Joyce Blackham sang her signature role opposite Placide Domingo at the 1977 Edinburgh Festival.

A regular at English and Welsh National Operas, she married the baritone Peter Glossop in 1955, divorced him in 1977 and married twice again, then returned to Glossop in his final years (he died in 2008).

Joyce died on June 4.

The great soprano’s house on the Mondsee is for sale. (She died in 1929).

11 rooms and its own boathouse. Yours for 1.6 million Euros.

A tribute to the late baritone by Christian Thompson:

Claudio Desderi had a long and illustrious career on the international opera stage and there are many others more qualified to talk about him as an opera singer than than I.

But I knew him very well in masterclass, and what a fantastic teacher he was. He came to the Verbier Festival Academy and worked with our singers (at least) on Barber of Seville, Bohème, Cosi fan Tutte, Don Giovanni and the Marriage of Figaro.

He had spent his whole career immersing himself in text and truth. For him there was no other way to prepare, so understanding of every single role in “his” operas was second to none.  Sometimes it was as though Da Ponte himself was present in the room. He knew how each character should play (he himself was a beautiful actor) and their importance in the story. Young singers had absolutely nowhere to hide. (Once he even stepped in for an ailing Fiordiligi in rehearsal, of course singing word perfect, although coloratura needing some work).

In 2016, his last visit to Verbier, he led masterclasses of Don Giovanni and directed an unforgettable Falstaff with Bryn Terfel in the title role; Bryn had made his Covent Garden debut as Masetto with Claudio as Leporello (Thomas Allen as the Don) and it was a wonderful reunion.

Claudio had a big heart, he was kind and respectful. He took great pride in passing on his wisdom to others, and in doing things right. He was rigorous and always demanded more, but with love and a twinkle in his eye. For me, there was no better role model for young singers.

The Italian baritone Claudio Desderi has passed away.

After a 1969 debut at the Edinburgh Festival in Rossini’s Il Signor Bruschino, he bacame a fixture at Salzburg, Glyndebourne and Pesaro in Mozart and Rossini roles.

He central achievement was at La Scala, Milan, where he sang  inLa Cenerentola and l’Italiana in Algeri conducted by Claudio Abbado and directed by J-P Ponnelle, and in the Mozart-Da Ponte trilogy conducted by Riccardo Muti and directed by G Strehler.

He was also known as a formidable teacher.

They are putting on concert versions of operas at the premier house in France because one of several trade unions is in dispute over one pay grade in one part of the company.

Vive la France.

The Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva received huge ovations at La Scala Friday night, reprising a role in La Pirata that was last sung there by Maria Callas 60 years ago.

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