{"id":1943,"date":"2019-10-28T07:26:20","date_gmt":"2019-10-28T06:26:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?p=1943"},"modified":"2023-11-09T17:50:10","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T16:50:10","slug":"episode-6-shirley-verrett-part-ii-la-regina-del-bel-canto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/28\/episode-6-shirley-verrett-part-ii-la-regina-del-bel-canto\/","title":{"rendered":"Episode 6. Shirley Verrett II"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Episode 6. Shirley Verrett II: La Regina del Bel Canto<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelody.blubrry.net\/?powerpress_embed=22-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=mediaelement-audio\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-2-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>SOCIAL SHARE<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\">S<strong>UBSCRIPTION PLATFORM<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-2-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-buttons\"><div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-buttons__inner flex-align-right\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button alignright\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link\" href=\"https:\/\/countermelody.blubrry.net\/\">Subscribe via your favorite<br>podcast platform<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-2-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Van-Vechten.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"661\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Van-Vechten-661x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2028\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Van-Vechten-661x1024.jpg 661w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Van-Vechten-194x300.jpg 194w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Van-Vechten-768x1190.jpg 768w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Van-Vechten.jpg 968w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 661px) 100vw, 661px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Shirley Verrett photographed by Carl Van Vechten in 1961.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-gorgeous.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"735\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-gorgeous.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2020\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-gorgeous.jpg 735w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-gorgeous-230x300.jpg 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 735px) 100vw, 735px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p> In this episode in my Shirley Verrett miniseries, I explore a wide range of the artist\u2019s bel canto roles, including the roles of Neocle in Rossini\u2019s&nbsp;<em>L\u2019assedio di Corinto<\/em>, Elisabetta in Donizetti\u2019s&nbsp;<em>Maria Stuarda<\/em>, Leonora in&nbsp;<em>La Favorita<\/em>, Sina\u00efde in Rossini\u2019s&nbsp;<em>Mos\u00e8 in Egitto<\/em>&nbsp;and the French version&nbsp;<em>Mo\u00efse et Pharaon<\/em>, and finally, the roles of Adalgisa and, finally, the title role in Bellini\u2019s&nbsp;<em>Norma<\/em>, surely one of her greatest creations. Musical examples abound, with other featured artists including <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.leylagencer.org\/en\/leyla-gencer\/biography\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Leyla Gencer (opens in a new tab)\">Leyla Gencer<\/a><\/strong> as Maria Stuarda, and <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"John Alexander (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.opera-arias.com\/singers\/john-alexander\/\" target=\"_blank\">John Alexander<\/a><\/strong>, who played Pollione to both Verrett\u2019s Adalgisa and her Norma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-again.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"516\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-again.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1951\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-again.jpg 516w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-again-238x300.jpg 238w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 516px) 100vw, 516px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:30px\" class=\"has-custom-size\"><strong>RECORDINGS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Honey-Journey.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1952\" width=\"240\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Honey-Journey.jpg 500w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Honey-Journey-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Honey-Journey-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Sweet Honey in the Rock (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/sweethoneyintherock.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Sweet Honey in the Rock<\/a><\/strong>: Long Journey Home (on their <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discogs.com\/Sweet-Honey-In-The-Rock-Still-On-The-Journey\/master\/1033630\">Still on the Journey<\/a><\/strong> album, 1993, EarthBeat! Records, 9 42536-2). I use this recording to accompany the comments about the falcon voice type and women of color that the conductor and scholar <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Kristina Boerger (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/kristinaboerger.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Kristina Boerger<\/a><\/strong> sent about last week&#8217;s episode.  I was fascinated by the spacious timbre and range of the  singer Ysaye Barnwell, who intones the low drone throughout this recording. Thank you, Kristina, for bring this to my attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:81px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"598\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-and-Sills.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2023\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-and-Sills.jpg 720w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-and-Sills-300x249.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption>A mustachioed Shirley as Neocle gives Beverly&#8217;s Pamira a collegial embrace and kiss.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Neocle-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1955\" width=\"284\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Neocle-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Neocle-1-237x300.jpg 237w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 284px) 100vw, 284px\" \/><figcaption>Shirley Verrett as Neocle in <em>L&#8217;assedio di Corinto<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Gioacchino Rossini: <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Non temer, d'un basso affetto (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FwCwNq43-ko\" target=\"_blank\">Non temer, d&#8217;un basso affetto<\/a><\/strong> (<em>L&#8217;assedio di Corinto<\/em>). Shirley Verrett as Neocle; Thomas Schippers, conductor. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Live performance from the Metropolitan Opera (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/archives.metoperafamily.org\/archives\/scripts\/cgiip.exe\/WService=BibSpeed\/fullcit.w?xCID=241210&amp;limit=5000&amp;xBranch=ALL&amp;xsdate=&amp;xedate=&amp;theterm=shirley%20verrett&amp;x=0&amp;xhomepath=http:\/\/archives.metoperafamily.org\/archives\/&amp;xhome=http:\/\/archives.metoperafamily.org\/archives\/bibpro.