Classical Crushes

[stlukesguild]

Building off Brian Bean's recent postings on Yuja Wang:

Here is the great, and I mean great, Yuja Wang playing Rachmaninoff's Concerto No.2. If I were young enough and rich enough, I would marry her tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2JyZE-OaXY

Might we not start a thread on classical sex symbols... or which classical musician you'd marry in a moment?

I'll start with the delicious Anna Netrebko:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_kaOYC_Fww

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa58T...eature=related

Placido shows that you still might be all washed up Brian.

[Emil Miller]

[QUOTE=stlukesguild;Placido shows that you still might be all washed up Brian.[/QUOTE]

I have to agree with that, but I don't think I could handle Ms Netrebko (metaphorically speaking of course), she has a glorious voice but appears to be a little too flighty to my mind. I have always preferred women to be small, delicate and a little on the quiet side.

[Neely]

I concur with Brian. Miss Netrebko seems like she could be a bit of a handful, too much trouble I mean.

I shall make endeavours to fall in love with my own musical beauty. A difficult day ahead.

[stlukesguild]

I concur with Brian. Miss Netrebko seems like she could be a bit of a handful, too much trouble I mean.

Yes... but the trouble would surely be worth it.

I have always preferred women to be small, delicate and a little on the quiet side.

I've always been quite the opposite. I've always preferred something more... more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrBx6mAWYPU








My wife's standing behind me, isn't she.

After the stunning Netrebko I'd have to admit to a secret passion for the exotic Danielle de Niese. Born in Australia of Sri Lankan heritage, and raised in the US, Danille is one of the recent crop of opera singers who can actually act. To this she has the added abilities as a dancer which make her a favorite in Baroque operas such as this stunning William Christie production of Rameau's Les Indes gallantes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7onnt2OvPY

(I especially love the campy God of war straight out of Twisted Sister)

It was her role as Cleopatra in Handel's Giulio Cesare that first brought her to operatic stardom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlTTcooIR84

[Emil Miller]

When it comes to beautiful opera singers this one was unbeatable. Legions of men must have had a crush on her.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCwB0Hd4MEI

[Neely]

I concur with Brian. Miss Netrebko seems like she could be a bit of a handful, too much trouble I mean.
Yes... but the trouble would surely be worth it.

Yes, but it would be a short-lived affair and expensive into the bargain. You would have the champagne, the whirl of expensive restaurants and fast living, hot passion and sweet kisses, but then you would be left in debt and out of luck - you have to weigh up the pros and cons!! She looks a bit like this one:

Anna Caterina Antonacci
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2XyHfi50yE
There's another dangerous type.

This is more my sort of thing (cream top). I like the long dark hair and delicate nature. Preferably Irish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrk78FTY6tQ

Much easier to deal with. Ah Louise. You could even go fishing with dad, take a couple of Guinness's, then go home to sweet Louise. Ah.Where did it all go wrong?

(That tune gets annoying after 5 views though...)

[stlukesguild]

Yes, but it would be a short-lived affair and expensive into the bargain. You would have the champagne, the whirl of expensive restaurants and fast living, hot passion and sweet kisses, but then you would be left in debt and out of luck - you have to weigh up the pros and cons!! She looks a bit like this one:

Anna Caterina Antonacci

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2XyHfi50yE

There's another dangerous type.

I could live with that. She definitely fits my ideal: "sehr hübsch".

Less Botticelli:



or Kate Moss for that matter:



and more towards Rubens:



Scarlett Johannson:



or Christina Hendricks:



When it comes to beautiful opera singers this one was unbeatable. Legions of men must have had a crush on her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCwB0Hd4MEI

Well... if we're going back in time, surely no one could compete with the first true "diva" of the modern era...

La Divina!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9nrtFkj6Bo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZrao_GX4nk

She almost single-handedly resurrected Puccini... raising him from lightweight melodrama to the greatest of tragedies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKm4-...eature=related

This conclusion to Madame Butterfly always makes the hairs on my neck stand up.

Callas called Butterfly a voice-killing role and only sang it live 3 times. Luckily we have this recording for Callas was right... roles like Butterfly and others not suited to her destroyed her voice far too early. A singer like Renee Fleming has been very judicious as to what roles she chooses and as a result she is still at the top of her game after age 50.

[Emil Miller]

StLukes, already your thread is taking a nosedive from Classical crushes to truck drivers fancies. What next, Dolly Parton?
Just to get back to real women, here's another clip of Analiese Rothenburger to show what a really beautiful lady looks like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XHGAGaqZb4

[Neely]

Well I always find Stlukes' threads so uplifting...

[stlukesguild]

Brian, I honestly never heard of Anneliese Rothenberger until now. She is admittedly quite lovely, although perhaps a bit too elegant... cultured... dignified... not to say aloof... for my own tastes which are admittedly more... "earthy." I certainly cannot imagine her fishing with Neely's Dad or downing a couple Guinnesses. I certainly can imagine Ruben's Susanna Fourment, good hearty Belgian girl that she was, quaffing a few... if not offering up some marvelous Belgian alternatives.

As for Dolly Parton... better not to even go there.

Patsy Cline is another story altogether:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZKiZG0u7oc

[Emil Miller]

I certainly cannot imagine her fishing with Neely's Dad or downing a couple Guinnesses.

[Musicology]

More highly strung than any wild horse. The divas of the stage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLtHG...eature=related

[stlukesguild]

Too bad there are no videos of Callas at her peak... as in her 1953 Tosca:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jpu40Iq8WI

There is a recording of her performing the same opera in 1964... but she is past her prime at that point.

[Neely]

I certainly cannot imagine her fishing with Neely's Dad or downing a couple Guinnesses.

That's dad-in-law or potential dad-in-law. It's not that I want to go fishing with the guy in the video you understand(just watch him go). He just looks very protective of his daughter, so I might have to soften him up with a few fishing trips and free rounds of Guinness. I can imagine that my lovely Irish girl would be doing something productive while I was out catching trout and downing the black stuff, maybe something like weaving a basket or collecting sea shells, putting a nice bow in her hair, something like that.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Hmmm...I choose Hilary Hahn.
As for fishing, I bet she could tie some great flies, given the deftness of her fingers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYxD...eature=related

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