Classical Brit Awards tonight at the Albert Hall - and no, I won't be going because I know what to expect: they'll be the same as they were last year, and the year before (when I did go and left at the interval), and have in fact been for the past decade: two hours of tosh, embarrassment and drivel.
In all the time I've been a music critic I don't think I've ever come across a more wretchedly ill-conceived venture than these. They have no worth, no integrity, no class. And in a real sense they're a fraud on the public.
Fair (enough comments (and Michael is a longstanding friend of mine). But...
There have been truly beautiful voices possessed by singers who could not not have sung through an opera on stage - Mario Lanza is an example.
And its fair to note that Katherine Jenkins seems to be trying to become a Vera Lynn type figure.
Sometimes I admit, Radio 3 is just too daunting, and I put on Classic FM (or WQXR in New York) over the internet.
Or, for something tougher see him in Otello- Dio, Mi Potevi.
1 comment:
Hi: I just thought I should point out that Mario Lanza did, in fact, give complete opera performances. He sang two operatic roles *twice* (in 1942 and 1948) and received outstanding reviews from leading music critics for his efforts. He also concertized extensively. His reasons for not returning to opera after 1948 had nothing to do with any vocal or musical shortcomings.
If you're interested, I've written an essay on Lanza's life:
http://www.grandi-tenori.com/tenors/lanza/lanza.php
Cheers
Derek McGovern
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