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Live performance from the Metropolitan Opera<\/strong><\/a> on 19 April 1975. One of the most mind-bogglingly good pieces of singing that I have ever heard. Shirley Verrett and Beverly Sills also made a<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discogs.com\/Rossini-Beverly-Sills-Shirley-Verrett-Justino-Diaz-Harry-TheyardLondon-Symphony-Orchestra-The-Ambros\/release\/5431678\"> studio recording of the opera<\/a><\/strong>, also under Thomas Schippers for EMI\/Angel that has had limited CD release and is currently out of print. Sills and Verrett also recorded <em>Anna Bolena<\/em> and <em>Norma<\/em> together. Incidentally, the <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Wikipedia article (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Le_si%C3%A8ge_de_Corinthe\" target=\"_blank\">Wikipedia article<\/a><\/strong> gives a fairly accurate breakdown of the two different versions of this opera that Rossini actually composed (<em>Maometto II<\/em> and <em>Le si\u00e8ge de Corinthe<\/em>) as well as an explanation about the spurious edition redubbed <em>L&#8217;assedio di Corinto<\/em> that the Met mounted for Sills and Verrett. Also, a review by Richard Osborne of the CD reissue of the recording in <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Gramophone Magazine (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gramophone.co.uk\/review\/rossini-lassedio-di-corinto\" target=\"_blank\">Gramophone Magazine<\/a><\/strong> explains the central problem with this edition. &#8221; Shirley Verrett is an impressive Neocle; but here is the biggest anachronism of all. Rossini specifically recast the travesti role of Calbo in&nbsp;<em>Maometto Il<\/em>&nbsp;for a tenor (Neocles). Donizetti reverted to the travesti version in a production of&nbsp;L&#8217;assedio di Corinto (the opera&#8217;s Italian form) in Genoa in 1828, and Schippers follows suit.&#8221; This actually sounds like a performing edition not unlike the problems surrounding Gluck&#8217;s <em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Orfeo ed Euridice (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicweb-international.com\/classrev\/2004\/Dec04\/Gluck_orfeo_Maag.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Orfeo ed Euridice<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (which <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Verrett also recorded (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.discogs.com\/Gluck-Shirley-Verrett-Anna-Moffo-And-Judith-Raskin-Orfeo-Ed-Euridice\/release\/10885930\" target=\"_blank\">Verrett also recorded for RCA with Anna Moffo and Judith Raskin<\/a><\/strong> in her years as a &#8220;pure&#8221; mezzo).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"594\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Assedio-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1958\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1958\" class=\"wp-image-1958\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Assedio-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Assedio-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Assedio-1-300x297.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"589\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Sills-Verrett-Bolena.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1959\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1959\" class=\"wp-image-1959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Sills-Verrett-Bolena.jpg 600w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Sills-Verrett-Bolena-300x295.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"438\" height=\"440\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Sills-Verrett-Norma.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1960\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1960\" class=\"wp-image-1960 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Sills-Verrett-Norma.jpg 438w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Sills-Verrett-Norma-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Sills-Verrett-Norma-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Gaetano Donizetti: <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Act II Finale from Maria Stuarda (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NMPCQKD3TG0\" target=\"_blank\">Act II Finale from <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Act II Finale from Maria Stuarda (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NMPCQKD3TG0\" target=\"_blank\">Maria Stuarda<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. Shirley Verrett as Elisabetta, Leyla Gencer as Maria Stuarda,  Juan Oncina as Leicester, Giulio Fioravanti as Cecil, and Plinio Clabassi as Talbot. Francesco Molinari-Pradelli conducting. Live performance from Napoli 2 January 1969. I had originally planned to use the recording from the <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Maggio Musicale Fiorentino's appearances at the Edinburgh Festival in August 1969 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.operascotland.org\/tour\/239\/Maria-Stuarda-1969\" target=\"_blank\">Maggio Musicale Fiorentino&#8217;s appearances at the Edinburgh Festival in August 1969<\/a><\/strong> with Nino Sanzogno conducting a slightly different supporting cast, but the recording had a serious flaw at a climactic moment so I used the recording from Napoli earlier the same year. They are both positive bitch-slappingly electric and Gencer caps her kamikaze performance with a stunning high D.  I quote from <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Patrick O'Connor (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2010\/feb\/23\/patrick-o-connor-obituary\" target=\"_blank\">Patrick O&#8217;Connor<\/a><\/strong>&#8216;s obituary of <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Leyla Gencer in The Guardian: (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2008\/may\/13\/turkey\" target=\"_blank\">Leyla Gencer in <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Leyla Gencer in The Guardian: (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2008\/may\/13\/turkey\" target=\"_blank\">The Guardian<\/a><\/strong><\/em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Leyla Gencer in The Guardian: (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2008\/may\/13\/turkey\" target=\"_blank\">:<\/a><\/strong> &#8220;Gencer&#8217;s most memorable UK appearances were undoubtedly in the title role of Donizetti&#8217;s Maria Stuarda, at the Edinburgh Festival in 1969. The sparks that flew on stage in the confrontation &#8211; historically absurd but dramatically thrilling &#8211; when Gencer as Mary Stuart ripped off her glove and flung it in the face of Shirley Verrett as Elizabeth I at the words, &#8216;Vil bastarda&#8217; will surely live in the memory of all who witnessed it. &#8220;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-and-Gencer-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2016\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-and-Gencer-2.jpg 960w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-and-Gencer-2-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-and-Gencer-2-768x546.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption>What is this: a period performance of Bergman&#8217;s <em>Persona<\/em>? Verrett and Gencer in <em>Maria Stuarda<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Elisa.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1965\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1965\" class=\"wp-image-1965\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Elisa.jpg 840w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Elisa-263x300.jpg 263w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Elisa-768x878.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"745\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/ShirVer-and-LeyGen.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1968\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1968\" class=\"wp-image-1968\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/ShirVer-and-LeyGen.jpg 745w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/ShirVer-and-LeyGen-233x300.jpg 233w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 745px) 100vw, 745px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"241\" height=\"209\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Gencer-Stuarda.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1969\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1969\" class=\"wp-image-1969\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"564\" height=\"795\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Elisabetta.