps the last true "diva." It's strange that
> some of the comments that were made about Maria Callas can easily be
> said about Kathleen Battle, and vice versa, despite their innate
> differences. It's interesting:
MD
> Kathleen Battle is (was) perhaps the last true "diva." It's strange that
> some of the comments that were made about Maria Callas can easily be
> said about Kathleen Battle, and vice versa, despite their innate
> differences. It's interesting:
The main difference would seem to be that Callas could HEARD PAST THE THIRD
ROW
>
>
> Although Battle, like Callas, would always have a problematic staccati,
> I would definately rank her alongside Sutherland at times based on her
> wonderful trills and accurate running scales.
Well now this is like comparing a petunia to an oak tree!! Except that
they're both plants, it's just a silly comparison.
Battle always a had a small, pretty voice. She behaved with extraordinary
rudeness to her colleagues and eventually was fired because the product
wasn't worth the hassle of dealing with the woman. End of story. She made
some lovely recordings that can be boosted for volume. But the Met is a
union house, and you just don't treat people the way Battle did and not have
it impact you negatively. When it was announced onstage at a rehearsal that
Battle had been summarily fired, the entire orchestra and chorus burst into
applause!!
Skip
MD wrote: When it was announced onstage at a rehearsal that
Holli Niesner
LONG way to go.. :) Another 2 years of college and then 4 more for a
Masters. :) .. but that would be SO cool if one day I could write on this
newsgroup: Hey guys.. I'm debuting (sp?) at the Met this coming whenever..
come see me please :) HEE HEE :) yay. I am SO happy. I just love everything
about opera!
-Holli
Tyrrath <tyr...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19990818204345...@ng-ck1.aol.com...
> Oh, Holli girl, I do hope you make it. You're a good egg!
>
> Keep up the good work!
>
> Your fan,
>
> Tyrrath
MD
In the end Battle was the victim of her colleagues
This is absolute, total and laughable crap. This 'gracious
lady' as you describe her was one of the most unpleasant people ever to
draw breath, and if she smiled while she signed your program after a concert,
then I'm glad you enjoyed it. You should have tried rehearsing and
or performing with her. She should have been fired 5 years earlier.
The over-riding emotion her colleagues had was not envy, it was annoyance
and sheer pity.
Tyrrath
beatrice_...@hotmail.com
Lyre" was recorded "live" at the Salzburg Festival in 1984. Maybe you
thought the Festival setting was just a very large recording studio so I
will not poke too much more fun at you:) BUT, why would an audience be
there?:)
You Battle detractors also looooove to misquote people to serve your own
agendas. I said the early Salzburg "Jubal's Lyre" features silent
breaths...it is well known that towards the end of her career her
breaths became quite loud, and I did not say that every breath she ever
took was silent. Her early Salzburg "Jubal's Lyre" features a large high
A-natural...I did not say that every A-natural in alt she ever sang was
large. Her vocal decline is well documented and I respect it just as
much as the next listener....well, I should say, just as much as the
next humane listener that listens without an agenda.
I ranked Battle's *legati ornamenti* alongside Sutherland's in those
particular recordings...I never said she was "The Next
Sutherland"...that would be absurd. Her fioratura in those recordings
were very precise and accurate and her trills were true thrills...I
suggest you learn the difference between a "live" recording and a
studio recording first, and then listen to a Kathleen Battle recording
without an agenda second to truly hear her accuracy. Also, I never said
Battle was just as large vocally as Sutherland was...there is another
misquote from another Battle detractor. In response to that misquote I
will simply say that it isn't the size of the ship that counts...it's
the motion in the ocean;) Battle certainly has that motion in the
recordings that I mentioned. Also, if I recall correctly, neither
Sciutti or Ratti had huge voices. Actually, Battle's voice was much
easier to hear than Sciutti's was...can I get a witness? Perhaps Sciutti
was "under the weather" when I heard her.
Just so you know I have seen and heard Battle in the opera house, in the
recital hall, on record, and I have met the gracious woman in
person...everyone knows this...I have posted it countless times before
to present my credentials in this field. If you are curious I suggest
you go to the following website and find it:
As for you MD...
MD wrote:
>Well now this is like comparing a petunia to an oak tree!! Except that
>they're both plants, it's just a silly comparison.
