Just wondering who has heard Kiri Te Kanawa in concert?? I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to actually sing with her on saturday night and in another concert in a few weeks, she honestly blew me away I was backstage just astounded by her technique and poise while performing.I was looking at the backstage programme and she had already decided on 4 encores that she was going to sing I thought how can she predict that but she was right needed to sing 3 of the 4 songs. I guess she just expects that now what do u think?

I don't know her. Where is she from and where does she perform? You were lucky to be able to sing with her, though, if she's so brilliant!!!

I've heard her many times. My memory is that she's a New Zealander.... ... although not 100% sure of that. Became famous in the UK some time ago now - maybe around 1980.

She performed at some very prominent occasion, a royal wedding or something. Was it Charles and Di's wedding?? can anyone confirm or correct that??

Maggie

Kiri is definitely a Kiwi. In fact I think she is a Maori princess or something?

She has an amazing voice and always seems to have a lovely personality too.

I'm afraid I don't know much beyond that although I have seen her a fair few times on the TV. I think it's very likely that she sang for Charles & Di's wedding, but I don't remember exactly... I was pretty young!

I once slept outside the Royal Opera House overnight for a day ticket for Otello - but it was worth it! Kiri was singing Desdemona, Placido Domingo was Otello and Georg Solti was conducting. Kiri was wonderful, even if she did keep having to look at the prompt box!

I'm very jealous of a friend who heard her as the Countess in Capriccio at Glyndebourne.

QUOTE (Deborah @ Jan 31 2005, 03:40 PM)

I once slept outside the Royal Opera House overnight for a day ticket for Otello - but it was worth it! Kiri was singing Desdemona, Placido Domingo was Otello and Georg Solti was conducting.  Kiri was wonderful, even if she did keep having to look at the prompt box!

A film of Bernstein directing a recording of the "West Side Story" music was shown on TV. The tenor playing Tony was inappropriately cast and couldn't cope with the style. Bernstein got nasty, the tenor was under considerable strain and getting worse under B.'s sarcastic comments, and you could see Kiri (thoroughly on top of the role of Maria) getting distressed and wondering what she could do to calm the unpleasant atmosphere. A lovely lady.

QUOTE (maggiemay @ Jan 31 2005, 09:19 AM)

She performed at some very prominent occasion,  a royal wedding or something.  Was it Charles and Di's wedding??  can anyone confirm or correct that?? Maggie

Yes, correct.

It was Charles that helped make her famous as he heard her sing when he did his NZ tour and decided to invite her to sing at his wedding.

Not sure that I have ever been that enthusiastic about her voice but who am to judge....

QUOTE (kenm @ Jan 31 2005, 04:23 PM)

A film of Bernstein directing a recording of the "West Side Story" music was shown on TV. The tenor playing Tony was inappropriately cast and couldn't cope with the style. Bernstein got nasty, the tenor was under considerable strain and getting worse under B.'s sarcastic comments, and you could see Kiri (thoroughly on top of the role of Maria) getting distressed and wondering what she could do to calm the unpleasant atmosphere. A lovely lady.

The tenor involved was Jose Carreras. He was having trouble with the Polish-American accent Tony's meant to have. But Dame Kiri was also having trouble with her Puerto-Rican accent too. It kept sliding back into New Zealander....

She went on to record an "operatic" performance of "My Fair Lady" after that - where her NZ cockney is an absolute hoot!

But seriously, her performance of "Let the Bright Seraphim" at Prince Charles's wedding was one of the most marvellous things I've ever heard.

Cheers

Katyjay

QUOTE (katyjay @ Jan 31 2005, 07:00 PM)

She went on to record an "operatic" performance of "My Fair Lady" after that - where her NZ cockney is an absolute hoot!

hehe... how does it compare with D.ick Van Dyke's "cockney" in Mary Poppins? as funny? funnier??

http://www.emiclassics.com/artists/biogs/kirb.html

Says it all really!

Kiri Te Kanawa is now 60 and her voice is still in very good form she did sing at charles and di wedding and she is a new zealander just like me! Her carear is winding down now but she is still just as good as she was 30 years ago(well maybe a little less)I am surprized that some people have of heard of her.

She is a lovely person really down to earth and she isnt a maori princess there's only one maori princess and it's not her she was actually adopted and doesn't know her birth mother or father. She sings hine e Hine, pokare kare ana two traditional well known maori pieces..... if anyone knows anything about that.

QUOTE

down to earth

She'sgot a house down the road from me and has built big earth mounds around it to stop prying eyes ! (Don't think the locals round here even know who she is !)

QUOTE

Not sure that I have ever been that enthusiastic about her voice but who am to judge....

Actually Silver Pianist, neither have I.
She's a great performer and very stylish - just not my sort of sound if I'm honest.

Anyway thanks for filling in some details......... I had a feeling Charles had kind of discovered her, but couldn't remember quite how.

Maggie

QUOTE (char @ Feb 1 2005, 05:51 AM)

She sings hine e Hine, pokare kare ana

I love those two songs... seems anyone who has a connection with New Zealand sings tham at some point. Very beautiful.

QUOTE (maggiemay @ Feb 1 2005, 09:22 AM)

QUOTE Not sure that I have ever been that enthusiastic about her voice but who am to judge.... Actually Silver Pianist, neither have I. She's a great performer and very stylish - just not my sort of sound if I'm honest. Maggie

Mmmm, glad I'm not the only one and that I'm in good company in my opinion!

QUOTE (maggiemay @ Feb 1 2005, 09:22 AM)

I had a feeling Charles had kind of discovered her, but couldn't remember quite how.

Charles did NOT discover her: she made her (sensational) debut as the Countess in Mozart's Nozze at Covent Garden in 1971!

I guess it would be better to say Charles introduced her to the "public at large" as it were... she was quite a favourite in the UK for a long while, I know she was on the TV quite a lot. That's how us plebs knew about her

QUOTE

Charles did NOT discover her: she made her (sensational) debut as the Countess in Mozart's Nozze at Covent Garden in 1971!

Thank you for putting the record straight..

And thanks Sarah for your version !

Maggie

QUOTE (sarah-flute @ Feb 1 2005, 11:38 AM)

I guess it would be better to say Charles introduced her to the "public at large" as it were... she was quite a favourite in the UK for a long while, I know she was on the TV quite a lot. That's how us plebs knew about her  :)  :)  :)

Yes, well put!

As I said, he "helped make her famous". Singing at a high profile royal wedding, televised throughout the world, is 1,000 times more effective in helping to make you famous than any number of appearances at Covent Garden and opera houses around the world. I was at that time one of those plebs..LOL. And probably still am...!! Oh well.

Me too - quite a young pleb at the time, but a pleb all the same. And I have never seen Dame Kiri perform other than on my tv screen

PlebSarah

QUOTE

As I said, he "helped make her famous".

yes, indeed you did Silver Pianist, and I'm sorry, I didn't intentionally misquote you.

Must try to choose my words more carefully.

Maggie

I can't say this common frog ever saw her even on TV (being French I guess I was not quite as into the Wedding as you might have been in the UK? and age might have something to do with it...) but I do own a few recordings - the Canteloube is particularly stunning I find.