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2033\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=2033\" class=\"wp-image-2033\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Elisabetta.jpg 564w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Elisabetta-213x300.jpg 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 564px) 100vw, 564px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"529\" height=\"665\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-with-a-Whip-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2034\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=2034\" class=\"wp-image-2034 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-with-a-Whip-2-1.jpg 529w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-with-a-Whip-2-1-239x300.jpg 239w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:36px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"938\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Pavarotti-Ballo.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1977\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1977\" class=\"wp-image-1977\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Pavarotti-Ballo.jpg 938w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Pavarotti-Ballo-293x300.jpg 293w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Pavarotti-Ballo-768x786.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 938px) 100vw, 938px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">Verrett and Pavarotti in the ill-fated <em>Ballo<\/em>, La Scala 1977.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Luciano-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1978\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1978\" class=\"wp-image-1978\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Luciano-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Luciano-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Luciano-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Luciano.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">A still from an intermission segment of the Met <em>Tosca<\/em> telecast, December 1978<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"745\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Pav-Verrett-1-1024x745.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1979\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1979\" class=\"wp-image-1979\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Pav-Verrett-1-1024x745.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Pav-Verrett-1-300x218.jpg 300w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Pav-Verrett-1-768x559.jpg 768w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Pav-Verrett-1-1600x1164.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Pav-Verrett-1.jpg 1869w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Pavarotti and Verrett in rehearsal for <em>La Favorita<\/em>, Teatro la Fenice, 1988.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Gaetano Donizetti: <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"ernando (La Favorita) (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B000005SIR?pf_rd_p=183f5289-9dc0-416f-942e-e8f213ef368b&amp;pf_rd_r=Z89STZF35SBGSPBQD0ZY\" target=\"_blank\">O mio Fernando (<\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"ernando (La Favorita) (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B000005SIR?pf_rd_p=183f5289-9dc0-416f-942e-e8f213ef368b&amp;pf_rd_r=Z89STZF35SBGSPBQD0ZY\" target=\"_blank\">La Favorita<\/a><\/strong><\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"ernando (La Favorita) (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B000005SIR?pf_rd_p=183f5289-9dc0-416f-942e-e8f213ef368b&amp;pf_rd_r=Z89STZF35SBGSPBQD0ZY\" target=\"_blank\">)<\/a>. Shirley Verrett as Leonora; Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. Live performance, 25 January 1975 celebrating the 118th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Academy of Music. As mentioned in the podcast, the role of Leonora followed Verrett through most of her career. This scena is featured on her <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"first and only solo studio recital (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.discogs.com\/Shirley-Verrett-RCA-Italiana-Opera-Orchestra-Conducted-By-Georges-Pr%C3%AAtre-In-Opera\/release\/8723771\" target=\"_blank\">first and only solo studio recital<\/a><\/strong> released by RCA Victor in 1968 and was the role of her <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"operatic farewell in Madrid in 1992 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=V9M4zLl1zHw\" target=\"_blank\">operatic farewell in Madrid in 1992<\/a><\/strong>. Even at that late date, she gives a full-out, balls-to-the-wall performance. On this earlier January 1975 concert from Philadelphia, <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Verrett and Pavarotti also sang the final duet from the opera (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2O8ayuUoIks\" target=\"_blank\">Verrett and Pavarotti also gave a memorable performance of the final duet from the opera<\/a><\/strong>. One must also remember the <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"stunning concert performance (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZAFfurL-MtE\" target=\"_blank\">stunning concert performance<\/a><\/strong> that Verrett gave opposite Alfredo Kraus (her partner in Madrid) in 1975 with Eve Queler and the Opera Orchestra of New York. And of course in 1978 Verrett and Pavarotti appeared together in a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9rsqC08GXDA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"production of the opera at the Metropolitan Opera (opens in a new tab)\">production of the opera at the Metropolitan Opera<\/a><\/strong> which was a distinct success for both artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-as-Leonora.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"515\" height=\"863\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-as-Leonora.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-as-Leonora.jpg 515w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-as-Leonora-179x300.jpg 179w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Shirley Verrett as Leonora in <em>La Favorita<\/em>, Metropolitan Opera 1978.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Ver-Pav-Fav-1.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"612\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Ver-Pav-Fav-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2026\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Ver-Pav-Fav-1.jpg 612w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Ver-Pav-Fav-1-300x196.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>With Luciano Pavarotti in <em>La Favorita<\/em>, Metropolitan Opera 1978.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Gioacchino Rossini: <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Ah, d'un'afflitta il duolo (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y1Combx-K5c\" target=\"_blank\">Ah, d&#8217;un&#8217;afflitta il duolo<\/a><\/strong> (<em>Mos\u00e9 in Egitto<\/em>).  Live performance in Rome, 11 April 1968. Shirley Verrett as Amaltea [Sina\u00efde], Ottavio Garaventa as Osiride [Amenophis], Wolfgang Sawallisch conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the RAI in Rome.  (<strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Here is the complete radio performance (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0u7wPQTCM7Y\" target=\"_blank\">Here is the complete radio performance<\/a><\/strong>). Like <em>Maometto II<\/em>\/<em>Le si\u00e8ge de Corinthe<\/em> above, Rossini composed a revision of his earlier <em>Mos\u00e9 in Egitto <\/em>for the Paris Opera as <em>Mo\u00efse et Pharaon<\/em>. Though the person at the <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Library of Congress who created this page (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/collections\/moldenhauer-archives\/articles-and-essays\/guide-to-archives\/gioachino-rossini\/\" target=\"_blank\">Library of Congress who created this page<\/a><\/strong> can&#8217;t manage to spell the composer&#8217;s first name correctly, they <em>do<\/em> provide a precise and thorough description of the various versions of the opera. The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mos%C3%A8_in_Egitto\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Wikipedia page on the Italian version of the opera (opens in a new tab)\">Wikipedia page on the Italian version of the opera<\/a><\/strong> is also helpful in untangling the threads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"328\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-I.