WITCHES AND DIVAS

When I lived in Texas, my blog was called Lone Star Concerto. It was fairly popular (believe it or not), mostly with the female persuasion.

I always called them the Church Ladies, or Bible Ladies.

No harm intended. I had no idea whether they read the Bible or attended Church. I merely assumed they were honest, middle class, middle aged, God-fearing women.

Yea, I know assumptions and catagorizations are often wrong - - but what the heck. It was in jest.

The Bible Ladies term innocently followed me through the years and I still occasionally use it.

Okay, I recently made the big FAUX PAS a few blog posts ago. I don't see it that way - - but right after I posted it I felt a shudder of icy distain.

Many people don't share my sense of humor - - well, hell, many people don't share my undaunting passion for Puccini's "Turandot" either.......it's a matter of opinion.

Just a fair warning to you  ....beware! I'm posting it again.

I titled it "The Friday Morning Bible Study That Went Awry"

I thought it was hilarious. Unfortunately, hilarity was minimal.......very minimal.

Quiet room. I can hear pins dropping.

There are witches among us. And hypocrites. Not everybody is enhanced with angel dust. Admit it.

I want to tell you a true story. Happened when I was six.

Well, I was five in New Jersey that autumn and six that summer when we moved to California. Anyway......

my parents and I were in Atlantic City one day. We were looking in a jewelry store window. My mother fell in love with a beautiful - but expensive - bracelet. It was a creation with a strong ancient Egyptian influence. Just looking. No intention to buy.

A few weeks later, in early November - while Mom was working - my Father took me to Atlantic City.  We went to the jewelry store and dad bought the bracelet. Mom's birthday was near.

Let's fast-forward to late summer when we moved to California. After we settled, my parents started attending a certain church. On one occasion my Mother wore the Egyptian bracelet.

One of the church ladies - whom we didn't even know - saw the bracelet. She accosted my Mom and chastised her in front of the entire congregation.

"You look like Jezebel with that pagan bracelet. You're displaying things against God!"

This could have been inspired by jealousy. The lady was a bull dog. My Mother was beautiful.

Here's the kicker.

A few weeks later there was an uproar in the congregation. The woman who chastised my Mother was banned from the congregation. She left her (Caucasian) husband and EIGHT children to be with a black man.

That doesn't seem like much nowadays - - but way back when I was six, it was a huge scandal.

Hypocrite and heathen in the house!

Will you be the one to cast the first stone?

I've never been in any hardcore criminal activities, but indulged in criminal activities against God's laws. I have a  conscious.

I do absolutely believe in God and the power of prayer.

I respect your prayers, positive vibes, whatever your faith or beliefs......and whether you're a church person or not.

Without these spiritual beliefs that keep us going

we'd be lost.

Jon  ❤️

Hey, how about some extra credit? Gather 'round boys and girls - - church ladies, Hollywood hustlers, paltry bloggers, determined opponents of me, country music fans, opera aficionados.....

TELL ME

Who was the greatest Turandot - - -

Eva Marton, Birgit Nilsson, or Ghena Dimitrova?

What? No Maria Callas?? She could be absolutely superb...at....times....but

well hell

I always see her stabbing Scarpia  " Mori! Mori!" (Tosca)

And she meant it

Callas sometimes scares me

No one should go near her while she's holding a knife on stage 🔪 👀

Ok, Birgit Nilsson had an unduly big mouth. Wolves fled from her. 💋🐾🐾🐾  and, by the way,  opera divas shouldn't tackle Turandot when they're 63.

I met Eva Marton long ago - - a beautiful Hungarian singer now in her 80s. She was a flawless Turandot...gave me an autographed photo and a note written in Hungarian.....all lost or stolen when I moved to Tennessee.

What about Ghena Dimitrova - -the Bulgarian operatic soprano - - an absolute goddess on the operatic stage. When I saw Dimitrova as Turandot singing "In Questa Reggia"...the  massive riddle scene, I was rendered speechless and completely overwhelmed. She was flawless, a perfect presentation.

Don't let me hear that her powerful voice pulverized Domingo who played the heroic Prince Calaf. He was probably wearing ear plugs....(a little humor there....very little)

By the way, the above photo is Dimitrova, but she's wearing the exact costume Eva Marton did in the MET production of Turandot.

What about Joan Sutherland? At times she was a superb singer, the best Lucia di Lammermoor ever....but her power and passion was.....limited. She was no Turandot.

How about the Polish diva Rosa Raisa, the very first Turandot.

 Puccini chose her for the 1926 premiere of Turandot, before he died. Conductor Toscanini liked her.

I heard recordings of Raisa performing Tosca. She had Puccini's intentions in her heart.

So what's the verdict?

Dimitrova is my pick.

She was superb. 

All of these operatic divas are gone now, except for Eva Marton. Thank goodness their recordings remain.

        *****************

And, what the heck am I saying? I'm saying there can be witches in your congregation.......or lousy Turandots in your opera house.

You've got to carefully scrutinize my blog posts in order to get a connection (sometimes a connection isn't possible....).

I'm very diverse, vastly informed, frighteningly complex, and unduly unique.

Sometimes......I almost unnerve myself.

Jon  🤍🩶🖤🤍🩶🖤