I have already commented on this misquote.
>Battle always a had a small, pretty voice. She behaved with
extraordinary
rudeness to her colleagues and eventually was fired because the product
wasn't worth the hassle of dealing with the woman. End of story. She
made
some lovely recordings that can be boosted for volume. But the Met is a
union house, and you just don't treat people the way Battle did and not
have
it impact you negatively. When it was announced onstage at a rehearsal
that
Battle had been summarily fired, the entire orchestra and chorus burst
into
applause!!
End of story? Perhaps you are not familiar with how things work
here...THERE IS NEVER AN END TO THE STORY. We are here to discuss topics
and if you think you can just come along when you think you have the
almighty and ultimate "answer" and say that the story is over...well...
[ring, ring]
Beatrice: Oh that's the CLUEPHONE!
[picks up the phone]
Beatrice: Hello? Oh MD!?!? It's the CLUEPHONE for you...they say it's
urgent!
:)
Now as for her "rudeness," I will first say that I have discussed this
before and if you are interested you can find those posts at the
following website:
In the end Battle was the victim of her colleagues...well, the victim of
self-immolation as a result of the abuse from her colleagues...I *can*
see the truth. She was outcast by her jealous colleagues because of the
size of her voice compared to the size of her bank account, and because
of her many devoted fans, and her only way to earn the respect that she
deserved was to prove to her colleagues that she was not as small a
woman as her voice was. In the end, the cruel words of her colleagues
during the _Daughter of the Regiment_ rehearsals caused her to act out.
It is a very classic reaction. Would *you* want to be around people
that, no matter how you acted, treated you as if you were an outcast?
Would you want to show up for work early, subjecting yourself to much
more abuse, let alone at all? No...I do not think you would. You are
just another Battle detractor...just like the colleagues that cast her
out of the high school clique because she didn't "fit in." You did not
allow her to fit in. I would like to remind you all again that the odd
couple of Battle and Scotto are actually friends...the diva Scotto, also
known as "Miss Piggy," could understand Battle. Scotto also knows what
it is like to be crucified by detractors because of the deficiencies
that arose in her voice as time went on. I've written all of this
before, so if you are interested in reading a much more thorough version
it can be found at:
I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting Ms. Battle in person. As I
have written time and time again she was charming in a very sweet way. I
suggest you Battle detractors actually *meet* Battle before you call her
a bitch. Battle the woman, and Battle the stage diva fighting for her
life among a sea of detractors, are two very different
creatures...actually, much like Callas, a.k.a. La Divina, and Maria.
If those people applauded, it most likely reinforced in her mind that
her colleagues were against her.
Finally, i would just like to say that every time a new Battle post pops
up, the Battle detractor Skip always gives us his stale, rude, coarse,
inelegant, and uninformed comments. He is obviously just a detractor,
and I hope you people that read his posts take them with a grain of
salt...he is like a tabloid reporter...he does not report the truth, he
reports filth (and if you think I am a prude, then so be it, but I do
not find speaking of voice production and the "runs" in the same
sentence, or seeing the word "bitch" in bold print is very informative
or nice to read either). People like Skip cause stars (please note that
I wrote "stars" and not Ms. Battle) to become elusive, secretive, and at
times even suicidal. People like Skip tortured Princess Dianna
throughout her life, and ultimately caused her untimely death. They are
the vile vultures that feed on the weak and the dead. Battle has retired
you horrible detractors...let her live in peace!
Madame Beatrice Rochester
In article <37BB2357...@mindspring.com>,
Skip <w...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> Not sure your talking about the same Battle I've heard....to put her
in the same class as Sutherland, please give me a break,
> Battle is lucky to have performed on the same stage as Sutherland, but
rank her along side? Please I really think not.
> Accurate running scales? Did you ever hear her live? More like a
flutter all over the scale........that is if you can hear
> her......her breaths are completely silent? now I know you have never
heard her live, A-Natural is huge, huge to what, a
> flea?
> She may be all those things in a recording studio, but live, well
change your batteries in your hearing aids.........
>
> beatrice_...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> > Kathleen Battle is (was) perhaps the last true "diva." It's strange
that
> > some of the comments that were made about Maria Callas can easily be
> > said about Kathleen Battle, and vice versa, despite their innate
> > differences. It's interesting:
> > Although Battle, like Callas, would always have a problematic
staccati,
> > I would definately rank her alongside Sutherland at times based on
her
> > wonderful trills and accurate running scales. Battle's "Jubal's
Lyre" on
>
>
Skip
Skip
stage.......