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1982\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1982\" class=\"wp-image-1982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-I.jpg 328w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-I-246x300.jpg 246w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 328px) 100vw, 328px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"390\" height=\"436\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-II.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1983\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1983\" class=\"wp-image-1983\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-II.jpg 390w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-II-268x300.jpg 268w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 390px) 100vw, 390px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"349\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-III.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1984\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1984\" class=\"wp-image-1984\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-III.jpg 349w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-III-243x300.jpg 243w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 349px) 100vw, 349px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"475\" height=\"424\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-IV.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1985\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1985\" class=\"wp-image-1985\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-IV.jpg 475w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-IV-300x268.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"306\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-IX.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1986\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1986\" class=\"wp-image-1986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-IX.jpg 306w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-IX-222x300.jpg 222w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 306px) 100vw, 306px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"636\" height=\"436\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-V.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1987\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1987\" class=\"wp-image-1987\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-V.jpg 636w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-V-300x206.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"616\" height=\"437\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-VI.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1988\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1988\" class=\"wp-image-1988\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-VI.jpg 616w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-VI-300x213.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"521\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-VII.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1989\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1989\" class=\"wp-image-1989\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-VII.jpg 521w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-VII-300x245.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"539\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-VIII.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1990\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1990\" class=\"wp-image-1990\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-VIII.jpg 539w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-VIII-300x239.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 539px) 100vw, 539px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"275\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-X.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1991\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1991\" class=\"wp-image-1991\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-X.jpg 275w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-X-198x300.jpg 198w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"323\" height=\"433\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XII.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1993\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1993\" class=\"wp-image-1993\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XII.jpg 323w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XII-224x300.jpg 224w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 323px) 100vw, 323px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"317\" height=\"411\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XIII.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1994\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1994\" class=\"wp-image-1994\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XIII.jpg 317w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XIII-231x300.jpg 231w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 317px) 100vw, 317px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"309\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XIV.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1995\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1995\" class=\"wp-image-1995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XIV.jpg 309w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XIV-235x300.jpg 235w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 309px) 100vw, 309px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"376\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XIX.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1996\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1996\" class=\"wp-image-1996\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XIX.jpg 376w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XIX-275x300.jpg 275w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 376px) 100vw, 376px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"358\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XVI.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1998\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1998\" class=\"wp-image-1998\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XVI.jpg 358w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XVI-253x300.jpg 253w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 358px) 100vw, 358px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"301\" height=\"398\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XVII.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1999\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=1999\" class=\"wp-image-1999\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XVII.jpg 301w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XVII-227x300.jpg 227w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"312\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XVIII.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2000\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=2000\" class=\"wp-image-2000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XVIII.jpg 312w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XVIII-227x300.jpg 227w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 312px) 100vw, 312px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"281\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XX1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2032\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=2032\" class=\"wp-image-2032 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XX1-1.jpg 281w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Sinaide-XX1-1-204x300.jpg 204w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 281px) 100vw, 281px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Gioacchino Rossini: <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Ah, d'une tendre m\u00e8re \u00e9coute la pri\u00e8re (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Nf1C145JVT8\" target=\"_blank\">Ah, d&#8217;une tendre m\u00e8re \u00e9coute la pri\u00e8re<\/a><\/strong> (<em>Mo\u00efse et Pharaon<\/em>). Live telecast from the Op\u00e9ra de Paris, September 1983.  