When a particular performer is hyped to the heavens, I instinctively hesitate to listen simply because the reality rarely lives up to expectations. There is a Lebanese singer that goes by the single name “Farouz” that is a prime example. She is considered a national treasure of Lebanon and is revered all over the arab world for being an amazing singer. She is credited with helping to speed along the peace process during the Lebanese civil war. She said that she would not put on another concert until they got their act together, and it seemed to work to some extent. Now that’s power… Anyway, to use a British expression, she’s crap. I honestly do not understand what the fuss is about. She has a very average voice, limited range, and her phrasing doesn’t seem overly special.
I dunno, maybe she has a commanding stage presence, or maybe I have only listened to her worse quality stuff, but because of the hype, I was expecting to be blown away. Last night I finally got around to listening to Maria Callas. She’s another that has been hyped, even long after her death. Folks, sometimes people do live up to the hype… She was amazing. The first thing I listened to was the “Queen of the Night” aria from the Magic Flute. It’s a difficult piece, many singers can’t really handle the technical issues. Not only did she have zero problems, but she managed to be extraordinarily expressive, and her voice… dear God, what a voice! It was like an aural ballet, effortless, graceful, and it seemed to shine. Even people that don’t like opera would have to be impressed with that performance. I was conducting in my chair, cutting her off, slamming into the next note, etc. Of course that is a total fantasy, from what I read about her, there wasn’t a man alive that could control her. Lucky for all of us she had the chops to be able to get away with being the template for all bitchy, domineering sopranos. I’m going to be listening to more of her stuff soon…