Why even put Sutherland in the same sentence? Oh please beatrice, Battle a Victim.... Now look who is looking for an
agenda...... Please it is a very well known fact, how rude this little twit was to everyone.... please if you like her that's
one thing, but don't make her into something she never was, and that's a nice person.........and you did compare sutherland
and battle....... Read Below........Many sopranos can trill and sing very good scales, but you put Sutherland there and
ranked Battle with her....
I would rank
beatrice_...@hotmail.com wrote:
> ..I
> suggest you learn the difference between a "live" recording and a
> studio recording first, and then listen to a Kathleen Battle recording
> without an agenda second to truly hear her accuracy. Also, I never said
> Battle was just as large vocally as Sutherland was...there is another
Skip
problem with fans, they have no first hand knowledge of the other side......Callas was a perfectionist, Battle is just
Battle, crap.
Ivrys88
>I would like to remind you all again that the odd
>couple of Battle and Scotto are actually friends...the diva Scotto, also
>known as "Miss Piggy," could understand Battle. Scotto also knows what
>it is like to be crucified by detractors because of the deficiencies
>that arose in her voice as time went on.
This gives the misleading impression that Battle became a "difficult"
personality as a consequence of her vocal decline. Even her in her prime there
were numerous stories about clashes with colleagues, notably Kiri te Kanawa
when they appeared together in Arabella at the Met. I seriously doubt that te
Kanawa had any envious feelings about the size of Battle's bank account. :-)
Yes, in her prime Battle had talent and ability, and even a charm onstage, that
cannot be gainsaid. But even among sopranos of her general vocal type and color
she never had the artistic insight of such distinguished singers as Elisabeth
Schumann, Judith Blegen, and Elly Ameling. As far as coloratura technique is
concerned, she has since been matched, perhaps outclassed, by Sumi Jo. As MD
and others have said, she sank her career ultimately because what she had was
not worth putting up with all the rest.
Terrymelin
As an aside I find Sumi Jo's voice incredibly boring and "white." It has not
distinctive quality and in performance she leaves me cold. She may have
technique but little else.
Terry Ellsworth
Mike {The Piano Monster} Schear
think she is anything but boring.
mike
On 19 Aug 1999, Terrymelin wrote:
--->>perhaps outclassed, by Sumi Jo. A
--->
--->As an aside I find Sumi Jo's voice incredibly boring and "white." It has not
--->distinctive quality and in performance she leaves me cold. She may have
--->technique but little else.
--->
--->Terry Ellsworth
--->
--->
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Michael Schear - 46 Raleigh Street, Rochester, NY 14627 - 271-2569
ms0...@uhura.cc.rochester.edu msc...@cs.rochester.edu
mi...@cvs.rochester.edu mi...@cif.rochester.edu
"Do what's good for you or you're not good for anybody". --B. Joel
"Don't compromise yourself -- You are all you've got." -- Janis Joplin
"You're only as beautiful as your thoughts." -- Earth, Wind and Fire
beatrice_...@my-deja.com
Well, Skip wrote:
>I suggest you listen to a live performance tape, and go to the opera
live..... The mics are placed right above the
stage.......
Why even put Sutherland in the same sentence? Oh please beatrice, Battle
a Victim.... Now look who is looking for an
agenda...... Please it is a very well known fact, how rude this little
twit was to everyone.... please if you like her that's
one thing, but don't make her into something she never was, and that's a
nice person.........and you did compare sutherland
and battle....... Read Below........Many sopranos can trill and sing
very good scales, but you put Sutherland there and
ranked Battle with her....
I would rank
I can see there is no way to have a conversation with you...you do not
read my posts...you just think of cynical ways to respond. I have said
time and time again that I have:
"...seen and heard Battle in the opera house, in the recital hall, on
record..."
Battle's voice was much easier to hear than Sciutti's *and*
Ratti's...I've heard them all in the house...have you? What do you
think?