Shirley Verrett as Sina\u00efde, Keith Lewis as Am\u00e9nophis, Georges Pr\u00eatre conducts. (<strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Here is the complete telecast, in rather dodgy condition (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JeoWIvx57Jg&amp;t=4323s\" target=\"_blank\">Here is the complete telecast, in rather dodgy condition<\/a><\/strong>.) These two examples are presented to illustrate how Shirley Verrett transformed her sound and technique into that of a soprano. Because there were <em>so few<\/em> photographic examples of her as Sina\u00efde, I took a bunch of screen shots from the very grainy video that is available of the telecast that is available on YouTube (that&#8217;s the New Zealand-born tenor <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Keith Lewis (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.trustcds.com\/php\/artist.php?ID=24\" target=\"_blank\">Keith Lewis<\/a><\/strong> in a few of the photos with her). She looks resplendent in this costume, but even more than that, this allows one to marvel at the plasticity and expressiveness of her face when singing. I know I went a little crazy capturing these shots, but aren&#8217;t they great? (You&#8217;re welcome.) And BTW, one must give credit  to Luca Ronconi for his direction of the stage production, to Gianni Quaranta for the beautiful set design, to  Giuseppe Crisolini-Malatesta for the stunning costume design, and to the director Yves-Andr\u00e9 Hubert  for having captured Verrett so beautifully in this telecast,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Cab.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"917\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Cab.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2029\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Cab.jpg 917w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Cab-287x300.jpg 287w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Cab-768x804.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 917px) 100vw, 917px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Shirley Verrett and  Montserrat Caball\u00e9, La Scala 1971.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Montsy-Duets.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2012\" width=\"282\" height=\"282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Montsy-Duets.jpg 600w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Montsy-Duets-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Montsy-Duets-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 282px) 100vw, 282px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Vincenzo Bellini: <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Vieni a Roma (Norma (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YYLJmpblnMo\" target=\"_blank\">Vieni a Roma (<\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Vieni a Roma (Norma (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YYLJmpblnMo\" target=\"_blank\">Norma<\/a><\/strong><\/em>). Shirley Verrett as Adalgisa, John Alexander as Pollione, Gianfranco Masini conducting. <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Live broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera, 28 February 1976 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/archives.metoperafamily.org\/archives\/scripts\/cgiip.exe\/WService=BibSpeed\/fullcit.w?xCID=244390&amp;limit=5000&amp;xBranch=ALL&amp;xsdate=&amp;xedate=&amp;theterm=shirley%20verrett&amp;x=0&amp;xhomepath=http:\/\/archives.metoperafamily.org\/archives\/&amp;xhome=http:\/\/archives.metoperafamily.org\/archives\/bibpro.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Live broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera, 28 February 1976<\/a><\/strong>. Shirley Verrett is absolutely stunning here as Adalgisa opposite John Alexander. In this series of Met performances, Montserrat Caball\u00e9 sang the title role. She takes high variants here that show her completely prepared to take on the title role, which happened less than two months later. She and Verrett had a positive collegial relationship, which included<strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" these 1976 Met performances of Norma (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=n_jsiMVx2ag\" target=\"_blank\"> these 1976 Met performances of <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" these 1976 Met performances of Norma (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=n_jsiMVx2ag\" target=\"_blank\">Norma<\/a><\/strong><\/em> as well as a run of <em>Maria Stuarda<\/em> at <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Carnegie Hall in 1967 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TZ2NC37gXA0\" target=\"_blank\">Carnegie Hall in 1967<\/a><\/strong> and at <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"La Scala in 1971 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pIJwQeNZOLQ\" target=\"_blank\">La Scala in 1971<\/a><\/strong>. Since both of them were RCA artists, they are also featured together on recordings of <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RvAQblCYZ14\" target=\"_blank\">Donizetti&#8217;s <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RvAQblCYZ14\" target=\"_blank\">Lucrezia Borgia<\/a><\/strong><\/em> as well as <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discogs.com\/Montserrat-Caball%C3%A9-Shirley-Verrett-Great-Operatic-Duets\/release\/8350962\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"a magisterial 1971 recording of duets (opens in a new tab)\">a magisterial 1971 recording of duets<\/a><\/strong>, which include<strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"he superb confrontation scene in Donizetti's Anna Bolena (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6QBZ8csjApE\" target=\"_blank\"> the superb confrontation scene in Donizetti&#8217;s <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"he superb confrontation scene in Donizetti's Anna Bolena (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6QBZ8csjApE\" target=\"_blank\">Anna Bolena<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. The role of Giovanni Seymour would seem to have been tailor-made for Shirley Verrett. In fact, she sings <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Seymour's big scena on her 1968 RCA recital album of arias (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lu1C7fexBno\" target=\"_blank\">Seymour&#8217;s big scena on her 1968 RCA recital album of arias<\/a><\/strong> and sometimes, as in <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"her 1969 Edinburgh recital, sang it in concert (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=exAJYYoR3uI\" target=\"_blank\">her 1969 Edinburgh recital, sang it in concert<\/a><\/strong>. Also, as noted earlier, she <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"recorded the entire role opposite Beverly Sills in 1972 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tv2ZI3VntsY\" target=\"_blank\">recorded the entire role opposite Beverly Sills in 1972<\/a><\/strong>. In addition, she and Grace Bumbry sang the same <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Act II scene in their series of duet concerts (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=v5VyqZLTavI\" target=\"_blank\">Act II scene in their series of duet concerts<\/a><\/strong>. But amazingly, and to our great loss, she doesn&#8217;t appear to have ever sung the complete role on stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"947\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Caballe.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2008\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=2008\" class=\"wp-image-2008\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Caballe.jpg 947w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Caballe-296x300.jpg 296w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Caballe-768x779.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 947px) 100vw, 947px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Backstage at La Scala, 1971<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"736\" height=\"749\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-and-Caballe.