The Silver Screen Oasis

James McCracken, tenor, is best know for the role of Otello (Verdi). This is from the Met Centennial (1983), a magnificent display of world class singers and all in one place. Normally the singers are spread across the earth performing the great works in the best opera houses. The is from the Centennial (1983)

Otello is now fully certain that Desdemona has been unfaithful and loves him no more. Of course we know he has been duped into believing this. He was a military hero and highly honored. He says that if he were to be disgraced and lost his honor that he would bear it in the eyes of God. But the loss of Desdemona is just too much.

OTELLO
God! Thou couldst have rained upon my head
every affliction of poverty and shame,
made of my heroic battle-honours
a heap of ruination and a lie ...
and I should have borne the cruel cross
of torment and disgrace
with patience
and resigned me to the will of heaven.
But – oh tears, oh pain! –
to rob me of that vision
in which my soul was garnered joyfully!
That sun has been snuffed out,
that smile, that ray
which gives me life and happiness!
That sun has been snuffed out, etc.
Mercy, thou immortal
rose-lipped cherubin,
cover at the last thy holy face
with the horrid mask of hell!

laffite wrote: ↑October 26th, 2023, 4:38 pm

The first time I saw L'Italiana in Algeri was at the Met around 1985, which I think was the first time they presented the opera. Marilyn Horne sang the lead role. Great production. But my favorite Horne appearance was in the wonderful Barber of Seville with Horne, Di Giuseppe, Prey, Corena, and Siepi, in a sparkling Eugene Berman set. One of my favorite visits to the Met.

Swithin wrote: ↑October 28th, 2023, 10:09 pm

laffite wrote: ↑October 26th, 2023, 4:38 pm

The first time I saw L'Italiana in Algeri was at the Met around 1985, which I think was the first time they presented the opera. Marilyn Horne sang the lead role. Great production. But my favorite Horne appearance was in the wonderful Barber of Seville with Horne, Di Giuseppe, Prey, Corena, and Siepi, in a sparkling Eugene Berman set. One of my favorite visits to the Met.

You may know this but the L'Italiana clip I posted was only the last part of that little chorus. there was about six minutes before that but I eschewed it because there is not enough attention span here to sit through the whole 10 minutes. And FYI, in case you don't remember, that clip was the end of the First Act, not the end of the opera. Just a tid bit.

Not to put anyone down regarding relative attention spans, it's the same with me. Led Zeppelin? A plane, right?

Oh, brother.

End of a duet, great choreography, great singing [media][/

For St. Patrick's Day, two arias from Bohemian Girl, Balfe's lovely Irish opera.

delete by laffite

This is not opera, but operetta, from a turn of the 20th century Hungarian piece, based on an old Hungarian epic poem Janos vitez. It's an "I am" number. The character is introducing himself singing (repeatedly) "My name is, my name is, Kucorica, Kurcorica Janos." It reminds me a bit of Oh, What a Beautiful Morning. I wonder if R&H got what was considered a groundbreaking idea for opening an American musical from this operetta?

BTW, Hungarian names are surname first, given name last. And his name translates to Johnny Corn, or Johnny Corncob, as he was found in a corn field. In the song, he sings about how his name is considered that of a peasant, but he doesn't care, and likes it anyway.

The singer is pretty easy on the eyes, too.