Now, I studied some psychology along with classical vocal performance
and music education in college and what I wrote was an analysis of how
Battle, from everything I have seen, read, and heard, most likely
thought and reacted. She was at first told by her colleagues that she
was unimportant because of the timbre and size of her voice...however,
the fans and critics raved. But, she would need the approval of her
colleagues before she truly felt like she had "arrived." Soon the
"tiny-voiced black girl" would realize that no matter how nice she was,
her detractors would still ask her things like:
"Is it supposed to be that small?"
Such a question is completely embarrassing and unprofessional (I will
not mention the name of the artist that made the comment to her). She
then decided that if she wanted the respect of her colleagues, she would
have to be much larger than her voice. The poor woman was tortured, then
she fought fire with fire, only to become a victim of self-immolation.
Now I think I have posted this before, but if you are interested I will
tell it again. I had heard Battle in the roles of Zerlina, Zerbinetta,
et cetera, when a good friend and dress designer called me to tell me
that she would be designing a dress for Ms. Battle. I jumped at the
opportunity to meet the diva during a fitting. At this point I had heard
some of the stories (which is another reason that I wanted to meet
her:), so I went into the situation expecting the worst...I was a
surprised old gal. She was completely helpful when it came to standing
there for the finishing touches, and she was not like her stage persona
at all...I can only describe this difference by comparing her to Callas,
because as we all know on stage and in the public eye Callas was La
Divina, but in private and in small settings she was the warm and gentle
Maria. During the fitting Battle told us that she was looking forward to
wearing the absolutely lovely dress in an upcoming recital. She never
asked "Are we done yet?" or "What is taking so damn long?!" She was a
picture of elegance in this little setting...she was interesting and
engaging...this caused me to
question the true reason that these stories, some true some not of
course, were
spread. In the end I could only see what I have written...her reactions
were so classic. For example, if your sexual partner looked at you naked
Skip and asked "Is it supposed to be that small?" how would you feel?
Would you be cheerful with her and tell her stories over coffee? Or,
would you feel ill towards her and be somewhat hesitant about showing
"it" to her again and being near her because every time you were you
could only hear "Is it supposed to be that small?" Her reactions were so
classic...I am surprised you cannot not see that (well not really:).
Now on my comparison of the legati coloraturas on the Battle recordings
that I mentioned to the legati coloraturas of Sutherland, I must say
that actually few women can trill and sing running scales *so* well.
Gruberova had an ugly trill, and at times "ha ha" coloratura, Swenson
has
an ugly trill, June Anderson had no trill and horrible running scales,
Dessay has wonderful running scales but spotty trills, Sumi Jo also has
nice runs but spotty trills. Caballe never had a true trill, Barbara
Hendricks never had a true trill. Berger was capable of much at times,
but at many other times her trills would fall apart and her running
scales were a bit rough (she did have good staccati, but I am only
speaking of legati fioratura at this time). Ratti also never had a true
trill or good runs. However, in the recordings that I mentioned, Battle
exercised an amazing amount of vocal virtuosity...trills on the same
level as Sutherland's, and the accuracy that Sutherland oftentimes had
in her running scales...my comparison has always been about the accuracy
of their legati coloraturas...nothing more...NOTHING MORE. "Jubal's
Lyre" is a very difficult piece, especially when taken at an
unreasonably fast tempi. Battle handled her voice with wonderful control
and made a sensational "live" recording of the aria. She accomplished
this feat "live"...and as you may know you cannot cut and paste in the
middle of a "live" performance...well *she* did not. You speculated that
she was not capable of the feat, and when I called you on it you went to
the size of her voice...you detractor (!). The A-natural was large for
*her voice*...and
Battle's voice, I will say again, was much easier to hear in the house
than Sciutti's and Ratti's voices were. She also was the better
coloratura technician of the three *soubrettes*. Which of
the Battle, Ratti, and Sciutti performances did you *attend*? I am just
curious.
Finally, Skip wrote:
>This is the problem with fans, they have no first hand knowledge of the
other side.
Well, this is the problem with detractors...they make statements that
are untrue and they misquote people to prove their laughable points.
Madame Beatrice Rochester
beatrice_...@my-deja.com
statements that I made on a few well-known and beloved singers
(Gruberova, J. Anderson, Ratti, et cetera) during a heated argument.
Madame Beatrice Rochester
Jon Davis
>are untrue and they misquote people to prove their laughable points.
Good God - I think Tommie is back ! ! !
