GABRIEL BACQUIER, RIP

 It was always a joy to hear and watch Gabriel Bacquier on stage. Time to share some memories. BARBER OF SEVILLE, Oct. 1982, Bartolo, first with Jerome Hines as Basilio, "La calumnia", then with Marie Ewing as Rosina

DON GIOVANNI. Mar. 1978, Leporello with Julia Varady as Elvira in the Catalogue are and then with Don Giovanni, James Morris

NOZZE DI FIGARO, Dec. 15, 1964, as the Count with Judith Raskin as Susanna and Mariano Caruso as Basilio, act I

A curtain call with Teresa Stratas, Cherubino

FORZA DEL DESTINO, Jan. 1975, Melitone

DON PASQUALE, title role Dec. 1978

SAMSON, the high priest, Dec. 1971 with Mignon Dunn, Dalila

GIANNI SCHICHI  Oct. 1981, title role and then with Italo Tajo, Simone

TOSCA, Oct. 1968, Scarpia with Birgit Nilsson and the fan, act I

Act II, Scarpia with Cavaradossi and Tosca,  Corelli and Nilsson.
It was wonderful. Bacquier was a master beloved by everyone.   Totally sad, but also thankful. RIP.

Rosalind Elias, RIP

Sad news. The beloved Rosalind Elias has passed away at the age of 90. She was always marvelous on stage and a gracious, respected, elegant human being adored by all her colleagues and fans. These are a small sampling from my Elias archive.  The earliest camera meeting was the arrival of FALSTAFF in 1964 at the old Met. Rosalind as Meg Page, Judith Raskin as Nanetta, Regina Resnik as Dame Quickly and Gabrielle Tucci as Alice Ford.

ROSENKAVALIER, 1969, Walter Berry as Ochs, Rosalind as Annina. All Met letters NOT e-mail.

Two images from COSI FAN TUTTE, Oct. 1971. She's Dorabella. Tom Krause is Guglielmo.

With Teresa Stratas as Despina.

HANSEL UND GRETEL. I think these have never before been published. Elias as Hansel,Stratas as Gretel 1971.

In 1981 and 1982 she was the super witch

DON GIOVANNI 1972 as Zerlina with Ruggero Raimondi as the Don.

FORZA DEL DESTINO, Preziosilla, 1976  with Sherrill Milnes as Carlo

A fun reception with Lucine Amara and Sherrill Milnes

Friends together at another reception, with Martina Arroyo

Roberta Peters with her husband Bert Fields framing Rosalind with her husband Zuhayr Mograbi and George Shirley.

Rosalind with Teresa Stratas after the Stratas Tribute, 2008

Rosalind was the guest at a talk at the MOG  2012. It was a huge success... informative, funny, heartwarming.

It hurts when someone you adore leaves this life. I hold her friendship dear.  We were all so blessed to have witnessed her artistry.