Thursday, December 29, 2005
OPERAMEME
Stolen from Dr. Barbara Baker, who cordially ripped it off from two other opera-type bloggers:
Name or Nom de Blogge: I thought about making up some fabulously exotic name under which to write this blog, but everything sounded so phony. Besides, no who knows me personally probably reads this thing, anyway. Paul Siegel is my name—there are two of us in town and we’re always getting phone calls about the other one’s dental appointments, since we both visit the same tooth practitioner. It can be annoying.
Age: 54.
Locale: Denver, Colorado.
Raison de blogre: “Seemed like a good idea—at first.” [My wife’s favorite quote by Crow of ‘MST3K’ fame]
Intended tone of blog: High-minded opera discussion that could deteriorate into mind-numbing drivel, if I work hard enough at it.
Voice type (real): Bass, although not having sung in decades, my range is something like eight notes (and not all of those consecutive—hah!).
Voice type (in yer dreams): Counter-tenor. Nah, just kidding. That voice type gives me the creeps. I’d settle for something along the Ghiaurov line, with a bit of Chaliapin thrown in for good measure.
Arias sung in the shower: Echoing Dr. Baker’s comments, “at my age I’m reduced to whistling.” Anything Verdian, although I usually forget the words.
Arias of other gender sung in shower: Last one I recall—“Un bel di.”
First opera seen: “Aida” with Leontyne Price, Cleveland, Ohio. [Met On Tour]
First opera to elicit enthusiasm, dedication or other obsessive reaction to a lifetime at the opera: the RCA Italia recording of “Lucia” with Moffo and Bergonzi.
Uberdiva, living: Mirella Freni.
Uberdiva of the past: Victoria de los Angeles.
Newest enthusiasm: Rolando Villazon.
Fave singer you never hear anyone else enthuse over: Dwayne Croft.
Favorite line from a libretto: “Maladizione.” [Rigoletto]
Opera you’d rather eat thumbtacks than sit through ever again: “Don Carlo,” parts of which I dozed through just the same.
Why won’t the Met / my local company put on …: ANYTHING by Meyerbeer!
A perfect role assumption I have seen was: Juan Pons as “Falstaff,” a last-minute sub at the Met for some guy I never heard of.
If I had a time machine…: The tantalizing offer Holmes makes to Watson at the very end of “Hound of the Baskervilles”—tickets to see Jean and Edouard de Reszke in “Les Huguenots” at Covent Garden.
Stolen from Dr. Barbara Baker, who cordially ripped it off from two other opera-type bloggers:
Name or Nom de Blogge: I thought about making up some fabulously exotic name under which to write this blog, but everything sounded so phony. Besides, no who knows me personally probably reads this thing, anyway. Paul Siegel is my name—there are two of us in town and we’re always getting phone calls about the other one’s dental appointments, since we both visit the same tooth practitioner. It can be annoying.
Age: 54.
Locale: Denver, Colorado.
Raison de blogre: “Seemed like a good idea—at first.” [My wife’s favorite quote by Crow of ‘MST3K’ fame]
Intended tone of blog: High-minded opera discussion that could deteriorate into mind-numbing drivel, if I work hard enough at it.
Voice type (real): Bass, although not having sung in decades, my range is something like eight notes (and not all of those consecutive—hah!).
Voice type (in yer dreams): Counter-tenor. Nah, just kidding. That voice type gives me the creeps. I’d settle for something along the Ghiaurov line, with a bit of Chaliapin thrown in for good measure.
Arias sung in the shower: Echoing Dr. Baker’s comments, “at my age I’m reduced to whistling.” Anything Verdian, although I usually forget the words.
Arias of other gender sung in shower: Last one I recall—“Un bel di.”
First opera seen: “Aida” with Leontyne Price, Cleveland, Ohio. [Met On Tour]
First opera to elicit enthusiasm, dedication or other obsessive reaction to a lifetime at the opera: the RCA Italia recording of “Lucia” with Moffo and Bergonzi.
Uberdiva, living: Mirella Freni.
Uberdiva of the past: Victoria de los Angeles.
Newest enthusiasm: Rolando Villazon.
Fave singer you never hear anyone else enthuse over: Dwayne Croft.
Favorite line from a libretto: “Maladizione.” [Rigoletto]
Opera you’d rather eat thumbtacks than sit through ever again: “Don Carlo,” parts of which I dozed through just the same.
Why won’t the Met / my local company put on …: ANYTHING by Meyerbeer!
A perfect role assumption I have seen was: Juan Pons as “Falstaff,” a last-minute sub at the Met for some guy I never heard of.
If I had a time machine…: The tantalizing offer Holmes makes to Watson at the very end of “Hound of the Baskervilles”—tickets to see Jean and Edouard de Reszke in “Les Huguenots” at Covent Garden.
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