Jon Davis
I electrocuted a dozen Hari Krishnas, and measured it:
Exactly 12 ohms!
Skip
stories........... How many people do you know that have worked with her? Other than meeting her back stage with a bunch of
other fans, when did you see her in a rehearsal with colleagues? I'm not even going to go into the Sutherland comments
again, its just a waste of time... In fact discussing a has-been like battle is a waste of time.......That's right, is it
supposed to be that small? Maybe in a summer stock theater, but the Met? NO......A true professional (not Battle) can take
all forms of criticism and handle it like a professional, unlike Battle... Her name suits her very well, that's all she did
with everyone.
andre35
A...
Jon Davis wrote:
> >Well, this is the problem with detractors...they make statements that
> >are untrue and they misquote people to prove their laughable points.
>
Holli Niesner
yes, assuming others can read it.. I will switch to text only from now on
when posting (or at least try :) ).. yes, there is a way to switch to text
only in Outlook Express.. and here's how :) In Outlook Express, go to
Tools / Options / Send tab, and then look at the bottom where it says Mail
Sending Format and News Sending Format. :)
-Holli
Mark D. Lew <mark...@earthlink.newt> wrote in message
news:markdlew-ya0240800...@news.earthlink.net...
MD
Holli Niesner
MD <dal...@isomedia.com> wrote in message news:37BCD124...@isomedia.com...
andre35
Andy
MD
Holli Niesner wrote:
wow.. that is a LOUD message... I just woke up.. no yelling this early! :) -Holli
I'm just annoyed with the constant changing of his pseudonym... he enjoys baiting people and keeps coming back under different names. Sometimes he even responds in agreement to his own post!! I'll try to refrain from shouting in the future....
best,
MD
maf
beatrice_...@my-deja.com wrote:
> Soon the
> "tiny-voiced black girl" would realize that no matter how nice she was,
> her detractors would still ask her things like:
>
> "Is it supposed to be that small?"
>
> Such a question is completely embarrassing and unprofessional (I will
> not mention the name of the artist that made the comment to her).
C'mon, even if I ask nice?
I've never been a fan of Battle's singing, mostly because I've never been a
big fan of light high voices (call me mezzo-boy) but I've _never_ liked the
viciousness (no other word comes to mind) of Battle-haters.
This is opera, not the Miss America pageant, divas are _supposed_ to be
pain-in-the-asses and make trouble, that's how you know they're divas.
I've read extremely general postings saying "oh she was so nasty" or "you
should hear what she did to poor Kiri (if Battle got under her skin, good
for her, maybe it fired Te Kanawa up a little so she wouldn't be so goddamn
bland), but the specifics I've read don't come close to justifying the
Schadenfreude surrounding her fall.
Of course stirring up strong emotions in fans (both positive and negative)
is also a trait of divadom. I tend to regard nasty comments about Battle as
confirmation that she was/is a true diva, an endangered species (who can
conjure up _any_ strong emotion about Te Kanawa?)
maf
Holli Niesner
and a pain in the ass? Excuse me, but that is a load of crap. There are
PLENTY of "divas" that are nice and polite and fun to work with.... as seen
by the comments on this thread earlier. You can be assertive, strong-willed,
and opinionated without being rude. You can carry yourself as a lady with
class and not be a pushover without being mean. Divas do NOT have to be mean
to prove they're divas. That is a silly notion, and if you've ever worked
with anyone who is a pain, you'd understand.
-Holli
maf <m...@amu.edu.pl> wrote in message news:37BD982E...@amu.edu.pl...
>
>
> beatrice_...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> > Soon the
> > "tiny-voiced black girl" would realize that no matter how nice she was,
> > her detractors would still ask her things like:
> >
> > "Is it supposed to be that small?"
> >
> > Such a question is completely embarrassing and unprofessional (I will
> > not mention the name of the artist that made the comment to her).
