Beverly sills

[Jack Roberts]

Although she didn't play mandolin, her recordings introduced me to opera. I think I'll put on Don Pasquale this evening.

[JeffD]

Is she OK? I heard she was fighting cancer.

[jefflester]

She has passed away.

[John Flynn]

The wire services put out reports just in the last hour that she died today at her home in Manhattan.

[B. T. Walker]

Here (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/02/arts/03cnd-03Sills.html?hp) is the breaking news article in the NY Times. Sad tidings. A great voice, and a true ambassador of her art to the masses.

[JeffD]

Ohhhhhhhhh. I didn't know.

I remember watching her on television, and her interviews at intermission and after the opera. For me she put a human face on opera - that opera was for real people, that normal people could love opera too.

[Dena Haselwander]

Brian,

Thank you for the link to the article. Really sad news; she was a diva in the true sense of the word. Such an inspiration to vocalists and instrumentalists alike.



Dena

[Keith Erickson]

Ohhhhhhhhh. I didn't know.

I remember watching her on television, and her interviews at intermission and after the opera. For me she put a human face on opera - that opera was for real people, that normal people could love opera too.
You know Jeff,

When I was a kid channel surfing, I would come across her singing opera on PBS. #Then I would quickly go to MTV (back in the day when MTV was good)

One time, I just so happen to see one of those interviews of her that you mentioned. #Her persona knocked down those prejudices that I had about opera being about snobby women with horns on their heads singing in Italian.

She was just a delight to watch and listen and she will truly be missed.

[otterly2k]

I love that she had a sense of humor about herself and her art form. She was astounding - in addition to her glorious voice, she had amazing presence and style. Was just trolling around on youtube and watched clips of her from many eras of her career... but it was her willingness to be silly with Danny Kaye and even the Muppets that made her (and her art) accessible and approachable.

(and FWIW, Keith, the women singing with horns on their heads are probably singing in German)

[John Flynn]

My wife and I got to meet her and chat with her at a charity event in St. Louis about 10-12 years ago. I remember she was a delightful person, one of those people who could chat it up with anybody. She easily had the creds to get away with the diva routine, but she was obviously not like that. I wish I could have heard her sing live. I had never seen an opera live before meeting her, but my wife and I have been to more than 20 performances since and enjoyed most of them immensely. I did not make the connection until now, but meeting Ms. Sills may have partially inspired that.

[Keith Erickson]

(and FWIW, Keith, the women singing with horns on their heads are probably singing in German)
Karen,

I stand corrected http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Ms. Sills is probably looking down and ribbin' me about me about my lack of culture.

[otterly2k]

Nah, Keith. She's probably looking down and singing in Italian with horns on her head.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Keith Erickson]

Nah, Keith. #She's probably looking down and singing in Italian with horns on her head.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif Thanks Karen!!! I needed that this morning.

[Jack Roberts]

I thought you had to sing in German with horns on your head. "Hojotoho! Hojotoho! Heiaha! Heiaha! Hojotoho! Heiaha!"

(Is that German?)

[Jack Roberts]

For me she put a human face on opera - that opera was for real people, that normal people could love opera too.
I hope that doesn't exclude abnormal people like me.