Refined and elegant, with the voice of an angel, she became the leading soprano of the world. Until it suddenly all came crashing down with a screeching halt.

Let's discuss the prima donna soprano Ms. Kathleen Battle.

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by Anonymous

reply 28

April 13, 2023 5:19 AM

Interesting short biography of her

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by Anonymous

reply 1

April 11, 2023 2:33 PM

For the gay gays, here you go:

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by Anonymous

reply 2

April 11, 2023 2:33 PM

Strauss' Voices of Spring, with Herbert von Karajan and the Wiener Philharmoniker

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by Anonymous

reply 3

April 11, 2023 2:37 PM

She was misunderstood.

Meaning she was much worse than anyone realized.

But what a voice, when she had it going on.

by Anonymous

reply 4

April 11, 2023 2:37 PM

It wasn't THAT long ago that we had a really long thread about her.

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by Anonymous

reply 6

April 11, 2023 2:45 PM

R6 It did not show up in my searches and it is all blurred out. Type to wipe the thread clean.

by Anonymous

reply 7

April 11, 2023 2:47 PM

I still enjoy listening to her. French Opera Arias is one of her best albums, though her Mozart selections are lovely as well.

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by Anonymous

reply 8

April 11, 2023 2:51 PM

Back when only Al Jarreau was the only one who would give her a job

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by Anonymous

reply 9

April 11, 2023 3:14 PM

R5 well, just what is that supposed to mean???

by Anonymous

reply 10

April 11, 2023 3:27 PM

I worked with Kathleen twice...after the show, a group of us went out for a drink and late-night bite to eat with her. She is lots of fun when she not rehearsing and performing.

by Anonymous

reply 11

April 11, 2023 4:46 PM

Thanks, R11. It's always nice to hear from 1983.

by Anonymous

reply 12

April 11, 2023 4:52 PM

Is Ms. Battle a dykewomon?

by Anonymous

reply 13

April 11, 2023 4:57 PM

She had a very distinct voice, not the classic big voice bel canto soprano. Problem was she is impossible. Think Faye D.

by Anonymous

reply 14

April 11, 2023 6:11 PM

Love her voice. She is definitely the most accessible operatic voice ever. My first CD ever was her Christmas album and I still listen to it. She was also very attractive. For those of us who never had to work with her, we didn't care about the insanity behind the scenes, only that glorious voice.

by Anonymous

reply 15

April 12, 2023 12:38 AM

I like the spiritual duets concert she did with Jessye Norman, especially this song. Sublime, the both of them.

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by Anonymous

reply 16

April 12, 2023 12:46 AM

Loved her on the Acropolis with Vangelis. It was very ethereal

by Anonymous

reply 17

April 12, 2023 7:20 PM

She has a strong voice, but not a particularly talented or memorable voice.

And however you may wish to rewrite history, Miss Battle had a serious cuntiness problem.

I won't bore you with the stories - like the time she called her manager and asked him to call the driver of the limousine she was riding in to tell the driver to turn down the A/C. Why? Because Miss Battle does not speak to the help, nor are they allowed to speak to her.

It's the million other stories that weren't publicized that caused all the major opera companies to refuse to continue to work with her.

I suspect she has serious mental health issues.

by Anonymous

reply 18

April 12, 2023 9:18 PM

R18 Miss Battle could be difficult at times, but why is the idea of a difficult world class prima Donna surprising? Miss Battle did not have a strong voice but in fact a voice of unique beauty and tone.. She used her light instrument with incredible musicality and intelligence and those are the reasons she was the top female opera singer of her time.. I still listen to her recordings with great pleasure. She truly had the voice of an angel.

by Anonymous

reply 19

April 12, 2023 10:01 PM

This is exhausting. She overstepped professional decorum, with an inflated ego that no one could work with, and when questioned, feigned innocence about it.

I blame her handlers!

by Anonymous

reply 20

April 12, 2023 10:10 PM

When she finally got fired by the Met (by Joe Volpe, IIRC), the word around the theater was that "Joe lost the Battle and won the war."

by Anonymous

reply 21

April 12, 2023 10:17 PM

She is the Faye Dunaway of the opera world.

by Anonymous

reply 22

April 12, 2023 10:22 PM

R16 I was just going to post about 'The Spirituals In Concert'. I bought it years ago, and play it during Lent - right through Easter each year. Love the CD. I wish the concert was available on DVD (haven't checked in a while, but last time I checked, it wasn't).

by Anonymous

reply 23

April 12, 2023 10:23 PM

R3 that was a flawless performance. Karajan adored her. Those Viennese musicians know their Strauss. You notice the violinist seating behind her occasionally bothers to look at the music.

Here she is 9 years later, singing at the 25th anniversary concert celebrating the opening of the new Metropolitan Opera House (1996). She’s wearing the same red dress. AND, she again sings a flawless performance. This time: O Luce di Quest’Anima from Donezetti’s Linda di Chamounix.

She truly had a sublime voice.

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by Anonymous

reply 24

April 12, 2023 10:35 PM

Sorry, I got the year wrong, that should have been 1991. 1966-1991=25. Mea culpa.

by Anonymous

reply 25

April 12, 2023 10:45 PM

Let's see Jessye Norman or any other soprano diva get into that dress at R24.

by Anonymous

reply 26

April 13, 2023 4:17 AM

Rouben Ter-Arutunian designed a lot of her fabulous gowns.

by Anonymous

reply 27

April 13, 2023 4:25 AM

R21

Look at how the Met has fared since the “Volpe” era! Subscriptions to the Met box office are in the toilet. The number of performances per week are a fraction of the 7 shows they used to put on. No major stars known the average person have emerged and Volpe himself says in his autobiography, the major accomplishment of his tenure is firing Kathleen Battle - that’s just pathetic!

by Anonymous

reply 28

April 13, 2023 5:19 AM