>
Holli Niesner
and the lady who had the lead was Gale Odom. She is a teacher at Centennary
in Louisiana. I was just in the chorus, but I was also her servant.. and at
one part I had to bring a letter out to her onstage...nothing big. Anyway,
when the production was over, she gave me a card that had a little note on
it.. something to the effect of "enjoyed the performance.. good luck in the
future.." etc. Nothing too personal.. but she had included a picture that
she had someone take from one of the dress rehearsals. It was when I was
delivering the letter .. just me and her onstage. I still have that note and
picture in my scrap book... and I can't tell you how much getting that
little note and picture meant to me. This was my first opera.. and I felt so
insignificant...but she treated me as a friend. She was kind, graceful, and
very very nice. Ever since then, when I am in a production, I take pictures,
and send them, along with a note similar to what she sent me.. to the cast.
If she had been mean to me, and rude.. I don't know what I would have
thought.. but it is certain that my impression of opera would not be the
same as it is today. She made a positive impression on me, and it has shaped
the way I behave in productions ever since.
-Holli
Mark D. Lew
<and...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> Having seen this on the board, I think it is an entirely unjustifiable
> stifling of temperment, which is at the very least, necessary in the
> making of a personality. When I was a musician, rest assured me and my
> chops would have been gone.
Andy, I think you are overreacting. There's a big big difference between
"stifling temperament" and expecting an artist to observe rudimentary
professional standards.
The opera companies of the world had no agenda to turn Ms Battle into a
"nice girl". They simply required from her a certain amount of cooperation
in the process of preparing a production (eg, showing up for scheduled
rehearsals).
I wonder if you are not (along with another rather more loquacious defender
of Ms Battle) reacting not Ms Battle's career, but to some bad experience
from your own career.
mdl
andre35
I never took well to discipline of any sort in my checkered careers. You
are perceptive enough to figure that one out........partly. There was no
specific incident, I'm just by nature out of the "conforming" loop.
Andy
John Yohalem
>
>> Soon the
>> "tiny-voiced black girl" would realize that no matter how nice she was,
>> her detractors would still ask her things like:
>>
>> "Is it supposed to be that small?"
>>
>> Such a question is completely embarrassing and unprofessional (I will
>> not mention the name of the artist that made the comment to her).
Victoria de los Angeles never forgot the night she was singing at the Teatro
Colon, and the management had given her a room next door to the suite
occupied by Tebaldi and her mother. The walls were very thin, and loud and
clear came the voice of Mama Tebaldi: "Who is that little Spaniard with the
tiny little voice?"
Victoria was very amused.
Hans Lich
John Yohalem
ench...@herodotus.com
"Opera depends on the happy fiction that feeling can be sustained over
impossibly long stretches of time." -- Joseph Kerman
Joseph M. K.
Larisa Migachyov
> The day of the "spoiled diva" is over, as Ms. Battle certainly learned. There
> are just too many good (and notice I say good)
> voices out there for music directors and conductors, or the public for that
> matter, to put up with "spoiled brats." And yes there were (and I'm sure there
> are) many sopranos who were nice in the sense that they could take criticism,
> direction, and cared about their coworkers and public. Several of the famous
> who come to mind are Renata Tebaldi, Victoria de los Angeles, Marilyn Horne,
> Beverly Sills, and the lovely and much missed, Lucia Popp.
> They are proved that it doesn't hurt to be "nice" even if you do have a supreme
> talent.
But it is such a shame... Battle has a beautiful voice. I understand that
someone like that can't be worked with, but what a shame, and what a
waste.
--
Larisa Migachyov http://www.stanford.edu/~lvm
Larisa Migachyov
> Eleanor Kett wrote:
>
> >At least Battle is a great singer. Callas was a great TEMPER [snip]
>
> Many people would say precisely the reverse.
>
> Like her or not, Callas' effect on operatic and vocal art is not to be
> questioned. I seriously doubt Kathleen Battle has left an indelible mark on
> either field, and I will agree with you that her displays of temperament are
> hardly historic either. Her worst offense is not that she's spoiled, it's that
> she is a trivial singer.
Battle has a beautiful voice, and doesn't do too much with it. It's just
a beautiful sound. Callas did not have a beautiful voice, but she was a
great actress and a great musician.
Larisa Migachyov
> Thanks! :) I am so happy! I hope I do too! But I'm only 19.. so I've got a
> LONG way to go.. :) Another 2 years of college and then 4 more for a
> Masters. :) .. but that would be SO cool if one day I could write on this
> newsgroup: Hey guys.. I'm debuting (sp?) at the Met this coming whenever..
> come see me please :) HEE HEE :) yay. I am SO happy. I just love everything
> about opera!
