Droopy-drawers critic selects his ‘most glamorous singers’

Droopy-drawers critic selects his ‘most glamorous singers’

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norman lebrecht

November 11, 2014

This is how low newspaper criticism has sunk at the end of 2014. Rupert Christiansen, who yesterday trashed Cecilia Bartoli’s ‘droopy drawers’ in the Daily Telegraph, today selects just for you the 12 opera faces that push his buttons.

Is one judgement more credible than the other?

bartoli St--Petersburg--Teaser

 

Comments

  • Erich says:

    I wonder when she will dare record something for which there is serious direct comparison. The bottoms of the deepest barrels are now being scraped….

  • Anne says:

    Trying desperately hard to look on the bright side (not easy when reminded of what the DT has become), I suppose it might help dispel some of the “fat lady” views that emerge from time to time.

    The big flaw in my argument, however, is that many of those fat lady views are voiced in the DT in the first place.

  • Ks. Christopher Robson says:

    Maybe it is worth noting that RP’s selection is his personal selection of who he thinks are the “12 most glamorous singers” around today, not necessarily his opinion of who he thinks are the 12 best or greatest singers around today.
    On another note, I sort of mostly agree with RP’s review of the new Bartoli recording, and also think it is rather a shame that she has abandoned the lower mezzo-sop repertoire (and sound) that suited her so well. 🙁

  • Cuban Stallion says:

    Might Bellini’s Norma fit the bill?

  • Erich says:

    not in the vegetarian version she sang – no comparison!

  • Milka says:

    To me the dozen singers listed are
    ones I would pass .Predictable and
    boring at best .As for Bartoli she is
    caught in some time warp ….Christiansen
    has little to do with music, he is writing about himself which reflects in
    the singers he names, all equally as
    boring as his writing .Apart from this
    Lebrecht observation does anyone
    really care what Christiansen writes
    or for that matter – who is he ????

  • Jules says:

    Not that it matters but CB’s singing was described as “droopy-drawers crooning.” Her sartorial choices were not part of the mix.

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