Thursday, March 18, 2010

Requiem Aeternam for Christos Lambrakis


Berlin, Philarmonie, September 1975,

Anna Tomowa-Sintow and Agnes Baltsa meet Werner Krenn and José Van Dam and with the Berliner Philharmoniker under the direction of Herbert Von Karajan create one of the most emblematic recordings of Mozart's 626.

Salzburg 1989,
Anna Tomowa-Sintow and Agnes Baltsa meet Gösta Winbergh and Ferruccio Furlanetto and this time sing Mozart's Requiem in the Memory of Herbert Von Karajan under Riccardo Muti
.

Athens, Megaron, 17 March 2010
35 years after the DG recording and 21 years after the Salzburg Requiem the two Grandi Dive meet again on stage, in order to sing Mozart's Requiem for their friend, Christos Lambrakis, who passed away in December 2009.

The In Memoriam Gala was organized for friends, partners, associates, employees of the late Lambrakis and was not open to the public - a shame, as there were many empty seats despite the big number of music-lovers that were calling the Athens Megaron desperate for a ticket.


Greek pride, star-violinist Leonidas Kavakos left us breathless with his out-of-this-world virtuosity in Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
and said his goodbye to Christos Lambrakis with the Andante from Bach's Sonata no.2 - offered to the audience as an encore -probably the most glorious minutes of the whole night.


Second part of the concert and the great Divas step on stage to meet tenor Mario Zeffiri and bass Christophoros Stamboglis. Anna Tomowa-Sintow, 69 years old, ("Toscanini never had access to a voice like hers - she can hit C sharp at nine o'clock in the morning" HV Karajan) sang with pathos but in obvious vocal decline while Agnes Baltsa was sensational in a piece she has not sung in 21 years.


Zeffiri and Stamboglis at the peak of their careers and with their vocal powers intact, contributed to the vocal pleasure. Unfortunately the Camerata Orchestra was miles away from Mozart's divine partitura and there were moments trully embarassing for both the orchestra and the conductor.

Photo album
(with Agnes Baltsa looking like a million $$$)


Stunning Agnes Baltsa:



Two short videos from the News





6 comments:

fagniola said...

Stugnning,stugnning... Lampei, lampei, LAMPEI!!! Lampei to koritsi!!! L-a-m-p-e-i.-

P.S.: Giati xairotane toso???

Anonymous said...

Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Agnes Baltsa, Jose Carreras and Jose Van Dam with Wiener Philharmoniker and Chor of Nationaloper Sofia
under the direction of the "late" Herbert Von Karajan performed the Verdi Requiem. A performance that was recorded both video and audio.

derwanderer said...

Ευχαριστουμε Παρσι για το ωραιο και υπερπληρες ρεπορταζ.
Ωραια εκδηλωση στη μνημη ενος ανθρωπου στον οποιο, ο,τι κι αν λενε διαφοροι για τον πολιτικο, παρασκηνιακο, κλπ κλπ κλπ ρολο που (υποτιθεταιται οτι) επαιζε, οι μουσικοφιλοι ελληνες χρωστανε πολλα.
Σ'αυτον και σε πεντε-δεκα ακομη αστους, καλλιεργημενους, φινους ανθρωπους που δεν συμβιβαστηκαν με τη βλαχια, την κακογουστια, την περηφανη αμαθεια και την μιζερια της ψωροκωσταινας. RIP
ΥΓ: Οντως, η Μπαλτσα ειναι εκθαμβωτικη στις φωτο σου!

Anonymous said...

Has Agnes gone for some nip & tuck? And why is she still wearing the same dress from her greek songs concert? But without a doubt, she is still sensational and still the most exciting mezzo around ... it's a pity that her appearances are so rare now ...

Anonymous said...

http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=1&artId=4565657

με τη νεα της μασελα βλεπω οτι δεν εχει χασει το σσσσσσσσσσσσσσσ.

"Όμως είναι παντού. Στο σπίτι μου, στις παρτιτούρες, στο μυαλό μου, στη μουσική... Έχω μια λύπη..."


Λετε μετα απο αυτο να το γυρισει σε ΥΠΝΩΒΑΤΙΔΑ?

Parsifal said...

Divas of the grandeur of Baltsa can do whatever they want :0 We will always <3 them. I will testify though that if nip/tuck has taken place, it's a very successful one :