mtrav95's channel

While I enjoy Norman's singing, hers isn't my favorite rendition of this scene. That said the role of Salome was written for a woman Norman's age and with her timbre. A woman's voice doesn't even reach maturity until she's at least in her 30's if not her 40's. It's one of those roles (like Juli...

Opera is a vocalist's medium. The voice is the most important thing. I couldn't care less what a singer looks like so long as they can sing the role There are so many conventionally attractive skinny women who look like Salome but can't sing it. I'll take someone of Caballe's size who can blo...

Such a gorgeously sung "Salome." She was born to sing the role. Sadly she was viciously mocked for her weight (and still is) and I wonder if that kept her from singing the role onstage more. In an interview she even alluded to the discomfort.

Such a big voice capable of such delicacy and fl...

I'm guessing this is from Ms. Fleming's performances in Massenet's "Herodiade" at San FranciscoOpera (recorded live for Sony Records).

Caballe was born to sing the music of Richard Strauss (Salome, Marschallin, Arabella, whatever). There is no one today who can hold a candle to her or her contemporaries (Sutherland, Te Kanawa, Rysanek, Troyanos, Verrett, Sills, etc). It's great when singer and music are such a great match. Jus...

It's so sad when people say hateful things anonymously that they would never have the guts to say in person. Pathetic.

Patricia Racette is such a classy lady and a great artist. I'm so glad she and Beth Clayton made this video.

I'll agree that sometimes Ms. Racette's voice can be overripe, sending her off the pitch (usually sharp). Secure in the middle and lower registers, sometimes the upper end of her range can get a bit squirrely. Yet she is by far the best singing actor working today, and it's a small price to pa...

While I agree that Nadja Michael was vocally less than ideal, she fully embodied this role (indeed, used her entire body). And her comments in the SF Opera interview (also on YouTube) show her to be a smart and probing actor. The production itself was very strong. It was modern and edgy withou...

Perhaps she wasn't exactly perfect for the part, but it's so nice to hear a "Turandot" who has some lyricism and power. I'll take Caballe over Birgit Nilsson or Maria Callas any day of the week. Nilsson just bellowed the part and Callas shrieked it. Caballe actually sings it. Perfectly? No. ...