I hope your dreams come true, and admire your courage.
Larisa Migachyov
> Somehow, I find your reaction to Battle, and the implied threat to "be good,"
> oddly frightening.
>
> Have we not homogenized our lives enough, can't we leave just a little room for
> differences? These may be of style, or attitude and temperment.
>
> And that is why I am hard put to differentiate between singers today, at least
> those not of the very first order. Given your "warning," Corelli wouldn't have
> had a career.
>
> People, even musicians, tend to be people. A little slack won't hurt.
>
> As you can see, regimentation makes me nervous.
Well, it's not really regimentation. If someone is screaming and throwing
things around and making rehearsals impossible, why work with them when
there are many other beautiful voices around? It's hard to get into
professional opera - there are many many people who want to, and not
enough space for all of them. Someone who does not realize that is doomed
to disappointment.
MusicActor
in recordings has a superb instrument and she uses it well. She's know for her
flawless technique and high range so there's no need to down her with that.
Open your ears...to compare her with anyone is a true mistake. She stands
alone, as well as they stand alone. Its very true that she is the best
coloratura of all time. Read it. Its quoted. And for God's sake...open your
ears.
-TVR
Skip
that she stands alone, no opera house will hire her. She sang very very few roles that one would call for a coloratura
voice, please really do your homework.
Terrymelin
>alone, as well as they stand alone. Its very true that she is the best
>coloratura of all time. Read it. Its quoted. And for God's sake...open y
Time for those restraining bars again.
Terry Ellsworth
Skip
MusicActor
The Battle detracters need to give it up. I have also met Ms. Battle. A very
charming lady she is indeed. She has even been gracious enough to send me a
post card on an European tour she was on. A beautiful voice and a charming
individual.
-Troy V. Rucker
Skip
the unforturnate's who have had to work with her. Battle detractor? (not) She did it all on her own.
Skip
Now that says something about your charming lady.
cmorgan
(Pamina, Susanna, Adina).
MusicActor <music...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19990823001142...@ng-cn1.aol.com...
> Someone's hearing aid needs a tune up. Take your own advice. Battle live
and
> in recordings has a superb instrument and she uses it well. She's know
for her
> flawless technique and high range so there's no need to down her with
that.
> Open your ears...to compare her with anyone is a true mistake. She stands
> alone, as well as they stand alone. Its very true that she is the best
> coloratura of all time. Read it. Its quoted. And for God's sake...open
your
> ears.
> -TVR
Tom Kaufman
>Its very true that she is the best
>coloratura of all time. Read it. Its quoted. And for God's sake...open
>your ears
He must have a secret time machine, which permitted him to compare her to all
the coloraturas who ever sang. Not only those who recorded, like Patti, Melba,
Tetrazzini, Galli-Curci, Pagliughi, Barrientos, Sembrich, Dal Monte, Sills,
Sutherlnad, Gruberova, etc. etc. but those who didn't like Persiani, Grisi,
Ortolani-Tiberini, Peralta, Pasta, de la Grange, Sontag, etc. etc. Note that I
realize that I have used the term coloratura loosely, but so did TVR.
Anyway, tell us more. What's your secret? How did you reach that conclusion?
Cheers
Tom Kaufman
URL of web site:
www.geocities.com/Vienna/8917/index.html
Skip
hearto...@gmail.com
> Nothing can compete with the horror stories I've heard of Maria Callas.
> When, in the early 50's, the director of the Rio Opera gave her the sack
> and replaced her with Tebaldi in Tosca (following Callas' disastrous
> performance), she through a heavy object at him and, had she been a better
> marksman (sorry, markswoman) she would have killed him.
> At least Battle is a great singer. Callas was a great TEMPER, which, I
> guess, was why she turned so many people on despite the fact that her
> voice usually sounded like a locomotive.
> Actually the worst I've heard of Battle is that she's a spoiled diva.
> She's not dangerous.
>
> Cheers,
> Ellie
>
> Katherine Moran wrote:
>
> > Battle is a terrific singer, but I've heard some horror stories about
> > her tantrums and mean-spirited ways. What exactly is up with Kathleen
> > and how do people in the trade feel about her as a person?
> >
> > --
> > The shadow of the dome of pleasure
> > Floated midway on the waves ;
> > Where was heard the mingled measure
> > From the fountain and the caves.
