Edited by author 09-06-2008 07:06 PM
Gabi, I too want to welcome you back! You were truly missed so much. I just emailed Gary today about you. I have now joined the
google forum run by Derek McGovern and it is very nice there, but I will continue on this forum too.

It does my heart well to see you back. You have been missed so much. We all prayed for you and our prayers have been answered. Dirk (through Gary) kept us up to date almost daily - you are lucky to have such a husband. I hope your recovery continues and you can once again visit us often.

Hello everybody! It is my wish to thank you all for your great support, here in the posts as well as in many private e-mails, flowers, letters and music I was surprised and touched to find such a strong consolation from the forum and am very thankful. Because these things help more than any medication to maintain the needed spirits for a recovery. Be blessed, my friends!

Speaking of Licia Albanese, in a few moments I will be tuning in to Sirius satellite radio for the historic performance of the MET broadcast from 12/15/51, of Massenet's "Manon" with Albanese in the title role. Her tenor is the great Giuseppe DiStefano. Both are at their peak here and I can not think of two more perfect voices for the roles of Manon and des Grieux.

They are Italian through and through, yes, of course, but their French was excellent, not only in diction but style as well, at least they were in 1951. Later on DiStefano especially lost much of that style and started barking all too often but at this point in time he is really "Le Reve". Bass Jerome Hines is also in the opera which was conducted by the little known but excellent musician, Fausto Cleva. This should be a truly great performance.

Its always great therapy to keep all the good memories weve had in our lifetime at our fingertips for reference when we need them...they are something that no one can take away from you!
 
 
In a message dated 9/6/2008 4:16:12 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, qtopic-30-ECKcxtRbxUTNy@quicktopic.com writes:






**************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog, plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com. (http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Edited by author 09-06-2008 05:18 PM
To all: We were very poor when I was growing up, but I think in those days the opera was not charging as much as it does now. We went to the opera back then at the Fox theater where they still hold a lot of live events. I noticed recently that Frank Tenaglia had appeared there. But I don't remember the. date My mother was good to me as she could afford and we went to the free pop concerts series there every Sunday during the summer. It was wonderful growing up in Atlanta, and kids weren't wild then. We had a free open air theater there too, which I think still operates. She also let me have voice lessons for five years which was a real sacrifice for her. She lived to be 93, just died 10 years ago.

Thelma, for you to have heard and seen Albanese and Tagliavini in La Boheme must indeed have been a great introduction to opera. That work was recorded by Albanese in two complete sets, the first with Gigli and another with Peerce (conducted by Toscanini who had conducted for the premiere of La Boheme fifty years before that 1946 recording). She recorded excerpts from the same opera also with Di Stefano, and the work probably would have a special significance for the great soprano, having sung Mimi with so many outstanding tenors during her career.

Sam, good to read your high opinion of Masini who showed, at his best, a remarkable voice.

Sam, I listened to Donald Braswell on several love songs and I loved his voice; very expressive and lush singing of ballads, like a crooner. I also listened to his operatic voice and found it very nice too. He puts a lot of feeling into his singing which is good. He has a wonderful, intangible quality to his voice, very romantic. I think he has a bright future. He is really good, according to Thelma.

Rob, I listened to Masini; I have not ever heard of him. His voice is good though. I went to my first opera when 15 years old with my mother. We saw La Boheme by the traveling Metropolitan Opera in Atlanta (where I grew up)starring Lucia Albanese and Ferrucio Tagliavini. Needless to say it was a wonderful introduction to opera which I never have forgotten.

Donald Braswell sang "The Impossible Dream" quite well on America's Got Talent on Wednesday, though I prefer that particular song sung by a baritone. I forgot to include the link to his version of the song on Youtube, so here it is:
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=HNUxPrlL2V0

Also, you might want to check out his operatic singing which I believe was recorded before his accident 11 years ago when a car hit him and damaged his vocal cords so badly that he couldn't even talk for a long time. He was forced to give up his successful opera career, but the opera recordings on his MY SPACE page (and others on his website) show a good lyric tenor voice. Here is the link for that page as well:
http://www.myspace.com/donaldbraswellmusic

 He is very popular on the show and stands a good chance of winning the competition (a million dollars and a performance on stage in Las Vegas) . This year there are two operatic singers on the show, though some of the other acts leave much to be desired.

ROB: I have liked Galliano Masini ever since buying a rare LP of his in the sixties. Since then all I have added is a CD with more arias. He had a very rich voice, ringing high notes, and could definitely be considered one of the greats. He also had fire and passion. I am not sure how long his career lasted, but I am sure he is under-rated today.

Another project that is very personal to Gary Winnick is the new Arnold S. Winnick Student Center at Long Island University’s C.W. Post Campus. A graduate of the University, Gary Winnick has provided his alma mater with donations totaling $11 million. The new Winnick Student Center is a spacious, modern cafeteria facility with dining and meeting rooms that are used by thousands of students, faculty members and staff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galliano_Masini

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I17KI-R4vRw

Thelma, have you heard this tenor before?

His voice is, in this performance at least, thrilling and distinctive. Some listeners might prefer a more subtle interpretation, such as the one offered by Carlo Bergonzi. Nevertheless, Masini in his best form was a singer who may justly be remembered as one of the great ones. Imagine hearing such a voice in an opera house!

Rob, I Don't really know how that child got into that situation.

  You have a way with the English language. Yes, the searches are sometimes hard to decipher what they may mean.

Oh, you asked about a microphone which somebody touched with their lips, if it could transmit germs to the next person using it. I believe it could, but it depends on what germs were deposited on it and how long they might live.
Many germs don't last long enough to cause harm, especially if the persons concerned are healthy, but you just never know.

Thanks Thelma. That certainly is one Lucky Dip to be avoided.

How did such a small child manage to find his way inside? Was Harry Potter and his magic wand involved perhaps?

Rob, Here's a frightening Lucky Dip!
 http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=LClvwB4ZbX4

I didn't know what a Lucky Dip was so I googled it.