Monday, March 05, 2007

I Puritani Never Had It So Good

Dear Anna Netrebko,

I am blown away. Pick me up. I'm on the floor. I haven't felt this way since I sat in the peanut gallery of the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, PA, and watched as a rotund man with a white hankie named Luciano Pavarotti sang me to ecstasy decades ago.

You voice is beyond fine. It is bel canto at it's best. It has been too long since a voice of this caliber has taken center stage. What is the official operatic term? Woo-woo? No, Brava!


I had heard some of the hype about you, but, I've heard hype before. And this is more than hype, it's glorious.

So, anyway, I saw I Puritani (thank you Metropolitan Opera and Public Television) and though I knew I was seeing (hearing) something I'd never forget, I wasn't totally ready for the mad scene. Beautiful on a bad day with an off-key overweight diva, you turned it into a gloria. And the acrobatics were unparalleled. I've seen divas who demanded 3 pillows for the final act of Boheme. You scoff at the fools.

I regretted that I had not popped a tape into the VCR. Silly me, depend upon YouTube. (Note: Even if you are not an opera buff, fast-forward this to 3:51 and watch Anna Netrebko sing part of this scene upside down.)

Lucky, lucky us, to have you singing.

Enjoying,

Betsy

4 comments:

cadh 8 said...

Awesome..

THis is beautiful, what a voice. Makes the singers on American Idol look like children...oh yeah, they are children. :)

Duke listened with me. Seemed to like it, especially the high notes.

brd said...

Oh, that little Duke, he is Grandma's boy, isn't he?

Unknown said...

Really wonderful. I also like her expression.

brd said...

Yes, yes. She has it all!