Roberta Peters passed away yesterday; though undoubtedly a star, she's underrated and under appreciated today. Her Lucia and Gilda were both beautifully recorded and I plan on listening to both today as a distraction to the goings on in DC.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
Perhaps the greatest American coloratura of the 20th century. I was listening to an early recording of her Zerlina last night and it was absolutely astonishing. She continued to sing in opera until well into her sixties, and gave the occasional recital until just recently. Talk about technique.
She was a great crossover artist, as well; I treasure my vinyl of her recording of CAROUSEL with John Raitt.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
AC126748 said: "Perhaps the greatest American coloratura of the 20th century. I was listening to an early recording of her Zerlina last night and it was absolutely astonishing. She continued to sing in opera until well into her sixties, and gave the occasional recital until just recently. Talk about technique.
She was a great crossover artist, as well; I treasure my vinyl of her recording of CAROUSEL with John Raitt.
Do you mean her recording with Alfred Drake? Was a recording made with Raitt and Peters?
smidge said: "AC126748 said: "Perhaps the greatest American coloratura of the 20th century. I was listening to an early recording of her Zerlina last night and it was absolutely astonishing. She continued to sing in opera until well into her sixties, and gave the occasional recital until just recently. Talk about technique.
She was a great crossover artist, as well; I treasure my vinyl of her recording of CAROUSEL with John Raitt.
Do you mean her recording with Alfred Drake? Was a recording made with Raitt and Peters?
"
No, you're absolutely correct. I was confusing my recordings; hers was with Drake.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
She was one of my favorite sopranos. I loved the charm and vocal fireworks of her Rosina in the Barber of Seville. She was also my favorite performer of my screen name role. She had F6's for days and they were so pretty and perfect!
markypoo said: "Back in the 70s she toured in a production of The Merry Widow that played just about everywhere except here in Chicago.
Always regretted missing it - and her.
"
We hosted that tour at the theater where I worked in Miami Beach, marky, and I'm afraid I have nothing to say to lessen your regret. Peters was radiant--to the eye as well as to the ear. Her "Vilia" was as clear as a bell and you could hear a pin drop while she sang it, even in our 3,000 seat barn!