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2009\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=2009\" class=\"wp-image-2009\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-and-Caballe.jpg 736w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-and-Caballe-295x300.jpg 295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 736px) 100vw, 736px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">A possibly staged confrontation with Antonio Ghiringelli and Margherita Wallman looking on.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"866\" height=\"835\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-and-Montsy.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2011\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=2011\" class=\"wp-image-2011 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-and-Montsy.jpg 866w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-and-Montsy-300x289.jpg 300w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-and-Montsy-768x741.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Vincenzo Bellini: <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"In mia man alfin tu sei (Norma). (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nJDA7XnEznU\" target=\"_blank\">In mia man alfin tu sei (<\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"In mia man alfin tu sei (Norma). (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nJDA7XnEznU\" target=\"_blank\">Norma<\/a><\/strong><\/em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"In mia man alfin tu sei (Norma). (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nJDA7XnEznU\" target=\"_blank\">).<\/a><\/strong> Shirley Verrett as Norma, John Alexander as Pollione, <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Jan Behr (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1996\/12\/02\/arts\/jan-behr-85-conductor-at-the-met.html\" target=\"_blank\">Jan Behr<\/a><\/strong>, conductor. Live performance of the Metropolitan Opera on tour in Boston, 19 April 1976. In spite of the terrible sound on this house recording, one can hear just how <em>on fire<\/em> Shirley was in this, her first performance of the title role of <em>Norma<\/em>. In the next Shirley Verrett episode I will be delving further into her performance of this role, which I regard as one of the pinnacles of her career, and a landmark in the history of the opera and the role, equal only to Callas and on balance surpassing even Caball\u00e9 (although Verrett never matched the magic of <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Montserrat singing Casta diva in the Mistra (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tqUi1T7hYQw\" target=\"_blank\">Montserrat singing Casta diva in the Mistra<\/a>l<\/strong>). As for <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Sills  (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLyPTjSogIU3k9Z9DCmre2NWy8GQwVuMOz\" target=\"_blank\">Sills <\/a><\/strong>and <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Scotto (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_weadH0ek0k\" target=\"_blank\">Scotto<\/a><\/strong>, I find Verrett to be their equal in dramatic insight and their superior in terms of pure vocality. But stay tuned: I will have more to say about Shirley as Norma in a future episode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped aligncenter wp-block-gallery-6\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"526\" height=\"749\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Verrett-as-Norma-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2030\" class=\"wp-image-2030\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Verrett-as-Norma-1.jpg 526w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Verrett-as-Norma-1-211x300.jpg 211w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 526px) 100vw, 526px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">Shirley Verrett in the title role of <em>Norma<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"381\" height=\"478\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Norma-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2031\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=2031\" class=\"wp-image-2031\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Norma-2.jpg 381w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Verrett-Norma-2-239x300.jpg 239w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 381px) 100vw, 381px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Verrett as Norma.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here a word needs to be said about Verrett&#8217;s Pollione on both of these momentous occasions. The American tenor John Alexander was, in fact, an extraordinarily gifted and versatile singer whose work was too frequently dubbed <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"a journeyman tenor (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1990-12-11-mn-6377-story.html\" target=\"_blank\">&#8220;a journeyman tenor&#8221;<\/a><\/strong> or evaluated as merely <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"reliable (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1990\/12\/10\/obituaries\/john-alexander-lyric-tenor-67-sang-for-met-opera-for-25-years.html\" target=\"_blank\">&#8220;reliable.&#8221;<\/a><\/strong> One of the most remarkable things about Alexander was his versatility, which, if anything, kept him from becoming a bigger star. He sang everything at the Met: <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Pinkerton on the occasion of Renata Scotto's 1965 Met debut (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4yGMWB0ZzFg\" target=\"_blank\">Pinkerton on the occasion of Renata Scotto&#8217;s 1965 Met debut<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Faust (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DuBoSK3SWAo\" target=\"_blank\">Faust<\/a><\/strong>, Hoffmann, Ferrando in <em>Cos\u00ec&nbsp;<\/em>, Tamino, the title role in <em>Don Carlo<\/em>, Rodolfo in both <em>Luisa Miller <\/em>and <em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Boh\u00e8me&nbsp; (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=P5xd_zHNgwA\" target=\"_blank\">Boh\u00e8me&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, Edgardo in <em>Lucia<\/em>, <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"the Duke in Rigoletto (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=M_MC7meJOkw\" target=\"_blank\">the Duke in <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"the Duke in Rigoletto (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=M_MC7meJOkw\" target=\"_blank\">Rigoletto<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, Anatol in <em>Vanessa<\/em>, Kodando in Menotti&#8217;s <em>The Last Savage<\/em>, <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Elvino in La Sonnambula (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YuIUjbEPVog\" target=\"_blank\">Elvino in <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Elvino in La Sonnambula (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YuIUjbEPVog\" target=\"_blank\">La Sonnambula<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, Grigory in <em>Boris Godunov<\/em>, Walther in <em>Meistersinger<\/em>, Cavaradossi, Alfredo in <em>Traviata<\/em>, <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-n7lMQ8aaAo\" target=\"_blank\">Des Grieux in <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-n7lMQ8aaAo\" target=\"_blank\">Manon Lescaut<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Arbace in Idomeneo (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=64yKvJOUvLQ\" target=\"_blank\">Arbace in <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Arbace in Idomeneo (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=64yKvJOUvLQ\" target=\"_blank\">Idomeneo<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, in addition to Pollione opposite both <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Caball\u00e9 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9s5f7UUwn00\" target=\"_blank\">Caball\u00e9<\/a><\/strong> and Verrett (and <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Sills in Hartford (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=r7O6LwHR0Ns\" target=\"_blank\">Sills in Hartford in 1972<\/a><\/strong> as well as in <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Boston (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLV1-5uv4M3KK9kgM_Fa0m2Ah6alg6Hzdy\" target=\"_blank\">Boston in 1971<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Scotto in Philadelphia (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_Ck46LOEyK8\" target=\"_blank\">Scotto in Philadelphia in 1978a<\/a><\/strong>, and <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?time_continue=2&amp;v=UtQBDleuKmU\" target=\"_blank\">Sutherland in San Francisco in 1972<\/a><\/strong>.) (Incidentally he also recorded the role of Pollione in 1964 with Sutherland <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"recorded the role (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ztvwRJFvafM\" target=\"_blank\">in her first recorded assumption of the title role<\/a><\/strong>.) His final role at the Met, was, amazingly, Bacchus in <em>Ariadne<\/em> opposite Jessye Norman! His voice had both brilliance and a depth which allowed him to take on certain heavier roles. And yet his high notes always remained sterling. Two of his most memorable non-Met roles included Essex in Donizetti&#8217;s <em>Roberto Devereux<\/em> opposite Beverly Sills (of which <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"a performance from Wolf Trap (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lbpHz7bgAPw\" target=\"_blank\">a performance from Wolf Trap<\/a><\/strong> was televised in 1975) and Des Grieux (this time in Massenet&#8217;s <em>Manon<\/em>) in <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"New Orleans opposite the Manon of Caball\u00e9 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HSi-VrjqSjU\" target=\"_blank\">New Orleans opposite the Manon of Caball\u00e9<\/a><\/strong>. (I am more than willing to forgive <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/HSi-VrjqSjU?t=343\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"a missed entrance of Alexander's (opens in a new tab)\">a missed entrance of Alexander&#8217;s<\/a><\/strong> that briefly threatens to delay the proceedings.) Among his other (not at all numerous) recordings is the peculiar <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"London\/Decca recording of Anna Bolena (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lAB3SFN_7xcOULuIKrBdPQxif-RsPcJqU\" target=\"_blank\">London\/Decca recording of <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"London\/Decca recording of Anna Bolena (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lAB3SFN_7xcOULuIKrBdPQxif-RsPcJqU\" target=\"_blank\">Anna Bolena<\/a><\/strong><\/em> starring <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Elena Souliotis (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5uMN6NDgyuU\" target=\"_blank\">Elena Souliotis<\/a><\/strong> in <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"which he sings the role of Percy (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/FrBx7PGEu-k\" target=\"_blank\">which he sings the role of Percy<\/a><\/strong> and the <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Orfeo recording of Wagner's first opera, Die Feen (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hSa-QEc4p24\" target=\"_blank\">Orfeo recording of Wagner&#8217;s first opera, <\/a><em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Orfeo recording of Wagner's first opera, Die Feen (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hSa-QEc4p24\" target=\"_blank\">Die Feen<\/a><\/em><\/strong><em>,<\/em> conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch in which he sings the role of Arindal. I have several favorite clips of him, one from a 1975 gala honoring the late Richard Tucker in which he sings <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Pour mon \u00e2me (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6qUnLeIlRzA\" target=\"_blank\">Pour mon \u00e2me<\/a><\/strong> from Donizetti&#8217;s <em>La fille<\/em> <em>du r\u00e9giment<\/em> with a stunning series of grounded yet brilliant high C&#8217;s that put most tenorinos singing this role to shame. Another is of a 1970 concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Julius Rudel which features <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"the Mexican soprano Gilda Cruz-Romo (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/alchetron.com\/Gilda-Cruz-Romo\" target=\"_blank\">the Mexican soprano Gilda Cruz-Romo<\/a><\/strong> (another criminally undervalued singer!), the highlight of which is, for me, the <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Teco io sto duet from Act II of Un ballo in maschera (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VR0yl2NBe5g\" target=\"_blank\">Teco io sto duet from Act II of <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Teco io sto duet from Act II of Un ballo in maschera (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VR0yl2NBe5g\" target=\"_blank\">Un ballo in maschera<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (though everything they sing is excellent!) (<strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Incidentally, Alexander also sang Pinkerton to Cruz-Romo's Butterfly in her Met debut. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hPlGrXB_bvY\" target=\"_blank\">Incidentally, Alexander also sang Pinkerton to Cruz-Romo&#8217;s Butterfly in her Met debut.<\/a><\/strong>) In fact, I&#8217;m getting an idea for an upcoming podcast&#8230; stay tuned for that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-7\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"493\" height=\"693\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/John-Alexander-as-Pinkerton.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2038\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=2038\" class=\"wp-image-2038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/John-Alexander-as-Pinkerton.jpg 493w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/John-Alexander-as-Pinkerton-213x300.jpg 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 493px) 100vw, 493px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"564\" height=\"891\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/John-Alexander-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2039\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=2039\" class=\"wp-image-2039\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/John-Alexander-2.jpg 564w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/John-Alexander-2-190x300.jpg 190w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 564px) 100vw, 564px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"564\" height=\"906\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/John-Alexander.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2040\" data-link=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?attachment_id=2040\" class=\"wp-image-2040 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/John-Alexander.jpg 564w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/John-Alexander-187x300.jpg 187w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 564px) 100vw, 564px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Plagued by serious heart health issues, John Alexander died of a heart attack on December 8, 1990, at the age of 67 in Meridian, Mississippi, the town in which he was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cruz-Romo.