The story had more to it than that; it was the things the Rio manager said to her that enraged her, that she had an ugly voice, or that she wasn't a good singer, something disparaging; then he announced she would be replaced. At least he knew to duck. Some people have a unique talent to incite retaliation in others. The fact that there were no other incidents such as that one ever reported, it's not likely there was much truth to it. The best singers, the best conductors, and the best general managers only had very high praise for her professionalism.
Willem
CHSIII
For about 10 or 12 years Kathleen Battle was one of the most charming stage
artists in opera - a sweet voice with very expressive powers. I never hard
her do anything that wasn't wonderful (perhaps she was a bit stretched by
Zerbinetta). Then, after she toppled from grace in 1994 because of her
behavior at the rehearsals for the Met's Daughter of the Regiment, the opera
career was over. Subsequent recital performances show the voice to be
beautiful still, but the reports of erratic diva-temperament have continued.
Her website shows no updates or performances after 2009.
To reduce Callas to the phrase "a bad TEMPER" and to compare her with Ms.
Battle in any way is to not understand the difference between "good" and
"incomparable," or comprehend the license "incomparable" sometimes permits.
I hope Ms. Kett has advanced in understanding over the last 16 years.
"Willem" wrote in message
news:777bc618-3b5a-4f3d...@googlegroups.com...
furrybear57
> awwww! You're so nice! :) That just made my day.. err.. evening :) Thank you
> so much! :)
>
> -Holli
>
> MNockin <mno...@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:19990815215907...@ng-cg1.aol.com...
> > Sopranos and mezzos known for being nice. : two delightful ladies who are
> very
> > halpful on the net are Christine Goerke and Susan Graham.
> > The all time backstage, as well as on stage, charmer was Leonie Rysanek. .
> Not
> > far behind is Frederica von Stade.
> > there are plenty more of them, too, and in the next generation, there will
> be
> > Holli!
> > Maria
Regine Crespin and Janet Baker. I met both of them separately in Dallas after recitals and they not only autographed my program and several LP jackets, but when I asked them to send me a signed photo, they not only took my home address with them but they followed through and each sent me a signed picture.
EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)
furrybear57 wrote:
>
> Regine Crespin and Janet Baker. I met both of them separately in Dallas after recitals and they not only autographed my program and several LP jackets, but when I asked them to send me a signed photo, they not only took my home address with them but they followed through and each sent me a signed picture.
(Meistersinger, IIRC), I thought I had arranged for tickets through my
hotel, only to be informed that the performance was not part of the
scheduled season, and the hotel could not get tickets for me, after all!
(This after I already had my airline tickets and hotel room arranged
for - no refunds.) Knowing most venues reserve a few tickets for the
artists, I E-mailed M. van Dam via his management, asking if there were
any way he could arrange for me to buy one. I promptly got an E-mail in
reply, telling me there would be a ticket awaiting me at the box office.
(Of course I had to pay for it, but I hadn't expected to get it for free.)
Since by then he was so well established in Europe that he didn't have
to bother with the Met any more, I had become something of a groupie,
traveling to hear him several times in Europe. I met him a number of
times, and always found him very gracious.
robertoc...@googlemail.com
> >What exactly is up with Kathleen
> >and how do people in the trade feel about her as a person?
>
> she's a spoiled bitch with not a decent voice left.
>
> Terry Ellsworth
Well pu it! Never cared for her voice anyway.
randallfi...@gmail.com
Kathleen Battle is an incredible musician and that’s what should be discussed. Not petty rumors or gossip about someone’s bad day.
From reading these threads re Battle, isn’t it interesting how horrible the attitudes, words and behaviors are In the thread. Ironic, isn’t it! Unfortunately I have never met or spent time with Kathleen Battle so I can’t speak to her personality. It’s just such a shame that THIS is what is talked about.
Let me leave everyone with this.... there are two sides to every story. Walk a mike in someone’s shoes.
I adore Battle and may I suggest listening to her live Semele. Her singing is absolute perfection in this recording. Enjoy!
wkasimer
> Reputation and rumors.
> Kathleen Battle is an incredible musician and that’s what should be discussed. Not petty rumors or gossip about someone’s bad day.
BTW, you did notice that you're responding on a twenty year old thread, didn't you?