Monday
Feb222016
OperaNow! #250: 250??!!??
Monday, February 22, 2016 at 9:37AM 
More mulling over James Levine's future at The Met...Seattle Opera unveils plans for new enormo-dome...Next season has first opera by a female composer in a jillion years.
This week in Oliver's Corner we listen to historically important recordings featuring Grace Bumbry, Shirley Verrett, Simon Estes, and Dorothy Maynor.
This week features Michael, The OC and Doug Dodson.
Reader Comments (11)
let's take one step forward for mentioning great black singers and then 1k steps back by making odd racial comments.
Maybe one of the reasons Oliver likes to do other podcasts is because they treat him with respect, don't interrupt him constantly, contradict him, talk over him and just generally be rude to him.
Thanks for better explaining my relationship with a man I have known for over 20 years
I agree with you 100%, Zach. Everyone to whom I've quoted the comments describes them (the comments, mind you) as racist. "Black" as a voice type? Maybe it's a west coast thing, but we don't get it.
There is a tone color that is identifiable. As there are colors and qualities of various ethnicities and nationalities. Can that be granted...or is it another issue?
There are so many exceptions to the argument about tone colors associated with certain ethnicities that the argument doesn't seem to stand-up. "Smoky," "burnished," "dark" are descriptions used to describe non-black singers, and many black singers don't have these tone colors. So why bother applying these qualities to an ethnicity? That is the issue.
OC has made these kinds of comments about black people for 10 years, and not just about voice types. The reactions of the other panelists on episode 249 suggest that Zach and I aren't alone in our objections to these kinds of comments, but I understand now that things won't change.
I've listened to the show for 10 years. That's a good, long run. Best wishes.
All I know is 9 times out of 10, I can probably identify if a singer is black from listening to them, based on certain tone qualities. It's not bad or good.
And discussion of tone quality was a follow-up, separate topic, aside from choice of rep.
@Craig - check out the documentary Aida's brothers and sisters. I think all of the African American singers in that documentary mention how the sound they create is distinctive and different to other ethnicities. OC isn't racist, I'm so sick of eveyone being 'offended' by everything these days, but I guess that's your prerogative...
@Sean...he probably won't see that, but thanks!