forget the pop opera, try the real thing

It's great that lots of people, including young people, are getting into classical music. After all, it has been around for hundreds of years and will continue to outlast the more modern forms of popular music.

Pop opera is, unfortunately too popular - Russell Watson, Il Divo, Amici Forever etc. They are great for people unfamiliar with real classical music as an introduction. But I think it is time they moved on. My human refuses to allow any of those pop (pretend) opera CDs in my house. And certainly not any of those solo renditions of Nessun Dorma sung out of context.

We only listen to the real thing. My human likes to put on for me, operas by Puccini, Verdi, Bizet, Mozart and Donizetti (but not Wagner where I express my displeasure at such heavy metal opera by shaking my ears and my head).

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, that absolutely stunning soprano and a favourite in our Puccini opera collection certainly agrees - see Sydney Morning Herald article of 20 June 2005. She will be performing at the Sydney Opera House next Saturday, 1 July 2005, but my human doesn't have tickets and can't go. Her Vissi d'arte from Tosca is the best.


Dame Kiri

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

My human slept in again today and spent much of the time with me on the couch. I did go outside in the morning to nibble on some grass when he hung out the washing. We also had an afternoon nap together on the couch which was so comfortable. I even forgot my dinner time until my human woke me.

keisercat@wildmail.com