man plans and god laughs
So very close. Thrilled to see Carnegie Hall, loved the success for Eve, adored singing the Trovatore, loved the response, missed my “tortured girl” in the Boito, what a pity.
A marvelous evening, lots of variety, and lots of terrific singing. That young tenor Hymel is really special. My great friend Marcello Giordani, fresh from rehearsing Ernani, sounded glorious in fine form. Amazing the variety he can do. Renee looked so gorgeous in a truly fabulous gown, in a rare and powerhouse selection from “Lucrezia Borgia”, also my great friend, Eglise Guttierez floating magic and beautiful color in bel canto. Dolora being the force of nature she always is, I love her. Stoyanova quite wonderful, I had not heard her before, in the Anna Bolena. Daniel Mobbs and Stephen Gartner in a bel canto classic, “Suoni la tromba”…..loved it. My friend, the great Renata Scotto adorable and gifted as a splendid hostess. In the Brindisi’s all the “alfredo’s” were at her feet. What a lady and artist!
With so many changes in the program, it must have been hard to follow.
I had felt after a month and a half of being flat on my back, no singing and loss of abdominal strength, to sing the great duet from Norma with Dolora, a great Adalgisa, and me not yet having had the honor to sing this, would have been foolhardy. In the run up for the rehearsals I had tried to sing it in quickly, and am happy to say it sat so beautifully, we will do it the very next time and surprise a lot of people. It will be a great honor to finally sing her..
My doctors had said not to move out of reclined position, but I wanted so much to celebrate with Eve, so there I was holding onto the conductor’s podium and shaking like a leaf. Did not want to cancel,so there I stood in abject misery.
Then backstage, the back froze and I sat in a highback chair for the rest of the night, fuming. Having weathered an epidural, for a woman who HATES needles, I thought I might make it thru the whole evening. It wore off, and the struggle to even leave the theater began.
Back to the gold mines, and finding a way to get this body in better shape to support the talent and the love I have for this great art form. Loved being in the Great Carnegie Hall with so many artist friends and the great public of New York……. Bravi tutti. Now back to the battle……