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2041\" width=\"447\" height=\"555\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cruz-Romo.jpg 403w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cruz-Romo-242x300.jpg 242w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 447px) 100vw, 447px\" \/><figcaption>Gilda Cruz-Romo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>To return to the topic of today&#8217;s episode, I would like to assign some reading homework. First is <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"the insightful yet admiring obituary for Shirley Verrett (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/operanews.com\/Opera_News_Magazine\/2010\/11\/News\/Shirley_Verrett,_American_Singer_of_Astonishing_Breadth_and_Depth,_79,_Has_Died.html\" target=\"_blank\">the insightful yet admiring obituary for Shirley Verrett<\/a><\/strong> that <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"the late Brian Kellow  (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wqxr.org\/story\/brian-kellow-obituary\/\" target=\"_blank\">the late Brian Kellow <\/a><\/strong>wrote for Opera News. And, from January 1977, an important crossroads in Shirley Verrett&#8217;s career, <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"a profile of Verrett written by Gary Wills for The New York Times (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1977\/01\/30\/archives\/shirley-verrett-gambles-on-superstardom-she-ought-to-be-the-toast.html\" target=\"_blank\">a profile of Verrett written by Gary Wills for <\/a><\/strong><em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"a profile of Verrett written by Gary Wills for The New York Times (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1977\/01\/30\/archives\/shirley-verrett-gambles-on-superstardom-she-ought-to-be-the-toast.html\" target=\"_blank\">The New York Times<\/a><\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"383\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Elisabetta-Makeup.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2045\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Elisabetta-Makeup.jpg 400w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Elisabetta-Makeup-300x287.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption>Finishing touches&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Episode 6. Shirley Verrett II: La Regina del Bel Canto SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM In this episode in my Shirley&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[420,1626,1701,1263,808,5691,3272],"tags":[386,383,379,371,393,381,347,375,384,376,390,114,387,380,374,378,377,388,389,385,391,268,337,392,372,62],"class_list":["post-1943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-african-american-opera-singers","category-african-american-singers","category-bel-canto","category-mezzo-madness","category-needle-drop","category-shirley-verrett","category-singers-of-color","tag-adalgisa","tag-african-american-opera-singers","tag-bel-canto","tag-beverly-sills","tag-cecilia-gasdia","tag-choral-music","tag-cornelie-falcon","tag-edinburgh-festival","tag-falcon-soprano","tag-gaetano-donizetti","tag-georges-pretre","tag-gioacchino-rossini","tag-john-alexander","tag-kristina-boerger","tag-leyla-gencer","tag-maggio-musicale-fiorentino","tag-maria-stuarda","tag-moise-et-pharaon","tag-mose-in-egitto","tag-norma","tag-paris-opera","tag-samuel-ramey","tag-shirley-verrett","tag-sinaide","tag-thomas-schippers","tag-vincenzo-bellini"],"author_meta":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/author\/admin\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Shirley-Caftan-300x169.jpeg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/african-american-opera-singers\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">African American Opera Singers<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/african-american-singers\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">African American Singers<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/bel-canto\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Bel Canto<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/mezzo-madness\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Mezzo Madness<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/needle-drop\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Needle Drop<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/shirley-verrett\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Shirley Verrett<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Singers of Color<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">African American Opera Singers<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">African American Singers<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Bel Canto<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Mezzo Madness<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Needle Drop<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Shirley Verrett<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Singers of Color<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Adalgisa<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">African American opera singers<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">bel canto<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Beverly Sills<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Cecilia Gasdia<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">choral music<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Cornelie Falcon<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Edinburgh Festival<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">falcon soprano<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Gaetano Donizetti<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Georges Pretre<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Gioacchino Rossini<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">John Alexander<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Kristina Boerger<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Leyla Gencer<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Maggio Musicale Fiorentino<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Maria Stuarda<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Moise et Pharaon<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Mose in Egitto<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Norma<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Paris Opera<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Samuel Ramey<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Shirley Verrett<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Sinaide<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Thomas Schippers<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-of-color\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Vincenzo Bellini<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Adalgisa<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">African American opera singers<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">bel canto<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Beverly Sills<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Cecilia Gasdia<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">choral music<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Cornelie Falcon<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Edinburgh Festival<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">falcon soprano<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Gaetano Donizetti<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Georges Pretre<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Gioacchino Rossini<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">John Alexander<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Kristina Boerger<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Leyla Gencer<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Maggio Musicale Fiorentino<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Maria Stuarda<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Moise et Pharaon<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Mose in Egitto<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Norma<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Paris Opera<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Samuel Ramey<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Shirley Verrett<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Sinaide<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Thomas Schippers<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Vincenzo Bellini<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 7 years ago","modified":"Updated 3 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on 28\/10\/2019","modified":"Updated on 09\/11\/2023"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on 28\/10\/2019 07:26","modified":"Updated on 09\/11\/2023 17:50"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1943"}],"version-history":[{"count":43,"href":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3396,"href":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1943\/revisions\/3396"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}